Harry Reid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Harry Reid
|
|
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2009
|
|
| Senate Majority Leader | |
| In office January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2015 |
|
| Preceded by | Bill Frist |
| Succeeded by | Mitch McConnell |
| Senate Minority Leader | |
| In office January 3, 2015 – January 3, 2017 |
|
| Preceded by | Mitch McConnell |
| Succeeded by | Chuck Schumer |
| In office January 3, 2005 – January 3, 2007 |
|
| Preceded by | Tom Daschle |
| Succeeded by | Mitch McConnell |
| Chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus | |
| In office January 3, 2005 – January 3, 2017 |
|
| Deputy | Chuck Schumer |
| Preceded by | Tom Daschle |
| Succeeded by | Chuck Schumer |
| Senate Minority Whip | |
| In office January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2005 |
|
| Leader | Tom Daschle |
| Preceded by | Don Nickles |
| Succeeded by | Dick Durbin |
| In office January 20, 2001 – June 6, 2001 |
|
| Leader | Tom Daschle |
| Preceded by | Don Nickles |
| Succeeded by | Don Nickles |
| In office January 3, 1999 – January 3, 2001 |
|
| Leader | Tom Daschle |
| Preceded by | Wendell H. Ford |
| Succeeded by | Don Nickles |
| Senate Majority Whip | |
| In office June 6, 2001 – January 3, 2003 |
|
| Leader | Tom Daschle |
| Preceded by | Don Nickles |
| Succeeded by | Mitch McConnell |
| In office January 3, 2001 – January 20, 2001 |
|
| Leader | Tom Daschle |
| Preceded by | Don Nickles |
| Succeeded by | Don Nickles |
| United States Senator from Nevada |
|
| In office January 3, 1987 – January 3, 2017 |
|
| Preceded by | Paul Laxalt |
| Succeeded by | Catherine Cortez Masto |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Nevada's 1st district |
|
| In office January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1987 |
|
| Preceded by | James Santini (at-large) |
| Succeeded by | James Bilbray |
| Chair of the Nevada Gaming Commission | |
| In office March 27, 1977 – January 5, 1981 |
|
| Appointed by | Mike O'Callaghan |
| Preceded by | Peter Echeverria |
| Succeeded by | Carl Dodge |
| 25th Lieutenant Governor of Nevada | |
| In office January 4, 1971 – January 5, 1975 |
|
| Governor | Mike O'Callaghan |
| Preceded by | Edward Fike |
| Succeeded by | Robert Rose |
| Member of the Nevada Assembly from the 4th district |
|
| In office January 6, 1969 – January 4, 1971 |
|
| Preceded by | Edward Fike |
| Succeeded by | Robert Rose |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Harry Mason Reid Jr.
December 2, 1939 Searchlight, Nevada, U.S. |
| Died | December 28, 2021 (aged 82) Henderson, Nevada, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Landra Gould
(m. 1959) |
| Children | 5, including Rory |
| Alma mater | |
| Signature |  |
| Website | (archived) |
Harry Mason Reid Jr. (born December 2, 1939 – died December 28, 2021) was an American lawyer and politician. He served as a U.S. Senator for Nevada from 1987 to 2017. He was a very important leader in the Senate Democratic Caucus from 2005 to 2017. From 2007 to 2015, he was the Senate Majority Leader, which means he was the main leader for his political party in the Senate.
Harry Reid grew up in a small, poor town in Nevada. He worked hard to get an education, earning degrees from Utah State University and George Washington University. He started his career as a city attorney in Henderson, Nevada. Later, he was elected to the Nevada Assembly in 1968.
He became the 25th lieutenant governor of Nevada in 1971, serving until 1975. After that, he was the chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission from 1977 to 1981. This job involved overseeing casinos and gambling in Nevada. From 1983 to 1987, Reid represented Nevada in the United States House of Representatives.
In 1986, Harry Reid was elected to the United States Senate. He served there for 30 years. He became a key leader, first as the Senate Democratic whip, then as the Senate Minority Leader. When Democrats gained control of the Senate in 2007, he became the Senate Majority Leader. In this role, he helped pass important laws like the Affordable Care Act. He retired from the Senate in 2017.
Contents
Harry Reid's Early Life and Career
Harry Mason Reid Jr. was born on December 2, 1939, in Searchlight, Nevada. His father was a rock miner and his mother was a laundress. Searchlight was a very small and poor town back then. Their home was a simple shack without a proper bathroom or telephone.
Since there was no high school in Searchlight, Harry lived with relatives in Henderson. He went to Basic High School where he played football and was an amateur boxer. His boxing coach was Mike O'Callaghan, who later became the governor of Nevada.
Reid went to Southern Utah University and then graduated from Utah State University in 1961. He studied political science and history. While attending George Washington University Law School, he worked as a police officer for the United States Capitol Police. He earned his law degree in 1964.
Becoming a Politician in Nevada
After finishing law school, Reid went back to Nevada. He first worked as the city attorney for Henderson. In 1968, he was elected to the Nevada Assembly, which is part of Nevada's state government.
In 1970, when he was 30, Harry Reid was chosen to run alongside Mike O'Callaghan for Lieutenant Governor. They won, and Reid served as lieutenant governor from 1971 to 1974. After this, he tried to become a U.S. Senator but lost by a very small number of votes. He also ran for mayor of Las Vegas and lost.
From 1977 to 1981, Reid was the chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission. This job meant he oversaw the gambling industry in Nevada. He worked to make sure things were fair and honest. Once, someone tried to bribe him, but Reid worked with the FBI to catch the person. He also made a tough decision to deny a gambling license to a casino operator who had ties to organized crime.
Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives
Nevada's population grew a lot, so the state gained a second seat in the United States House of Representatives. In 1982, Harry Reid won the election to represent Nevada's 1st district, which included Las Vegas. He was re-elected in 1984.
During his time in the House, Reid helped create Great Basin National Park. He sponsored the bill in 1986 to protect this beautiful area, including Wheeler Peak and ancient bristlecone pine trees.
Harry Reid's Time in the U.S. Senate
In 1986, Harry Reid was elected to the United States Senate. He served as a Senator for Nevada for 30 years, from 1987 to 2017. He won re-election several times, including a close race in 1998 and a strong victory in 2004.
In 2010, he faced a very tough election but won again. In 2015, after an exercise accident, Reid announced he would not run for re-election in 2016. He supported Chuck Schumer to take over his leadership role. He was succeeded by Catherine Cortez Masto.
On January 1, 2017, just before his term ended, Harry Reid became the longest-serving U.S. Senator from Nevada.
Leadership Roles in the Senate
Harry Reid held many important leadership positions in the Senate:
- From 1999 to 2005, he was the Senate Democratic Whip. This role involves making sure party members vote together.
- In 2005, he became the Minority Leader for the Democrats.
- After the 2006 elections, Democrats gained control, and Reid became the Majority Leader in 2007. He held this powerful position until 2015.
- As Majority Leader, he helped pass major laws for the Obama administration, such as the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and the Dodd-Frank Act.
UFOs and Government Programs
In 2007, while he was Majority Leader, Harry Reid started a program called the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program. This program studied unidentified flying objects (UFOs). He did this with support from other senators and a friend who was a billionaire. The program received $22 million over five years.
Area 51, a famous U.S. Air Force facility, is in Reid's home state of Nevada. Many people believe it is connected to UFOs. Reid was proud of starting the program, saying it was "one of the good things I did." He believed that much of the information from the program should be public.
Changes to Senate Rules
In 2013, under Reid's leadership, the Senate Democrats changed a rule called the "nuclear option". This change made it easier to approve presidential nominees by needing fewer votes to end a filibuster. A filibuster is when a senator tries to delay a vote by talking for a long time. This change was controversial because it made it easier for the party in power to get their nominees approved without needing support from the other party.
Harry Reid's Political Views
Harry Reid's political views changed over time. He started as a more middle-ground Democrat. He supported gun rights and was against illegal immigration at first. He was generally seen as financially liberal but socially conservative. However, he later moved towards more progressive views.
He strongly supported stem cell research. As Majority Leader, he helped pass a bill in 2007 to make Senate ethics rules stronger. This bill stopped members of Congress from taking gifts or trips from lobbyists.
Regarding same-sex marriage, Reid initially believed marriage should be between a man and a woman. But in 2012, he changed his mind and supported same-sex marriage.
On local issues, Reid was strongly against building the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste site in Nevada. He also supported immigration reform, which would help some young people who came to the U.S. illegally to gain legal status.
Reid supported using military force in the Middle East at times. He voted to authorize the first Gulf War in 1991 and supported the 2003 invasion of Iraq. However, later he called for a change in strategy in Iraq. He was also a strong supporter of recognizing the Armenian genocide.
Protecting Land in Nevada
Harry Reid was a big supporter of protecting natural lands in Nevada. He helped set aside about 5.1 million acres of U.S. federal land as protected areas. This meant these lands could not be developed. Some of these protected areas include the Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument and the Gold Butte National Monument.
For his work in conservation, Reid received a lifetime achievement award from the League of Conservation Voters in 2015.
Cultural and Public Image
Harry Reid appeared as himself in the 2000 movie Traffic. He also appeared in a 2007 documentary film about the genocide in Sudan.
In 2001, he was elected to the Gaming Hall of Fame. People often described him as a unique politician in Washington, D.C.
On December 14, 2021, just two weeks before he passed away, the airport serving the Las Vegas Valley was renamed Harry Reid International Airport in his honor. It was previously called McCarran International Airport.
Personal Life
Harry Reid met his wife, Landra Gould, in high school. Landra came from a Jewish family, and her parents did not approve of their relationship because Harry was not Jewish. They decided to get married secretly in 1959 while they were in college.
The Reids had five children: a daughter and four sons. Their oldest son, Rory, became a politician in Clark County, Nevada.
Harry Reid was raised agnostic, meaning he wasn't sure about God. His wife grew up in a Jewish family. While in college, both Harry and Landra converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Reid believed that the Democratic Party's focus on helping others fit well with Mormon values.
Health and Passing
In May 2018, Harry Reid had surgery for pancreatic cancer. A tumor was found on his pancreas during a check-up. In early 2019, he announced that his cancer was in remission, meaning it was under control, thanks to early detection and chemotherapy.
Harry Reid passed away from pancreatic cancer at his home in Henderson on December 28, 2021, at the age of 82. Many important leaders, including President Joe Biden and former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, shared tributes to him. He was honored at the Capitol Rotunda on January 12, 2022.
His funeral was broadcast live, with tributes from President Joe Biden, Barack Obama, and others. He was buried in his family's plot in Searchlight, Nevada.
Images for kids
-
Harry Reid's signature
See also
In Spanish: Harry Reid para niños
