At Capitol, Reid says Senate farewells

Top Democrat laments how chamber has changed, warns ‘new gilded age’ ahead

WASHINGTON — Minority Leader Harry Reid bid farewell to the Senate on Thursday after 30 years in the chamber and more than a decade as top Democrat, a run during which he shepherded key legislation from President Barack Obama’s administration, including the health care law.

Reid leaves with his Democrats stuck in the minority despite his best efforts, and Republicans and President-elect Donald Trump making plans to repeal Obama’s signature health-care law as their first order of business next year.

In an uncharacteristically lengthy and personal farewell speech on the Senate floor, Reid warned of “a new gilded age” ahead and lamented how the Senate has changed, even while declaring that he loves it still. He cautioned colleagues to “temper” use of the filibuster. “Otherwise, it will be gone.”

The 77-year-old gold miner’s son from tiny Searchlight, Nev., reminisced about rising from a hardscrabble beginning to the heights of Capitol Hill and his “dream job” serving as Obama’s point man in Congress.

With his wife, Landra, and some of his five children and 19 grandchildren watching from the gallery, and Democrats and a handful of Republicans watching from the floor, Reid said: “I love the Senate, I don’t need to dwell on that. I love the Senate, I care about it so very, very much.”

“I hope that everyone would do everything they can to protect the Senate as an institution,” he said. “As part of our Constitution, it should be given the dignity it deserves.”

Later Thursday, at a ceremony to unveil his portrait, Reid was lauded by Vice President Joe Biden and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, as well as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Reid’s successor as Senate minority leader, Charles Schumer of New York.

The audience was full of political leaders past and present, from Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Obama’s first chief of staff, to former Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska, who retired after criticism for supporting the health care law.

One by one, Biden, Clinton and the rest paid tribute to Reid.

“That’s you, Harry — always, always, there,” Biden said.

Clinton, making her first visit to Capitol Hill since losing the presidential race, said of Reid’s new portrait: “The more fitting portrait will be the one that goes in the dictionary next to the word ‘fighter.’”

And an emotional Schumer added: “I am telling you there is no one, no one, no one, better to have in your corner.”

Clinton also said “fake news” is putting people’s lives at risk and that Americans need to address the problem to protect the nation’s democracy.

“This isn’t about politics or partisanship. Lives are at risk,” Clinton said.

“It’s imperative” that government and private industry fight back against the fake news trend, she said. “We must stand up for our democracy just as Harry has done in his entire career.”

Information for this article was contributed by Laura Litvan and Margaret Talev of Bloomberg News.