Former House Majority Leader Harry Reid passed away peacefully, according to a statement released by his wife, Landra. According to his wife’s statement, friends and family surrounded Reid on Tuesday, December 28, 2021. The family is still making funeral arrangements. Reid had battled pancreatic cancer for four years.
Government Leaders on Both Sides Speak Out
Officials immediately ordered that flags be lowered to half-staff in honor of the senator who served Nevada voters from 1987 to 2017. Shortly before his death, his wife had asked many individuals who had worked with Reid to send him letters that she could read to him. One of those letters was from former President Barack Obama, who says that he wrote, “You were a great leader in the Senate, and early on you were more generous to me than I had any right to expect.”
Reid was known for his abrupt style. President Obama previously explained how Reid never said goodbye but hung up on him numerous times when he was president.
“In a statement, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said that Reid was “tough-as-nails strong, but caring and compassionate, and always went out of his way quietly to help people who needed help.”
Leaders Praise Reid on Social Media
Numerous leaders immediately turned to social media to express their condolences to Reid’s wife and his five children. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said that he never doubted that Reid always did what he “earnestly, deeply felt was right for Nevada and our country.”
The End of Reid’s Career
Reid had stepped down after an accident left him blind in one eye. In May 2018, he revealed that he had been diagnosed with cancer, which ultimately claimed his life.
Landmark Legislation Under Reid
During his time in office, Reed worked to get several landmark pieces of legislation passed. Many of those pieces focused on affordable healthcare, protecting immigrant communities, promoting conservation and helping working families. On December 14, 2021, officials in Nevada renamed the Las Vegas airport after the senator who started in that state’s legislature, and it is now called the Harry Reid International Airport.
Reid’s Personal Mission
Reid was most proud of his work in suicide prevention during his career. He saw it as his mission to provide more help for those with mental illnesses because his father had committed suicide.
Reid, from the tiny mining town of Searchlight, Nevada, was a boxer before becoming a governmental leader. Many he worked with respected the fact that he never lost his understanding of the little person or the guts he exhibited as a boxer.
This is a developing story, and you can expect updates as more details become available. We add our condolences to countless others expressing sympathy to the family.
