harry has died. the nevada democrat served five terms, the longest-serving senator in the states history. he played a key role in getting president obama's a formal care act passed and signed into law. prior to becoming a senator, he was member of the house of a percentage from 1983 to 1987. he was 82 years old. in 2016, senator reid spoke with c-span about his leadership role in the senate. the impact of the nuclear option for confirming nominations, and his life before becoming a member of congress. >> senator reid, thank you for talking to c-span about the history of the senate. i want to start with where the senate sits in society today. what role does it have and what role should it have? >> the senate has always in the history of our country had a role in what goes on going back

to the early days of this republic. it is probably more visible to everyone now because of having to be on the senate floor. prior to that it was all done with journalists and now it is done by senators themselves and their staff who can do a easier job of putting information out that they used to be able to. >> what is the function of the senate? what you people think about why it matters to their lives? >> think most people don't think about it that much. and i think the way government operates on a state level, and national level, unless you are closely involved, people just don't pay that much attention to it. >> should they? is it significant? >> i don't think so. i think people have a ways of

understanding of how the senate works, we learn that at school. but as far as watching it every day, there are some people who do that, i'm aware that, but i think that people will watch it, when it is important to them. and there are issues that come up that are important and and they watch it very closely at that time. otherwise, i don't think people watch at that closely. >> you spent most of your adult life in this institution and you will be leaving here soon after a long career. how different is it that this body from when you first arrived 30 years ago? >> i served in the house of representative's before and prior to that i with a police officer in the capital when i went to law school. i had a job also in the post office while he was going to law school. and things have changed a great

deal. and a lot of it is not anything that is done purposely, it is just that times change. when i was a police officer here, we do not have to worry about it so much. i carried a gun, it was loaded, but we got help from police downtown. the security was not very much. and when i came back to the house, it had improved, but it wasn't much. when i first came back to the house, 1982, you could drive through all of the driveways in the capital. none of the barriers were up, but as time has moved on, and terrorism has become an awful thing, it is now a close campus.

it reminds me of when my boys went to an ivy league school and it was like you step off campus, it was like a war zone. and i could not describe this as a war zone, though you have people write out here with an assault rifle, walk and you can see them, people on the roof that if they're not there, they can be there just like that. when i was a police officer here in 1980 -- i'm sorry, going back to the 60's, we do not have any of that stuff. none of that at all. now we have one of the finest trained police departments in the world. we have bomb squads, everything. we have swat teams. that was not the way it used to be. and i can remember being a police officer at desks here.

people would stand around, he would talk, there wasn't much going on. in a of security. but now that is everything. everyone is checked coming into this building. senators and everyone else. so as far as the senate itself has changed a great deal, a lot of rule changes have taken place that have made it different than it was and the chairman don't have the power they used to have. the vice president is much more powerful than he or she used to be, and i've seen changes take place. and i accept the changes. there is no need to talk about the good old days because the good old days if you analyze them closely were not so good after all. >> just different.

>> yeah, just much different. >> let me parse those descriptions, starting with security. how has it affected your relationship with the public? back in the 80's and 90's, this place was more accessible for people wanting to connect with their senators or representatives. now it is an ordeal to get in here and the bit -- the visitor center, has that affected your connection with the public? >> one thing i feel good about is my work dealing with the accessibility of visitors to come here. i was very fortunate when i first came to the senate, having been a police officer i would stand on this -- i was just listening to music. and i can remember i would stand

near the present pro tem of the senate, he was how old, he was old. he would come in in a wheelchair and listen to music. it was always -- but i was always disturbed about how unsightly the east front of the capital was. cars parked all over, it was asphalt. so i had that in my mind when i came to the senate, and fortunately i was put on the preparations committee and i became the chair of the legislative branch, which is a position that a lot of people don't think much of, but i was so happy because i had the ability to do something about the ugliness of the surrounding of the capital. and i proceeded to get the cars off, they were all out there. it was just asphalt.

and it was hard, but we prevailed. i got senator byrd, who was so well known here as a person who loves the institution of the senate, he joined with me. and we were able to start getting something done. we got the cars off. and even though i thought we should have done it ourselves, we established a private sector to help finance making this a pretty place. and it was just going so slowly. i thought it was a government function and we should do it. and especially at that time, we had already had some problems

with terrorist attacks, none of which worked very well, but at least as we should have been, and then what happened, two valiant police officers were assassinated on what we call the memorial -- it is called that because it is a memorial to them. and that was the beginning of doing something i've been trying to do since i was a police officer emma watson concerts. and that is take everything off the east front and put beautiful pavers, skylights, and even though you can't see it from the top, the visitor center is so wonderful. paid for by the taxpayers. it is really an engineering feat. everything for the capital complex comes through,

underneath everything, and i don't know how long it is. three quarters of a mile, a long tunnel, we bring everything in here, picture there are no bombs. stuff is taken out the same way and we have as much underground now as you can see above ground. we have down there now a beautiful called emancipation hall, because slaves built this capital. slaves. 90% of everything done here was with slaves. we have meeting rooms, we have bathrooms that were one of my pet peeves, we had no place for people to go to the bathroom here. we have places for people to eat, everything is changed. that is one thing i feel good about. i had quite a bit to do with it. >> talking at a time when the

restoration of the dome has just finished, and when you're driving up and you see the newly restored dome, what does that say to you? >> it probably says on the different to me than to you, but for me, with the background that i have to be a senator and a leader of the democrats for as long as i have, it makes me feel good about our country. because if someone like me, harry reid, could succeed in america, anybody could. >> i wanted to ask you about that with regard to how the senate may be changing. if someone spends a little time online and sees your personal story, it is quite an impressive and i will use a rags to riches story, you pulled yourself up by your bootstraps from early beginnings to get here and be the majority leader of the senate for as long as you were. and now as the minority leader,

is that possible in america still, or has the senate changed that it is more the purview of the elite in society? >> it hurts me to say this, it really does. but with what the supreme court did in january of 2010, they allowed this awful citizens united case against the people of america, because right now every senate seat is up for sale. i'm worried about america becoming a country which is ruled by oligarchs. five or six families that have all the wealth, they have somebody in washington, a president, but say like trump, who likes russia and once

america to be more like russia. so in the races we have just completed, we are doing this interview and in late november, this will run sometime next year, i got that, but with the election just completed, there is not a single senate seat that money did not determine what happened in the outcome. that is not the way it used to be. and it hasn't been that long ago that he did not used to be that way. we have, you know, mark from alaska was elected to the senate and did really a good job, as good as anyone, a successful business person, but he does not have -- that is what the senate used to be about. but right now, you have to either be wealthy or have the

code brothers -- koch brothers or someone supporting you because it takes huge amounts of money, all of the money for these elections is hidden. you can be the best journalists in the world, and they do not know where this came from. they don't know how all of these phony names of citizens for a better world, all of these phony names, but most of the money comes from just a few people. >> following up on another aspect of your conversation about your life, so people can understand the role of this institution, what is the essential difference between the house and the senate? >> having served in both, there is a clear difference. we all know the founding fathers had a real struggle getting the constitution adopted. and part of the constitution

that led to the ability to have the colonies sign off on it is called the great compromise. it was a great compromise. one of the delegates to the convention came up with an idea. because if you have a house which is people are elected for two year terms, no one in the house of representatives has ever been served by appointment, resigned, you die, whatever reason you leave, there will be an election to fill your c. the senate was different. the decision was made that the house would be determined on basis of population only and the senate wouldn't. every state would have the same number of delegates. the same number of representatives to congress. the same number of senators. and that, without elaborating, was a great compromise.

and it has worked quite well. the house is really closer to the people than the senate, because they run every two years. and i repeat, no one can hustle them to get appointed, because there are no appointments. the senate is different. we have had appointments of spouses of senators who resigned, die, whatever the case may be. we have had -- and for many decades, senators were chosen by the house, by the legislature in the state from which they came. we know all about that because nevada became the state during the civil war, 1864, and for the first many decades, most of the senators or from california. they were rich, they have made

their money in mining in nevada and even though they said it they were from nevada they were not. but the legislature was lobbied through whatever means available, so nevada was represented i california for a long time. so that is changed. early part of the 20 century, we start electing them by popular vote. so house and senate are different. the way i have seen the summit change over the years that i've been here and watched the senate , it changing dramatically. procedure was developed to stop endless debate. it is called the cloture rule.

and it was done basically to figure out some way to shut people up. and it has worked quite well. it has had a number of ways you can have it invoked, it is changed, the number of votes and is taken has changed. but always it was used in this -- i don't want to do anything, in a non-politically correct way, but in a gentleman's way. i know that is the improper term now. but it was done very rarely. the filibuster did not come very often. the civil rights movement. big issues like that. but now, since the last 10 years, basically republicans have used it for everything. everything. i will give you an example. we can debate lyndon johnson's

term as majority leader. we know how long he served. and we can discuss and analyze how many filibusters he had to overcome. most people say one or two. during my first six years as the majority leader, more than 500. the senate has become in many senses inoperable. i love the senate, i don't want in any way to take away from what a great institution it is and will continue to be, but it's going to change because you cannot operate a government that way. american people have to deal with the fact that a democracy takes 60 out of 100 votes. that does not sound like democracy to anyone. so in recent years for example, the explosive issue of guns.

dianne feinstein offered an employment to limit the ability to purchase assault weapons. there was no filibuster there, none. had a vote, she won. she got more than 50 votes. clarence thomas who's been a very controversial figure on the supreme court, when he came here for a vote, there was no filibuster. democrats were way in charge. we had a lot of extra votes. we didn't filibuster anything. he got 52 votes, as i recall. but things are changing. that will never -- unless things change dramatically, that won't happen anymore and the republicans have carried this to such extremes. the second most important court in the land is called the d.c. circuit and we had four or five

vacancies we couldn't fill because they kept filibustering it. we didn't have enough votes to get to 60. we had about 100 vacancies in the court plus the d.c. circuit. trying to get rid of the national labor relations board and we couldn't get anybody to approve those spots so it's changed. a couple of years ago, we approved 98 judges, including filling the d.c. circuit as is should have been and saved the labor relations board so that precedent has been set so it's up to the republicans now, they're in control here, to see what they want to do with the senate. it's not up to the democrats. it's up to the republicans, because it's possible -- and hope it doesn't come to be

quickly -- but it's possible the senate could wind up just like the house. you could change first on nominations and then on basic legislation. if that happened the senate would be just like the house. the salvation to the country, of course, it's a bicamera legislature and what happens the pass and passes the senate must get the purview, review and the votes of the other body. so it's not the end of the world but would make things a lot different than it ever has been in a long, long, long time. so i hope that people of goodwill can continue to try to work in a way that's good for america, good for this institution but if they don't, our democracy is not 60 out of 100. democracy is a majority, a real majority. >> with the democratic caucus

here being the only real voice for your side in the debate right now with the republicans having the house, the senate and the white house, did the change in that rule lessen their voice? i mean, they have not lessened tactics? >> the voice is not lessened at all except the rule is now on the senate that you don't need a majority on every nomination that comes forward. you still need 60 votes on the supreme court justice. so no, i don't think it's necessarily weakened their ability to get things done and it's up to republicans to work with democrats so that democrats don't have to try to stop everything. >> want to talk about, in a general sense, the role of majority and minority leader. i saw a story about your tenure and a long-time aide of yours, jim mannly, described how you

used to walk around the senate with a notepad in your pocket and when senators would ask you something, you'd jot it down and would follow up and in many ways that was one of the symbols or techniques that made you a much beloved as a leader. those were his words. i wonder how you interacted with them and what powers you had as a majority leader to get members of your conference to do things that you needed them to do as a group? >> when one is elected leader at the beginning of a senate, that's what it is. there are instances but they're extremely rare of someone who's a leader who changes midstream. all i can remember in recent history is when trent lott was the republican leader and he said something that democrats didn't like and republicans didn't like it, either but i think they were looking for an

excuse to get rid of him and i'd say to trent lott, the best person i had to work with as a leader of the other side. he was just the best. so having said that, each leader is different. i've had -- bob dole, different than robert byrd and through the whole list of everybody, i'm different. and i recognize that. chuck schumer, my replacement, can't be like me. he's a different person so he'll have to be chuck schumer and i know he will be but i have great respect for everybody i've worked with. mitch mcconnell, who is my counter part as we speak, has been different to work with than some of the others. he has a different personality. but i don't dislike him in any sense of the word. he has a job to do and he does it to the best of his ability.

a lot of this job is like any other job. people don't have to like you. the manager of the nationals, wonderful guy, from nevada, by the way, but word got out that his players weren't playing as hard for him, didn't respect him, all that kind of stuff. whether it's true or false, i don't know. but he was dumped and being the manager of a baseball team is not much different than being the manager of a bunch of senators here. if they don't like you, they'll find a way to get rid of you. >> what's the key to being good at that job? >> i think anything i've done in my career which goes back quite a long time in elected office, it's been more than 50 years,

but during that period of time i really felt i had a good deal because until 1982 when i came to the house, they were all part-time jobs and i had a business to do. i was a lawyer. so i saw both the private sector and the public sector but i can go back to when i was president of my high school student body. it's no different than the job i have now. you get elected, people elect you, kind of because they like you and that's how i got elected here. they liked me, i guess. so you just want to make sure they continue liking you and how that comes to be, i don't know. i just try to treat people the way i'd like them to treat me and so far it's worked out ok. >> i want to talk to you about the experience of the senate floor because we'll be able to show that to people in our documentary. the senate has been referred to throughout our history as the world's greatest deliberative body. is it, in fact?

>> that's interesting. i know that i didn't get my leadership here in the senate for these many years, going back a long time, because of my -- how handsome i am or how articulate i am. and other attributes that people think you have to have. i recognize that. and also i obtained the positions i've had based on other things. i understand who i am and what strengths i have and what weaknesses i have. but like i've told young men and women who are asking me, what's the best thing -- what's your best attribute to become a senator, whatever -- hard work. i think that's the number one thing no matter what you do. whether you're the president of a high school student body or

whether you're city attorney of henderson, nevada, whatever it might be. i think people respect someone who is willing to do their share of the hard work and so that's how i feel about it. you're going to go back and look at some of my speeches on the senate floor and i appreciate that. i hope i had a decent message. i hope they -- i try hard to have a good message always, recognizing that i don't want to be referred to as the new williams jennings bryant or anything like that but that's ok. i have been able to handle that just fine. >> when you're in the chamber, do you have a sense of history? >> the answer is, a few times in my career i've really felt that. not always because like everything in life, it becomes fairly habit. but civil times i felt it so

significantly, i became the whip, second assistant leader, whip, whatever you want to call me at the time. and i've never sat up front like that. and there was tom daschle right here, i could reach out and touch him and here i am and there is the impeachment of bill clinton going on right in front of me. i felt so uncomfortable. so i felt it at that time. here i am on the most significant historical things in the history of the country is taking place in front of me. i felt it on election night. we, as democrats, had come from nowhere. i've made some bold moves and i asked a relatively new senator from new york, chuck schumer, to

be the head of the democratic campaign committee and he i worked together and we were -- election night -- no one thought she could win, claire mccaskill, missouri, heavily republican state, and she's won. people talk about it now. those around us there where she was on the screen and i walked up and kissed her right on the lips. so i felt the importance of the senate at that time because of that one election. no one thought we could do that. we became, out of nowhere, and i became majority leader so there were times i felt the importance of the senate. there are many times i could drive to work. that way when you go home, it's behind you. but drive to work. look up at the capitol. used to be, one of my duties as a police officer, cranking up

the flags. but now hundreds of them were distributed to people every day, flags flown over the capitol and there's a flag and i'm part of that capitol so i feel that on occasion. >> are there some special spaces in this building that are quiet places of reflection for you? >> for me, i have -- i know this building so well because i worked here as a policeman. so i know places that i used to go study. i can remember once, i worked the swing shift, 3:00 to 11:00, whatever it was. and i see a man going home from work and at that time they hadn't done all the fancy work in the basement of the capitol and i see this man going home and he puts a key up on the door. that's where the key was he had

in his office. at that time it was like you walked in like a mine. it was dirt. they hadn't stucco'd the walls so that's where i used to go study where they couldn't find me. >> that's in the basement, subterranean basement. >> down by the crypt. i didn't look through his drawers or anything but it was a quiet place for me to study. [laughter] >> great story. in some of the grander spaces of the building, are there places you take people to that for you symbolize -- >> we always used to like to go up to the top of the capitol, a wonderful experience. if you're a senator, you have the right to take somebody up there. but i haven't done that lately. frankly i have been too busy. >> it is a busy job. our time is running out. i guess in order to close this

up and your thoughts about history, i wanted to ask you 40-plus years of your life has been here in this institution, this house and the senate. when you leave for the last time, that's what going to be like for you? what will you miss the most about being part of this institution? >> i've made the decision with my wife and family, i'm not going to live in the past. i'm going to live in the future. i don't know for sure yet what i'm going to be doing but i'm keeping my home here, going to spend much more of my time in nevada. but i'm not going to try to be telling senator schumer what to do. i mean, he and i have talked over the last many years several times a day. iris, his wife, and my wife, they know we spend more time with each other than we do with them but that's going to end.

i chalk it up to great experience and i'm going to let senator schumer do his best. he has questions, he can call me, but i'm not going to be calling him. >> what will you miss the most? >> what will i miss the most? i know what i'll miss the most, being part of having an opinion that i can do something about. i'm still going to have an opinion. i won't be able to do much about it. the last many years, especially the last eight years, working with that good man in the white house, president obama, i have been able to offer an opinion, he listens to me, i think. >> and you'll miss being able to have an influence on the things you care about? >> oh, sure. >> thank you very much for giving us a half hour of your

time and your perspective on this institution and its role. >> former senate majority leader, harry reid, has died. the nevada democrat served five terms in the u.s. senate becoming the longest serving senator in the state's history. senator reid played a key role in getting president obama's affordable care act passed and signed into law. prior to becoming a senator, he was a member of the u.s. house of representatives from 1983 to 1987. he was 82 years old. [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2021] [captions performed by national captioning institute] announcer: c-span is your uncensored view of government funded by these television companies and more including spark light. >> the greatest town on earth is the place you call home. right now we're all facing our greatest challenge. that's why sparklight is working around the clock to keep you connected. we're doing our part so it's

easier to do yours. announcer: sparklight supports c-span as a public service along with these other providers, giving you a front row seat to democracy. announcer: next week on c-span. wednesday, the senate rules committee holds a hearing on the u.s. capitol police since the january 6 attack. live coverage begins at 10:00 a.m. eastern. thursday beginning at 7:00 a.m., we'll have coverage throughout the day marking the one-year anniversary of the attack. friday, the supreme court hears oral argument in two cases dealing with the biden administration's vaccine mandate for healthcare workers and the vaccine or test mandate for larger private companies. live coverage beginning at 10:00 a.m. both the house and senate return in january for the start of the second session of the 117th congress. the senate takes up the president's climate and social spending plan known as build

back better despite joe mansion's announced opposition to the bill. voting rights legislation is also going to be discussed which may require changing voting rules. watch these developments on c-span networks once congress returns or you can watch full coverage on c-span now, new mobile video app or head to c-span.org for the scheduling information or to screen videos live or on demand at any time. ♪ >> america is up to its neck in debt. >> we believe that one of the greatest -- of being american is we are striving to provide equal

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