Summary
Harry Reid served as a U.S. Senator from Nevada for 30 years and as Senate Majority Leader from 2007 to 2015, making him one of the most powerful politicians in American history. His lasting contribution to UAP research is the creation of the modern U.S. government UAP research infrastructure. In 2007, operating largely in secret, he secured a $22 million appropriation for the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program (AAWSAP) at the Defense Intelligence Agency - the first formally funded Pentagon UAP research program in decades and the direct institutional predecessor to AATIP, the UAP Task Force, and AARO. Reid was motivated by a combination of national security concern, deep personal curiosity rooted in his Nevada background, and a relationship with aerospace businessman Robert Bigelow that dated back years. He died in December 2021 at age 82 from pancreatic cancer, but had grown increasingly vocal about UAP disclosure in his final years, expressing frustration that the government was withholding more than it should.
Roles
- -U.S. Senator (D-Nevada), 1987-2017
- -Senate Majority Leader, 2007-2015
- -Senate Minority Leader, 2005-2007 and 2015-2017
- -Architect of AAWSAP / AATIP funding
Organizations
Education
- -B.S. Political Science - Utah State University (1961)
- -J.D. - George Washington University Law School (1964)
Early Career
- -Practiced law in Henderson, Nevada following law school
- -Served as Henderson City Attorney and Nevada Gaming Commission Chairman
- -Elected to Nevada State Assembly; subsequently to Nevada Lieutenant Governor
- -Elected to U.S. House of Representatives (1983-1987) before Senate