Harry Reid Quotes (278 Quotes)

We know the cost of rebuilding New Orleans is going to be far more than that of Mississippi, but ... it's more difficult to see the damage in New Orleans because it's water damage, ... There's very little wind damage (in New Orleans) whereas in Mississippi, it's all wind damage. And it's devastation. I mean, you can see it just blew down everything.

Social Security is not in crisis. It's a crisis the president's created, period.

Instead of talking about ways to save Social Security, Republicans are talking about a plan that will destroy it.

I thought it'd all work out, and we'd have a pleasant hearing and conservatives would give each other high fives,

The state of the union today is that we have low-income Americans begging for their prescription drugs, and seniors are going without any coverage. The president has botched the Medicare so badly that it doesn't resemble a 'benefit' for most seniors.

The American people are demanding a comprehensive plan and the benchmarks by which to measure our success for the war in Iraq, ... The president's continued refusal to provide that plan does nothing to support our troops or their families.

If the Republican Party thinks this guy is going to improve the ticket, they'd better be psychoanalyzed,

Americans seek the truth about how the nation committed our troops to war because the decision to go to war is too serious to be entered into under faulty pretenses.

This is a power play.... When you have all three branches of government controlled by the Republicans, you wind up with stuff like this, which is simply a misuse of power.

However, Democratic and Republican members of the Judiciary Committee came together in a spirit of cooperation and compromise to agree on this bill, and I strongly support it,

I think the American people can see through this so clearly. The president should come forward with some middle-of-the-road person, somebody that is going to be a good Supreme Court justice, not somebody that's going to be writing the law from the bench, ... This Week.

We need a plan that will allow immigrants who are already here to earn their residency through hard work and that will create legal channels for immigrant workers necessary for our economic growth to enter in the future,

I said, 'Mr. President, you have your vice president here as a result of a search that he made,'

I want you to know that when we believe the president is on the right track, we won't let partisan interests get in the way of what's good for our country. But when he gets off track, we will be there to hold him accountable,

The United States has already fallen behind nations like Canada, Britain and Australia who finalized their avian flu plans months ago,

I've thought about this, and I'm not going to send one to my daughter, but all four of my boys are going to get one.

No matter how people focus on other issues, we're going to talk about what we feel is so important to people all across this country.

I regret that the American people have still not received a plan that identifies the remaining political, military and economic objectives that must be met in order to succeed. The window of opportunity for the Iraqi people and this administration to get things right will not stay open forever.

He's a person who would look forward to doing the things that Paul Wellstone wanted to do -- do something about health care reform, take care of the underprivileged by passing a minimum wage,

We're going to reform Washington, ... After years of Republican scandals and abuses of power, it's a big task. But the American people are demanding change.

First, how did the White House build its case for war We need to know what information was cherry-picked and what contrary facts they ignored,

Let's have a real investigation and a vote here in the Senate. What the president has agreed to is no review.

We offer a vision for a brighter American future, based on goals such as affordable health care for everyone, quality education, and environmental protection. We stand for a society that respects and celebrates diversity.

I wouldn't have any problem giving it back if it was given for the wrong cause.

The Supreme Court would benefit from the addition of a justice who has real experience as a practicing lawyer. The current justices have all been chosen from the lower federal courts. A nominee with relevant non-judicial experience would bring a different and useful perspective to the court.

But there is nothing disrespectful about an open and fair-minded review of a nominee's approach to the Constitution and his commitment to core American values like equality, privacy and fairness,

All the big Cabinet positions have been filled. It's too bad that we don't have a secretary of defense, secretary of state, attorney general, one of the Cabinet officers who's a Democrat. That is now not going to happen.

First, let's take Social Security and Medicare off the table so that those funds are protected. Then, let's take one-third of the surplus and give every American, not just the rich, a fair tax cut. Let's use another third of the surplus and invest it in education and other key priorities. Finally, let's use a third of our surplus to keep paying down the debt.

Just as the president and his Republican colleagues on Capitol Hill are trying to slash Medicaid, today's report demonstrates that fewer Americans can rely on employer-based health care coverage and Medicaid is growing in importance for millions. ... We should be working to address the rising cost of health care, not cutting the bottom out from under our families,

Saddam Hussein, in effect, has thumbed his nose at the world community. And I think that the president's approaching this in the right fashion.

We can't afford any wake-up calls when it comes to preparing for or preventing a terrorist attack.

How much time did the president spend dealing with this emerging crisis while he was on vacation Did the fact that he was outside of Washington, D.C., have any effect on the federal government's response

There's no question the economy's in big trouble, ... We have to look at what's good for the average American.

Our military is being held hostage by this issue, Arctic drilling.

Let's put good people on the independent commission and take politics out. Let's give it real power, and let's go to work,

The president offered comforting words tonight, but the victims of Hurricane Katrina don't need just words, they need a plan that will lead the way in recovery, rebuilding, and renewal.

The president often says it is the responsibility of elected officials here in Washington to face today's challenges and not to pass them on to future generations. Yet it is his runaway budget and trade deficits, billions spent on tax giveaways, backwards-looking energy plan designed by and for special interests, and inaction during this country's health-care crisis that have created a myriad of problems for our children's generation.

Katrina makes it clear this government has failed, ... We must find out why immediately to make sure the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina never happens again.

First of all, the vice president issues this very terse statement praising Libby for all the great things he's done,

These are serious concerns about the Republican approach, ... Americans deserve answers independent of politics. That's why Democrats and Republicans preferred an independent commission for investigating 911 and we should be following that model now.

Let's be clear about what Katrina was a failure of leadership.

The toll in Iraq is as staggering as it is solemn, ... The troops have a right to expect answers and accountability worthy of that sacrifice.

Extending unemployment benefits is not only the right thing to do -- it's also the single best thing we can do to help our economy. Unemployed workers need that money -- to buy groceries, pay the rent, and keep the lights and heat on this winter,

Obviously, Sen. Reid would like to see a Democrat get in the race, ... He thinks Jack would make a good candidate. If he decides to run, he'll have (Reid's) support.

I have too many unanswered questions about the nominee to justify a vote confirming him to this enormously important lifetime position.

And most of us are. But the decent instincts that drive most Americans are scarce in certain precincts when opportunity knocks. Rep. Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco and Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, the leaders of the congressional Democrats, have been particularly knavish (and congressional Republicans particularly cowardly in confronting the partisan calumny). Mrs. Pelosi gave reporters a heroic (and unlikely) account of how she set the president straight in a private conversation with him. It's not clear whether the Secret Service was standing by lest she, like Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, threatened to punch him out. She called Mr. Bush oblivious, in denial, dangerous. ... Why didn't President Bush return immediately from his vacation

The American people do not like privatization. They are afraid of the debt the president's willing to do. And they don't like benefit cuts. And everyone here should understand all 45 Senate Democrats are united. We are not going to let this happen.

I look forward to joining forces with Sen. Bennett as we work to protect our states, the West and the nation.

The major oil companies haven't even tried to build one single new refinery or significantly expand a refinery in this country in 30 years,

Why isn't he spending time with these leaders in the Middle East trying to get this government formed