Former Senator Harry Reid Dead at 82: Possible Cause of Death Revealed
Harry Reid, the US Senate majority leader, has died on Tuesday. He was 82.
Multiple news outlets received the shocking news about Reid's passing from his wife of 62 years, Landra Reid, Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak, and the current Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer.
Reid's wife revealed that the former amateur boxer passed away in their home in Henderson, Nevada.
Landra penned a statement to confirm the news. She did not disclose Harry Reid's cause of death, but his untimely passing came four years after learning he had pancreatic cancer.
"We greatly appreciate the outpouring of support from so many over these past few years," Landra said. "We are especially grateful for the doctors and nurses that cared for him. Please know that meant the world to him."
Pancreatic cancer is one of the few types of dreaded diseases with the lowest survival rates. In 2018, Reid underwent surgery to remove a tumor from his pancreas. At that time, his family revealed that the politician's doctors detected the problem during a routine screening.
His surgeons also said the surgery was a success and the prognosis for his recovery was ideal. After the procedure, he underwent chemotherapy to fully survive cancer.
Former Colleagues Paid Tribute to Harry Reid
Following the announcement of his passing, several politicians and icons paid tribute to him and thanked him for being a guide when he was still alive.
Former POTUS Barack Obama said, "I wouldn't have been president had it not been for your encouragement and support, and I wouldn't have got most of what I got done without your skill and determination."
"Harry looked at the challenges of the world and believed it was within our capacity to do good, to do right, and to do our part of perfecting the Union we all love," President Joe Biden said, calling Reid "a dear friend and a giant of history."
For three decades, he famously fought to protect his home state and Americans. He first served the government as a Representative in 1983 before finding his way to the Senate in 1986. Following the 2004 election, he became their democratic leader.
Reid also became highly interested in UFOs, especially since he came from the home of Area 51. In 2007, he secured the funding for a Pentagon program, the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program, that investigated reports of UFOs and related events. It no longer exists as of the press time, but the US government continues to study UFOs.