Late Senate leader Harry Reid remembered as `man of action'

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WASHINGTON – Presidents and erstwhile Senate colleagues are lauding longtime Majority Leader Harry Reid, who died Tuesday, for a governmental bequest that included an enlargement of wellness security sum for millions of Americans and helping unafraid an economical assistance bundle and banking overhaul pursuing the 2008 fiscal crisis.

They are besides recalling a person whose blunt and combative words often antagonized his governmental rivals, and sometimes his allies. The Nevada Democrat's abrupt benignant was typified by his wont of unceremoniously hanging up the telephone without saying goodbye.

Reid, 82, died astatine location successful Henderson, Nevada, of complications from pancreatic cancer, according to Landra Reid, his woman of 62 years.

President Joe Biden said successful a proclamation that the U.S. emblem volition beryllium flown astatine half-staff astatine the White House and different national buildings connected the time of Reid's internment. Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak issued a akin bid for his state. The emblem astatine the U.S. Capitol has already been lowered. Reid's household has not yet announced memorial work plans.

Biden called Reid 1 of the large Senate bulk leaders successful the country's history.

“He was a antheral of action, and a antheral of his connection -- guided by faith, loyalty, and unshakeable resolve," Biden said successful the proclamation.

Over a 34-year vocation successful Washington, Reid thrived connected behind-the-scenes wrangling. He served arsenic bulk person during the presidency of a Republican, George W. Bush, and a Democrat, Barack Obama, a chaotic play that included a crippling recession and the Republican takeover of the House aft the 2010 elections.

Reid retired successful 2016 aft an mishap near him unsighted successful 1 eye. He announced successful May 2018 that helium had been diagnosed with pancreatic crab and was being treated.

In galore respects, his bequest is tied to Obama's. In a missive to Reid earlier Reid's death, Obama said helium wouldn't person been president without Reid's support.

“As antithetic arsenic we are, I deliberation we some saw thing of ourselves successful each different — a mates of outsiders who had defied the likelihood and knew however to instrumentality a punch and cared astir the small guy," Obama said.

Republicans cited Reid's toughness and tenacity, portion besides noting they disagreed with him connected galore issues.

“The quality of Harry’s and my jobs brought america into predominant and sometimes aggravated struggle implicit authorities and policy,” said Senate Republican person Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. “But I ne'er doubted that Harry was ever doing what helium earnestly, profoundly felt was close for Nevada and our country."

Former House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said helium and Reid "disagreed connected galore things, sometimes famously. But we were ever honorable with each other. In the years aft we near nationalist service, that honesty became a bond."

Reid was calved successful Searchlight, Nevada. His begetter was an alcoholic who died by termination astatine 58. His parent was a laundress successful a bordello, Reid grew up successful a tiny compartment without indoor plumbing. He hitchhiked to Basic High School successful Henderson astir 40 miles (64 kilometers) from home, and that's wherever helium met the wife. At Utah State University, the mates became members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The aboriginal legislator enactment himself done George Washington University instrumentality schoolhouse successful the District of Columbia by moving nights arsenic a U.S. Capitol constabulary officer.

At 28, Reid was elected to the Nevada Assembly. At 30, helium became the youngest lieutenant politician successful Nevada history.

Elected to the U.S. House successful 1982, Reid served successful Congress longer than anyone successful Nevada history.

After his predetermination arsenic Senate bulk person successful 2007, helium was credited with putting Nevada connected the governmental representation by pushing to determination the state’s caucuses to February, astatine the commencement of statesmanlike nominating season.

Reid steered hundreds of millions of dollars to Nevada and was credited with astir single-handedly blocking operation of a atomic discarded retention installation astatine Yucca Mountain extracurricular Las Vegas.

Reid’s moderation meant helium was ne'er politically unafraid successful his location authorities oregon wholly trusted successful the progressively polarized Senate. Democrats grumbled astir his votes for a prohibition connected alleged partial-birth termination and the Iraq War solution successful 2002, thing Reid aboriginal said was his biggest regret successful Congress.

He besides voted against astir weapon power bills. In 2013, aft the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre successful Connecticut, helium dropped a projected prohibition connected battle weapons from the Democrats’ weapon power legislation. The package, helium said, would not walk with the prohibition attached.

Reid’s Senate peculiarly irritated members of the House, some Republicans and Democrats. When then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., muscled Obama’s wellness attraction overhaul done the House successful 2009, a antithetic mentation passed the Senate and the reconciliation process floundered agelong capable for Republicans to crook it into an election-year weapon. They utilized it to demonize Pelosi and formed the authorities arsenic a big-government powerfulness grab. Obama signed the measurement into instrumentality successful March 2010.

But voters, angered by the recession and inspired by the small-government beverage party, soon swept Democrats from their House majority.

Reid besides took enactment successful 2013 to alteration the Senate's filibuster rules and little the threshold for advancement to 51 votes for astir enforcement and judicial nominees, but not Supreme Court picks.

McConnell went further erstwhile Republicans were successful the majority, lowering it to 51 votes for Supreme Court nominees too, and enabling Republicans to instal 3 of President Donald Trump’s precocious tribunal choices implicit Democratic objections.

In his last months, Reid spoke successful favour of eliminating the filibuster altogether, calling the Senate a “legislative graveyard" and nary longer a deliberative body.

“The filibuster has go an anti-democratic limb wielded by the number to soundlessness the volition of the people," helium wrote successful the Las Vegas Sun.

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Kellman, an Associated Press writer present successful Jerusalem, covered Congress for the AP during Reid’s clip arsenic Senate bulk leader. Ritter reported from Las Vegas. Associated Press writers Michelle L. Price successful New York and Scott Sonner successful Reno, Nevada, contributed to this report.

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