Harry Reid served longer in Congress than anyone from his Battle Born state and was the Senate majority leader alongside two presidents. He led the Senate during one of its more consequential legis…
WASHINGTON — Former Sen. Harry Reid was remembered Wednesday as a “legendary leader,” as colleagues and friends gathered at the U.S. Capitol to pay tribute to a hardscrabble Democrat who rose from poverty in a dusty Nevada mining town to the most powerful position in the Senate. Reid lay in state at the Capitol Rotunda while Vice President Kamala Harris, senators and others joined for a ceremony almost as succinct as his own dry-humored style of hanging up the phone rather than engaging in lengthy goodbyes. Reid, who had pancreatic cancer, died last month at age 82. “Harry Reid made the world a better place,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. “To see him lead and legislate was to see a master at work,” said Pelosi, who worked side by side with him when they were the top two Democrats in Congress. She called Reid “a legendary leader of great integrity.” Reid served longer in Congress than anyone from his Battle Born state and was the Senate majority leader alongside two presidents. He led the Senate during one of its more consequential legislative sessions, securing the economic recovery bill during the Great Recession and President Barack Obama’s landmark health care law. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., spoke of having to explain Reid’s abrupt, soft-spoken leadership style to the new senators. “Even though Harry talked softly, what he said carried the force of thunder,” Schumer said. Schumer said Reid never forgot the struggles of families and places like the one he came from and believed government had a moral obligation to ensure Americans had opportunities to improve their lives. “Few have shaped the workings of this building like our dear friend from Nevada,” he said. “Few have dedicated their lives to the work of the people quite like Harry did. The service was largely closed to the public under COVID-19 protocols, though former colleagues, staff and others were permitted to visit during the day.
