Harry Reid Holds First Press Conference Since Exercising Accident

Harry Reid / Twitter(WASHINGTON) — Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid appeared before cameras for the first time on Thursday since his exercising accident nearly three weeks ago and since Democrats transitioned into the minority.

Sitting at a table with cameras surrounding him, Reid’s right eye was patched up with bandage tape and a dark red bruise lined his right jaw and chin. Reid, 75, explained the injury sustained in his eye and the surgery doctors will perform on Monday to try and repair his vision.

“I have some bones broken around my eye, and on Monday as I understand it, we’re going to fix that,” Reid, D-Nev., said as he showed reporters which bones on his face were broken. “It’s been pushed in against my eye, and we’re going to move that back out. Because of the injury, there’s blood in the front and back part of my eye.”

For the time being, Reid has lost vision in his right eye, but doctors hope the surgery on Monday will partially restore vision, if not fully restore it.

“I met with one of the doctors yesterday and he felt extremely confident I would be fine,” Reid said.

During his recovery, Reid has kept up with one of his favorite topics — sports. He said he’s thrilled about the Washington Nationals acquiring new pitcher Max Scherzer, and even weighed in on “deflate-gate,” saying the NFL should regulate how much air is placed in a football.

“I can’t believe the National Football League with the billions of dollars they make couldn’t at least determine how much air should be in a football,” he said. “I don’t know why it should be left up to the teams.”

Doctors have advised Reid not to strain his eyes, so he’s turned to audio books for enjoyment in his personal time. The minority leader said he also holds staff meetings at his home, has spent time with his daughter, and is even back to doing easy exercise, like walking.

“I’m exercising again. There are things I can’t do dealing with strength stuff because I can’t be straining but I’m walking a long time,” he said. “I’ve worked up now where I’m out walking for an hour.”

Reid noted he received a phone call from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following his injury. He said he was not consulted by House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on inviting him to address a joint session of Congress, but he welcomed the invitation.

“He’s a leader of a country and he’s going to come and give a speech to a joint session of Congress and we’re going to listen to what he has to say,” he said.

Reid stressed the need for Congress to authorize funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which is set to expire next month.

“We now are facing the question here in the United States as to whether we are going to fund Homeland Security. I think this is just so out of line,” Reid said. “We should put a bill on the president’s desk as soon as possible that’s clean.”

And when asked whether his injury has impacted his plans to run for re-election to the Senate in 2016, Reid repeatedly said, “No. At this stage, I’m fully intending to run.”

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