[Senate Document 114-23]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
TRIBUTES TO HON. HARRY REID
Harry Reid
U.S. SENATOR FROM NEVADA
TRIBUTES
IN THE CONGRESS OF
THE UNITED STATES
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
S. Doc. 114-23
Tributes
Delivered in Congress
Harry Reid
United States Congressman
1983-1987
United States Senator
1987-2017
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
WASHINGTON : 2017
Compiled under the direction
of the
Joint Committee on Printing
CONTENTS
Biography.............................................
v
Farewell Address......................................
ix
Proceedings in the Senate:
Tributes by Senators:
Boozman, John, of Arkansas.....................
41
Boxer, Barbara, of California
...............................................
....
3, 6, 20
Cardin, Benjamin L., of Maryland...............
25
Casey, Robert P., Jr., of Pennsylvania.........
4
Collins, Susan M., of Maine....................
30
Durbin, Richard J., of Illinois................
14
Enzi, Michael B., of Wyoming...................
29
Feinstein, Dianne, of California...............
6
Hatch, Orrin G., of Utah.......................
36
Heller, Dean, of Nevada........................
10
Hirono, Mazie K., of Hawaii....................
31
Klobuchar, Amy, of Minnesota...................
34
Leahy, Patrick J., of Vermont..................
24
McConnell, Mitch, of Kentucky..................
7, 36
Nelson, Bill, of Florida.......................
31
Peters, Gary C., of Michigan...................
39
Portman, Rob, of Ohio..........................
41
Reed, Jack, of Rhode Island....................
23
Reid, Harry, of Nevada.........................
9
Stabenow, Debbie, of Michigan..................
38
BIOGRAPHY
To understand Senator Harry Reid, you must look to the
small mining town of Searchlight, NV.
There in the desert, more than an hour away from the
bright lights of Las Vegas is where he was born and
raised.
Searchlight is where Harry Reid watched his father work
as a hard rock miner. It's where he attended a school with
one teacher for eight grades. It's where he learned Nevada
values like hard work, opportunity, and independence.
Harry Reid was the Democratic leader in the U.S. Senate,
someone that earned the respect of colleagues from both
parties, and a powerful advocate for Nevada families.
Every day Senator Reid put his leadership position to work
to deliver meaningful results for all Nevadans.
He was guided by the lessons and values he learned in
Searchlight.
The Las Vegas Sun newspaper summarized Senator Reid's
story by saying that he ``has gone from underdog to
Senate's top dog.''
Parade Magazine, the Nation's largest weekly magazine,
identified Senator Reid as one of a handful of leaders in
Washington with ``integrity and guts.''
Since Nevadans first elected him to the Senate in 1986,
Harry Reid developed a reputation as a consensus builder
and a skillful legislator. His Republican colleagues have
praised his reasoned, balanced approach.
Senator Orrin Hatch, Republican from Utah, has said,
``We all respect Senator Reid. He is one of the moderate
voices around here who tries to get things to work.''
Former Republican Senate Leader Trent Lott said, ``Harry
Reid is out there finding a solution. I enjoy working with
him very much.''
Senator Reid worked with both parties, including all
members of the Nevada congressional delegation, to address
the issues important to the State.
After Nevadans reelected Senator Reid to a third Senate
term in 1998, he was chosen by his colleagues to serve as
the assistant Democratic leader, also known as the
``whip.'' After he won a fourth term in 2004 by a wide
margin, he was unanimously elected Senate Democratic
leader, a position he held until his retirement. In 2010,
he was reelected as Nevada's senior U.S. Senator.
Harry Reid wasn't afraid to speak his mind--but he
wasn't afraid to listen, either. Like the desert country
that helped shape him, he didn't cry out for attention.
He's soft spoken--but when he talked, people listened.
He earned the trust of both Democrats and Republicans,
and his reputation for integrity and fairness gave the
small State of Nevada a powerful voice in Congress.
Since he came to the Senate in 1986, Harry Reid fought
tirelessly to make Nevada an even better place to live by
promoting economic development, investing in
infrastructure, working to address the foreclosure crisis,
investing in clean energy development, fighting the
proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump, delivering
quality affordable health care, protecting Social
Security, and ensuring the readiness of our military. As a
result of surges in the State's population over the last
decade, Senator Reid used his leadership position to meet
Nevada's unique needs.
As the Democratic leader, Senator Reid worked on
building a clean energy future that would help provide
Nevadans with safe, reliable, and affordable supplies of
clean energy, and he championed efforts to make Nevada the
Nation's leader in clean energy. He supported investments
in renewable energy, transmission lines, and energy
efficiency that create jobs and reduce energy costs for
Nevada families. Since 2000, he secured over $100 million
for Nevada-based projects to research and advance our
Nation's renewable energy and energy efficiency
capabilities, and he also helped to pioneer renewable
energy development on public lands in Nevada. Since 2008,
Senator Reid cosponsored the National Clean Energy Summit
in Las Vegas, NV. These summits brought business leaders,
elected officials, and experts in energy development and
technology together to develop policy recommendations that
guide Federal and local government in developing clean
renewable energy and growing a greener, more sustainable
economy.
Senator Reid also secured hundreds of millions of
dollars to make Nevada safer. These funds helped put more
police on the street, and ensured that Nevada's military
bases throughout the State have the vital funding they
need. In 2005, Senator Reid worked with the Base
Realignment and Closure Committee (BRAC) and fought to
successfully prevent the removal of the Nevada Air
National Guard C-130 aircraft and the closure of the
Hawthorne Army Depot. He also worked tirelessly to ensure
the Southern Nevada Veterans Administration Medical
Complex became a reality. He secured over $600 million for
the project and because of Senator Reid's work, the
700,000 square-foot center opened in 2012 for Nevada's
veterans.
As an avid sportsman, Senator Reid has long been a
champion of Nevada's outdoors. In 1986, he authored and
passed legislation establishing Nevada's first national
park, Great Basin National Park, He led the fight to
protect and restore Lake Tahoe, and in 1997 he invited
President Clinton and Vice President Gore to join him at
Lake Tahoe and secured a Federal commitment to restore and
protect the lake. From this, the annual Lake Tahoe Summit
was created, which brings leaders of all political stripes
together with the common goal of preserving Lake Tahoe's
clarity.
While some were taking away funding from Nevada schools,
Senator Reid used his leadership position to deliver more
Federal funding to invest in Nevada students, reduce class
sizes, and lower the dropout rate. He also helped make
college more affordable by increasing grant aid and making
student loan payments more manageable. He secured hundreds
of millions of dollars for Nevada's colleges and
universities for research in energy, medical, and science
industries.
Born in the small rural mining town of Searchlight,
Harry Reid grew up in a small cabin without indoor
plumbing, and attended a two-room elementary school. As a
small boy he would accompany his father, Harry Reid, Sr.,
for long days deep underground in the mines. His father
was a hard rock miner with an eighth grade education and
his mother never completed high school; yet, the youngest
of Harry and Inez Reid's four sons would go on to achieve
the American dream.
Searchlight had no high school, so after eighth grade,
Harry began attending Basic High School in Henderson,
where he boarded with local families during the school
week.
It was at Basic High that he met Landra Gould, who
became his high school sweetheart. In 1959, 2 years after
they had graduated from Basic, Harry and Landra were
married. In 1961, their first child and only daughter,
Lana, was born. Son Rory was born in 1962, and three more
brothers--Leif, Josh, and Key--followed.
Basic High was also where Harry Reid met a teacher named
Mike O'Callaghan who would play many roles in his life:
teacher, boxing coach, political mentor, trusted advisor,
and best friend.
After high school, some businessmen in Henderson helped
him go on to college, an act of generosity that Harry Reid
would work hard to repay in the years that followed. He
graduated from Utah State University in 1961 and went on
to get a law degree from George Washington University.
During these years as a law student, he supported his
young family by working nights as a U.S. Capitol Police
Officer.
After completing law school, the Reids headed back to
Henderson where Harry served as the city attorney,
revising the city charter and working on extending
Henderson's boundaries by acquiring Federal land. His
outstanding record helped him win an election to the
Nevada State Assembly in 1968, at age 28.
In Carson City, as a young assemblyman, he introduced
the first air pollution legislation in Nevada's history
and also worked on laws to protect consumers. In 1970, at
the age of 30, Harry Reid became the youngest Lieutenant
Governor in Nevada history, winning election as Governor
Mike O'Callaghan's running mate.
In 1977, he was appointed chairman of the Nevada Gaming
Commission, where for 5 years, he made headlines with his
legendary and unrelenting fight to clean up Nevada's
gaming industry.
Harry Reid returned to his private law practice for a
few years, and, in 1982, won the first of two terms in the
U.S. House of Representatives. In the House, he championed
issues important to Nevada families, introducing the
Taxpayers' Bill of Rights as well as legislation to
protect Nevada's wilderness.
He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986, and reelected
in 1992, 1998, 2004, and 2010. He served as the chairman
or senior Democratic member on several important
committees and subcommittees, and was the Senate
Democratic leader.
Harry Reid was a tireless worker, and it wasn't unusual
for him to be the first Senator to arrive at the Capitol
in the morning and the last to go home at night.
Despite the demands of his career in government, Harry
Reid's family has always been his first priority. The
bonds forged in the tight-knit family have only grown
stronger as the Reid children have grown up, embarked on
their own careers, and started their own families.
Senator Reid and Landra are the proud grandparents of 19
grandchildren.
Farewell to the Senate
Thursday, December 8, 2016
Mr. REID. Mr. President, the history of Searchlight
starts this way, the first paragraph of that book:
Searchlight is like many Nevada towns and cities: it
would never have come to be had gold not been discovered.
Situated on rocky, windy, and arid terrain without artisan
wells or surface water of any kind, the place we call
Searchlight was not a gathering spot for Indian or animal.
Searchlight. It is a long way from Searchlight in the
U.S. Senate.
I grew up during World War II in Searchlight. As Senator
McConnell mentioned, my dad was a miner, a hard rock
miner, an underground miner, but work wasn't very good in
Searchlight. The mines during World War II were especially
gone--all over America but especially in Nevada. There
were a few things that went on after the war, promotions.
He would work, and sometimes they would pay him, sometimes
there were bad checks that would bounce. Sometimes they
wouldn't pay him, they would just leave.
My mom worked really hard. We had this old Maytag
washer. There were lines outside. She worked really hard.
Searchlight had about 250 people then. It had seen its
better days. Searchlight was discovered in 1898 when gold
was discovered, and for 15 or 18 years, it was a booming
town. It was one of the most modern cities in all of
Nevada. It had electricity--turn of the century
electricity. It had a telegraph. It had telephones. It had
a fire station, firetrucks. It had roads with signs on
them designating the name of the street. It had a
railroad. When I grew up, that was all gone. Searchlight,
as I said, had 250 people.
So people may ask: How did my mother work so hard in a
town with 250 people? We had at that time no mines, but 13
brothels at one time in Searchlight--13, not over time but
at one time. The biggest was the El Rey Club. So that
tells everyone what wash my mom did, from the casinos and
from the brothels. She worked really hard. She ironed. She
washed.
As I look back on my growing up in Searchlight, I never
felt, during the time I was a boy, that I was deprived of
anything. I never went hungry. Sometimes we didn't have, I
guess, what my mom wanted, but we were fine.
As I look back, it wasn't that good, I guess. We had no
inside toilet. We had a toilet outside. You had to walk
about 50 yards to that because my dad didn't want it close
to the house, and we had a good time, even with that. My
poor mother, what a wonderful woman she was. Sometimes, my
younger brother and I sometimes, just to be funny, when my
mother would go to the toilet, which had tin walls--it was
made out of tin--and we would throw rocks at that. ``Let
me out,'' she would say. It doesn't sound like much fun,
but it was fun at the time.
When I started elementary school, there was one teacher
for grades one through four and then another teacher for
grades five through eight, but when I got to the fifth
grade, there were not enough students for two teachers so
one teacher taught all eight grades. I learned at that
time in that little school that you can really learn. I
have never ever forgotten a woman by the name of Mrs.
Pickard. I can still see her with those glasses, just a
stereotype spinster teacher--but she was a teacher. She
taught me that education was good, to learn is good. When
I graduated, we had a large graduating class: six kids.
The Presiding Officer from Nevada [Mr. Heller] should feel
good about me. I graduated in the top third of my class.
My parents did the best they could. My dad never
graduated from eighth grade. My mom didn't graduate from
high school. In Searchlight--this is probably no surprise
to anyone--there was never ever a church service in
Searchlight that I can ever remember. There was no church,
no preachers, no nothing regarding religion. That is how I
was raised.
My brother and I were born in our house. There was no
hospital. It had long since gone. I didn't go to a dentist
until I was 14 years old, but I was fortunate. I was born
with nice teeth, especially on the top. The bottoms aren't
so good, but rarely have I had a cavity of any kind. I
have just been fortunate in that regard.
We didn't go to doctors. It was a rare occasion. There
was no one to go to. I can remember my father having such
a bad toothache, I watched him pull a tooth with a pair of
pliers.
My mother was hit in the face with a softball when she
was a young woman in Searchlight and it ruined her teeth.
As I was growing up, I saw her teeth disappear--a few, a
few less, and finally no teeth. My mom had no teeth.
My brother was riding his bicycle, slid on the dirt,
broke his leg, never went to the doctor. I can remember it
as if it were 10 minutes ago, my brother Larry in bed. We
couldn't touch the bed, it hurt him so much, but it
healed. The bottom part of one leg is bent, but it healed.
I can remember once a TB wagon came through Searchlight,
the only time I remember. People had tuberculosis, or TB.
I can remember Con Hudgens had TB. I don't remember who
else. We had miners who were there who had silicosis, some
of them, my dad included. My mom had one of those tests.
She went into the big truck and had her chest x rayed--I
guess that is what they did. A few weeks later, she got a
postcard that said her test was positive and she should go
see a doctor. She never went to see a doctor. I worried
about that so much. I can't imagine how my mother must
have felt, but obviously it was a false positive. Think
about that, never going to the doctor when you are told
you have tuberculosis.
As I learned more about my dad, I know how important
health care would have been for him, to be able to see
somebody to try to explain more to my dad so he could
understand himself a little better.
I am sure I haven't done all the good in life I could
do, but I am here to tell everyone that there is one thing
I did in my life that I am so proud of, and I will always
be. I hope I am not boasting; if I am, I am sorry. I
worked long hours at a service station. As Mitch
indicated, there was no high school in Searchlight so I
went to school in Henderson, NV. I worked in a Standard
station. I worked really hard, long hours. I took all the
hours they would give me. I saved up enough money--I had
$250--I was going to buy my mother some teeth. I went to a
man--he was a big shot. They named a school after him, and
he was on the school board in Las Vegas. He married this
beautiful woman from Searchlight. I went to him. I had
never met him before, but Dr. Smith knows who I am. His
name was J.D. Smith.
I said, ``I want to buy my mother some teeth.''
He said, ``I don't do credit here.''
He insulted me. So I went to Dr. Marshall in Henderson
and bought my mom some teeth. It changed my mother's life.
My mother had teeth.
My parents lived in Searchlight until they both died.
There are a number of people who know, at least my staff
knows, that my dad killed himself. I can remember that day
so plainly. I had been out and spent 2 hours with Muhammad
Ali, he and I, one of his handlers and one of my staff. It
was so--for me, as someone who has always wanted to be an
athlete, an athlete want-to-be, that was great. Some of
you know I fought, but he was in a different world than I,
but he was nice. He was generous with his time and he was
so much fun. He said, ``Pay no attention to me. I am
fighting some White guy and I am going to cause some
trouble out here.'' He kicked the walls and yelled and
screamed, and I was happy.
I walked to my car, got to my office, and my
receptionist, Joanie, said to me, ``Mr. Reid, your mom is
on the phone.'' I talked to my mother all the time--many
times a week. She said, ``Your pop shot himself.'' So she
lived in Searchlight. It took me an hour, an hour and a
half to get out there. I can still remember seeing my dad
on that bed. I was so sad because my dad never had a
chance. He was depressed always. He was reclusive. I did
things; he never came to anything that I did. I never felt
bad that he didn't because I knew my dad. My mom came to
everything she could. But I felt bad about that. I will
talk some more about suicide in a little bit, but I think
everyone can understand a little bit of why I have been
such an avid supporter of Obamacare, health care.
I was ashamed, embarrassed about Searchlight. When I
went to college, when I was in high school, law school, I
just didn't want to talk about Searchlight. I was kind of
embarrassed about it. It was kind of a crummy place. I
didn't show people pictures of my home.
Many years later, I was a young man, and I was in
government. Alex Haley, a famous writer who wrote the book
``Roots,'' was a speaker at the University of Nevada
foundation dinner in Reno. He gave a speech that was
stunning. It was so good. Basically, what he said to
everyone there--he directed his remarks to me, I thought,
and of course he didn't, but he said, ``Be proud of who
you are. You can't escape who you are.''
I walked out of that event that night a different
person, a new man. From that day forward, I was from
Searchlight. When I got out of law school, I bought little
pieces of property so I had contacts there. My parents
lived there, and I went there all the time, but I became
Harry Reid, the guy from Searchlight.
So one thing people ask me all the time--they say, ``You
have done OK. Tell me what you think are the important
aspects''--especially young people ask all the time--and
``young'' is a relative term--``what would you recommend?
What do you think is the way to success?'' I tell them all
the same thing. I didn't make it in life because of my
athletic prowess. I didn't make it because of my good
looks. I didn't make it because I am a genius. I made it
because I worked hard. I tell everyone, whatever you want
to try to do, make sure you work as hard as you can to try
to do what you want to do. I believe that is a lesson for
everyone.
The little boy from Searchlight has been able to be part
of the changing State of Nevada. I am grateful I have been
part of that change.
When I graduated from law school, the population of
Nevada was less than 300,000 people. The State of Nevada
has now 3 million people. We grew from one Member of
Congress in 1864-1882. One was all we had. Now we have
four. During my 34 years in Congress, I have seen the
country change. I have seen Nevada change. The change for
the country and Nevada has been for the better.
Now I am going to spend a little bit of time talking
about some of the things I have been able to do as a
Member of the U.S. Senate. I know it is long and I know it
is somewhat tedious, but I have been here a long time, so
please be patient.
My Legislation
Reducing tax burdens. I am sorry he is not here--David
Pryor from Arkansas. I don't want to hurt the feelings of
any of my very capable friends, but the best legislator I
have ever served with in State government, Federal
Government, was David Pryor. He was good. He was not a big
speaker, but he was good at getting things done.
The first speech I gave as a Member of the Senate was
way back there where Cory Booker is right now. I gave a
speech. I tried to do it in the House; it was called the
Taxpayers' Bill of Rights. I couldn't get Jake Pickle, the
chair of that subcommittee on Ways and Means, to even talk
to me in the House. But I came over here and gave that
speech, and David Pryor was presiding. He was subcommittee
chair of the committee dealing with that in finance. Chuck
Grassley was also listening to my speech. David Pryor sent
me a note when I finished and said, ``I want to help you
with this.'' Chuck Grassley did the same thing. So my
first speech led to the passage of the Taxpayers' Bill of
Rights, with the help of David Pryor and Chuck Grassley.
It was landmark legislation. It put the taxpayer on more
equal footing with the tax collector. Everybody liked it
so much, we have done two more iterations of it since then
to make it even stronger.
Source tax. I am sure it is just a boring thing to
everybody, but it wasn't boring to people who came from
California and tried to retire someplace else. The State
of California was merciless in going after people. They
had the law on their side, they thought. If you had worked
in California, it didn't matter where you went, they would
go after you--for your pension, is what it amounted to. I
tried for 15 years to get that changed, and I got it
changed. No longer can California--with all due respect to
Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer--do that. They can't do
that anymore. If you retire in California and move
someplace else, they can't tax that money.
Mortgage tax relief. We all participated in that. I
initiated it when the collapse of Wall Street took place.
That was a big help.
Tax incentives for solar and geothermal--very important.
I will talk a little bit more about that.
Payment in lieu of taxes. All my Western Senators will
appreciate that. It was just 4 or 5 years ago that we were
able to fully fund PILT, payment in lieu of taxes. I
worked very hard with Max Baucus and Ron Wyden, and we did
things to take care of some issues they had. That is the
first time it had ever been fully funded.
Cancellation of indebtedness. Those are buzzwords for
people who understand taxes a little better. But what
happened is people--everything collapsed. They would try
to get out of the debt they had. They couldn't because the
IRS would tax them at the value of it when they bought it.
It was unfair, and we got that changed. That was in the
stimulus bill. We got that changed.
Let's talk about the economy a little bit. I know some
of my Democratic colleagues will say, ``Why did you do
that?'' Here is what I did. I worked with Republican
Senator Don Nickles from Oklahoma. There was a Republican
President. Don and I talked about this. We knew the
administration would change and it would affect every
President, Democratic and Republican. It was called the
Congressional Review Act. What that said is the President
promulgates a regulation and Congress has a chance to look
it over to see if it is too burdensome, too costly, too
unfair. We have done that quite a few times. That was
because of Harry Reid and Don Nickles. That was
legislation that I did, and it was great when we had
Republican Presidents, not so great when we had Democratic
Presidents, but it was fair.
One person who has been so important to the State of
Nevada is a man by the name of Kirk Kerkorian, an
uneducated man. He flew over the North Atlantic during
World War II for England at great personal sacrifice to
himself. As I said, he had no education, but he became one
of America's legendary entrepreneurs.
Many years ago, as a young new lawyer, I met him, and
for many years I helped him and especially his brother
with their legal issues. He is the man who helped create
Las Vegas the way it is. He did something unique. He
decided he was going to build something on the Las Vegas
Strip called CityCenter. When you go to Nevada, look at
that sometime. You could be in the middle of New York
City--you would think you were there, basically. This is a
magnificent operation. Well, it started before the
recession. They were desperate to get it finished. More
than 10,000 people worked on that project. I would drive
by there and count the cranes--25, 30 cranes at one time
there at work. Well, I interceded in that. I did some
things that probably a lot of people wouldn't do, but I
did it because I thought it was very important that the
operation didn't shut down. Kerkorian had already put
billions of dollars of his own money in it, and they had
an investor from one of the Middle Eastern countries. I
did a lot of things, I say, that a lot of you probably
wouldn't do, but I did it and I saved that project. I
won't go into detail, but I called people whom I doubt any
of you would call. I called bank presidents, and I called
leaders of countries. Anyway, it is completed now. I take
some credit for that.
The stimulus, the American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act. We got that done. Yesterday, the Presiding Officer
was the senior Senator from Maine [Ms. Collins]. Oh, she
was so helpful. I will probably get her in trouble by
boasting about her here today, but she and her colleague
from Maine, Olympia Snowe, and Arlen Specter--we only had
58 votes as Democrats, and they were the difference. We
were able to get that passed only because of them, and it
was so good for our country.
President Obama--the first 2 months after having been
elected, the country lost 800,000 jobs. Can you imagine
that? One month. But because of the stimulus bill, we were
able to reverse that. We did a lot of wonderfully good
things in that that were important for the country.
The Travel Promotion Act. Amy Klobuchar is here; she
worked so hard helping get that done. It promoted travel
to get foreigners to come here, come to America, and it
worked out so well. Seven different clotures I had to file
on that to get it done, but we got it done finally, and it
has been remarkably good for America. Other countries--you
will see them on television--are always advertising: Come
visit Australia. Come visit the Bahamas. Come visit
England. Come visit everyplace. But now there is
advertising around the world: Come visit America. Now,
everyone knows that Las Vegas gets more than its share,
probably, of visitors, but it was good for Nevada and it
was also good for the country.
Nevada Test Site workers. We were the cold war veterans
in Nevada. That was a big project. We had 11,000, 12,000
workers there at one time. An aboveground test--I could
remember seeing them. We were a long ways away in
Searchlight, but you could see that flash. You wouldn't
always feel it. Sometimes it would bounce over
Searchlight. But it was a very big deal. We didn't know it
was making people sick, but they were good enough to make
sure the tests didn't go off when the wind was blowing
toward Las Vegas. It blew up toward Utah, and Utah
suffered terribly because those were aboveground tests. So
we worked to make sure the test site workers were a part
of it because they were the reason we were winning the
cold war, because what they did was dangerous. We passed
that. It took a number of different segments to get it
done. So we have done a lot to protect people.
Nevada transportation. McCarran Airport. I have tried
for years to get the name taken off--a Democratic Senator
from Nevada who was an awful man. I tried to get his name
off that, and it didn't work. I tried to get J. Edgar
Hoover's name off the FBI Building; that didn't work. We
had a vote here. I can still remember how mad Orrin Hatch
was when I did that, but, anyway, everybody had to vote on
it. I think I made a mistake. I tried to name it after
Bobby Kennedy. That was a mistake I made on that.
Anyway, McCarran Airport. It is I think the fifth
busiest airport in America now. We have gotten money for a
new air traffic control center. It is one of the largest
structures in the Western United States. We have done a
good job taking care of McCarran, with all kinds of
construction funding for runways and rehabilitation of
runways. In the stimulus bill, one of the last things we
put in that was bonding capacity that allowed McCarran
Field to build a big new terminal. More than $1 billion we
got in that legislation. It was really important during
the recession to have all those workers. There were
thousands and thousands of them on that new terminal,
which is now completed.
Reno. I was also able to direct money toward getting a
new traffic control center there, a new control tower. We
have done all the construction funding. A lot of stuff,
good stuff for the airport in Reno.
So I feel good about what we have done to help Nevada
transportation, not the least of which, everybody, are the
billions of dollars in directed spending for roads and
highways in Nevada. It has made a change in northern
Nevada and in southern Nevada.
It is important for us to be able to bring people to Las
Vegas, so we made deals with the California State
Department of Transportation, and we participated in big
construction projects that took place in California, in
Barstow and San Bernardino. We did that because it would
make it easier for people to go to Las Vegas. So I wasn't
just giving money to Las Vegas, NV; we also did it, of
course, for California because it helped us.
Health care. The Affordable Care Act. I have talked
about that a little bit. It would have been wonderful if
we had something like that around to help my family when
we were growing up. I worked hard to help a number of you
on the Children's Health Insurance Program. Orrin Hatch
was certainly involved in that.
Just like I had trouble coming to grips with my home in
Searchlight, I had trouble coming to grips with the fact
that my dad killed himself. I was like most--we are called
victims. We shouldn't be, but that is what we are called.
This year, about 32,000 people will kill themselves in
America. That doesn't count the hunting accidents that are
really suicides or the car accidents that are really
suicides. So I couldn't get my arms around the suicide.
Republican Senator Cohen from Maine was chairman of the
Aging Committee upon which I served, and we were doing a
hearing on senior depression. Mike Wallace came--the
famous journalist--and here is what he said: ``I have
wanted to die for years. I would take the most dangerous
assignments I could hoping I wouldn't come back. You know,
I am OK now, though. I want to live forever.''
He said, ``I take a pill once in a while, I see a doctor
once in a while, and I am good. I am OK.''
I said for the first time publicly, ``Mr. Chairman, my
dad killed himself.'' That was a long time ago, but I
think it would be extremely important for this committee
to hold a hearing on senior suicide because we have
learned--since my focusing on suicide, we have done some
good things as Members of Congress. We have directed
spending to study why people kill themselves because we
don't know for sure.
Isn't it interesting that most suicides take place in
the western part of the United States? You would think it
would be in the dark places, like Maine and Vermont, where
it is so dark and cold, but, no, it is in the bright
sunshine of the West. We are learning a lot more. That has
been so good to me as a person, and we have now funded
projects around America where there are suicide prevention
programs that are extremely important. There are suicide
victims programs where people can get together after a
loved one kills themself. That is something I am glad I
worked on.
Finally, health care. So 24 years ago, one of my friends
from Las Vegas called me, Sandy Jolly, and she said, ``I
would like you to look at this film I am going to send
you. You are not going to want to watch it, but I want you
to watch it.'' What it showed was a beautiful little girl
in Africa in a white party dress. She looked so pretty. It
was a party. Suddenly, two men grabbed her, spread her
legs apart, and cut out her genitals--right there, with a
razor blade.
I thought: Man, that is hard to comprehend. My staff
said it is something you shouldn't deal with; it should be
something for a woman. But I went ahead, and I did
something about it. We haven't done as much as we should
do, and I hope that we have people who will pick up this
issue. I had a meeting last Friday--the biggest audience I
have ever had. There was a conference on female genital
mutilation. I say that word because that is what it is.
Millions of little girls have been cut. That is what it is
called--``cut.'' Last year, no one knows for sure, but
probably 250,000 little girls were cut.
Last Friday, I had 200 people there. I said, ``This is
wonderful.'' I said, ``I have had 10 people a couple of
times. Two or three of the people were lost and didn't
really want to be there.''
It is really important that we do something about it. We
have some laws now. It is against the law in the United
States. They can't go away for the purpose of being cut.
There is a lot more that needs to be done. Our government
has done almost nothing.
Environment
I am going to spend a little bit on the environment. I
have been chairman of the Environment and Public Works
Committee twice--not for very long. I gave it up once
because I had to, because of the control of Congress, and
one time I gave it away. Remember? I gave it away. I gave
my chairmanship and my committee spot to Jim Jeffords. I
love that committee.
I have been involved in environment and energy issues
since I came here. The State of Nevada is 87 percent owned
by the Federal Government; 87 percent of the State of
Nevada is Federal land. The rest, 13 percent, is private
land. Of course, I should be concerned about it. As to
Yucca Mountain, I am not going to get into a long
dissertation about that. We spent about $8 billion there
so far, maybe more. It is gone.
Someone asked me the other day, ``Well, you know,
Republicans are in power now. They are going to come back
to Yucca Mountain now.'' I said, ``Well, they better bring
a checkbook with them because there is nothing there.''
They would have to start all over again. With the big
auger, they spent well over $1 billion digging that
tunnel. That is scrap metal. There is nothing there. You
can probably get it going again now for $10 billion, $12
billion. If you have a way to pay for it, good luck. If
you were smart, what you would do is leave it where it is
in dry cast storage containers, which is proven to be
extremely safe and effective. That is what should be done.
Renewable energy transmission. Part of the stimulus bill
said one of the problems we have with energy is that we
don't have a way of transmitting electricity to where it
should go. We talk about all this renewable energy, which
is produced in places where there aren't a lot of people,
but you can't get it anyplace where there are a lot of
people. That has been changed with the stimulus bill.
For example, in Nevada we have Line One, and for the
first time in the history of the State of Nevada, we can
move power from the north to the south of Nevada. That is
underway now. That line will go up into the north-
northwest. That was good legislation.
I have had clean energy summits for many years. We bring
in national leaders. Democrats and Republicans have
focused attention on the problems America has with energy.
The Clintons have come. President Obama has been there. We
have had Republicans. Here is one who came and did a great
job--Tom Donohue. Everybody knows him. We Democrats know
him, for sure. He is head of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
I have no problem with coal. I have helped fund clean
coal technology. The Tracy powerplant, outside of Reno,
was a clean coal plant. It didn't work. So they had to go
to another type of fuel. I have nothing against coal.
However, I was upset about this. Nevada is very pristine.
I have told a couple of people this.
People don't understand Nevada. Everybody thinks it is
the deserts of Las Vegas, but it is not. Nevada is the
most mountainous State in the Union, except for Alaska. We
have 314 separate mountain ranges. We have a mountain that
is 14,000 feet high. We have 32 mountains over 11,000 feet
high. It is a very mountainous State.
When I learned from reading the papers that we were
going to have power companies come to Nevada in the most
pristine areas and they were going to build three or four
new powerplants fueled by coal, I said no.
My staff said, ``You can't do that. You are up for
reelection, and they will destroy you.''
They tried. They left leaflets on all the cars in the
parking lots and said I was running up the power bills. I
won; they lost. There are no coal-fired powerplants in
Nevada. There are two left. One of them is going out of
business in 2 weeks; the other is on its way out, probably
within a year. We are not going to have coal-fired plants
in Nevada, but we do have a lot of renewable energy.
I have done work, especially with John Ensign, when he
was here, on major land bills--Clark County, Lincoln
County, White Pine County, Carson County--and we were able
to do a lot of good things to save land. He was a real
conservative guy, and because of him, I had to make deals
to make some of the 87 percent land private. I was able to
do that. He was able to work with me to create more
wilderness, and we worked together to get that done.
I created the first national park in Nevada, Great Basin
National Park. It is wonderful. Everything within the
Great Basin is in that park. It is hard to believe, but in
Nevada we now have a glacier. We have the oldest living
trees in the world on that mountain. Those old pine trees
are there. They are 6,000 or 7,000 years old--bristlecone
pine. It is a beautiful park.
As to Basin and Range National Monument, I worked with
President Clinton on this. There are more than 700,000
acres in a remote place of Nevada. It is a place where
John Muir came as a young man, camping there, and talked
in his diary about how beautiful this was. Now everyone
can see that. In part of that wonderful place is a man who
is a world famous artist. His name is Michael Heizer. He
worked for 40 years building this monument in the middle
of nowhere. It is in the middle of nowhere, and it is
done. It is called the City. It is magnificent. We don't
have roads coming there yet, but we will pretty soon. That
is done.
Tule Springs. People came to me and said, ``We have this
place in Nevada where we have the oldest and most abundant
source of fossils anyplace in America.'' To make a long
story short, that is now a national monument. You can come
to Las Vegas if you are an archaeologist, or if you are
interested in old fossils, you can come there. I don't
mean old people. You can come there. There are all these
studies going on with Tule Springs Fossil Beds National
Monument.
When I came to Congress, we had about 70,000 acres of
wilderness in Nevada. Now we have about 4 million. Those
are legislative initiatives of mine. We have approximately
4 million acres of wilderness. We have 1 million, 1.5
million acres of additional conservation of land, and I
mentioned some of it here.
Water has been difficult for Nevada, in the north and
the south. I knew I had been elected to the Senate, and I
was leaving Reno, NV, on an airplane and someone asked me:
``What is the most difficult problem facing Nevada?'' I
said, ``Water.''
Having said that--we have all done it--I thought: What
am I going to do now? I had to do something. We did
something. Now it is all done. We settled a 100-year water
war between the States of California and Nevada. We
settled all the litigation on the Truckee and Carson
Rivers. It took 20 years to finally implement that. There
were many water systems--the Lake Tahoe region--and they
are gone. We had large wetlands that had gone dry, and
that is now getting fresh water in it. It involved an
irrigation district for Indian tribes and endangered
species, and we were able to get all that done. It made a
stable water supply for northern Nevada, the Reno area.
Southern Nevada is really a desert. It has 4 inches of
rain a year in Las Vegas. We have worked hard with Pat
Mulroy. She has done wonderful things.
I see the junior Senator from Arizona [Mr. Flake] here.
When he was elected, the States of Arizona and California
wouldn't speak to each other. They were fighting over
water. Now we work together on water. It has been
remarkable what we have been able to do as partners to get
things done. We bank water for Arizona, and when they need
the water and it is in our ground, we can give it back to
them. It has been good for Nevada because we can use that
water in the meantime.
We have done good work with California. California got
most of the water out of the Colorado River. They took a
lot more than they should have, and we were able to work
on that. We worked with California in a very positive way.
We help pay for port reservoirs. We help line canals. We
have done a lot of good things to help water in that whole
area. I am happy about that.
We share Lake Tahoe with California. Lake Tahoe is a
stunningly beautiful place. There are only two alpine
lakes in the world. One of them is in Siberia, and the
other is there. I have had 20 summits there. We have
gotten over $1 billion there with the cooperation of the
California delegation and many others. We have done well
in stabilizing and helping the clarity of that beautiful
lake.
Walker Lake is another lake that was originally
controlled by the Indians. It has been stolen from them by
us. We now have gotten hundreds of millions of dollars
directed toward that, and we have bought up water rights,
and we have saved Walker Lake. There are 21 desert
terminus lakes in the world. There are two in America.
They are both in Nevada, and we saved those two lakes--
Walker and Pyramid Lakes.
There was a great big gravel pit. It was 10, 15 times
bigger than this Chamber--huge. There were spots of black
that appeared on it. The State of Nevada didn't have the
resources to take on the oil companies and airlines. So
they didn't know what was wrong. I got Bill Bradley, who
was chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy, to hold a
hearing. It was so important we did that because we
determined that oil was coming from broken oil lines, fuel
lines, going to the Reno Airport. Had we not done
something, it would have been awful. It was declared an
emergency Superfund site, and people immediately moved in
and took care of that.
I am giving a quick look at it. That gravel pit is now a
beautiful lake. It is called the Sparks Marina. There are
condos, apartments, and businesses all around there.
People boat on it. It is wonderful. It all started out as
a gravel pit. I appreciate Bill Bradley's good work on
that.
National Security
I want to talk about national security. There are people
in this Chamber much better than I am on national
security, and I know that, but I have worked hard. We have
been a dumping ground for all things in the military. We
have Nellis Air Force Base. It was named after Bill
Nellis, who was from Searchlight. He was a war hero in
World War II. It is the finest fighter training facility
in the world. If you want to fly jet airplanes, then you
must train at Nellis. They have a large gunnery range. The
Navy does the same thing in northern Nevada with the naval
air training center. Frankly, I was able to get tens of
millions of dollars for both of those operations because
they have been important.
We hear a lot about drones. Every drone attack that
takes place in the world takes place 30 miles outside Las
Vegas at Creech Air Force Base. We have all of these great
servicemembers, mostly airmen, who take care of that. They
protect us around the world.
Barbara Mikulski is here. She was in a position to help
me on appropriations. She said, ``This facility in Reno is
awful, and I--Barbara Mikulski--am going to do something
about it,'' and she did, very quickly. We renovated that
place. It was so bad. It was a little VA hospital with
hallways so narrow they couldn't bring in new hospital
equipment because they couldn't get it down the hall. I
appreciate what Senator Mikulski did for that hospital.
I requested money for two VA hospitals, and they were
built in southern Nevada. We had one that was an
experiment. It was a joint venture between the Veterans
Administration and the Air Force. It worked great except
we had a Middle East war and the veterans had to go
someplace else so we don't have that hospital anymore, but
we have a huge new one. It is the newest and best in the
entire VA system. They don't have all of the equipment
they need, but it has been functioning very well for the
last couple of years. I feel very proud of that.
The Nevada Test Site is part of our national security,
and I have done everything I can to make sure that
facility is taken care of, and it is. There are a lot of
experiments going on there all the time. We have fuel
spills and different tests that take place there.
Finally, this is one of the best things I ever did.
Yesterday I heard Barbara Mikulski say listen to what your
constituents say. A group of veterans came--just a few
feet from here--to talk to me a number of years ago. One
of them said, ``Senator, this is somewhat strange. I am
disabled from the military, and I am also retired from the
military. I can't draw both benefits.'' I said, ``What are
you talking about?'' He said, ``I can't. If you retire
from the Forest Service and have a military disability,
you can get your pension from the BLM, the Forest Service
or whatever it is, and also get your disability, but not
if it is both military.'' We changed that. Now, if you
have a disability and you have retired from the military,
you can draw both. It is called concurrent receipt. That
took a long time, but we got it done. It is not perfect,
but it is 80 percent complete.
I talked earlier this morning about being a lawyer. I am
proud of the fact that I was a trial lawyer. I hear
Senators talk all the time about these judicial selection
committees. They have to help pick whom they will have on
the Federal bench. I am glad they do that because I also
have a judicial selection committee. You know who is on
that committee? Me. No one else is on it. I select all of
my judges. I am the committee, and I am very happy with
what I have been able to do.
One of the things I did when I was in the House was name
a Federal building in Las Vegas after a very famous family
of lawyers, the Foley family. They had two Federal judges,
a district attorney, and a State court judge. They were a
wonderful family called the Foley family. I attended the
10th anniversary of that, and when I looked up there, I
saw nothing but White males. I thought to myself, ``Gee, I
hope someday I can change that,'' and as fortune would
have it, Lloyd George decided to take senior staff and I
had a chance to do something about that. I have sent names
to the President and selected far more judges myself in
the entire history of the State of Nevada. So what I did
with the first one, I said, well, I want to get a woman
judge, but we didn't have a Black judge on the court
either. I wanted to nominate a Black judge and a woman
judge, and that is what I did. Boy, was I criticized. They
said, ``She doesn't have enough experience. You could have
found somebody better.'' She was a dynamo. People loved
this woman. She was so good that she is now on the Ninth
Circuit, and she quickly went there. To make a long story
short, she has been part of the talk about who could get
appointed to the Supreme Court. She is a wonderful woman
named Johnnie Rawlinson.
I put Roger Hunt, great trial lawyer; Kent Dawson, one
of my predecessors as city attorney; David Hagan, a
wonderful trial lawyer, and I put him on the bench. I
selected Brian Sandoval as a Federal judge, and he was a
good Federal judge. Things were going great until he ran
against my son for Governor, and I wish he hadn't because
my son would now be Governor. He is my friend, and our
family has accepted that. He was the first Hispanic on the
bench. I appointed another Hispanic, Gloria Navarro. Her
parents were born in Cuba, and she is now the chief judge.
Miranda Du, how about that, a woman who was born in
Vietnam is now on the bench in Nevada. How about that,
Miranda Du. She was born in Vietnam and came over when she
was 11 years old to Alabama. Jennifer Dorsey, a woman;
Andrew Gordon, a Harvard law graduate; Richard Boulware,
African-American. I changed that Nevada Federal bench
significantly. I had the pleasure of voting for and
against all eight members of the Supreme Court who now sit
there. I have had a chance to vote for every one of them
during my career.
Education. I worked hard for education in Nevada, and I
have done OK. The Desert Research Institute is a unique
organization. It is not helped by the University of Nevada
at all. They all have Ph.D.s and they have been in
existence for 50 years. Some of the most significant
research in the world is done there. They have two
supercomputers. Our earthquake center is the best in the
world. They have more shake tables than anyplace in
America. People come from all over the world to study what
happens to earthquakes.
Biodiversity study. For many years, I directed funding
to the biodiversity study. It was the best science going
on at the time on the environment and studying the Great
Basin.
Native Americans in Nevada. We have 26 different tribal
organizations. I am really happy with what I have been
able to do to help Native Americans, and, believe me, they
haven't been treated well in Nevada or anyplace else. I
have led the legislative efforts to make sure they have
their water rights taken care of, settled longstanding
claims against the United States. We have the Fallon
Paiute Shoshone Tribe, Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe,
Shoshone-Paiute Tribes, and the Duck Valley Reservation
have all been able to develop their water rights and
economies. For example, Pyramid Lake will receive almost
$100 million and Fallon will receive $60 million. I worked
to get two new high schools built, and they were so long
overdue. It took decades to get the Shoshone Claims
Distribution Act done, and we finally got it done. Thanks
to President Clinton, we were able to get the Indians who
belonged up there, the Washoe Tribe, right on the lake.
Working with the Obama administration for the last 8
years has been a dream job of mine, being the President's
point man here in the Senate.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have an
extended speech on President Obama that I gave yesterday
printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be
printed in the Record, as follows:
[From the Congressional Record, December 7, 2016]
Tribute to President Barack Obama
(By Senator Harry Reid)
It is hard to imagine today, but it wasn't that long
ago that Barack Obama was a little-known Illinois
legislator with a very unusual name. I still remember the
first time I heard that name. I was in the House gym,
where ex-Members congregated, and one of the people I
shared the room with was Abner Mikva, a longtime Illinois
Congressman, an appellate court judge, and President
Clinton's chief legal officer.
I had known that Republican Senator Peter Fitzgerald
decided not to run for reelection after one term. Judge
Mikva turned to me and said he knew the perfect person to
fill that open seat.
I said, ``Who could that be?''
He said, ``Barack Obama.''
I said, ``What?''
He said, ``Barack Obama.''
I said, ``Who? What kind of a name is that?''
He said, ``He is one of the most talented people I have
ever met in all my years.''
That said a lot to me, even though at that time I
smiled and left the room.
It didn't take long, though, before I understood what
Abner Mikva said to me. Barack Obama won that election to
the Senate. He came from nowhere, a man with an unusual
name, but once he was here, it was obvious he was the real
deal. His ability to communicate was, and is, stunning. I
can remember one of the first floor speeches he gave here
in the Senate on George Bush's policy regarding the Middle
East war. It was eloquent, thoughtful, powerful. I was so
impressed that following his speech--there had been a
quorum call--his seat was way back there, and I walked up
to him--he was sitting, I was standing looking over him,
and I said, ``Senator, that was really terrific. That was
really good.''
I will never forget his response. Without hesitation,
without any braggadocio, no conceit, but with humility, he
looked up to me and said, ``I have a gift.''
It wasn't a boast; it was a fact. I have never met
anyone with the ability to communicate as well as Barack
Obama. Whether it is in his writing, speaking to huge
crowds of tens of thousands of people or small crowds, or
someone on a one-on-one basis, he is without equal when it
comes to communicating.
His reputation was well known even before he came to
the Senate. He had written a book, a bestseller called
``Dreams from My Father,'' a decade before arriving here
in the Senate. Like his 2006 book, also a bestseller,
called ``The Audacity of Hope,'' this book was full of
lyrical and insightful writing.
In ``Dreams from My Father,'' he outlined the
remarkable story of his life we have all come to know.
Born to a father from Kenya in faraway Africa. His mother
was from Kansas. He was raised by his grandparents in
Hawaii. His mother and grandparents set positive examples
for him. They pushed him to always do better, to be the
man he was born to be. That upbringing would serve him
well.
Barack Obama went to some of the most elite schools in
the world. He was an undergraduate at Columbia, where, of
course, he was an honor student, then Harvard Law School.
He graduated with distinction. He made history as the
first African-American to be elected president of the
Harvard Law Review. Just to be a member of the Harvard Law
Review--having gone to law school myself--is significant,
but he was the No. 1 guy in that very prestigious law
school. Even then, his reputation for bringing people
together and his gift for communication were renowned.
He continued to excel after law school. He became a
professor of constitutional law at one of America's great
law schools. He became a community organizer, as he has
spoken about a lot. He became an Illinois State senator
before giving one of the most dramatic convention speeches
in American history at the 2004 Democratic Convention in
Boston.
Throughout it all, his ability to communicate and
connect with people fueled his ascendancy. Those skills
made Barack Obama a terrific Senator, and they have
greatly benefited our country over the past 8 years.
In just a few weeks, Barack Obama will finish his term
as the 44th President of our great country. He will be
leaving office. I don't know if I am leaving with him or
if he is leaving with me. I guess I leave a few days
before he does, but we are leaving together. I cannot
think of a better person with whom to leave public service
than Barack Obama. For 8 years I was his point man, and it
has been an honor and an effort of pleasure.
What this man accomplished, despite unprecedented
obstruction from the Republicans, is remarkable. History
will remember President Barack Obama's many
accomplishments. I don't want to get the Presiding Officer
[Ms. Collins] in trouble, but it was because of her and
two other Republican Senators that his first congressional
session was remarkably historic. We wanted to do more, but
this good woman presiding over the Senate today said,
``Enough is enough.'' We had to retract some of the things
we wanted to do. It was hard, but I do say this: It would
not have happened but for the Presiding Officer.
President Obama saved the country from economic
collapse, ushering in a new era of growth. Since 2010, the
economic recovery has added more than 16 million private
sector jobs. Median household incomes have risen
significantly. The unemployment rate is now 4.6 percent.
In some States, like the State of Nevada, it was as high
as 14 percent. President Obama brought the American auto
and manufacturing industries back from the brink of
collapse with unique programs--Cash for Clunkers--and more
than 800,000 new manufacturing jobs since 2010. The auto
industry has added almost 700,000 jobs since 2009.
Domestic production of automobiles doubled from below 6
million units per year to 12 million per year in 2015.
President Obama brought health care to tens of millions
of Americans through the Affordable Care Act. Every day,
we learn how important this bill has been. We heard from
the very conservative American Hospital Association today
that doing away with Obamacare would bankrupt the hospital
industry. We would lose over the next few years almost
$200 billion. Through the Affordable Care Act, 21 million
more Americans now have affordable health care. The
uninsured rate is at an alltime low, and 92 percent of
Americans now have coverage. Insurance companies cannot
deny coverage or charge more to cover people with
preexisting conditions.
How many of us have gone out to our home States and had
people with tears in their eyes say: You know, Debbie has
been sick since she was a little girl with diabetes, and
now, for the first time in her life, she can have health
insurance.
Insurance companies can't discriminate anymore against
anyone because of their gender. All women were
discriminated against before. Every American with
insurance has access to preventive care without cost
sharing. That means no copays for immunizations, cancer
screenings, contraceptive coverage for women, diabetes
screenings, or blood pressure and cholesterol tests.
President Obama held Wall Street accountable. He signed
into law the most comprehensive Wall Street and financial
reform legislation since the Great Depression. His
administration established a new watchdog to help protect
consumers from unfair financial practices. He signed
legislation into law that protects homeowners from
mortgage fraud.
President Obama took more action to protect our planet
from a changing climate, including the historic Paris
Climate Agreement.
I met yesterday with Native Alaskans. It was scary to
talk to a Native Alaskan woman. In her town of 800, people
are having trouble getting in and out of the town. She
told me the animals are confused because the seasons are
changing.
The caribou have traveled for 20,000 years, we believe,
3,000 miles to migrate every year. They walk in single
file, not in large herds jammed together. She said they
are having such difficulty. They used to be able to walk
over the ice. They can't. There is no ice. They have to
swim.
President Obama made the largest investment ever in
renewable energy. He tripled wind power and increased
solar power by 30 times, creating more than 200,000 jobs
in solar alone, with hundreds of thousands more jobs in
the next few years.
President Obama protected more than 260 million acres
of public lands and waters. That includes more than
700,000 acres in Nevada with one order that he signed
called the Basin and Range National Monument, a place
where John Muir came looking around for special places in
America. He camped in hills in the Basin and Range.
Hopefully, some day every Senator can go to this
magnificent place in the desert. It has taken 40 years to
build. One man has done it, a famous artist by the name of
Michael Heizer. It is called the City. It is stunning.
When I talk about 40 years, it wasn't work done on
weekends. It was days, weekends, overtime, and large
contingencies of people he directed. This magnificent
thing in the middle of the desert is now protected
forever.
President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama have made
our Nation's children a top priority. In 2010, President
Obama signed a bill into law to fight child hunger and
improve school meals to ensure children receive the
nutrition they need to have healthy, successful futures.
President Obama made strides on education. Our Nation's
high school graduation rate is the highest in the history
of our country. He reformed student loan programs,
increased Pell grants, made student loan repayment more
affordable, and expanded loan forgiveness for graduates
who enter public service professions.
President Obama granted deferred action to immigrant
youth who would have qualified under the DREAM Act,
bringing nearly 800,000 young people out of the shadows.
President Obama made our country more inclusive. He
signed the repeal of ``don't ask, don't tell.'' He signed
executive orders protecting LGBT workers. Americans are
now free to marry the person they love, regardless of
their gender.
As Commander in Chief, President Obama brought Osama
bin Laden to justice.
These are just a few aspects of President Obama's
storied legacy, and it is still growing--what a record. It
is a legacy of which he should be satisfied. America is
better because of this good man spending 8 years in the
White House.
I am even more impressed by who he is as a person than
who he is as President. He is a man of integrity and
honesty. I have learned so much from him. I have never
heard Barack Obama denigrate anyone, ever. There have been
times he could have. Perhaps, I thought a negative word
should have been said and I suggested that to him, but he
would never take it. No, he wouldn't do that. That is
Barack Obama.
Above all, I admire the attention he has given his
family. He may be President of the United States, but
nothing gets in the way of his family. He is a terrific
husband to Michelle and an outstanding father to Sasha and
Malia. He arrives home for dinner with his family
virtually every night he is in Washington. He goes to
their plays and games. President or not, he is a husband
and a father.
His devotion extends to his staff as well, and he has
had a terrific staff working for him. I can't mention all
of them, but I will mention his present Chief of Staff,
Denis McDonough. He and I have a very close relationship.
Close relationships come with a lot of difficulty
sometimes. It has been tough, but we tried to work through
it together.
Pete Rouse is one of the nicest people I have ever
known. He also worked with the President very closely. He
was his chief of staff as Senator, and, of course, a chief
adviser when he was in the White House.
Rahm Emanuel, now the mayor of Chicago, IL, was former
Chief of Staff. He is a man known for his bluntness and
his productivity as a Member of Congress and as Chief of
Staff.
Alyssa Mastromonaco was former Deputy Chief of Staff
and I hope that I had something to do with the romance
that wound up with her marrying my chief of staff, David
Krone.
These are just a few of the incredible people I have
had the pleasure of working with. They are all wonderful.
Then there is President Obama's Cabinet--a Cabinet of
quality. That includes my friend, Secretary of Interior
Ken Salazar, a wonderful man and a terrific public
servant, a man of substance like no other ever known.
After 8 years leading the country, President Obama is
leaving office on a high point. When he first took office,
our country was in an economic free fall and hemorrhaging
jobs. Now the country is experiencing the longest streak
of private sector job growth ever. We have the lowest
unemployment rate in nearly a decade.
After 8 years of President Obama, we are now as a
country on a sustainable path to fight climate change and
grow renewable energy sources. We are more respected
around the world. We reached international agreements to
curb climate change, stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear
weapon, and we are on the path to normalizing relations
with our neighbor Cuba.
Our country has made significant strides in nearly
every way. There is no doubt that the United States is
better now than we were 8 years ago, and we have Barack
Obama to thank for that.
Thank you, President Obama, for being the person you
are.
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that
lots and lots of stuff I have done be printed in the
Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be
printed in the Record, as follows:
Reducing Tax Burdens for Nevada Residents and Businesses
Taxpayers' Bill of Rights.--The ``Taxpayers' Bill of
Rights'' was the first bill Senator Reid introduced upon
entering the Senate. Several of the ideas in his bill were
later incorporated into the Internal Revenue Service
Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998. The ``Taxpayers'
Bill of Rights'' laid out the rights of taxpayers during
an audit, procedures for appealing a decision or filing
complaints, the procedures the IRS may use to enforce
laws, and placed the burden of proof on all issues upon
the IRS.
Ended the Source Tax.--Senator Reid and the Nevada
delegation were successful in protecting Nevada retirees
from taxes imposed by other States. This legislation ended
taxation without representation by prohibiting States from
taxing the retirement benefits of nonresidents.
Sales Tax Deduction.--Senator Reid reinstated the
deduction for sales taxes to level the playingfield for
residents of States with no income taxes and he has been
successful in extending it.
Mortgage Tax Relief/Debt Cancellation for Homeowners.--
Eliminates the income tax penalty for homeowners who are
successful in negotiating a lower mortgage with their
lender.
Tip Tax Agreements.--These are agreements between the
IRS, the employer, and tipped employees that make it
easier for employees to report and pay the tax due on
tipped income. Senator Reid was instrumental in making
sure that these agreements are fair for Nevada's tipped
employees.
Tax Incentives for Solar and Geothermal Energy.--Senator
Reid was instrumental in securing the long-term extension
of tax incentives to promote the development of
electricity generated by solar and geothermal sources in
Nevada.
Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) and Secure Rural
Schools.--Senator Reid led a bipartisan coalition of
Western Senators to fully fund PILT and reauthorize Secure
Rural Schools the first time since 1994 and provides $130
million over 5 years to rural counties in Nevada.
Cancellation of Indebtedness.--Businesses needing to
restructure their debts in order to survive the economic
downturn found themselves facing a significant tax penalty
as a result of that process. As part of the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Senator Reid was
instrumental in pushing through relief from this tax
penalty, helping Nevada companies to improve their balance
sheets and save thousands of jobs.
Homebuyer Tax Credit Extension.--Instrumental in
securing an extension of the $8,000 tax credit for first-
time homebuyers and offering a reduced credit of up to
$6,500 for repeat buyers who have owned their current home
for at least 5 years.
Nevada Jobs, Economy, and Labor
Congressional Review Act.--Worked with Senator Don
Nickles to lead passage of the Congressional Review Act,
making it easier for Congress to overturn burdensome
regulations imposed by executive branch agencies.
CityCenter.--Worked with stakeholders of CityCenter to
ensure construction of project continued and advanced to
opening in 2009, saving almost 10,000 jobs.
Housing Loan-to-Value Ratio.--Requested the
administration raise the loan-to-value requirement for its
mortgage modification program, and the administration
responded by raising it 125 percent.
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).--
Shepherded the stimulus legislation through the Senate and
conference, which will provide Nevada with $3 billion in
economic recovery funding, which is expected to create or
save 34,000 jobs, 90 percent of which are in the private
sector. Each worker is eligible for up to $400 in tax
relief and families could receive up to $800. A tax credit
of $8,000 for first-time homebuyers will help Nevadans
invest in a home and move the excess supply of houses off
the market. The ARRA provides a temporary deduction for
nonitemizers for sales tax paid on the purchase of a car
or truck. The HOPE education credit for higher education
is increased to $2,500. Every SSI recipient, Social
Security beneficiary, railroad retirement beneficiary and
disabled veteran receiving VA benefits will receive a one-
time economic recovery payment of $250. Federal and State
pensioners who are not participants in Social Security
will be eligible for a $250 tax credit.
Travel Promotion Act.--Using the Las Vegas Convention
and Visitors Authority's model for Las Vegas, the bill
will create a Corporation for Travel Promotion which will
be responsible for marketing the United States around the
world as a tourist destination. Senators Reid and his
colleagues from both sides of the aisle believe that
efforts through this bill to make the United States more
attractive abroad and easy to visit will directly increase
the number of visitors to Nevada and create tens of
thousands of sorely needed jobs. A study by Oxford
Economics estimates that this plan would attract 1.6
million new international visitors annually and projects
TPA could create $4 billion a year in new economic
activity.
Minimum Wage Increase.--In 2007, Senator Reid worked
with a bipartisan coalition of Senators to increase the
minimum wage for the first time in 10 years. Signed into
law by President Bush, this legislation helped some of the
hardest working Nevadans make ends meet.
Nevada Test Site Workers EEOICPA.--Senator Reid was
instrumental in the passage of the Energy Employees
Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA) of
2000, which provides monetary compensation and medical
coverage to NTS workers with radiation-induced cancer,
beryllium disease, or silicosis.
Nevada Test Site Workers 1951-1962.--Senator Reid was
instrumental in establishing the atmospheric testing years
at NTS in an expedited eligibility category.
Nevada Test Site Workers 1963-1992.--Senator Reid was
instrumental in the writing and submission of a regulatory
petition to include more Nevada Test Site workers in an
expedited eligibility category. According to a recent
position paper by the agency responsible for establishing
membership in the expedited eligibility category, it
appears the underground testing years are on their way to
being granted the expedited status.
Nevada Test Site Workers Area 51.--In 2008, Senator Reid
successfully fought for the Federal agencies to allow
Department of Energy workers at Area 51 to be eligible for
the EEOICPA, thereby reversing a Republican Bush
administration policy.
Unemployment Insurance Extension.--Instrumental in
passage of an extension of unemployment insurance benefits
in 2009 and 2010 for States that have been hit the
hardest, like Nevada, and out-of-work Americans across the
country.
Nevada Transportation
McCarran Airport Funding.--Senator Reid has secured tens
of millions for McCarran Airport. Among the projects this
money has funded include: new air traffic control tower;
increased customs and border control protections; wind
hazard detection equipment; fiber optic telecommunications
systems; and apron rehabilitation and reconstruction.
Reducing Flight Delays Act.--Led passage of legislation
that provided the Secretary of Transportation with
flexibility to transfer funds to reduced FAA traffic
control operations, which had been reduced as a result of
sequestration.
Reno Airports Funding.--Senator Reid obtained more than
$55.8 million for the needed improvements to the Reno-
Tahoe International and Reno-Stead Airports. These funds
have paid for new approach lighting systems, new control
towers, runway/taxiway reconstruction and lighting to name
but a few projects.
McCarran Airport: Tax Relief for Growth and
Construction.--Senator Reid was able to save the Clark
County Department of Aviation tens of millions of dollars
by passing relief for the department's alternative minimum
tax (AMT) for bonds which refinanced the Terminal 3
project at McCarran Airport. This provision will lower
financing costs for this important project by at least
$72.4 million.
Last Highway Reauthorization (SAFETEA-LU).--Increased
Nevada's highway funding by 30 percent and transit funding
by 152 percent. Senator Reid was instrumental in getting
over $1.3 billion for Nevada transportation projects
included in the 2005 national highway bill.
Some Additional Major Transportation Projects:
North
Interstate 580 Extension Between Reno and Carson City--
$29 million
Reno Transportation Rail Access Corridor Cover
(ReTRAC)--$15.25 million
Virginia and Truckee Railway from Virginia City to
Carson City--$10 million
Reno Bus Rapid Transit--$12 million
Lake Tahoe Passenger Ferry Service--$8 million
Carson City Bypass Enhancement--$2 million
Meadowood Interchange--$3.75 million
South
Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge--$50 million
Boulder City Bypass--$28.6 million
Interstate 15 Widening Project from Primm to Apex--$27
million
Boulder Highway Bus Rapid Transit System--$12 million
UNLV Transportation Research Center--$2.5 million
Lake Mead Parkway, Henderson--$2 million
Affordable and Quality Health Care For All Nevadans
Affordable Care Act.--Led passage of the Affordable Care
Act, commonly referred to as the health reform law, which
is helping thousands of Nevadans and millions of Americans
gain access to the affordable health care that they need
and deserve. The law has resulted in 21 million more
Americans being covered by health insurance, and an
alltime high insured rate of 92 percent.
Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Creation and
Reauthorization.--This long overdue reauthorization
ensures health care for thousands of children across
Nevada whose parents earn too much for Medicaid, but not
enough to afford private insurance. Thanks to the recent
expansion, an additional 4.1 million low-income children
across the country will now have access to quality health
coverage.
Strengthening Medicare.--Seniors and people with
disabilities know the value of the Medicare Program. In
the last Congress, Senator Reid led the way to overriding
a Presidential veto of improvements to the program. This
legislation ensured that physicians did not experience
severe cuts to reimbursement that could have jeopardized
access to care for Nevada's seniors.
Suicide Prevention.--Senator Reid is responsible for the
creation of the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention
and has helped enact a number of laws that will help
reduce the rate of suicide, including the Garrett Lee
Smith Memorial Act targeting youth suicide, legislation
that will lower the Medicare coinsurance for outpatient
mental health and the Mental Health Parity Act.
Mental Health Parity.--The bipartisan legislation which
Senator Reid helped pass ensures that plans covering
mental health services cannot provide different financial
requirements or treatment limitations than they would for
medical or surgical benefits.
Drug Quality and Security Act.--Provided the FDA with
more authority to regulate and monitor the manufacturing
of compounded pharmaceutical drugs.
Interstitial Cystitis Research.--Senator Reid earmarked
millions of dollars for the National Institutes of Health
(NIH) to research IC, a disease which affects women, and
has funded programs at the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) to support public and health provider
education and outreach about the illness.
Nevada Cancer Institute.--Senator Reid has secured tens
of millions of dollars to support the infrastructure costs
to create a cancer institute in Nevada. This has helped to
attract world-class cancer researchers to Nevada and will
help to ensure that Nevadans will have access to clinic
trials. In 2009, Senator Reid worked on a bipartisan basis
with the Nevada congressional delegation to secure 80
acres of Federal land for the Institute to construct a new
facility devoted to developing new treatments for Nevadans
afflicted with cancer.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Research.--Senator Reid has a
long history of supporting efforts related to chronic
fatigue syndrome since he first became aware of this
devastating disease in 1987 when the first known outbreak
of CFS cases was documented in Incline Village, NV. In
1999, he uncovered a scandal at the CDC and forced CDC
officials to acknowledge that they had misappropriated the
majority of the $22.7 million he had earmarked for CFS
research at the CDC in 1995.
Contraceptive Equity.--Passed legislation ensuring that
Federal employees have access to prescription
contraception.
Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act.--Sponsored
by Senator Reid, this law will help to establish a
national strategy to study the potential links between the
environment and breast cancer and would authorize funding
for such research. The resulting discoveries could be
critical to improving our knowledge of this complex
illness, which could lead to new treatments and perhaps,
one day, a cure.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Registry Act.--Sponsored
by Senator Reid, this law will create an ALS registry at
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and
will aid in the search for a cure for this devastating
disease.
Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act.--Senator
Reid was instrumental in passing legislation that
establishes strong protections against discrimination on
the basis of genetic information by health insurance
companies and employers.
Affordable Birth Control.--Senator Reid was instrumental
in passing a provision that would restore the practice of
allowing safety net providers to have access to nominally
priced drugs. Historically pharmaceutical companies have
been permitted to offer low, or ``nominally priced,''
drugs to safety net providers to help ensure that low-
income populations have access to affordable medication.
In 2005, Congress passed legislation which tightened
regulations about who was eligible for nominally priced
drugs. In doing so, Congress inadvertently cut off every
safety net provider from obtaining birth control at a low
cost, and passing on those savings to their patients.
Women who once paid $5-$10 each month had to pay $50 or
more for basic birth control.
Pandemic Flu Funding.--Senator Reid has worked to secure
billions of dollars to ensure we are prepared to minimize
the impact of the H1N1 flu or any potential flu pandemic.
Medical Research Funding.--Senator Reid has a long
history of directing funding to the National Institutes of
Health for funding biomedical research in areas such as
cancer, Alzheimer's, heart disease, diabetes, and stem
cells. Last year alone, he supported directing over $40
billion to the National Institutes of Health through ARRA
and the omnibus. These investments could lead to new cures
and treatments, and will address debilitating health
conditions that prevent our workforce from reaching
optimal productivity.
FDA Reauthorization Including Drug Safety
Requirements.--In September 2007, Senator Reid worked to
enact the Food and Drug Administration Revitalization Act
(Public Law 110-85), which extends the legal authority for
the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) programs for
approving prescription drugs and medical devices. While
this new law will improve prescription drug and food
safety for all Americans, it also will improve programs
focused just on our children. These improvements represent
a victory for consumers and patients who depend on our
Nation's system for ensuring that life-saving drugs and
devices come to market in a timely and safe way.
Federal Medical Assistance Program (FMAP) Increase.--
Senator Reid worked very hard to increase temporarily the
Federal Medical Assistance Program as included in the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-
5). The goal was to enable States to maintain their
Medicaid services, while also targeting additional funds
to the States most in need like ours. Nevada will receive
more than $450 million in additional funding as a result,
which is the largest percentage increase of any State in
the Federal Medical Assistance Program.
Cobra Expansion.--The Consolidated Omnibus Budget
Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA) requires most employers
with group health plans to offer employees the opportunity
to continue their coverage under their employer's plan if
their coverage is cut off or suspended due to a layoff, or
other qualifying change in their employment status. Many
Nevadans who have recently become unemployed are troubled
by the steeply rising premiums for their COBRA insurance
coverage. Senator Reid was instrumental in obtaining a
premium subsidy for COBRA recipients in the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. This provision
created a 65 percent subsidy for health insurance premiums
under COBRA for up to 9 months for workers and their
families who have been involuntarily terminated between
September 1, 2009, and December 31, 2009.
Nevada's Environment, Energy, and Lands
Yucca Mountain.--Slashed funding for Yucca to record
lows during the pro-Yucca Republican Bush administration,
and worked with President Obama to terminate the project
and launch a blue ribbon commission to develop
alternatives.
Renewable Energy and Efficiency Tax Incentives.--Since
2000, Senator Reid has secured over $100 million for
Nevada-based projects to research and advance our Nation's
renewable energy and energy efficiency capabilities.
Additionally, the Recovery Act provided over $500 million
for energy efficiency, renewable energy, and
weatherization projects in Nevada. Nevada's institutions
of higher education, schools, counties, and others are
working to make Nevada the Nation's renewable energy
leader
Renewable Energy Transmission.--Delivered $3.25 billion
in financing for developing transmission for renewable
energy in the West (Recovery Act), as well as $4.4 billion
to build a national smart grid to accelerate renewable
energy development in Nevada and across the country.
Solar Energy.--Worked with Department of Interior to
designate seven solar energy study areas in Nevada and to
institute fast track environmental reviews for key
renewable energy projects (three solar and two wind energy
projects).
Hosted Eight National Clean Energy Summits and
Established the Blue Ribbon Panel on Energy in Nevada.--
Senator Reid has hosted the National Clean Energy Summit
in Nevada since 2008. These events have helped build a
dialog among the Nation's most distinguished leaders in
clean energy policy on how to build the infrastructure and
create jobs to achieve energy security using renewables,
other forms of clean energy, and efficiency. Speakers have
included President Barack Obama, President Bill Clinton,
Secretary Hillary Clinton, Vice President Al Gore, Energy
Secretary Steven Chu, Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz,
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, and Tesla CEO Elon Musk,
along with many other leaders from government, business,
labor, and the nonprofit communities from Nevada and
beyond.
Geothermal Energy.--Prevented the Republican Bush
administration from closing down the geothermal energy R&D
program.
Mormon Crickets.--Was successful in getting over $20
million appropriated for Nevada.
BLM California Trail Center in Elko.--Passed authorizing
legislation and secured more than $10 million to build the
center.
Clark County Heliport.--Conveyed 230 acres to create a
new, dedicated facility. As a result, 100,000 people are
safer.
Ivanpah Airport.--Authored and passed legislation that
designates 6,500 acres for a new long-haul airport.
Clark County Land Bill.--In 2002, led Nevada delegation
to pass a comprehensive public lands management plan for
Clark County. This strong bipartisan legislation released
wilderness study areas to enhance economic opportunities
in Clark County while also adding 440,000 acres to the
national wilderness system.
Lincoln County Land Bill.--Led Nevada delegation to pass
the largest wilderness bill in the history of Nevada. This
legislation designated over 768,000 acres in new
wilderness areas, including over 150,000 acres of the
Mormon Mountains. This legislation also provided new
authority for land sales to increase Lincoln County's tax
base.
White Pine County Land Bill.--Senator Reid led the
Nevada delegation to pass legislation protecting 559,000
acres of incredible wilderness lands and provided a timely
economic boost to White Pine County. The bill also added
important protections to the land surrounding Great Basin
National Park, enlarged two State parks and a State
wildlife management area, and provided lands for the
future growth of the Ely Shoshone Tribe.
Carson City Land Bill.--This legislation increases open
space opportunities and helps the city pursue its smart
growth plans. The bill includes a land exchange between
the city and the Forest Service, giving each entity land
that is more suited to its mission and management
abilities. The legislation also conveys the Silver Saddle
Ranch and Prison Hill to Carson City for continued public
use, with a conservation easement retained by the Bureau
of Land Management.
Ely Native Seed Warehouse.--Currently under
construction, the Ely Native Seed Warehouse will hold 1
million pounds of native seed used to help reseed habitat
after fires.
Fallon Plant Materials Center.--Secured funding for the
Center which will help develop resilient crops for the
Great Basin.
Nevada Hunting Bill.--Restored each State's ability to
differentiate between in-state and out-of-state hunters
when selling game tags.
Drop 2 Reservoir.--Passed legislation allowing
construction of a major water-saving reservoir east of San
Diego, which will allow southern Nevada to take
significant additional water from the Colorado River.
Rebuilt/Reconstructed Seven Bridges in Jarbidge
Sloan Canyon.--In the Clark County land bill, created
the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area to preserve
the beautiful areas that bless southern Nevada.
Clark County Shooting Park.--Conveyed 3,000 acres and
provided $60 million to develop the world's finest
shooting range.
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.--Protected
southern Nevada's most notable and beloved outdoor and
scenic area.
Great Basin National Park.--Championed legislation that
created Nevada's first national park in 1986; secured
funding for and dedicated a new visitor's center in 2005;
and stopped two coal plants that would have wrecked the
park's incredible clean air.
Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument.--In 2012,
Senator Reid authored and introduced legislation to
establish Nevada's only current national monument in the
north Las Vegas Valley. The legislation was passed in 2014
and created a 22,600 acre national monument that protects
the best collection of ice age mammal fossils in the
United States. The legislation also provided economic
development, and educational and recreation opportunities
throughout Clark County.
Basin and Range National Monument.--President Obama used
his authority under the Antiquities Act on July 10, 2015,
to permanently protect more than 700,000 acres of land in
eastern Nevada as the Basin and Range National Monument.
Senator Reid advocated for years to protect this truly
special area where the Mojave Desert meets the Great
Basin, and Joshua trees and cactus give way to a sea of
sagebrush. It is home to desert bighorn sheep, mule deer,
elk, and pronghorn antelope. It is an area that provided
food and shelter for Native Americans, and one can see
their history today in incredible rock art panels there.
The Basin and Range Monument will also protect the
cultural integrity of world-renowned artist Michael
Heizer's expansive sculpture, ``City.''
Lake Tahoe.--Hosted the first Tahoe Summit to help
preserve the lake's clarity; passed the original Lake
Tahoe Restoration Act; sent over $300 million in Federal
funds to help the lake.
Fallon Water Treatment Plant.--Senator Reid secured
funding for the construction of the Fallon Water Treatment
Plant which opened in April 2004. The residents of Fallon
and the neighboring Naval Air Station had been subjected
to high levels of arsenic in their drinking water that
were 10 times greater than the national standard set by
the EPA.
Walker Lake.--In line with Senator Reid's commitment to
protecting the environment and Nevada's natural resources,
saving Walker Lake is one of his top priorities. In
response, Senator Reid has secured more than $375 million
in Federal funds for efforts to preserve the lake.
Truckee River Operating Agreement.--Senator Reid helped
negotiate the settlement for Truckee and Carson Rivers.
Sparks Marina.--Senator Reid worked with the residents
and community leaders of Sparks and used his position in
the Senate to clean up the once-contaminated gravel pit
into the Sparks Marina. Now the Sparks Marina is a popular
recreational area used by thousands each year for boating,
fishing, and other outdoor activities.
Two Million Acres of Wilderness Land.--Beginning with
the Nevada Wilderness Act of 1989, which designated
740,000 acres of land as protected wilderness, Senator
Reid has been devoted to protecting Nevada's wilderness.
To this date, he has continued working hard to turn more
than 2 million acres into protected wilderness. One of the
highlights of the Senator's efforts includes the Black
Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails Act of 2000
which provided 750,000 acres of wilderness in Nevada.
Rural Water.--Secured more than $100 million to rural
water systems across Nevada to improve drinking water
quality and treatment systems.
Water Security.--Enhanced Nevada's water security by
directly authorizing development of the All American
Canal, a critical piece in implementing the lower Colorado
River Basin multistate shortage agreement.
National Security and Veterans
Secured Vital Funding for All of Nevada's Military
Installations.--Over the course of his tenure, Senator
Reid has secured millions for Nevada's troops, veterans,
military families, and installations. In fiscal year 2017,
Senator Reid worked to obtain over $204 million in Federal
funding for projects at the Nellis Air Force Base, Naval
Air Station Fallon, and Reno VA Medical Center. In
addition, $90 million was allocated nationwide for
construction of State veteran extended care facilities,
including one to eventually be built in Reno.
Base Closure and Realignment Commission (BRAC).--
Successfully fought to keep Hawthorne Army Depot open
through the BRAC process and prevented the Nevada Air
National Guard from losing their C-130 aircraft. Senator
Reid's leadership position in the Senate was pivotal in
allowing him to appoint a Nevadan to the Commission.
Nellis Air Force Base.--Secured more than $350 million
in funding for base infrastructure.
Creech Air Force Base (Indian Springs).--Secured $128.8
million in funding for base infrastructure and for a new
Center of Excellence for the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
(UAVs).
Hawthorne Army Depot.--Secured over $59 million in
funding for base infrastructure and modernized
demilitarization facilities. Senator Reid also helped
protect the depot from closure during the BRAC process
saving hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars in impact
for the community.
Nevada National Guard (Army and Air).--Secured over $195
million in funding for base infrastructure and equipment.
Cold War Heroes.--As part of the Omnibus Public Land
Management Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-11), Senator Reid secured
passage of the Cold War Historical Sites Study Act which
requires the Department of the Interior to evaluate sites
and resources for commemorating and interpreting the cold
war, including the Mount Charleston Plane Crash Memorial.
Concurrent Receipt for Nevada's Veterans.--Senator Reid
was instrumental in getting concurrent receipt legislation
passed in 2004 that enabled our veterans with 100 percent
service-related disability to collect both disability and
military pay. The following year, Senator Reid won passage
of his amendment that expanded concurrent receipt to cover
America's disabled veterans rated as unemployable. This
issue has been a top priority of Nevada's 250,000
veterans, as well as veterans across the country.
New Las Vegas Veterans Hospital.--Senator Reid has
secured more than $600 million for the construction of the
Veterans Administration's new Las Vegas Hospital and
Community Living Center on Pecos Road in north Las Vegas.
Additionally, the $75 million Mike O'Callaghan Federal
Hospital at Nellis Air Force Base opened its doors in 1994
due to Senator Reid's leadership.
New VA Clinic in Laughlin, NV.--In January 2015, Senator
Reid announced the opening of a VA outreach clinic in
Laughlin, which will allow veterans in the southeast area
to more easily access high quality care. The Laughlin
Clinic will provide primary care for eligible veterans who
are appropriate for care at an outreach clinic as well as
some mental health and social work care.
Nevada Test Site.--Maintained the Nevada Test Site as
part of the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium, and
provided appropriations of over $20 million annually.
Urban Area Security Initiative.--Reinstated Las Vegas
onto the UASI (Urban Area Security Initiative) city list,
thereby securing millions in funding to help prepare and
protect the city from attack.
Implemented the 9/11 Commission Recommendations.--As
majority leader, Senator Reid pushed to have the
recommendations of the bipartisan 9/11 Commission written
into law. This law made Nevadans and all Americans more
secure by: giving first responders the tools they need to
keep us safe; making it more difficult for potential
terrorists to travel into our country; advancing efforts
to secure our rail, air, and mass transit systems; and
improving intelligence and information sharing between
State, local, and Federal law enforcement agencies.
Nevada's Judiciary
Nevada Federal Courthouses and Buildings.--Senator Reid
secured more than $83 million in funding for construction
of a new Federal building for southern Nevada, the Lloyd
D. George Courthouse and Federal Building in Las Vegas.
Senator Reid was also instrumental in securing funding for
the Bruce R. Thompson Courthouse and Federal Building in
Reno.
Mills B. Lane Justice Complex Security Upgrades.--
Secured nearly $1 million for the Reno Municipal Court and
the Washoe County district attorney's security following
the 2006 sniper shooting.
Ethics and Lobbying Reform
Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act (STOCK
Act).--Senator Reid led the way in creating new reporting
requirement for Members of Congress and staff regarding
stock and commodity transactions.
Honest Leadership and Open Government Act.--Senator Reid
authored the ``Honest Leadership and Open Government Act
of 2007,'' which passed on a bipartisan basis and was
signed into law by President George W. Bush. Senator
Reid's measure was recognized as one of the toughest and
most sweeping ethics reforms in a generation. Among the
many accomplishments of this law include:
Closing the ``revolving door'' between government and
lobbyists by former Senators and staff
Reforming and increasing transparency for earmarks and
conference reports
Prohibiting pensions for Members of Congress convicted
of certain crimes
Expanding the lobbying disclosure requirements
Toughening limits on gifts and travel
Nevada Education and Research
Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act.--Changed the
Federal student loan program from fixed interest rates to
rates based on the Treasury note plus a percentage for
undergraduate, graduate, or parent loans.
GI Bill of Rights.--Under Senator Reid's leadership, the
post 9/11 GI bill of rights--the largest expansion of
educational benefits since the original GI bill of
rights--was passed.
Teach for America.--Harry Reid worked to bring Teach for
America to Nevada, which has resulted in the hiring of
several hundred highly qualified teachers in the Clark
County School District.
America COMPETES Act.--Harry Reid led passage of the
America COMPETES Act, bipartisan legislation to improve
math and science education and increase the Federal
commitment to research.
UNR Fire Science Academy.--The Fire Science Academy
located in Carlin opened its doors in 1999. In cooperation
with the University of Nevada, Reno, Senator Reid
succeeded in getting the Department of Energy to award the
facility with $8 million in grant and appropriations
support.
Nevada State College Campus.--In 2002, Senator Reid
successfully pushed through a land transfer in southern
Nevada that provided campus land for the newly created
Nevada State College.
Desert Research Institute (DRI).--Secured more than $70
million in appropriations for projects.
UNLV Super Computers.--Secured $2.7 million.
UNR Earthquake Center and Biodiversity Study.--Secured
$2.5 and $7.5 million respectively.
UNLV Research Park.--Conveyed 122 acres of Federal land
to UNLV Research Foundation for construction of a research
center and provided special authority to allow the
foundation to keep and reinvest 100 percent of any lease
revenues from the land.
Dandini Research Park Conveyance Act.--Passed
legislation signed into law by President Bush transferring
a 467-acre parcel north of downtown Reno from the Bureau
of Land Management to the Board of Regents of the
University and Community College System of Nevada for use
by Truckee Meadows Community College and the Desert
Research Institute.
Native Americans
Indian Water Settlements.--Senator Reid has led the
legislative effort to quantify Indian water rights and
settle longstanding claims against the United States. The
Fallon Paiute Shoshone Tribe (1990), the Pyramid Lake
Paiute Tribe (1990), and the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the
Duck Valley Reservation (2009) have been able to develop
their water rights and their economies because of these
settlements.
Western Shoshone Claims Distribution Act.--Senator Reid
led efforts to enact a law ordering the United States to
distribute settlement funds resulting in the resolution of
the western Shoshone land and accounting claims against
the United States. The settlement funds, now totaling
nearly $160 million, will be distributed to an estimated
6,000 eligible Shoshones. They and their descendants will
be eligible for benefits from a $1.5 million educational
trust fund.
Washoe Tribe: Additional Land for Residential and
Commercial Development.--As part of the Omnibus Public
Land Act of 2009, Senator Reid passed a measure to address
the Washoe Tribe's need for more land for residential and
commercial development. Under the bill, about 300 acres of
Forest Service and BLM land near the Carson and Stewart
Colonies will be conveyed to the Washoe Tribe, with nearly
half of those acres available for development.
Ely Shoshone Tribe Land Transfer.--Senator Reid, working
with his Nevada colleagues in Congress passed the White
Pine County lands bill as part of a broad tax package in
2006. The bill transferred 3,526 acres to the Ely Shoshone
Tribe for traditional, ceremonial, commercial, and
residential purposes.
Las Vegas Paiute Tribe Land.--In 1983, Senator Reid
(then in the U.S. House of Representatives) passed a
measure--which was signed into law by President Reagan--to
declare 3,850 acres of land held in trust by the Federal
Government would thereby be ``declared to be part of the
Las Vegas Paiute Reservation.''
Ensuring Equality for Nevadans
``Don't Ask, Don't Tell.''--As majority leader, Senator
Reid led passage of the repeal of ``don't ask, don't
tell.''
Mr. REID. I am winding down, everybody. I know you are
glad, but it has been 34 years. I served with 281
different Senators during the time I have been here. I
have such fond memories of so many. There was the
hilarious and confident Fritz Hollings. I have never known
a better joke teller than Frank Lautenberg. I asked him to
tell the same story so many times, I could have told it.
He had one about two wrestlers, but I am not going to
repeat it. He was very funny. I am not going to go through
the whole Ted Kennedy list and all of that, but I have had
wonderful experiences with my Senate friends.
When I came here as a Democratic Senator, there was only
one woman, Barbara Mikulski, and that was it. I am very
happy now that we have 17 Democratic women, and we have 4
Republican women. I want to make the record very clear
that the Senate is a better place because of women being
here. There is no question about that, for many different
reasons, but they have added so much to the Senate. The
only problem we have now is that there aren't enough of
them, but we did our best this go-round. We have four new
Democratic Senators.
Leaders. I have already talked about Senator McConnell.
It has been my good fortune to have served with such good
leaders like Robert Byrd. I don't know if it is true. I
accept it because that is what I want to believe, but a
number of people told me I was his pet. As I said, I don't
know if I was or not, but he sure was good to me.
George Mitchell, what a wonderful extemporaneous
speaker. He was the best. He was a Federal judge, U.S.
attorney, and a good man.
I was a junior Senator and didn't have a lot of
interchange with Bob Dole when he was the leader, but I
have had a lot lately. He calls me to talk about some
issues he is working on now. One of the most moving times
of my life was when Dan Inouye was lying in state in the
Rotunda. Bob Dole called me and asked if I would go over
there with him, and I said of course I would. He was in a
wheelchair and somebody pushed him over there, and he
said, ``Stop.'' There was a little alcove there, and Bob
Dole, as hard as it was for him, walked over to the crypt
where Danny was and he climbed up on the bier and said,
``Danny, I love you.'' If that doesn't bring a tear to
your eye, nothing will. I will always remember that.
Trent Lott was a really good leader. He was extremely
conservative but extremely pragmatic. We got lots of stuff
done. I was Senator Daschle's point person to get
legislation out of this body, and we did some really good
things.
Tom Daschle always gave me lots of room to do things. I
can remember one occasion when I was the whip, I thought
he had been too generous with one of the other Senators
and I complained. He said, ``Look, you are going to make
this whip job whatever you want it to be.'' I took him at
his word, and I did. I never left the floor. When the
Senate opened, I was here, and when it was closed, I was
here.
Bill Frist is a fine human being. I really cared for him
a lot. He wasn't an experienced legislator, but that is
OK. He is an experienced human being, and I liked him a
lot. I already talked about Mitch.
Diversity. We don't have enough diversity in the Senate,
but I do take credit for creating a diversity office here
with Democrats. Senator Schumer has indicated he will
continue that, and I am very happy he will do that. I
repeat, we don't have enough diversity.
I want to tell everyone here I am grateful to all of my
Democratic Senators. They have been so good to me during
my time as leader, but I have to mention Dick Durbin. He
and I came here together 34 years ago. He has been so
supportive of me. He has been my ``Cousin Jeff.'' Can I
tell the story? Here I go.
My brother still lives in Searchlight, and he is an
interesting man. He had a girlfriend there who was married
and brought her home one night.
Her husband or boyfriend, whatever it was, jumped out of
the tree on my brother's back, and they had a fight. My
brother won. So a couple of weeks later, he is at the 49er
Club, a bar, a little place in Searchlight. He is having a
beer, whatever he drinks.
He looks around, and he sees the guy he beat up, but the
guy has a couple of people with him. He knew why they were
there. They were there to work him over. He said, ``What
am I going to do?'' Just about then a miracle happened.
Our Cousin Jeff walked in. He hadn't been to Searchlight
for a couple of years. But Cousin Jeff was known as being
a really tough guy.
So Larry said, ``Here's the deal.''
Cousin Jeff looked them over and went over to the
biggest one, grabbed his nose, twisted it as hard as he
could. He said, ``Do you guys want any part of me or my
cousin Larry?''
They said, ``No.'' They left.
The reason I mention that--the reason I say Dick Durbin
is my Cousin Jeff--I was in my office watching the floor,
and Mitch McConnell was up there. I was so damn mad. He
was talking about stuff. I was mad. I called my office:
``Why don't we have somebody out there saying something?''
They said, ``Senator, that was recorded earlier today.
We are out of session.''
So Dick Durbin has been my man, my Cousin Jeff. Whenever
I have a problem, I call Dick Durbin, and he can come.
Dick Durbin can talk about anything, and it sounds good.
OK.
Chuck Schumer. My kids said, ``Make sure you tell
everybody about how smart you think he is.'' OK. I am
going to do it. One day I said to Chuck Schumer--we have
known each other for a long time. But I said, ``How the
hell did you ever get into Harvard?''
He said, ``It helped that I got a perfect SAT and a
perfect LSAT.''
That is true. He did. He is a brilliant man. He has a
big heart. He works extremely hard. He has been so good to
me. We have worked together. He took a job he did not
want, the chair of the DSCC twice, but it worked out
great. We were able to get the majority. So I will always
have great affection for him, and I wish him well in being
my replacement. I am confident he will do a good job. He
will not be me, but he will go a good job.
My staff. We checked yesterday--my staff did. It is hard
to comprehend how many people I have had work for me over
34 years--almost 3,000, everybody. I feel so strongly
about my staff. They are my family. I really do believe
that. I feel they are my family. Chiefs of staff--I
haven't had that many, surprisingly, over 34 years. Claude
Zobell, Ray Martinez, Susan McCue, Gary Myrick, David
Krone, Drew Willison, and, of course, Dave McCallum, who
has done so much to make sure I did not overspin things,
and my utility man, Bill Dauster. He can catch, pitch,
play any position on the field. He has been great for me.
I appreciate Bill's work very much.
Thank you, Adelle, because I would be so embarrassed if
I did not say something about Patty Murray. She has been
part of this little leadership team I have had. We have
never had anything like this before in the Senate. The
leaders prior to me did it all on their own. But I have
had these three wonderful human beings helping me for all
these years.
We meet every Monday night and get set up for the caucus
on Tuesday, leadership meetings on Tuesday. So, Patty, you
and Rob, I just care so much about. I want you to know how
I appreciate your loyalty, your hard work. You have taken
some jobs that you did not want to take: a budget job,
that super--whatever the hell it was called. That was
awful. I don't know how long she is going to live, but
that took a few years off her life. You and Rob have been
great. Loretta is my friend. Iris I love. So thank you
very much, you guys.
I have told everyone on my staff, with rare exception:
You represent me. If you are on the phone, when you answer
that phone, you are representing me. You are as if you are
Harry Reid on the phone. I say the same to those who
speak, write, and advocate for me. They represent me. They
have done so well. They have helped me in good times and
bad times.
What is the future of the Senate? I hope that everyone
will do everything they can to protect the Senate as an
institution. As part of our Constitution, it should be
given the dignity it deserves. I love the Senate. I don't
need to dwell on that. I love the Senate. I care about it
so very much. I have enjoyed Congress for 34 years. As the
leader of the Senate, I have had such joy and times of
awe. Wow. What are we going to do now?
That is what these jobs are like. They are so
exhilarating, until, oh, man, something happens, and I
think all of you have done as I have just said: Wow. What
are we going to do now?
The Senate has changed, some for the good, some for the
bad. I want to say this, though. It is not the same as
when I first came here. There is change in everything. The
biggest change has been the use of the filibuster. I do
hope my colleagues are able to temper their use of the
filibuster; otherwise it will be gone. It will be gone
first on nominations, then it will be gone on legislation.
This is something that you have to work on together
because if you continue to use it the way it has been used
recently, it is really going to affect this institution a
lot.
Something has to be done about the outrageous amount of
money from sources that are dark, unknown, and now
involved in our Federal elections. The Citizens United
case in January 2010--if this does not change and if we
don't do something about this vast money coming into our
elections, in a couple of more election cycles, we are
going to be just like Russia. We are going to have a
plutocracy--a few rich guys telling our leader what to do.
Leonard Cohen, who recently died, was one of America's
great music geniuses. He recently died, as I said. In one
of his songs called ``Anthem,'' he says it all:
There is a crack in everything (there is a crack in
everything)
That's how the light gets in
That is what he said. I believe there are cracks in what
is happening with the huge amount of money currently in
Federal elections and excessive partisanship. The cracks
are that the American people don't like it. They don't
like this money. They don't like the partisanship. So
there are cracks--cracks, I repeat--because the American
people are complaining big time about excessive use of
money and objecting to the partisanship. That is the
crack. That is how the light is going to get in. That is
how America has an opportunity to become a better place,
where money will not control our political system over
partisanship.
So just a little bit of advice to my colleagues: It has
worked OK for me. It does not matter if I am in Elko,
really a conservative place in Nevada, 400 miles from Las
Vegas. If a question is asked of me in Elko, I give the
same answer there as I give in Las Vegas. We should all do
that.
People in Nevada have never had to weigh how I stand on
an issue. I tell them how I feel. That is why I have never
had any big-bang elections. People at least know how I
stand. People don't necessarily like how I vote, what I
talk about, but at least they know how I feel. I think
that is good advice for everybody. At least that has
worked well for me.
What is your formula for success? What do you recommend?
I tell them the same thing about working hard. Of course
that is important. Of course it is important, but also
stay true to who you are--your roots.
Now my social life. My time in Washington has been
different than that of many. I am not saying it is better,
but it has been different. Every year there are galas:
White House Correspondents' Dinner, the Gridiron Club
Dinner, Radio and Correspondents' Dinner, Alfalfa Club. So
during my 34 years in Congress, I had approximately 135-
136 of these. I have attended one of them. For me, that
was enough.
I have attended one congressional picnic in 34 years.
That was because my son Key had a girlfriend named Maile
and he wanted to impress her. I guess he did because they
are married. But one was enough for me.
I have attended one State dinner. That is because I had
a son who spent 2 years in Argentina. I wanted him to meet
the President of Argentina. I did that for my son Rory.
But one was enough. I have not been to another one. I have
never been to a White House Congressional Ball. That is
going to be held tonight. I guess I am inquisitive of how
it would be, but I don't want to go.
I have seen one World Series. That was enough. I have
been to one Super Bowl. That was plenty. I have flown once
in an F-18. That was enough. Over the years, I have gone
to hundreds of fundraisers for my friends and colleagues,
but everyone has to acknowledge, I can get in and out of
those pretty quick.
Let me talk about the press a little bit and their
responsibility, as I see it. We are entering a new gilded
age, and it has never been more important to be able to
distinguish between what is real and what is fake. We have
lawmakers pushing for tax cuts for billionaires and
calling it populism. We have media outlets pushing
conspiracy theories disguised as news.
Separating real from fake has never been more important.
I have met him, but I wish I could sit down and talk to
him sometime because I so admire Pope Francis. Here is
what he said yesterday: ``The media that focuses on
scandals and spreads fake news to smear politicians risks
becoming like people who have a morbid fascination with
excrement.''
That is what Pope Francis said. He added that using
communications for this rather than to educate the public
amounted to a sin.
Well, he can categorize sin; I can't. But I agree with
him on what he said. I acknowledge the importance of the
press. I admire what you do and understand the challenges
ahead of you. But be vigilant, because you have as much to
do with our democracy as any branch of government. This is
best understood by listening to what George Orwell had to
say a long time ago: ``Freedom of the press, if it means
anything at all, means the freedom to criticize and
oppose.''
So, press, criticize and oppose. Please do that.
This really is the end of my speech. I have five
children: Lana, Rory, Leif, Josh, and Key. They have been
role models for me and for Landra. They were role models.
We learned from them when we were young, and we are still
learning from them. We appreciate the exemplary lives they
have lived. I am confident, hopeful, and determined to
make sure that they understand how much affection and
admiration I have for each of them, for their wonderful
spouses, and our 19 grandchildren.
OK. Here goes. Whatever success I had in my educational
life, my life as a lawyer, and my life as a politician,
including my time in Congress, is directly attributable to
my Landra, my wife. We met when Landra was a sophomore in
high school and I was a junior. That was more than six
decades ago. We married at the age of 19. As I have said,
we have 5 children, and we have 19 wonderful
grandchildren.
She has been the being of my existence in my personal
life and my public life. Disraeli, the great prime
minister said in 1837--listen to what he said: ``The magic
of first love is that it never ends.'' I believe that. She
is my first love. It will never end. Landra and I have
talked. We understand we are going to have a different
life. We have said and we believe that we are not going to
dwell on the past. We will be involved in the past any way
we need to be, but we are going to look to the future.
I wish everyone the best. I am sorry I have talked so
long. I usually don't do that. I thank everyone for
listening to my speech. I appreciate my wonderful family
being here, my friends, my staff, and each of you. Thank
you for your friendships over the years.
(Applause, Senators rising.)
?
TRIBUTES
TO
HARRY REID
Proceedings in the Senate
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Mrs. BOXER. Senator Reid, my leader, I can't tell you
how humble I feel to hear you talk about my career and to
put it, in many ways, in a historic place.
I am going to have a lot to say about your career, what
you have meant to me. Today I won't get into it, but you
are a man--you just don't throw words around. I know how
humble you are because every time I try to praise you,
even in a situation with just a few people around you, you
look down like you are doing now. It makes you
uncomfortable. I don't want to make you uncomfortable. So
here is what I am going to say today. I am going to make
you uncomfortable in the near future when I talk about
your career and what it has meant to me. But today,
hearing you talk about what you just said, weaving our
friendship, our work together, and our family friendship
has meant a lot to me.
Obviously, I am going to miss you, but I will say this.
As we enter into uncharted territories in terms of
politics, I know you and I are not going to lose our
voices. We will have a platform. We are not leaving
because we are tired of the fight. We are not leaving
because we have nothing more to say, we are leaving
because we think it is time for the next generation. I
look forward to working with you in the future--and I mean
that sincerely--just fighting for the things we care
about, whether it is Lake Tahoe or whether it is clean
air, whether it is fighting against the ravages of climate
change, whether it is fighting for the right of the
American people, from children to seniors, to have
affordable health care. We are not going into the
wilderness. That I was able to protect more than a million
acres--I am so proud you mentioned that.
Today you have humbled me with your words. I will always
be your sister. Thank you very much.
I yield the floor.
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, in the interest of time, I
will limit my remarks.
I rise this afternoon to commend and salute three
Senators from the Democratic caucus who are leaving the
Senate this year. I will have longer written statements
for the Record to appropriately pay tribute to their
service. In alphabetical order, Senator Boxer of
California, Senator Mikulski of Maryland, and Senator Reid
of Nevada.
I will offer some specific remarks about Leader Reid,
in the interest of time, but I do want to commend and
salute Senator Boxer for her service to the people of
California and to our Nation, as well Senator Mikulski for
her great work--two great advocates, two individuals whom
we are going to miss terribly here in the Senate. As I
said, I will put longer statements in the Record.
With regard to Senator Reid, I can't help taking the
time to say a few words about him in the remaining minutes
we have before we break for the caucus lunches.
Mr. President, as many people know, Senator Harry Reid
is a son of Searchlight, a small community in the State of
Nevada, and he comes from humble beginnings. It is
probably best to read his words about his beginnings
rather than trying to describe or encapsulate them. Among
many things he said about his background and his family,
he said this, in short fashion, about his background: ``My
dad was a hard rock miner. My mom took in wash. I grew up
around people of strong values.''
That is a direct quotation from Harry Reid about his
background. I think those values have helped him his whole
life. Those values, that work ethic, and that strength of
character allowed him to go from Searchlight to rise up to
become a leader in his home State of Nevada in many
positions in State government, to be a Member of the U.S.
House of Representatives, later to be elected to the U.S.
Senate in 1986, and then, of course, to become the
Democratic leader--and he remains so until the end of this
Congress--but, of course, the pinnacle was his service as
majority leader, one of the longest serving majority
leaders in our history. That is kind of a summary of his
positions in government, important though they are,
leading a large and diverse caucus. It is a difficult job
whether you are leading that caucus in the majority or
leading it as the minority party. So we salute and commend
his service to his home State of Nevada and to the people
of the United States.
But maybe more important than just talking about
positions he held is to talk for just a minute about who
he is--a fighter. No person has fought harder for workers
and for their families than Harry Reid. No Senator, no
person I know in public life, has made that such a central
part of who they are and a central part of their
priorities, also, at the same time, being a fighter for
those who often don't have a voice here--people who don't
have power ever in their lives or often don't have power
on a regular basis. They always had a friend in Harry
Reid--someone who would go to the end of the Earth
fighting on behalf of them.
Over and over in our caucus, he would say: ``We have to
work on this issue,'' or we have to get this or that done
for people who are hurting. There are so many different
examples of that, which we don't have time to enumerate
them today.
I am recalling today a great line from a great
Democratic leader, William Jennings Bryan, who talked
about the power of one individual to make a difference and
the power of an issue or set of issues to drive that
person's success in public life or even beyond public
life, as a citizen. William Jennings Bryan once said:
``The humblest citizen in all the land, when clad in the
armor of a righteous cause, is stronger than all the hosts
of error.'' So said William Jennings Bryan about one
citizen clad in the armor of a righteous cause.
Harry Reid is a Senator and he has been a leader, but
he is also a very humble man at his core. His righteous
cause wasn't just one issue, but if you had to encapsulate
it or summarize it, the righteous cause for Harry Reid was
fighting on behalf of those workers, fighting on behalf of
those people who did not ever have power in their lives.
His ability to not just articulate their concerns and
their struggles but literally their hopes and their dreams
was one of the reasons why so many of us have such a high
regard for him. We commend and salute his service. We
appreciate his commitment to strong values, but we
especially appreciate his steadfast support for those who
needed his voice, who needed his work, who needed his
votes, and needed his leadership.
To Senator Reid, we say thank you for your service,
thank you for what you did for your home State of Nevada,
and thank you for what you did for the United States of
America.
Wednesday, December 7, 2016
Mrs. BOXER. ... Having a leader who has your back is
essential. A good leader knows and understands each member
of his caucus and where they draw the line. Harry is so
humble. Whenever you talk about him, he puts his head
down.
Harry, could you just look at me for a second?
A good leader knows when to speak up and when to
listen. A good leader knows when to pick up the gloves and
fight like hell. That is what Harry Reid has done. He is
not a show horse; he is a workhorse.
He is a soft-spoken man. How many of us have to say:
``Harry, could you speak up?'' He is a soft-spoken man of
a few words, but he chooses his words wisely, and he
chooses his fights wisely. He doesn't seek the spotlight.
When it comes to standing up for what is right, he is
right there when others try to slip out of the room.
Harry has not only been an extraordinary leader and
colleague, he and his wife, Landra, have been close and
treasured friends of me and my husband, Stewart. I call
him the brother I never had, and he calls me the sister he
never had. He treats me like a sister; he always hangs up
on me when I call him. He never calls on me when I madly
wave my hand at caucus. You know, I am like a sister. You
don't have to worry, the love will be there. I am forever
grateful for his leadership and his friendship.
Another quality of Harry Reid is that he encouraged
women to run for the Senate. Once we got here, he made
sure we had major responsibilities. Harry, you will go
down in history for that.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, today I wish to honor our
colleagues who are leaving us at the end of this Congress,
six individuals who have done a lot to shape how the
Senate operates today.
First I would like to thank my three Republican
colleagues who are departing. Thank you not only for your
service to our country but your willingness to work with
me and other members of my party on a number of issues.
...
I would also like to speak to three of my closest
colleagues on our side of the aisle.
Over the past 24 years, I have had the pleasure of
serving in the Senate with Harry Reid, Barbara Mikulski,
and Barbara Boxer, and I am grateful not just for our
working relationships but for the close friendships I have
formed with each of them.
Mr. President, Senator Reid has served in Congress since
1983, and he has been our party's leader for the past
decade. Despite more than three decades in Washington,
Senator Reid still retains the values instilled in him
while growing up in Searchlight, NV. Often described as a
tough fighter, he has respect from both sides of the aisle
for being a consensus builder who is willing to constantly
work to find a deal.
One issue on which Senator Reid and I share a passion is
Lake Tahoe, the High Sierra lake that straddles the
California-Nevada border.
Twenty years ago, Harry invited President Bill Clinton
to announce a major commitment to restoring the health of
Lake Tahoe. That first summit launched a public-private
partnership that has now invested $1.2 billion in
conservation and restoration projects around the lake.
This year, Senator Reid told me he wanted to turn the
annual summit into a celebration by inviting President
Obama to speak. The event was a huge success, with more
than 7,000 people attending.
I will miss Harry's passion and leadership, but if
anyone deserves a break, it is him. ...
Thursday, December 8, 2016
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, it seems like any speech
about the Democratic leader requires a mention of
Searchlight, NV. There is a reason why that is. You cannot
begin to understand the man until you understand where it
all began, and here is where it began--a tiny mining town
at the southern tip of Nevada. One teacher. Zero indoor
plumbing. Miles of desert. That is Searchlight, at least
the Searchlight Harry Reid knew when he was growing up. It
is the kind of place where you might learn to drive at 13
or spend your summer roping cattle with a cowboy named
``Sharky.'' In fact, if your name is ``Harry Reid,'' that
is exactly what you did.
Harry grew up in a tiny wooden shack with a tin roof. He
hitchhiked more than 40 miles to school and had a father
who toiled in the hard rock mines. It goes without saying
this was not an easy life. It taught some tough lessons,
but Harry had his escapes. He found one in the snap and
crackle of his radio.
Searchlight didn't exactly have a radio station of its
own, but every now and then, Harry could pick up a faint
signal from California. During the regular season, it
carried his favorite baseball team, the Indians. He can
still rattle off Cleveland's 1948 roster. Just ask him.
Harry himself played some baseball. He was the catcher
in high school, and during his sophomore year, Harry's
team was crowned Nevada State champions. Later, after a
close game on the California coast, his team won the
Nevada-Arizona-California tristate playoffs as well. Harry
still treasures the big white jackets each member of the
team received, not because, understand, he was the best
player on the team--Harry says he wasn't--but because of
what that jacket represented: his hard work, his
contributions, his worth.
Like many young men, Harry once dreamed of a life in the
majors, of cheering crowds and commissioner's trophies. So
did I. I wanted to throw fastballs for the Dodgers. Harry
wanted to play center field at Fenway. We wound up as
managers of two unruly franchises instead.
As the leaders of our parties, we are charged with
picking the batting order, controlling the pitch
selection, and trying our best to manage 100 opening-day
starters. It isn't always easy. As Harry has often pointed
out, baseball represents a nice reprieve from the serious
work of the Senate. So no matter how contentious the issue
before us, we try to put politics aside--at least
briefly--to trade our views on the Nats and Bryce Harper.
Harry is probably looking forward to having even more time
to dedicate as a fan of the sport and never having to miss
another game because of votes.
If there is one thing Harry loves more than baseball, it
is his wife Landra and the family they built together.
When Harry first met Landra Gould, the two of them were in
high school, and Harry was hardly conflicted about his
feelings for her. He recalled: ``She looked like she
belonged in the movies. She was smart [too]. And she'd
been places. Out of my league, that's for sure.''
But if there is one thing we know about Harry, he
doesn't give up easily. It wasn't long before the two of
them were heading off on their first date. As many dates
do, it started with a movie and ended--as no dates do--
with Landra push-starting his car. Harry worried, as many
of us might, that this could well be their first date and
their last date. But then he looked over at Landra. She
smiled as she pushed along beside him. He said it was the
kind of smile that said: Who cares about the car? I am
with you. It was a smile that has stayed with him ever
since. Harry said: ``There are moments that turn a life
... that stay with you until the last breath, [and] this
was one of those moments for me.''
The Reids have never been strangers to pushing through
challenges. They have confronted a lot over nearly six
decades in marriage. But hand in hand, sweat on the brow,
they have always moved forward together. Through it all,
Landra has never stopped smiling and Harry has never
stopped counting every lucky star for Landra. His idea of
the perfect night out is still a quiet night in with her.
Landra is his confidant, his high school sweetheart, and
his best friend. She is his everything. For a guy who grew
up with nothing, that is something.
Harry Reid didn't have an easy childhood. He faced
tragedy from a young age. There were times when he just
wanted to leave Searchlight and never look back, but these
experiences helped shape him too. This is a guy who has
seen it all. He has been on the wrong side of electoral
nail biters, and he has been on the other side of them
too. He even won a primary against somebody named ``God
Almighty.''
Harry will now retire as the longest serving U.S.
Senator from his State with some three decades of Senate
service behind him. It is clear that Harry and I have two
very different world views, two different ways of doing
things, and two different sets of legislative priorities,
but through the years we have come to understand some
things about one another, and we have endeavored to keep
our disagreements professional rather than personal. We
have also found some common ground through baseball.
I hardly know what it is like to serve here without
Harry--he came into office just a couple short years after
I did--but I do know this: Come next month, you will know
where to find him. He will be right next to Landra,
writing new chapters, making new memories, and continuing
a love story that began with a smile more than 50 years
ago.
Today the Senate recognizes the Democratic leader for
his many years of service to Nevada, to the country, and
to his party. We wish him and Landra the best as they set
off on their next journey.
Mr. REID. Mitch, thank you very much for those nice
remarks.
Mr. President, I have heard for years--especially from
the press and others--how do you get along with Mitch
McConnell? It is obvious it is not very good.
It is simple, everybody. He and I understand our
relationship. We are both lawyers. I have been to court
lots of times, over 100 jury trials, and when I would go
to those trials, I would really fix on my opponent. How
could he feel that way about an issue? He is wrong on the
law, he is wrong on the facts, and we are going to take
care of this in court.
Fortunately, I was fairly blessed with my trials; it
turned out OK most of the time. But Mitch and I understand
that is what we do here. When the trial was over--I have
walked out of a courtroom with Neil Galatz or whoever it
was--it was over with. It was gone. We were friends. We
were there, each doing our thing to effect our cause, and
that is what we do here.
McConnell and Reid don't need to be hugging out here
every day. That is not what we do. We are advocates for
our cause. I do the very best I can; he does the very best
he can. He laid that out just fine a few minutes ago.
So this is not a love session for Reid and McConnell,
although I want everyone here to know that Mitch McConnell
is my friend. He and his wonderful wife have been kind and
thoughtful to us. I have said that before; let me repeat
it. When Landra was in that very dreadful accident, they
were there--letters, flowers. They took care of us. When
Landra had the devastating breast cancer, they were there.
When I hurt myself, Mitch called me.
So everybody go ahead and make up all the stories you
want about how we hate each other. Go ahead. But we don't.
If it makes a better story, go ahead and do it, but maybe
somebody should write this.
Thank you very much, Mitch.
OK, everybody, now my final speech. [See farewell
address, p. ix.]
Mr. HELLER. Mr. President, I stand in front of you to
commemorate the long life and service of a fellow Nevadan
who has given his all to serve our State and this country.
It has been said it is better to be feared than loved
if you cannot be both. My colleagues in the Senate and
those in the gallery probably agree with me, no individual
in politics embodies that sentiment today more than my
colleague from Nevada, Harry Mason Reid.
Today I am on the floor to pay respect to Senate
Minority Leader Harry Reid, after 30 years of service in
this Chamber, in addition to the years of public service
before entering into the Senate.
I know Harry is notorious for his short conversations--
minus today--for hanging up the phone before our
conversations end, and sometimes even midsentence, so I
will try to keep my comments respectfully short.
Before I truly get into the speech, I must first
recognize Harry's family. As a public official, very often
it is time with your family that is most often sacrificed
the most, and it is very true, as stated by a leader in
our shared faith when he said, ``Nothing compensates for
failure in the home.''
Harry has been keenly aware of this fact and he shows
his adoration. He has shown it for his wife Landra and his
five children: Lana, Rory, Leif, Josh, and Key. He has
made sure to keep a very close bond with his wife, his
children, and grandchildren. That is something we all
respect and something I wish to emulate.
So what can I say? It is an end of an era for my home
State of Nevada. Harry has devoted his entire adult life
to one cause, the State of Nevada and serving it.
Trust me, though we have had our differences when it
came to our State, I can attest to one thing; that is,
there is no stronger partner to serve the people of Nevada
than Harry Reid.
It has been said victorious leaders feel the
alternative to winning is totally unacceptable so they
figure out what must be done to achieve victory, and then
they go after it with everything at their disposal. I
believe that describes Harry Reid in a nutshell.
Another measure of success, something Harry and I have
found amusing in the past, is being blamed for all
things--all that is good, all that is bad, and all that is
ugly. Let me assure you, Harry has been blamed for a lot,
some fairly and some unfairly.
Senator Reid has served in every level of government,
from city attorney, the State assembly, Lieutenant
Governor, U.S. Congressman, and Senator. As a Senator, he
is one of only three to serve at least 8 years as majority
leader. Even in retirement, due to his far-reaching
influence in just about every facet of State, local, and
Federal Government, I totally expect he will operate as
Nevada's third Senator.
After 26 elections, Harry knows a thing or two about
representing his constituency. He is one of the sharpest
tactical minds ever to enter the political arena. Having
worked together over the years, my hope is that we have
sent a message, not only to all Nevadans but to everyone
across this country, that two people who you can tell
differ on many opinions can work well together, get things
done for their constituents when both are willing.
That is why it is fitting this week that the Lake Tahoe
Restoration Act will pass the Senate and will be sent to
the President's desk to be signed into law. After fighting
for years to refocus Federal policy on the 21st century
threats to the lake, we teamed up to ensure important work
that preserves the ``Jewel of the Sierra'' for future
generations and that it will advance.
One of Harry's lasting legacies will be that he and I
worked to improve water clarity, reduce wildfire threats,
jump start transportation and infrastructure projects, and
combat invasive species at Lake Tahoe. Because of this
work, Lake Tahoe has once again been made a national
priority.
Another policy initiative that we worked together on
was the fight against Yucca Mountain. Harry, rest assured,
I will continue to fight Yucca. My mantra is borrowed from
one of your late friends, the late Senator Ted Kennedy,
when he said: ``The work goes on, the cause endures. ...''
We will not allow Nevada to turn into America's nuclear
dump against the will of its own people.
Harry, you share the Nevada values such as faith in
God, hard work, and commitment to family. I know, because
you displayed these values at home, at work, and at
church. In fact, actually, that is how we first met Harry.
It was during his tenure as Lieutenant Governor when he
spent time in Carson City. Our families were able to meet
each other and become friends. Eventually, I became very
good friends with his son Leif. Harry, your dedication to
family is extraordinary and it serves as a model to all of
us.
I would be remiss if I didn't share a couple of my
favorite Harry Reid stories. There are a lot of them.
There are a few I cannot share, there are a few I can so I
will share with you the ones I can.
Before serving in the Senate, I was elected to the
House of Representatives in 2007, until my appointment to
the Senate in 2011. Late one evening, I was sitting in my
office with my chief of staff, Mac Abrams, discussing a
few last-minute details before leaving for the day. It
must have been near the end of the week because staffers
in the House offices were milling around the hall
celebrating a birthday party, enjoying each other's
company, playing loud music, and taking a few moments to
relax. I was having a hard time keeping the noise from the
halls out of my office because of the thin walls. All of a
sudden, it was as if it all stopped immediately. A quiet
hush came over the crowd. It became so quiet, to the point
I could hear a small echoing--tap, tap, tap. The taps were
magnified. The hallway, which was previously full of life,
just immediately died. I began to walk toward the hall to
see what it was. I could tell the tapping noise was the
sound of footsteps. As they grew louder and closer, I
barely heard a peep in that hallway. Sure enough, the next
sound I heard was the doorknob to my office turning, and
in walks Harry: ``Hi, Dean. Do you have a few minutes?''
To me, that story illustrates how much presence Harry has
and the respect he commands no matter where he is. He
quieted an entire hallway full of lively staffers by just
passing through and walking down that hallway.
The second story occurred more recently. We were in
Harry's office on a January morning soon after I was
elected to my first full term. During that campaign, Harry
and his special friends gave me 12 million reasons why I
shouldn't be standing there in his office that day, but,
hey, this is the Senate and collegiality reigns supreme so
I was at that breakfast because our constituents were
there.
Harry and I have known each other for many years, and
he made it a point to tell those in attendance how close
we were. We were having a good breakfast. He gets up to
tell everyone how long he had known me, some of my
background--but he kept highlighting how close we were.
So after his short speech--a little shorter than
today--Harry looks at me, offers for me to say a few of my
own words. So I just got up in the front of the room and
made sure that everybody knew I could attest that at least
one Reid voted for me--Harry's son Leif. The look on
Harry's face was priceless. Seeing Harry process the fact
that there was a Reid who voted for me is a memory seared
in my brain forever.
For me, this speech is not a goodbye because I know we
will be seeing you back home in our great State. Harry,
people, like me, may disagree with you at times, but we
will always respect you for three things: your devotion to
your family, your service to our State and Nation, and
your commitment to fighting for what you believe in.
This Chamber has been blessed with some of the greatest
men and women who have ever served our Republic. Today I
recognize and rise to recognize your place among these
figures and hope your career will give inspiration to a
young child from Carson City or Searchlight or anywhere
else in Nevada to follow in your footsteps.
Again, congratulations on your career. We, the people
of Nevada, thank you for your service. Lynne and I wish
you and Landra all the best in the years ahead--and as
your new senior Senator, I hope I can count on your vote.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Rubio). The assistant
Democratic leader.
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I wish to say a few words
about Harry Reid, our departing, retiring, Democratic
leader. It is appropriate he is not on the floor because
it is painful for him to sit and hear anybody say anything
nice about him. I am sure he is going to be happy not
hearing these words, but I want the rest of the folks
following the proceedings in the Senate to hear them.
I was first elected to the House of Representatives the
same year as Harry, 1982. A friend of mine, who is an
attorney in Chicago named Ed Joyce, said, ``Be sure and
look up this Harry Reid from Nevada because he is a great
fellow and a great lawyer.'' So I did. We came in with a
large class of over 50 Members. I went up to Harry and
said, ``Hi. I am Dick Durbin from Illinois. We have a
mutual friend in Chicago.''
He said, ``Well, great. I am looking forward to working
with you.''
I said, ``So are you headed up to Harvard for the
orientation? I will see you up there.''
He said, ``No, I am headed to Kansas City. We have a
settlement conference in a personal injury lawsuit that I
couldn't miss.''
I thought to myself, this is some lawyer. Up to the
bitter end of his legal career, he was still devoted to
the cause of representing clients and representing them
effectively. When Harry makes a commitment, he keeps it. I
knew at that moment and I have known it ever since.
Four years later, he was in the Senate, I was still in
the House, but the day came when I finally got elected to
the Senate and joined Harry Reid.
I know we had a good friendship to start because we
came to the House together, but I remember the day and I
remember the moment when that friendship became something
special. It was right there in the well of the Senate.
The most important bill in Harry's political career was
up for a vote. It was on Yucca Mountain.
He came before the rollcall was being announced and he
said, ``How are you going to vote?''
I said, ``Well, Harry, I have kind of mixed feelings on
this.''
He said, ``Stop. I need you. I think I have enough
votes, but I may need you. So can you promise that if I
need your vote you will be there?''
I said, ``Well, all right.''
He said, ``But I don't think I will need your vote.''
You know what happened next. They called the roll, and
at the very end, one of the Democratic Senators he counted
on voted the other way. He turned to me and said,
``Well?''
I said, ``I am giving you my word.''
I voted with Harry Reid on Yucca Mountain.
That was the moment when our friendship became solid.
In this business, your word is your bond. When you promise
somebody you are going to stick with them come heck or
high water, that is when it is tested.
Our friendship grew from that point. I didn't know the
time would come, but it did, amazingly, when Tom Daschle
lost in the Senate race in South Dakota. The next day, I
got a call from Harry Reid. He said, ``I hope you will
consider running for whip. You ought to call every Member
of the caucus,'' and I did.
I quickly learned that many of them had called him and
said, ``Whom do you want to be your whip?'' He said,
``Well, I think Senator Durbin would be a good choice.''
That is why I am sitting here today.
Twelve years later, I am still serving as Harry Reid's
whip and still counting the votes on key issues, and
during those 12 years, I probably spent more time talking
to Harry Reid, my colleague in the Senate, than to any
other Member of this body. It is a close, personal
friendship and relationship, and we have gone through a
lot together.
I listened to his stories. He told some of them today.
He returns to his youth, growing up in Searchlight, which
we heard about today in just wonderful detail, but he also
returns to all of those friendships that were made during
those years with people he grew up with in Searchlight and
in Henderson, where he went to school. I have come to know
these people as if they were my own classmates because I
have heard these stories so many times. It is part of who
he is, and it is part of his value system. It explains
some important decisions in his life.
When he talks about the Affordable Care Act, we
understand that he still remembers that his mother needed
dentures, and he saved up money to buy his mother a set of
teeth. He thought about the fact that there was no medical
care for his family when they needed it the most. He
thought about the depression that took his father's life
and how that might have been averted with the right
medical care. That is what has inspired him to public
life.
The one thing that has inspired him the most is Landra.
Over and over, I have heard these stories about this
courtship. Now, by most standards, getting married when
you are 19 is not recommended but, clearly, in this case,
it worked out beautifully. When he tells the story of how
he finally got Landra to marry him, it appears there was a
little bit of tension between Landra's family and this
young Harry Reid, to the point where Landra's dad
basically said to him: ``Stay away; I don't want you
dating my daughter.'' Well, they had words and other
things, and Harry insisted. He dated Landra, and they were
married. The interesting thing about that is that despite
that tension with her father in those early years, Harry
wears a ring that her father used to wear, and he carries
it around with pride in memory of her father and her
family. He manages to keep those memories as part of his
life and his inspiration.
Another thing my colleagues may or may not know is that
Harry is a voracious reader. He reads books constantly.
Even after he lost the sight in his right eye, he has
continued to read. I love to read as well. It has been one
of my real joys in life, exchanging books with Harry. He
reads everything under the sun. One time he told me he was
reading the Koran cover to cover. I thought: Man, that is
something I am not sure I could even do. He has this
curiosity, this interest in learning. Even at this point
in his life, as he nears the end of his public career, he
wants to continue to learn about people and history and
important things.
I look back on experiences we have had together. It was
9/11 when Harry and I were in a room just a few feet away
from here when there was an attack in New York, and in
Virginia, and we thought the Capitol would be the next
target. We had to race out of this building and stand
outside, not knowing which way to turn as we were afraid
that we were the next target here at the U.S. Capitol.
Those were moments we spent together that I won't forget.
I remember as well that he was one of the first to say
to my junior Senator from Illinois, Barack Obama, that he
should seriously consider running for President. President
Obama the other night said that was one of the most
important pieces of advice he received in making his
decision to be a candidate for President of the United
States. It is an indication of Harry's credibility--how
much people trust him, and how when he gives his word, you
know he is going to be there.
When President Obama was elected, he needed a person--
more than one, but he certainly needed a leader in the
Senate whom he could count on. He couldn't have had a
better ally than Harry Reid. When I look back on the
battles over the last 8 years that were waged on behalf of
America and Harry's leadership role with the President,
there wasn't another person in this Chamber who could
really take as much credit. He would be the last person in
the world to do so.
When it came to the stimulus package to turn this
economy around, it was Harry Reid counting the votes. It
was Harry Reid working every single day holding the hands
of those Members of the Senate who weren't quite sure they
could be there when he needed them.
It was Harry Reid who was counting up to 60 votes to
pass the Affordable Care Act. It took every single
Democrat. Not a single Republican would join us in that
effort. Harry Reid had to do it. What was he up against?
He was up against Ted Kennedy, who sadly was giving his
life up to cancer at that moment and fighting to stay
alive until he could vote for that important bill. It was
Harry Reid working with other Members of the Senate who
would get cold feet on the issue and had to be brought
back in. He did it time and again, day after day. In the
end, 20 million Americans have health insurance because of
Harry Reid's determination that what he went through as a
kid growing up in Searchlight would not be repeated for
families across the United States.
When it came to Wall Street reform and the Dodd-Frank
bill that passed through the Senate, Harry stuck with it
and made sure we passed it, hoping to avoid the kind of
recession we have been through and the damage that was
done to businesses and families and individuals all across
the United States.
I knew he was a fighter because I knew his record when
it came to being a lawyer. There are so many stories about
his clients that I have heard over and over. I feel like
they were my clients because I have heard those stories so
often.
One of the things I remember and read about in his book
I want to share with you. There was a woman named Joyce
Martinez who was working in Las Vegas, and the police came
in to the casino where she was working and arrested her
for writing bad checks at the local grocery store. Joyce
tried going to several lawyers and kept insisting they
were wrong. She had never done anything like that, but
none of these lawyers would take the case. Then she met
Harry Reid. Harry believed her. Harry said she reminded
him of the people he had grown up with--real people who
had nothing but hard work as their life. Like many of the
cases Harry decided to take, his colleagues said, ``What
are you doing wasting your time on this case? Spend your
time on worthwhile cases.'' But every step of the way,
despite the ridicule, Harry decided to stand up for this
cocktail waitress. Harry was determined to keep at it and
to make sure that she had a strong voice in court.
Ultimately, Joyce won her case, and Harry Reid ended up
with a victory that he still counted many years later as
one of his great successes as a lawyer.
He also made sure the store that brought the charges
against her had to follow the law in the future. So he
didn't just help Joyce, he helped a lot of other people as
well.
For Harry, this is what the law was all about as a
lawyer and what it was all about as a Senator--making life
better for people and families across the United States.
He has fought for so many important causes, and there
is one that I want to give special thanks for. It was his
commitment to the DREAM Act. I introduced this legislation
16 years ago when I discovered a young woman in Chicago,
undocumented, who sadly couldn't go on with her life and
go to college because of her legal status. I introduced
the DREAM Act to say those young people brought to the
United States as kids deserve a second chance. Harry Reid
heard my speeches and then met his own DREAMer in Nevada:
Astrid Silva, a DREAMer who would often write to Harry
with updates on her life. On December 8, 2010, Harry Reid
kept his promise to me and a promise to Astrid and to
other DREAMers by allowing the DREAM Act to be brought to
the floor for a vote. The Senate gallery was filled with
DREAMers wearing their graduation gowns and caps to remind
people they were students who wanted to use their
education and talents for the future of America. Fifty-
five Senators voted for the DREAM Act that day. Harry had
given us our chance. But it wasn't enough to pass because
we needed 60 votes under the Senate rules.
Harry Reid joined me and 22 other Senators in sending a
letter to the President of the United States asking that
he do everything he can to protect these DREAMers, and he
did, with an executive order known as DACA. To date,
744,000 of these young people have been protected with
President Obama's executive order, because Harry Reid
believed, as I believe, that these young people deserve
the chance.
Let me tell my colleagues one last story that I think
really defines Harry--his courage, as well as Landra's
courage. It goes back to his days as chairman of the
Nevada Gaming Commission. Being a Mormon, not gambling,
not drinking, he was the perfect choice for gaming
commissioner. It was hard to consider bribing him. In the
1970s, Harry wore a wire for the FBI to catch a bribery
attempt. The tape that was transcribed from that wire ends
with Harry jumping out of his seat and shouting, ``You
SOB, you tried to bribe me.'' Harry couldn't tolerate that
somebody thought he could be bought.
In an effort to retaliate, the mob was mad at Harry,
and they planted a bomb in his family car. Thank goodness,
a watchful Landra spotted it and told Harry, ``Don't start
the car.'' They are alive today because of Landra's
vigilance, but they suffered that indignity because of
their courage in standing up for ethics and integrity.
Today, when we hear people talking about how rough
politics can be, it certainly doesn't lead to a bomb, in
most circumstances. In this case, Harry proved then and
today that he is up to that kind of challenge.
Let me conclude with this. In Harry's childhood home in
Searchlight, there were words embroidered on a pillowcase
that his mom hung on the wall. As we have heard, it was a
simple and barren little shack that they lived in, but
this pillowcase had the following words: ``we can ... we
will ... we must! ... Franklin D. Roosevelt.''
Harry never forgot those words. They are engrained in
his spirit. I want to thank him for what he has done for
the Senate, for the State of Nevada, for me, and for his
decades of service to the United States. I want to thank
Landra and their five kids and their wonderful family for
sharing her husband and their father with us for all of
these years.
Harry is leaving the Senate, but I am sure he is not
going to quit. He is going to be fighting for Nevada to
the end, and he will be fighting for the causes he
believes in. He will continue to be a fearless advocate. I
wish him and his family all the best.
I yield the floor.
Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, Senator Harry Reid and I
were both elected to the House in 1982, and over the last
34 years, Harry has become more than a colleague to me. He
is like family.
I call him the ``brother I never had,'' and he calls me
the ``sister he never had.''
Only a brother can hang up on you like Harry does.
Because a sister's job is to embarrass her brother, I
want to talk today about Harry's incredible, extraordinary
career and how much he means to me.
Harry, his wife, Landra, my husband, Stewart, and I
have all grown to be dear friends and enjoy quiet dinners
together. Stew and I even invited them to stay with us in
our California desert home once--where I cooked, much to
Harry's disbelief.
Theirs is a truly beautiful love story. They met in
high school and have been together ever since.
There was one incident early on that could have
derailed them. When Harry went to pick Landra up for a
date, her father, a Jewish immigrant, was opposed to his
daughter dating a man with no religion.
But that wasn't going to stop Harry. He actually got
into a fistfight with his future father-in-law and punched
him in the face.
As Harry simply said, ``It wasn't the greatest
beginning.''
But love always prevails. Harry and Landra eloped
during college, and Landra's parents eventually came
around to supporting them.
Throughout Harry's career--throughout every campaign,
every election, every bump in the road--Landra has been by
Harry's side, and he by hers.
Though he has risen to the highest levels of success,
Harry has never forgotten where he came from and has
always fought like hell for his State. He was born in what
he calls a ``flyspeck on the map''--Searchlight, NV, in
1939, a year before me.
To say he grew up poor is an understatement. His
childhood home had no toilet or running water, and in
order to attend high school, he had to move in with
relatives 40 miles away.
Nothing came easy for Harry, but he never let that
deter him. In high school, he wanted to buy a car, so he
took a job at a bakery that required him to wake up at 4
a.m. during the week--3 a.m. on weekends. In his spare
time, he took up boxing, which earned him a college
scholarship.
His very humble beginnings taught him the value of hard
work. We have all heard Harry tell the story of working 6
days a week as a U.S. Capitol Police Officer while putting
himself through law school full time at George Washington
University. For years, he proudly displayed his badge here
in his DC office. Upon graduation from law school, he
returned to Nevada as an attorney specializing in what he
called, ``the cases nobody would take,'' before starting
his career in elected office: First, as the Henderson city
attorney, then as an assemblyman, Lieutenant Governor, and
chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission, before winning
election to the House of Representatives.
After two terms in the House, Harry won a seat in the
Senate, where he gained a reputation for integrity and
fairness. He was elected as our leader in 2004, and I
believe he will go down in history as one of the best.
Harry is a workhorse, not a show horse.
He is soft spoken and a wonderful listener, but is not
afraid to speak up.
He doesn't seek the spotlight--in fact, he often avoids
it at all costs--but he also knows how to use it to fight
for those without a voice.
He takes the time to know every member of his caucus--
what makes us tick, what our core issues are, and where we
each draw the line.
I want to relate one particular story that truly
exemplifies the leader Harry is.
One December night in 2009, I got a call from Harry and
Senator Chuck Schumer. They were trying to negotiate the
final issue on the Affordable Care Act, and this was our
last chance to get the bill passed.
We needed every single Democrat in order to end the
Republican filibuster, but we had reached a stumbling
block: Senator Ben Nelson believed the Federal subsidy in
the ACA should not go toward abortion.
If he voted against the bill, Obamacare would be gone.
So Harry trusted Senator Patty Murray and me with the
crucial responsibility of finding a solution.
For 13 grueling hours, my team and I would come up with
an idea, Senator Schumer would run it over to Senator
Nelson, and we would volley back and forth until we
finally landed on a compromise.
The bill was saved, and today, more than 20 million
Americans have health care--many for the first time ever--
thanks, in large part, to Harry Reid. He never gave up,
and he trusted members of his caucus to help get this
bill--one of the most important health care bills in a
generation--across the finish line.
Harry has perfected the art of strategy and
negotiation. He knows when to compromise and when to stand
up and fight--especially when it comes to his beloved
Nevada.
He has accomplished far too many things to mention, but
I want to quickly talk about a few issues.
No one fought harder against the plan to dump nuclear
waste at Yucca Mountain, which would have threatened the
health and safety of Nevadans. Since he was first elected
to Congress 34 years ago, Harry fought proposal after
proposal until the plan was finally scrapped--almost
entirely because of him.
He has been instrumental in the fight to protect and
restore Lake Tahoe--which is shared between our two
States. Harry created the Lake Tahoe Summit and worked
across party lines to help keep Tahoe blue.
He has protected more than 3 million acres of
wilderness, established Great Basin National Park, and has
fought to protect our landmark environmental laws.
When we were in the throes of the worst economic crisis
in a generation, Harry fought tooth and nail to stop the
hemorrhaging of jobs and help Americans keep their homes--
especially in Nevada, which was one of the hardest hit
States.
Harry worked tirelessly to shepherd the Recovery Act
through Congress--a monumental task in our political
environment. At every turn, the rightwing threw everything
they had at us, but Harry took it all on the chin with his
strength, stamina, and fortitude.
He stepped up and helped us avoid Armageddon, and I
give a great deal of credit to Senator Reid and President
Obama for that.
At his core, that is who Harry Reid is: When he
believes something to be right, he doesn't think twice
about putting the gloves on, hopping in the ring and
fighting for what he believes in. He just does it.
For this, and for so many other reasons, Harry has made
the Democratic Party better. He has made Nevada better. He
has made our country better. On a personal level, Harry
has made me better. I will forever be grateful for his
leadership, his mentorship, and most of all, his
friendship.
In closing, I would like to read the words I wrote
about him.
Harry ... thank you for the strength you give to us.
Harry ... thank you for the way you make them cuss.
So you're not a TV star,
We just take you as you are.
Harry, blue and true,
No one like you.
Harry ... working from the day until the night.
Harry ... never turns away when there's a fight.
Good thing there are no Senate duels!
Harry, blue and true,
No one like you.
Mr. REED. Mr. President, I want to take an opportunity
to salute and thank and commend my colleagues who are
departing. ...
We also have other colleagues departing: Senator Ayotte
from New Hampshire; Senator Boxer of California, Senator
Coats of Indiana; as I mentioned, Senator Kirk of
Illinois; Senator Mikulski of Maryland; Senator Reid of
Nevada; and Senator Vitter of Louisiana. Each has brought
passion in their work to best serve their constituents,
and the institution of the Senate and the Nation are
better for this service. I am better for knowing them,
working with them, and having the opportunity to share
with them, and I want to thank them for their service. Let
me mention a few words with respect to all of these
distinguished Senators. ...
Mr. President, finally, there is our leader, Harry
Reid. Much has been said about Harry today. I will not go
over the extraordinary tale of a young man from
Searchlight, NV. He was a boxer and a Capitol Police
Officer while he was working his way through law school.
He has always been a fighter--and a fighter for those who
need help, not for the powerful but for the people without
power. For those without a voice, he has given a voice.
I have always appreciated his counsel, his guidance,
and his support, which were important to my constituents
and important to all Americans. We have worked on numerous
pieces of legislation together to address the housing
crisis, to extend unemployment insurance, to make college
more affordable, and to improve mental health services, to
name just a few.
As he said today in his remarks, one of his
achievements is to be able to give health care protection
to millions of Americans who didn't have it and if it is
taken away will not have it. He did that because it was
the right thing to do, because he understood from his own
personal experience how traumatizing and how debilitating
and, ultimately, how destructive the lack of access to
good health care--both physical health care and mental
health care--is to America, and, also, how it does make us
productive. Simply having health care is not just a good
thing to do, it is a smart economic thing to do. He led
that fight for us.
It has been an honor to serve alongside Harry Reid and
to see this extraordinary legislator work his way quietly
sometimes--many times--but persistently. There is no one
more persistent than Harry. His steady, unselfish
leadership will continue to guide us and his example will
continue to guide us.
I have been very fortunate. I have had the privilege to
serve with these ladies and gentlemen, and I want to thank
them for their service.
Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, earlier today we heard a
moving speech by the Democratic leader and my longtime
friend, Harry Reid. He spoke of his life and his time
here.
An amateur boxer turned police officer, turned lawyer,
turned majority leader, that is the supercondensed outline
of the life of Harry Reid. When the book closes on this
114th Congress, so too will it close on the congressional
career of Senator Reid. He is a fighter and a champion.
That is an understatement.
He is a fellow country boy, but he had a much tougher
upbringing in the isolated hamlet of Searchlight, NV. You
can read about that in his book. That upbringing has bred
traits that I have admired since he arrived in the Senate
in 1987. His humble upbringing, raised in a shack with no
indoor bathroom or hot water, sowed the seeds of a life in
public service and of the perspective that has infused and
driven that service. He first came to Capitol Hill as a
police officer, working nights to pay his way through
George Washington University Law School. Little did he
know he would end up being one of the longest serving
majority leaders in the history of the U.S. Senate.
He can point to so many of the things he has done,
including steering the Affordable Care Act to Senate
passage. But I want to thank Senator Reid for his strong
support of justice bills that I have championed. An
original cosponsor of the Violence Against Women Act
Reauthorization that I introduced in recent years--to
strengthen and renew the transformative and life-saving
work that is made possible under VAWA--he has always
worked to combat the scourge of domestic violence, helping
to shepherd the reauthorization of this vital legislation
across the finish line. He has also supported vital grant
programs to put more cops on the street in communities
small and large and to keep them safe. His commitment to
advancing our comprehensive immigration reform bill, we
got it through the Senate by a large bipartisan majority.
When the history books are written, one of the huge
mistakes made was when the House of Representatives did
not take up that bill, even though they had the votes to
pass it. These are all examples of how true leadership
takes action--not merely talking points--no matter how
difficult, to make a difference.
Harry Reid was at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in 2015,
commemorating the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday. I
looked at him there with Congressman John Lewis and
President Barack Obama--the first African-American elected
as President--as one of the towering figures in America.
But the true measure of a man is revealed not when he
pauses to remember past injustices, he works to prevent
them from happening. From pay equity to restoring the
Voting Rights Act, from the repeal of ``don't ask, don't
tell,'' to the enactment of the Matthew Shepard Hate
Crimes Prevention Act, there can be no doubt that Senator
Reid fights for every American, every day.
Yet, no matter how large a national leader Senator Reid
has become, he has never forgotten the people of Nevada.
In him they have a tireless and effective champion of the
highest caliber. Senator Reid's work on behalf of Nevada
has been relentless.
He has been our fighter. He has been our champion. He
has been a friend. He has faced and risen above personal
adversity. He is a truly American story. His presence here
in the Senate will be missed next year. When Marcelle and
I leave Washington for the last time, we will think of the
special friends we have had. Harry Reid, Landra Reid--we
will think of them. We wish them all the best as they
begin their next chapter together.
Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I wish to take a moment to
express my appreciation to the Democratic leader, Senator
Harry Reid, who spoke earlier on the floor.
I was here with many of my colleagues and listened to
his incredible story about his background from
Searchlight, NV, to his ascension to the Senate and
becoming the Democratic leader.
When I first came to the Senate, Senator Reid asked to
meet with me. I thought he was going to talk about my
philosophy on different issues or what my interests would
be or how I was going to try to move forward on particular
bills, but what he really wanted to talk about was my
family, what I thought was important in life. He was very
interested in my family traditions and how that would be
impacted by my life in the Senate.
I must tell you, it was very personal. I think many of
us have seen many sides of Harry Reid, but one side of him
is clear. He treats the Senate as his family, and he
treats each one of us as his family.
I wish to express my appreciation for his service in the
U.S. Senate and for his public service over so many years.
Myrna and I are friends of Landra and Harry. We wish
them only the best as he moves forward from his career in
the Senate.
It has really been a pleasure to serve with him in the
Senate. This is an incredible place to serve. Senator Reid
has certainly made this Senator's life in the Senate much
more enjoyable and productive.
Mr. President, part of American culture is to celebrate
our small towns. There are few American towns smaller than
Searchlight in Clark County, NV. That is the hometown of
our beloved Democratic leader, Senator Harry Reid.
Senator Reid epitomizes the American dream. He grew up
without indoor plumbing, in a small cabin built out of
scavenged railroad ties, and attended a two-room
elementary school. His father was a hard rock miner. As a
young boy, Senator Reid would go deep into the mines with
his father. Searchlight didn't have its own high school so
Senator Reid had to hitchhike each week to Henderson, 40
miles away, where he attended Basic High School and
boarded with relatives and other families.
Local businessmen saw his potential and helped him
attend Utah State University, a debt he repaid. He earned
his law degree from George Washington University and
supported his young family by working as a U.S. Capitol
Police Officer.
Senator Reid started his career in public service as
Henderson's city attorney. He revised the city charter and
extended the city's boundaries by acquiring Federal land.
In 1968, when he was just 28, he was elected to the Nevada
State Assembly. As an assemblyman, he introduced the first
air pollution legislation in Nevada's history. Two years
later, Senator Reid became the youngest Lieutenant
Governor in Nevada history, winning election as Governor
Mike O'Callaghan's running mate. Mike O'Callaghan had been
Senator Reid's mentor in high school as a teacher, boxing
coach, and friend.
In 1977, Senator Reid was appointed chairman of the
Nevada Gaming Commission. For 5 years, he was engaged in
an unrelenting fight with organized crime syndicates to
clean up Nevada's gaming industry. In 1981, his wife--high
school sweetheart Landra--found a bomb attached to the
family station wagon.
In 1982, Senator Reid won the first of two elections to
serve in the House of Representatives and then he was
elected to the Senate in 1986. In 2005 he became the
Democratic leader, 2 years later, he became the majority
leader, a post he held until the Republicans gained
control of the Senate last year. As the Las Vegas Sun put
it, he went from being the underdog to the top dog.
I have talked about Senator Reid's hardscrabble
upbringing because it has made him one of the toughest
people I have ever known. Yet he is also one of the
kindest, and most compassionate.
Senator Reid may be the top dog, but he has always
fought for the underdog. I think that quality is best
exemplified by his advocacy on behalf of Native Americans,
which includes helping to build the Nation's first
utility-scale solar project on tribal land in Nevada. I
know how much he is respected in Indian country.
Senator Reid was instrumental in passing the Affordable
Care Act, ACA, which--along with the Medicaid expansion--
has provided health care to more than 20 million
Americans.
Senator Reid's efforts to choose qualified Federal
jurists for the U.S. District Court for the District of
Nevada will be felt for decades after he leaves office.
Senator Reid has recommended and helped confirm five of
the six judges currently serving on the court. As a result
of Senator Reid's commitment to diversity, there have been
numerous ``firsts'' for the court.
In 1998, Senator Reid recommended Johnnie Rawlinson to
be the first woman to serve as a judge on the Nevada
District Court. At his request, she was elevated to the
Ninth Circuit in 2000.
In 2010, Gloria Navarro became the first Hispanic woman
to serve as a judge on the Nevada District Court.
In 2012, Miranda Du became the first Asian-Pacific
American to serve as a judge on the Nevada District Court.
In 2014, Richard Boulware became the first African-
American man to serve as a judge on the Nevada District
Court.
The Senate still has the opportunity to confirm Anne
Traum, who would be the first Jewish person to serve on
the Nevada District Court.
Senator Reid has fought hard on behalf of his fellow
Nevadans. He has prevented the Federal Government from
building a nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain. He
authored and passed legislation establishing Nevada's
first national park, Great Basin National Park. He has led
the fight to protect and restore Lake Tahoe. He prevented
the removal of the Nevada Air National Guard's C-130
aircraft and the closure of the Hawthorne Army Depot, and
he secured over $600 million for the Southern Nevada
Veterans Administration Medical Complex.
When it comes to combating climate change and promoting
the development and adoption of clean, sustainable,
renewable energy, Senator Reid has been a visionary. He
has incentivized $5.5 billion in investments in Nevada's
clean energy resources through tax credits, grants, and
loan guarantees. He helped to create a new fast-track
permitting process for clean energy development on public
lands. He facilitated the public-private partnership
needed for the One Nevada Transmission Line, which
connects northern and southern Nevada's electricity grids
for the first time, helping to unlock the State's vast
clean energy potential. While his interest in promoting
clean energy--especially solar--may have a local origin,
the benefits will accrue to all humanity for generations
to come as we transition from our reliance on fossil
fuels.
Serving as the leader, whether in the majority or the
minority, is a tough job. The leader has to fight the most
intense partisan battles. The leader has to say ``no'' on
many occasions. The leader has to stand up for other
members of the party. Senator Reid has been tough enough
to be an extraordinary leader. If I were in a foxhole, I
would want Harry Reid by my side. I know every other
Democratic Senator feels the same way--and surely most
Republicans. We are going to miss Harry Reid. I wish him,
his wife Landra, their 5 children, and 19 grandchildren
all the best.
Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, at the end of each Congress,
the Senate tradition is to pause for a moment to share our
thoughts about those Senators who will be retiring when
the final gavel brings the session to a close. One of
those Senators who will be leaving the Senate is Harry
Reid. Senator Reid is quite a remarkable individual, and
his story should be read and considered by students of
government and history--of all ages.
Over the years, I have spent some time with Harry at
Prayer Breakfasts and listened to his reflections on his
life--personally and politically. He has lived a life that
few would ever believe to be possible.
Harry makes for a great example of how to take your
life and make the most of it. He was born in a small cabin
that offered few of life's comforts, but he didn't
complain about it. He took what he was given in life and
worked to make things better.
As a young man, he served as the student body president
of his high school and drew the notice of his teachers and
his boxing coach. He attended Utah State University, and
his next stop was George Washington University--my alma
mater--where he worked to earn a law degree. To make that
possible, Harry needed a job, and so he worked as a U.S.
Capitol Police Officer. Harry then returned home to Nevada
and took up what would be his lifelong ambition, serving
the people of his home State.
It wasn't long before Harry had served in Nevada's
State legislature and on the Nevada Gaming Commission.
When the opportunity presented itself, he served in the
House and then moved on to the Senate.
He didn't win every election, but each disappointment
only served to make him more determined to make a
difference for the people of his State. His statistics are
impressive--more than 30 years in Congress, serving under
five Presidents, and being a part of both the minority and
majority. And all the time, Harry has found ways to pursue
and support agendas to benefit the people of Nevada.
One of my favorite memories will always be the work
Harry and I did to enable the LDS Church to purchase a
site that has a great deal of historic significance to
them. The legislation had already passed the House, but
was stuck in the Senate as some concerns were raised.
Harry knew what he needed to do to make it possible for
the bill to clear the Senate, and together we figured out
a way to make it happen. Today Martin's Cove is a popular
site that draws large crowds every year.
This is one of those moments most of us thought would
never happen. It seemed like Harry Reid would always be in
the Senate. He has not only left a remarkable record, he
also seems to be the last of an era. I have no doubt those
who will take up his position in the years to come will do
a good job and get results, but they will never do it
``like Harry did.'' He will forever stand as a unique mix
of personality, character, history, and background.
Diana joins in sending our best wishes to Harry and his
wife, Landra. Together they have been quite a team and
have accomplished a great deal. We didn't always agree on
the issues, but one thing can be said: If you had a tough
battle before you and you needed someone by your side who
wouldn't give up until the battle was won, Harry was the
kind of guy you would want in the fight. If you were on
the other side of an issue, you would always prefer
someone like Harry would not be opposing you.
Thank you for your service, Harry. You have left an
example that will inspire and encourage others in the
years to come. Whenever faced with an impossible task,
people will remember you and realize that with some
creativity, determination, and an understanding of the
rules of the Senate, much can be done.
Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, as a young man growing up in
Searchlight, NV, Harry Reid was an accomplished amateur
boxer. During his 30 years of service in this Chamber,
Senator Reid has demonstrated time and again the qualities
of skill, hard work, and determination, that he learned in
the ring all those years ago.
Prior to joining the Senate in 1987, Senator Reid
established a deep commitment to public service in the
House of Representatives and in State and local offices.
Before that, he served Congress and supported his young
family working nights as a Capitol Police Officer while
attending law school at George Washington University. As a
Senate leader, serving as Democratic whip, majority
leader, and, currently, Democratic leader, he has been a
formidable advocate for his caucus.
In the Senate, Senator Reid has been a passionate voice
for education, environmental protection, health care, and
renewable energy. His commitment to those who serve our
Nation in uniform is evident through his support for
military readiness and for our veterans.
The great Jack Dempsey defined a champion as ``someone
who gets up when he can't.'' In his many years of service
to the people of Nevada and to our Nation, Senator Harry
Reid has proven himself to be a fighter who always answers
the bell. I wish him and his wife, Landra, health and
happiness for many more years to come.
Mr. NELSON. Mr. President, I have had the honor and
privilege of serving with Harry Reid for all of my 16
years in the Senate. He has been a resolute leader for our
caucus, a fearless legislator who has brought landmark
legislation to the floor and a tireless advocate for
Nevadans and all Americans. More important, I am proud to
call Harry a friend.
We all know the story of Harry's journey to elected
office from that small mining town in Nevada. The humble
way he grew up inspired him to help others who faced
similar hardships his family had faced. He carried that
perspective with him from Searchlight, NV, to the Halls of
the Capitol, where he became a champion for causes meant
to improve the lives of all Americans.
Harry is a fighter. That has been said by so many of his
friends and colleagues over the years, and it is truer of
him than almost anyone I have ever worked with. That
title, of course, has more than one meaning for Harry. His
years of amateur boxing taught him strategy and relentless
willpower in the face of his opponents. His years in the
Senate have been no different. He has had to fight for
historical legislation in an increasingly vitriolic
political climate, things like the Affordable Care Act and
the stimulus bill, legislation that gave millions of
Americans hope for their futures.
Harry has also been a very powerful ally for me and my
fellow Floridians, specifically in the fight to protect
the State's fragile environment. He has always been right
there with me in pushing for Everglades funding and
vigorously defended our coastline from drilling proposals
that threatened Florida's economy and unique environment.
His leadership has been a source of guidance and great
strength for me during my time in the Senate. I am honored
to have served with him and wish him and his family well
in his retirement.
Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I wish to recognize the many
accomplishments of my friend, Senator Harry Reid, my
colleague from Nevada, during his storied career in the
U.S. Senate.
Growing up in a modest household without an indoor
bathroom, hot water, or a telephone, Harry learned the
values of family, faith, and education. Harry understood
that it is the most vulnerable in society that need the
strongest champions, someone to fight for them.
Harry's service to the people of Nevada began long
before he came to Congress. After attending law school at
George Washington University, Leader Reid returned home
and served as Henderson's city attorney. At the age of 28,
he was elected to the Nevada State Assembly. Two years
later, Leader Reid became the youngest Lieutenant Governor
in Nevada history. Harry experienced political losses
early in his career, but he never let that hold him back.
After 5 years as chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission,
Harry won election to the U.S. House in 1982. He served
two terms before winning his first U.S. Senate race in
1986.
Harry's stint as an amateur boxer taught him to never
back down from a fight, no matter how big. Throughout his
Senate career, the people of Nevada have been able to
count on Harry to fight for them.
He has spearheaded investments in clean energy,
established Nevada's first national park, Great Basin
National Park, and led passage of the post-9/11 GI bill of
rights.
As majority leader, he shepherded landmark legislation
through the Senate--the Affordable Care Act, Wall Street
reform, the Recovery Act, and many more. Despite the
powerful interests lining up to defeat these efforts,
Harry didn't back down. He worked hard and got things
done. As a result, millions of Americans have health care.
We have fought our way back from the great recession of
2008. Consumers now have more protection against powerful
companies. It is fair to say, Harry's leadership has
improved our country and our families' lives.
Today I want to focus on a few issues where I was
particularly proud to have worked with him. Leader Reid
has been a longtime champion for the Filipino World War II
veterans. This group of over 260,000 Filipino veterans
answered President Roosevelt's call during World War II
and fought heroically under the U.S. flag. Unfortunately,
they have had to endure another fight over the course of
seven decades--the fight for the recognition and benefits
they were promised. Leader Reid has been at the forefront
of this fight. He has helped secure compensation from the
Department of Veterans Affairs. We have worked together to
reunify the remaining veterans with their children. Just
last week, the House passed and sent the President my
legislation awarding Filipino World War II veterans the
Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor
Congress can bestow. Leader Reid was instrumental in
getting this bill through the Senate, and I deeply
appreciate his support.
Nevada is home to a vibrant Filipino-American community.
Leader Reid is deeply familiar with the experiences and
struggles of Filipino veterans and their families. He
worked with Hawaii's late Senator Dan Inouye to create the
Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund within the VA
in 2009. The fund's creation was a significant step
forward in recognizing the dedicated service and sacrifice
of these veterans. I was proud to have Leader Reid join me
in our successful effort to secure appropriations language
prohibiting any attempts to direct these funds to other
programs.
This past May, the Obama administration finalized a
parole program that would allow family members of Filipino
World War II veterans to come to the United States to be
reunited with their aging parents and siblings. These
veterans had already waited decades to be reunited with
their children in the Philippines.
Speaking at my press conference announcing the program,
Harry honored the veterans' sacrifice saying, ``in those
islands where MacArthur left, the Filipinos were left
there with some of our troops and they fought valiantly
and were not recognized.''
Finally, I want to highlight Leader Reid's work on
immigration. In 2009, while campaigning in Nevada, a young
woman named Astrid Silva slipped a note to Harry. Astrid
was brought to the United States when she was 4 years old.
Unable to work legally, Astrid babysat to earn money. She
excelled at school but feared deportation if she applied
to college. In the following years, Astrid and Harry
corresponded, and he learned of the hopes, dreams, and
struggles of the DREAMers.
In a 2013 interview hours before the Senate passed
comprehensive immigration reform, Harry said, ``This is
why I did this ... because of some things she said.''
Later, when speaking on the floor before the vote, Harry
said, ``I appreciate every one of those letters she sent
me, because each was a reminder of what is at stake in
this debate.'' A testament to Harry's character, even
while serving in one of the most powerful roles in
Washington, Harry never forgot who he was fighting for.
Aloha, Harry. As we say in Hawaii, a hui hou, ``until we
meet again.''
Friday, December 9, 2016
PRAYER
The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, offered the following
prayer:
Let us pray.
Great and eternal God, we refuse to forget Your
generous blessings that bring joy to our lives. You
satisfy us with good things in every season. We
particularly thank You for the laudable life of former
Senator John Glenn.
Lord, You have not dealt with us according to our sins.
Continue to sustain our lawmakers. Remind them that their
days are like grass, which flourishes and then disappears.
May they find sustenance in Your steadfast love, striving
to please You in all they do. Give them the wisdom of a
reverential awe that will trust the unfolding of Your
majestic providence even when they do not understand Your
movements.
Lord, we thank You for the faithful service through the
decades of Your servant, Senator Harry Reid. As he
prepares to transition from the legislative branch, give
to him and his beloved Landra fair winds and following
seas.
We pray in Your great Name. Amen.
Ms. KLOBUCHAR. ... Madam President, I will close my
remarks by turning to some of our retiring Senators and
speaking briefly on each one of them.
We had a beautiful portrait unveiling for Leader Reid
yesterday. He has been a leader who takes all ideas into
consideration, even those of newer Members.
In January 2007, I began working on ethics reform, and,
in fact, I asked him if that would be an important
priority when he took over as leader. It was S. 1, and one
of the first bills we passed.
Senator Reid didn't give new Members the opportunity to
lead just on big bills. When a little girl in Minnesota
named Abbey Taylor was maimed while swimming in a pool
with a defective drain, Leader Reid stood by my side and
helped me work with Republicans to get a bill passed in
honor of Abbey's memory and final wish.
I met this little girl in the hospital. She went on to
live for a year. She had been swimming in a kiddie pool
when her intestines were pulled out by a defective drain
due to the way it was installed.
Her parents never gave up. Scott Taylor, her dad,
called me every single week to see what was happening with
the bill. Honestly, again, the bill was moving around and
hadn't had any action for years. Ted Stevens, who at the
time was a Senator from Alaska, helped me. In the end, it
was Senator Reid, working with others, including Senator
Lott, and we were able to get that bill on another bill,
and we were able to pass it.
To this day my proudest moment in the U.S. Senate was
calling Scott Taylor and telling him that bill had passed,
and then last year hearing from the head of the Consumer
Product Safety Commission in the Commerce Committee that
not one child has died because of a defective drain since
that bill passed. That bill, by the way, was named after
James Baker's granddaughter, who had also perished in a
pool incident. That is an example. I don't think it would
have happened if Harry Reid hadn't been one of our
leaders.
Another example is when we were trying to build a
bridge to Wisconsin, Senator Johnson and I were working on
that issue along with House Representative Bachmann,
Representative Duffy, and Senator Franken, and we had to
get everyone signed off on an exemption to the Scenic
Rivers Act. It was a Saturday, and no one was left in the
Senate except two or three Members, and I had one Member I
couldn't reach who had gotten on a plane, but we thought
we could still reach him so I could get the last signoff
to get the bill done. Harry Reid had just found out his
wife had breast cancer and was waiting at home, but he
wouldn't go home. He insisted on presiding for me. The
leader of the Senate sat in the Presiding Officer's chair
so I could be back in the Republican Cloakroom trying to
reach the Senator. That happened.
We didn't get the bill done that day, but the minute we
got back in January, Senator Reid worked with Senator
McConnell, and we were able to get that on the agenda and
get that exemption. That bridge is going up as we speak.
It is a massive bridge that had to be built because the
other bridge was so bad it closed down all the time.
People would literally cross their fingers when they went
over it. That is Senator Reid.
A lot has happened since he first came to work in
Congress as a police officer in the Halls of the Capitol.
But one thing has stayed the same about Leader Reid--the
true spirit of him. It is the considerate leader who will
sit up at the presiding desk just to help a freshman pass
a bill that is important to her and her constituents. It
is the kind of person who takes the time to talk to a
little boy with leukemia and show him his favorite
pictures right in the middle of the budget debate. That
happened to me with a kid I brought in his office from
Minnesota. It is the humble Senator who never forgets that
he came from Searchlight, NV, and always serves with his
home in mind.
Thank you, Senator Reid, for your service. You will be
missed. ...
So we are going to miss Senator Reid, Senator Mikulski,
and, also, Senator Boxer.
Mr. McCONNELL. ... It goes without saying that keeping
the Capitol running is a vast undertaking. It requires a
passion for service, round-the-clock work, and great
sacrifice by everyone employed. The legislative process
simply wouldn't be possible without the dedicated work of
so many. On behalf of the Senate, I would like to
acknowledge their efforts and say thank you to the
following:
To my leadership team for their wise counsel; to our
committee chairs and ranking members for so much great
work over the past 2 years; to the many colleagues in both
parties for working so hard to make this Senate a success;
and, to those we are saying farewell to--Senators Coats,
Boxer, Mikulski, Reid, Vitter, Kirk, and Ayotte--for your
service to our country, I say thank you. ...
Let me also again recognize the Democratic leader for
his more than three decades of service. As I said
yesterday, Harry and I clearly have had some different
views on many things throughout the years, but we have
shared similar responsibilities as the leaders of our
respective parties, and I think we can both agree that
none of this would have been possible without the support
of our staff. I want to recognize Harry's team, past and
present, and thank them for many years of partnership with
my office.
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, today I wish to pray tribute
to a selfless public servant, a committed leader, and a
dear friend: Senator Harry Reid.
Growing up in the small town of Searchlight, NV, Senator
Reid was no stranger to hardship. His father suffered from
severe depression and his mother worked long hours as a
laundress to help support their struggling family. The
Reids lived in a tiny tin shack with no toilet or
telephone. They had limited access to schools, health
care, and the basic comforts of modern life.
From his hardscrabble youth, Harry developed a fighting
spirit that would later define his career in public
service. That spirit was cultivated by his high school
boxing coach, Mike O'Callaghan, who would later become
Nevada's 23d Governor. More than a coach, O'Callaghan was
a mentor. He taught Senator Reid his first lessons in
civics and raised Harry's vision of what he could
accomplish, encouraging him to pursue higher education and
a life in politics.
Senator Reid graduated with a bachelor's degree in
political science from Utah State University and would
later earn a law degree from George Washington University.
While still a law student, Senator Reid worked nights as a
U.S. Capitol Police Officer to pay his way through school.
Shortly after finishing his law degree, he returned to
Nevada where he began climbing the ladder of State
politics. Senator Reid served as a city attorney, a State
assemblyman, a Lieutenant Governor, a gaming commissioner,
and a Congressman before being elected to the Senate in
1986.
Here in the Senate, Harry distinguished himself as a no-
nonsense legislator whose unmatched work ethic and fiery
commitment to principle stood out among his peers. As a
young boxer, Harry was renowned for being tough and
tenacious in the ring; as a rising Senator, he was equally
steadfast and determined.
Having spearheaded the passage of several high profile
pieces of legislation, Harry quickly won the respect of
his colleagues and earned a spot on the Democratic
leadership team. He served for many years as the Senate
Democratic leader. Regardless of the ranks he has
achieved, Harry's first and foremost commitment has always
been to the people of Nevada.
Despite his years in Washington, Harry never actually
left Searchlight; he simply carries it with him wherever
he goes. He holds close to his heart the painful memory of
growing up in a dusty mining town with little hope and
limited opportunity. He embraces the harsh experiences of
a childhood spent living in poverty and draws upon them to
fuel his work in the Senate today. In his decades-long
effort to empower society's most vulnerable, he has never
forgotten where he came from or whom he fights for. He has
never forgotten Searchlight.
Perhaps this is why he eschews the trappings of public
office and frequently skips the galas, gaudy dinners, and
other extravagant affairs that are part and parcel of the
Washington social scene. Perhaps this is why he avoids TV
interviews and rarely ever spends more than 10 minutes at
a political fundraiser--because, at the end of the day, no
matter the titles he receives or the awards he is given,
he will always be that little boy from Searchlight.
Senator Reid is among the most grounded of legislators.
I have always had the deepest admiration for his humility,
kindness, and compassion. Although he and I have often
disagreed on the issues, we have always agreed on the
values that make life worth living: namely, God, family,
and service to country. Over many decades in the Senate,
he has served our Nation exceptionally well. Although he
will be missed in this Chamber, he has earned well-
deserved golden years in his beloved home State of Nevada.
I wish Harry, his wonderful wife, Landra, and all the Reid
family the very best.
Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, today I wish to honor the
service of my friend, the Senator from Nevada, and the
Democratic leader, Harry Reid. Senator Reid's career on
Capitol Hill began long before any of us.
Back in 1961, Senator Reid came to work at the U.S.
Capitol for the first time, though not as a Member.
While Senator Reid was working his way through law
school, he spent his nights as an officer for the U.S.
Capitol Police, the force that protects the U.S. Congress,
in order to support his family.
Senator Reid is an inspiration to us all and an
incredible fighter.
By the way, I do mean that literally. We all know about
his early career as a boxer.
In fact, two champion ``Boxers'' in the Senate are
retiring at the end of this session, and we are going to
miss both of them.
I also mean that Harry Reid never gives up.
When he was in high school, he hitchhiked 40 miles twice
a week so he could get an education.
When he and his wife Landra fell in love--he was told by
her family that they could never be together. They have
had a lifelong love affair and are so proud of their five
children and now their grandchildren.
From the beginning in public service, Senator Reid has
fought for the best interests of the people of Nevada and
the American people.
In the Nevada State Assembly, he wrote Nevada's first
air pollution legislation and worked on issues like
consumer protection and public land usage.
As chair of the Nevada Gaming Commission, he ignored
threats and cleaned up the gaming industry.
Since being elected to the Senate in 1987, Senator
Reid's accomplishments are almost too numerous to count.
The list goes on and on. Through it all, he has never ever
given up. He has fought to defend the environment of his
beautiful home State.
He made strides in combating ALS--writing legislation
creating a registry that provides researchers with the
critical knowledge they need to combat that terrible
disease.
He has shepherded some of the most critical legislative
accomplishments in the past 8 years through the Senate.
He led the effort to create and pass the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act, saving millions of jobs. He
helped our economy begin to recover.
He was responsible for making sure the ACA passed in
2010. So many people have gotten the care they have
needed, their lives have been saved, by the work that he
has done.
As leader of the caucus, he has been responsible for
bringing so many of us into this Chamber.
He said it himself: ``You have to stand up, even when
you think you're not gonna win, if you think something's
right.''
He stood up. He fought the good fight. He fought for all
of us. I know that he still has so much to give.
Senator, thank you for your incredible service. Thank
you for being such a generous and wonderful friend to me
and to my family. I wish you, Landra, and your family many
more years of happiness and good work. We will all miss
you dearly.
Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, as this eventful 114th
Congress draws to a close, today I wish to honor a number
of our colleagues who will be ending their service in the
Senate. I was a newcomer to the Senate at the beginning of
this Congress and the only Democrat in the freshman Senate
class of 2014. I am eternally grateful for the guidance
and wisdom of my fellow Senators, particularly those with
decades of experience fighting for the American people.
Constituents, colleagues, and historians will recount
their accomplishments for years to come, but I will take a
few minutes now to convey some brief words of praise and
gratitude.
Mr. President, it has been a great honor to serve in the
Senate under the leadership of Senate Democratic Leader
Harry Reid. Senator Reid has taught us all what it means
to represent one's State in the U.S. Senate, doing
everything one can to fight hard for the people back home.
In his nearly 30 years in the Senate, Harry Reid has
mastered the rules and traditions of this institution and
used them to deliver victories for the people of his State
and the Nation.
Senator Reid is always ready to lend an ear and a
helping hand to his Democratic colleagues; yet he listens
most intently to his constituents. He never stops thinking
about how to ensure that they have access to well-paying
jobs, health care, education, and a better future for
their children. Senator Reid has supported economic
development and infrastructure investments that have
created jobs throughout the country.
After the 2008 financial crisis, when millions of homes
were under water and the existence of the American auto
industry hung in the balance, Senator Reid helped craft a
compromise to begin our economic recovery. I am grateful
for his strong support of the American auto industry
during this crisis, which helped us pass essential
legislation to restructure Michigan's automotive
manufacturers and rebuild our communities. I was also
proud to work with him and other leaders on the Dodd-Frank
Act, which holds big banks accountable and helps safeguard
American families to prevent another crisis and build a
healthier economy. Senator Reid's contributions are too
many to name, from advancing affordable health care
coverage for millions of Americans, to defending labor
protections and our social safety net. Through it all,
Senator Reid has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to
the details of policymaking and to his constituents.
Senator Reid's legacy and the memory of his tireless
work ethic will continue to inspire us to keep working
hard, like our constituents do every day, to make their
lives better. Senator Reid understands and reminds us all
that hard work, faith in each other, and faith in our
country are what allow us to endure and improve as a
nation. I thank Senator Reid for his great service, his
guidance, and the conviction with which he leaves us as
our country continues to move forward. ...
It has been a privilege to work with such talented and
committed colleagues. I wish them all the best in this
next chapter of their lives and thank them for their work.
Thank you.
ORDER FOR PRINTING OF SENATE DOCUMENTS
Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that
there be printed as a Senate document a compilation of
materials from the Congressional Record in tribute to
retiring Members of the 114th Congress, and an additional
Senate document a compilation of materials from the
Congressional Record in tribute to the President of the
Senate, Joe Biden, and that Members have until Tuesday,
December 20, to submit such tributes.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so
ordered.
ORDER FOR PRINTING
Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that
any tributes submitted by December 20, 2016, as authorized
by the order of December 10, 2016, be printed in the
January 3, 2017, Congressional Record of the 114th
Congress.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so
ordered.
[all]