Harry Reid dead at 82 – Former Senate Majority Leader passes away after pancreatic cancer battle and remission

FORMER Nevada Senator and Senate majority leader, Harry Reid passed away Tuesday at age 82.

Reid has been described as one of the most influential leaders in the state’s history.

He served over 30 years in Congress, earning a reputation for fighting for everyday Americans. He was instrumental in passing the Affordable Care Act in the wake of the Great Recession.

He retired as senate minority leader in 2017.

‘TOUGH-AS-NAILS’

President Joe Biden released following Reid’s passing. “I’ve had the honor of serving with some of the all-time great Senate Majority Leaders in our history,” he said.

“Harry Reid was one of them. And for Harry, it wasn’t about power for power’s sake. It was about the power to do right for the people.”

Former President Barack Obama shared a letter he wrote to Reid so his wife, Landra, could read it to him. 

“Here’s what I want you to know,” “You were a great leader in the Senate, and early on you were more generous to me than I had any right to expect. 

“I wouldn’t have been president had it not been for your encouragement and support, and I wouldn’t have got most of what I got done without your skill and determination.”

Obama described himself and Reid as “a couple of outsiders who had defied the odds and knew how to take a punch and care about the little guy.”

“And you know what, we made for a pretty good team.”

Senate majority leader, Chuck Schumer described Reid as “tough-as-nails strong but caring and compassionate, and always went out of his way quietly to help people who needed help,

“Harry Reid was one of the most amazing individuals I’ve ever met.”

INFLUENTIAL CAREER

Originally a boxer, Reid’s political career began when his coach, Mike O’Callaghan, made him his running mate in the 1970 Nevada gubernatorial election.

Reid became the state’s Lieutenant Governor from 1971 to 1975, later becoming chairman of the Gaming Commission. 

He ran for Congress in 1983, after a previous failed attempt, and became the representative for Nevada’s 1st district. He would later serve as Senate majority leader for eight years.

Reid also put much focus on water, energy and public lands issues. More than half of his congressional papers in 2020 death with the environment in some form, said Reid.

Reid faced multiple health issues near the end of his term. In 2015, he was left blind in one eye after an exercise accident.

In May 2017, he learned he had cancer after a colonoscopy.

In 2018, he underwent surgery for pancreatic cancer and announced last summer that he was in “complete remission” and cancer-free.

Despite his retirement, Reid was known for still speaking his mind, criticizing then-President Donald Trump in an interview with The Times.

“I think he is without question the worst president we’ve ever had,” Reid said. “We’ve had some bad ones, and there’s not even a close second to time.”

His cause of death is unknown at this time.