Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
Name	Harry Reid
Caption	Reid in 2011
Birth date	March 2, 1939
Birth place	Searchlight, Nevada, U.S.
Death date	December 28, 2021
Death place	Henderson, Nevada, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, lawyer
Party	Democratic Party
Spouse	Landra Gould (m. 1959)

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid Harry Reid was an American politician and lawyer who served as a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Nevada and as Senate Majority Leader. Reid’s career spanned local Nevada offices, leadership in the United States Senate, and roles in national Democratic Party organizations. He played central roles in federal debates on health care, judiciary confirmations, nuclear waste policy, and financial regulation.

Early life and education

Born in Searchlight, Nevada, Reid grew up in a mining town shaped by mining unions and the Teamsters influence and later moved to Henderson, Nevada. He attended Southern Utah State College (now Southern Utah University) before serving as a staff sergeant in the United States Air Force during the early 1960s. After military service he completed a law degree at the George Washington University Law School and practiced law in Nevada, engaging with the Nevada State Bar and local legal institutions.

Early political career and Nevada politics

Reid began his political career in Nevada municipal and state roles, including service as a county judge and as a member of the Nevada Assembly. He served as chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission and was active in Nevada Democratic Party organizations linked to the Nevada State Democratic Party. Reid worked with figures such as Mike O'Callaghan and engaged with Nevada issues involving the Hoover Dam, Las Vegas, and the development of Clark County, Nevada. His early alliances connected him to labor leaders in the AFL–CIO and to Nevada business leaders associated with the Las Vegas Strip casino industry.

U.S. House of Representatives

Reid was elected to the United States House of Representatives from Nevada’s at-large congressional district in 1982. During his House tenure he served on committees dealing with federal budget and United States Department of the Interior matters, interacting with leaders such as Tip O'Neill and participating in debates with members of the Congressional Black Caucus and the Republican Study Committee. Reid’s House service positioned him to challenge incumbent Senator Paul Laxalt and to forge alliances with western delegation members like Mike Gravel and Dennis DeConcini.

U.S. Senate career

Elected to the United States Senate in 1986, Reid represented Nevada for five terms, sitting on influential panels including the Senate Appropriations Committee, the Senate Finance Committee, and the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. He worked on federal land use issues with delegations from states like Arizona and Utah and negotiated with presidential administrations such as those of Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama on appropriations, western water rights, and defense procurement involving contractors like Lockheed Martin. Reid also cultivated relationships with colleagues including Ted Kennedy, Mitch McConnell, John McCain, and Chuck Schumer.

Senate Minority and Majority Leadership

Reid rose to Democratic leadership as Senate Minority Whip and then as Senate Minority Leader, before becoming Senate Majority Leader following the 2006 midterm elections. As leader he managed floor strategy vis-à-vis Republican leaders such as Trent Lott and Bill Frist, coordinated with Democratic Presidents and Cabinet members like Hillary Clinton and Timothy Geithner, and orchestrated confirmation battles involving nominees to the United States Supreme Court and federal appellate benches. Reid shepherded major legislative priorities through complex negotiation with the House of Representatives leadership and with Senate committees chaired by members like Dianne Feinstein and Orrin Hatch.

Legislative achievements and policy positions

Reid was instrumental in passage of the Affordable Care Act through leadership maneuvers in the Senate, and he supported financial reforms arising from the 2007–2008 financial crisis including aspects incorporated into the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. He prioritized nuclear waste policy, advocating for and later opposing plans for the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository, engaging with the Department of Energy and stakeholders like the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Reid advanced initiatives on renewable energy in the American West, worked on Indian gaming compacts with tribal nations such as the Shoshone and Paiute, and supported veterans’ legislation that intersected with the Department of Veterans Affairs. He took positions on immigration reform aligned with Democratic leaders including Joe Biden and Chuck Schumer and on Supreme Court nominations contested by figures like Antonin Scalia and Sonia Sotomayor.

Controversies and criticisms

Reid faced criticism for tactics such as the use of the parliamentary maneuver known as the filibuster reform and for procedural rules governing judicial confirmations, drawing rebuke from opponents such as Mitch McConnell and John Cornyn. His opposition to the Yucca Mountain project provoked legal and political disputes with supporters including Senator John Ensign and with administrations that favored the repository. Reid’s comments about figures like Mitt Romney and public exchanges with Nevada political opponents including Jim Gibbons attracted media scrutiny, and ethics complaints and spending questions were raised by watchdogs such as Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington and examined by the Office of Congressional Ethics.

Personal life and legacy

Reid married Landra Gould and had five children, maintaining residences in Henderson and Las Vegas and participating in community organizations connected to St. Rose Dominican Hospital and local educational institutions like the College of Southern Nevada. He received honors from institutions including Reed College and had buildings and programs in Nevada named in his honor. Reid’s legacy includes his impact on Senate procedure, his stewardship of Democratic caucus strategy alongside leaders such as Nancy Pelosi, his influence on healthcare and judicial policy, and his role in shaping 21st-century legislation alongside colleagues like Harry Reid's colleagues omitted per rules.

Category:1939 births Category:2021 deaths Category:United States Senators from Nevada Category:Democratic Party (United States) politicians