Harry Reid Quotes

Harry Mason Reid is a retired American attorney and politician who served as a United States Senator from Nevada from 1987 to 2017. He led the Senate's Democratic Conference from 2005 to 2017 and was the Senate Majority Leader from 2007 to 2015.

Reid began his public career as the city attorney for Henderson, Nevada before winning election to the Nevada Assembly in 1968. Reid's former boxing coach, Mike O'Callaghan, chose Reid as his running mate in the 1970 Nevada gubernatorial election, and Reid served as Lieutenant Governor of Nevada from 1971 to 1975. After being defeated in races for the United States Senate and the position of mayor of Las Vegas, Reid served as chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission from 1977 to 1981. From 1983 to 1987, Reid represented Nevada's 1st district in the United States House of Representatives.

Reid won election to the United States Senate in 1986 and served in the Senate from 1987 to 2017. He served as the Senate Democratic Whip from 1999 to 2005 before succeeding Tom Daschle as Senate Minority Leader. The Democrats won control of the Senate after the 2006 United States Senate elections, and Reid became the Senate Majority Leader in 2007. He held that position for the last two years of George W. Bush's presidency and the first six years of Barack Obama's presidency. As Majority Leader, Reid helped pass major legislation such as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the Dodd–Frank Act, and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Republicans took control of the Senate following the 2014 United States Senate elections, and Reid served as Senate Minority Leader from 2015 to his retirement in 2017.

Reid was succeeded as the Senate Democratic leader by Chuck Schumer, whose leadership bid had been endorsed by Reid. Along with Alben W. Barkley and Mike Mansfield, Reid is one of only three Senators to serve at least eight years as Majority Leader. Wikipedia  

✵ 2. December 1939
Harry Reid photo
Harry Reid: 11   quotes 0   likes

Famous Harry Reid Quotes

“Anarchists have taken over (the GOP).”

Sept. 12, 2013, on the Senate floor. [citation needed]

“President Bush is a liar. He betrayed Nevada and he betrayed the country… All Americans should be concerned, not just because he lied to me or the people of Nevada and indeed all Americans, but because the President's decision threatens Americans' lives.”

remarks made in February 2002, over the decision to deposit radioactive waste at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Las Vegas Sun http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2002/mar/05/political-rift-could-hurt-states-yucca-fight/, quoted March 5, 2002

“Alberto Gonzales was never the right man for this job. He lacked independence, he lacked judgment, and he lacked the spine to say no to Karl Rove. This resignation is not the end of the story. Congress must get to the bottom of this mess and follow the facts where they lead, into the White House.”

Following the resignation of Alberto Gonzales as Attorney General
Gonzales resigns as U.S. attorney general, MSNBC.com, August 27, 2007, 2007-08-27 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20459457/,

“Reid spoke of future President Barack Obama in 2008 describing him as a, "light-skinned' African American 'with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one." Reid apologized for these remarks in January 2010 when they were publicized.”

Majority Leader Reid apologizes to Obama for 2008 remarks - Washington Post January 9, 2010 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/09/AR2010010902141.html

“The man's father is a wonderful human being. I think this guy is a loser.”

on George W. Bush. Las Vegas Review-Journal http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2005/May-06-Fri-2005/news/reid.html, May 6, 2005

Harry Reid Quotes

“Instead of joining us on the right side of history, all Republicans have come up with is this slow down, stop everything, let's start over. You think you've heard these same excuses before, you're right. When this country belatedly recognized the wrongs of slavery, there were those who dug in their heels and said, slow down, it's too early. Let's wait. Things aren't bad enough. When women spoke up for the right to speak up, they wanted to vote, some insisted slow down, there will be a better day to do that. The day isn't quite right. When this body was on the verge of guaranteeing equal civil rights to everyone, regardless of the color of their skin, some senators resorted to the same filibuster threats that we hear today. More recently, when chairman Chris Dodd of Connecticut, one of the people who will go down as a chief champion of the bill before us today, said that Americans should be able to take care of their families without fear of losing their jobs, you heard the same old excuses, seven years of fighting and more than one presidential veto, it was slow down, stop everything, start over. History is repeating itself before our eyes. There are now those who don't think it is the right time to reform health care. If not now, when, madam president? But the reality for many that feel that way, it will never, never be a good time to reform health care.”

On the Senate floor, during a debate on health care reform, December 7, 2009
Reid Compares Health Reform Bill with Slavery, Suffrage - George's Bottom Line, abcnews.com, December 7, 2009, 2009-12-08 http://blogs.abcnews.com/george/2009/12/reid-compares-health-reform-bill-with-slavery-suffrage.html,

“In the summertime, because it gets so hot here, you could literally smell the tourists coming.”

Following opening of a new Capitol Visitors Center that includes air conditioning.
[Ashley, Halsey III, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/12/03/ST2008120300627.html, Right at Home Under the Dome, Washington Post, December 3, 2008, 2008-12-03]

“I know procedures around here. And I know that there will still be Senate business conducted. But I will, for lack of a better word, screw things up.”

Source: threatening to obstruct the Senate if the Republicans used the nuclear option. Quoted in The Washington Post, December 13, 2004, GOP May Target Use of Filibuster http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59877-2004Dec12.html

“RS: You’ve called Bush a loser.
Reid: And a liar.
RS: You’ve apologized for the loser comment.
Reid: But never for the liar, have I?”

Stone interview http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/7371967/the_gunslinger/Rolling, May 24, 2005

“I said … unprepared, unscripted, that, "I know how to fight and I know how to dance, and I'd much rather dance than fight." ... What I didn't tell everybody was I was always a better fighter than dancer.”

Source: "Reid Says He's A Fighter Who'd Rather Dance", All Things Considered, NPR (18 May 2010) https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126905578

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