On the recordDecember 9, 2016
today I wish to pray tribute to a selfless public servant, a committed leader, and a dear friend: Senator Harry Reid. Growing up in the small town of Searchlight, NV, Senator Reid was no stranger to hardship. His father suffered from severe depression and his mother worked long hours as a laundress to help support their struggling family. The Reids lived in a tiny tin shack with no toilet or telephone. They had limited access to schools, healthcare, and the basic comforts of modern life. From his hardscrabble youth, Harry developed a fighting spirit that would later define his career in public service. That spirit was cultivated by his high school boxing coach, Mike O'Callaghan, who would later become Nevada's 23rd Governor. More than a coach, O'Callaghan was a mentor. He taught Senator Reid his first lessons in civics and raised Harry's vision of what he could accomplish, encouraging him to pursue higher education and a life in politics. Senator Reid graduated with a bachelor's degree in political science from Utah State University and would later earn a law degree from George Washington University. While still a law student, Senator Reid worked nights as a U.S. Capitol Police officer to pay his way through school. Shortly after finishing his law degree, he returned to Nevada where he began climbing the ladder of State politics.…
