[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 2 (Tuesday, January 4, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S13-S14]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                         Remembering Harry Reid

  Ms. CORTEZ MASTO. Mr. President, today, I rise to pay tribute to 
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a champion for Nevada. He was one of 
the most powerful, dedicated, and effective advocates that my home 
State has ever seen. He worked for the benefit of Nevadans for almost 
50 years in both State and national politics. Everyone living in the 
Silver State today has benefited from his wise and tenacious efforts.
  But before Harry Reid was my Senator and the Senator for the State of 
Nevada, he was a neighbor to my family. He was a mentor and a friend.
  Now, I grew up in Las Vegas, just down the street from the Reid 
family, and my sister and I attended public school with their oldest 
son, Rory. And the entire Cortez family and Masto family and I want to 
send our condolences to his beautiful wife Landra; his children, Lana 
Reid Barringer, Rory, Leif, Josh, and Key; and his 19 grandchildren and 
his great-grandchildren.
  Harry Reid was irreplaceable, not just to them but to so many people, 
including me and many of my colleagues in this Chamber. He was 
unfailingly supportive of me throughout my entire time in public 
service.
  You know, I remember when I first decided to run for the office of 
Nevada's attorney general. One of the first people I called was Senator 
Reid, and I asked him for advice. I asked him for advice on running for 
office because it was the first time I had ever run for any type of 
office, and I had chosen to take on a statewide campaign. Not only was 
he supportive, but he was candid in his comments--as only Harry can 
be--about campaigning, the types of individuals working in the campaign 
world, and what to beware of, of those working in that campaign world. 
His advice still rings true today.
  When I was serving, and fortunate enough to be elected statewide as 
the attorney general, Senator Reid was always available for a call. And 
he never forgot about Nevada and working with everybody in Nevada from 
his seat here as a majority leader.
  I remember one time, as the attorney general, I got a call from a 
Senator here in the U.S. Senate, and the Senator said to me: I was just 
talking to Senator Reid, and there is an issue that came up that I 
would like to focus on, but Senator Reid said: You better call my 
attorney general first in Nevada to make sure that she and the State of 
Nevada are supportive of it. And to this day, I now serve with that 
Senator. I will never forget getting a call from a U.S. Senator, as a 
sitting attorney general, to talk about an issue that was important for 
Nevada because Senator Reid knew what was important for him and his 
State.

  He also had this uncanny ability to call you at just the right time, 
when you needed support or encouragement, when you needed advice or 
just someone to commiserate with. We all know

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he didn't like to stay on the phone long, but he knew when you needed 
him, and he would be there. He was a compassionate and kind man, a side 
of him that many people did not see but many people also benefited from 
greatly over the years. It is my incredible honor to be able to hold 
the seat he occupied so well for so long.
  Harry Reid accomplished so much as a Nevada Senator. Born in the 
little town of Searchlight, NV, he knew his home State better than 
anyone. He understood that Nevada was a microcosm of our country. He 
knew that Nevada's diversity mirrored this Nation's, and that is why 
Senator Reid worked to give Nevada a greater role in deciding each 
party's nominee for President. He wanted to ensure that a State as 
diverse and dynamic as Nevada played an important role in choosing 
America's leaders.
  Harry Reid also understood Nevada's landscapes, from the desert 
outside of Searchlight that so many of us have heard about to the snowy 
peaks of the Ruby Mountains in winter, to the glistening waters of Lake 
Tahoe. He was a dedicated environmentalist who helped conserve Nevada's 
abundant national treasures, keeping our State beautiful for future 
generations and protecting outdoor recreation that fuels our State's 
economy.
  And we all know he would not back down from a fight, especially when 
it involved Nevada; whether that was blocking every effort to dump 
nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain without Nevada's agreement or 
advocating for Federal funding to help upgrade Nevada's schools, 
airports, roads and bridges, he was relentless in his push to get our 
State the resources that we deserved.
  Harry Reid was as diligent in supporting Nevada's rural and Tribal 
communities as he was in building up our world-class cities. He helped 
create Nevada's booming clean energy economy and make the State a 
destination for those looking to build an innovative, sustainable 
future.
  The changes that he helped set in motion were so far-reaching that 
they allowed Nevada to benefit from the innovation economy of the 21st 
century. He paved the way for us. It isn't just Nevadans who are better 
off because of Harry Reid; the entire country gained because of his 
hard work and his dedication. He helped rescue the country by getting 
America through the great recession, taking extra care to support the 
hospitality and tourism economies that are so vital to the economy and 
the jobs in Nevada.
  He was instrumental in protecting Nevada's and the Nation's Dreamers 
and immigrant families.
  In his crowning legislative achievement, he fought tirelessly to get 
millions of Americans access to affordable healthcare. His work was key 
to ensuring that the Affordable Care Act became law, lowering 
healthcare costs and giving access to high-quality care to millions who 
didn't have it before.
  Harry Reid was a great American, but first and foremost, he was a 
great Nevadan. He never forgot where he came from, and there is no 
doubt in my mind that is what motivated him every single day. As 
Nevada's son, he made a tremendous difference for our State and for 
every American. He was a wonderful friend and a true public servant and 
for that we will miss him in the Senate and across the Nation.