[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Pages 16353-16365]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         FAREWELL TO THE SENATE

  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, 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.
  But 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 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

[[Page 16354]]

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, 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 a little 
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 to 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 United States 
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. Pryor sent me a note when I finished and said: I want to help 
you with this. 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 Feinstein and 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.

[[Page 16355]]

  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 Baucus and 
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. And we have done that quite a few times. That was 
because of Reid and 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. 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 TV--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

[[Page 16356]]

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.
  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, many years. We bring in 
national leaders. Democrats and Republicans have focused attention on 
the problems America has with energy. The Clintons have come. 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, 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

[[Page 16357]]

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 a 
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 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.
  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. I 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

[[Page 16358]]

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 in 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:

                             [Dec. 7, 2016]

  Statement of Senator Harry Reid Paying Tribute to President Barack 
                                 Obama

       It's 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, long-time 
     Illinois Congressman, appellate court judge, President 
     Clinton's chief legal officer.
       I had known that Republican Senator Peter Fitzgerald of 
     Illinois decided not to run for re-election after one term. 
     And Judge Mikva turned to me and said he knew the perfect 
     person to fill that open seat. ``Who could that be,'' I said?
       He said, ``Barack Obama.''
       I said, ``What?''
       He said, ``Barack Obama.''
       I said, ``Who? What kind of name is that?''
       He said: ``He is one of the most talented people I've ever 
     met in all my years.'' That said a lot to me. Even though, at 
     that time, I smiled and left the room. But it didn't take 
     long before I understood what Mikva told me.
       Barack Obama won that election to the Senate. Came from 
     nowhere, the man with the unusual name. And 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 his first floor speeches he gave here in the 
     Senate. It was 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. I walked up 
     to him and he was sitting, I was standing, looking over him. 
     I said, ``Senator, that was really terrific. That was really 
     good.'' I will never forget his response.
       He looked at me without hesitation, without any 
     braggadocio, no conceit, just humility. He looked up at me 
     and said, ``I have a gift.''
       This wasn't a boast. This was a fact. I have never met 
     anyone with an ability to communicate like Barack Obama. 
     Whether it is writing, speaking to 30,000 people, a small 
     crowd or someone individually, he is without equal when it 
     comes to communicating.
       His reputation was well known, even before he came to the 
     Senate. He had written his first book, ``Dreams from My 
     Father,'' a decade before arriving here. Like his 2006 book, 
     ``The Audacity of Hope,'' this book was full of lyrical, 
     insightful writing.
       In ``Dreams from My Father,'' he outlined the remarkable 
     life story we've 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 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. Undergrad at Columbia. Of course he was an honor 
     student. 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, it 
     is significant. But he was the number-one guy in that very, 
     very prestigious law school. Even then, his reputation for 
     bringing people together and his gift for communication was 
     renowned.
       He became a professor of constitutional law at one of 
     America's great law schools. He became a community organizer, 
     as he has talked about a lot. He became an Illinois state 
     senator before giving one of the most dramatic convention 
     speeches in American history, in 2004 at the Democratic 
     National 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 last 8 years.
       In a few weeks, Barack Obama will finish his term as the 
     44th President of the United States. I don't know if I'm 
     leaving with him or he's leaving with me. I guess I leave a 
     few days before he does, but we're leaving together. I cannot 
     think of a better person with whom to leave public service. 
     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 Republicans--is remarkable. History will 
     remember President Barack Obama's many accomplishments.
       President Obama saved the country from economic collapse, 
     ushering in a new era of growth.
       Since 2010, the economy has added more 2.6 million private-
     sector jobs.

[[Page 16359]]

       Median household incomes have risen significantly.
       The unemployment rate is now at 4.6 percent. In some 
     states, like 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 such as Cash for Clunkers.
       More than 800,000 new manufacturing jobs since 2010.
       The auto industry added more than 646,000 jobs since 2009.
       Domestic production of autos doubled from below 6 million 
     units per year to 12 million per year in 2015.
       President Obama brought health care to tens millions of 
     Americans through the Affordable Care Act. And every day we 
     learn how important this bill has been. We heard from a very 
     conservative American Hospital Association today that doing 
     away with Obamacare would bankrupt the hospital industry. 
     They would lose over the next few years--almost $200 billion.
       21 million more Americans now have affordable health care.
       The uninsured rate is at an all-time low--92 percent of 
     Americans have coverage.
       Insurance companies cannot deny coverage or charge more to 
     cover people with pre-existing conditions. And 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? Now for the first time in her 
     life she can have health insurance.
       Insurance companies cannot discriminate against anyone 
     because of their gender.
       Every American with insurance has access to preventive care 
     without cost sharing. That means no co-pays 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--
     Dodd-Frank.
       His Administration established a new watchdog to help 
     protect consumers from unfair financial practices
       He signed legislation into law that protected 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 some Native Alaskans. It was scary to 
     talk to this woman, a Native Alaskan, her town of 800 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, migrate every year. They walk in single file, not in 
     large herds jammed together. She said they're having such 
     difficulty. They used to be able to walk over.
       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. It's called 
     the Basin and Range National Monument, a place where John 
     Muir came looking around for special places in America.
       He camped in the Basin Range. And hopefully someday every 
     Senator can go to this magnificent thing 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's called City. When 
     I talk about 40 years, I mean days, weekends, overtime, and 
     large contingencies of people he directed to this magnificent 
     thing in the middle of the desert.
       President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama 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 graduate rate is the highest in 
     history.
       He reformed the federal student loan program, increased the 
     Pell Grant, made student loan repayment more affordable, and 
     expanded loan forgiveness for graduates that 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 gender.
       And as Commander-in-Chief, President Obama brought Bin 
     Laden to justice.
       These are just a few aspects of President Obama's storied 
     legacy that 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 eight years in the White House.
       But I am even more impressed by who he is as a person than 
     who he is as a president. He is a man of integrity, of 
     honesty. I have learned much from him.
       I have never heard Barack Obama denigrate anybody, ever. 
     There have been times where he could have. Perhaps I thought 
     a negative word should be said and I suggested that to him. 
     But he would never take it. No, he would never do that. 
     That's Barack Obama.
       And, 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 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. He goes to their 
     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'll 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, 
     because it's been tough, what we've tried to work through 
     together.
       Pete Rouse, one of the nicest people I've ever known. He 
     also worked for the president very closely. He was his chief 
     of staff as senator and of course chief advisor when he was 
     in the White House.
       Rahm Emmanuel, now the mayor of Chicago, Illinois. Former 
     chief of staff, current mayor of Chicago. A man known for his 
     bluntness and his productivity as a member of Congress and as 
     chief of staff.
       Alyssa Mastromonaco, former deputy chief of staff. I hope 
     that I had something to do with the romance that wound up 
     with Alyssa marrying my chief of staff, David Krone.
       These are a few people I had the pleasure of working with. 
     And then there's President Obama's cabinet--a cabinet of 
     quality.
       That includes my friend, Secretary of the Interior Ken 
     Salazar--a wonderful man and terrific public servant. A man 
     of substance, like no other I have ever known.
       After eight years leading our country, President Obama is 
     leaving office on a high point. When he first took office, 
     our country was in an economic freefall. It was hemorrhaging 
     jobs. Now the economy is experiencing the longest streak of 
     private-sector job growth ever. We have the lowest 
     unemployment rate in nearly a decade.
       After eight years of President Obama, we are now on a 
     sustainable path to fight climate change and grow renewable 
     energy. We are more respected around the world. We reached 
     international agreements to curb climate change, stop Iran 
     from obtaining a nuclear weapon and 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 eight years ago. And we have Barack Obama to 
     thank for that.
       Thank you, President Barack 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 & 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 playing field 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

[[Page 16360]]

     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) & 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 five 
     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 $8000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers 
     and offering a reduced credit of up to $6500 for repeat 
     buyers who have owned their current home for at least five 
     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% 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 non-itemizers for sales tax paid on 
     the purchase of a car or truck. The HOPE education credit for 
     higher education is increased to $2,500 dollars. 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 U.S. 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 ten 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 Dept. 
     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% and Transit funding by 152%. 
     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 & 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 all-time high 
     insured rate of 92%.
       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 for 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

[[Page 16361]]

     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, Nevada. 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 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 five to ten 
     dollars 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 percentage (FMAP) 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% 
     subsidy for health insurance premiums under COBRA for up to 
     nine months for workers and their families who have been 
     involuntarily terminated between September 1st, 2009 and 
     December 31st, 2009.


                  NEVADA'S ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY & 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 $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 (3 solar and 2 wind energy projects).
       Hosted Eight National Clean Energy Summits 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 dialogue 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, Tesla 
     CEO Elon Musk, along with many other leaders from government, 
     business, labor, and the non-profit 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. 100,000 people are safer as a result.
       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 one million pounds of 
     native seed used to will 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.

[[Page 16362]]

       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, 
     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 of 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 ten 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.
       2 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 
     multi-state 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 Lairds Bill of 2009 
     (PL111-11), 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 Veteran's 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, Nevada--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 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.
       Implement 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 & 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. Sen. 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 & 
     lobbyists by former Senators & 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--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.

[[Page 16363]]

       America COMPETES Act--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 an $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 & Biodiversity Study--Secured $2.5 & 
     $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% of any lease revenues from the 
     land.
       Dandini Research Park Conveyance Act--Passed legislation 
     signed into law by President Bush transferring 476 of the 
     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 
     long-standing 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 descendents 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 braid 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 US 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, 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 four 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 Durbin is my Cousin 
Jeff--I was in my office watching the floor, and 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.

[[Page 16364]]

  So 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 
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, 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, 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 to 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

[[Page 16365]]

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 five 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.)
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Rounds). The Senator from Nevada.
  Mr. HELLER. Mr. President, I will yield for a couple more minutes for 
sentiments, and then I wish to say a few words.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

                          ____________________