WASHINGTON -- Sen. Robert Byrd's office said Monday that the ailing lawmaker "continues to improve" after more than a month in the hospital, but that he's still unlikely to return to work this week. Byrd's office said last week that the 91-year-old West Virginia Democrat was expected to be released from the hospital in the near future. Byrd, who is the longest-serving senator, is undergoing physical therapy as he recovers from a staph infection. He has been carrying out some official duties from his hospital bed, including signing enrolled bills for presentation to President Barack Obama in his role of president pro tempore of the Senate. His office has released scant details about his illness, declining even to say where he is receiving treatment. The latest update says he's in high spirits and has asked Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye to fill in for him this week at a meeting to draft the 2010 Homeland Security spending bill.
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