Reid mourns the loss of Hoffman to heroin overdose

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) marked the death of actor, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, from a heroin overdose.

“The headlines the last couple days have been the death of one of the greatest actors of our time in my opinion, Phillip Seymour Hoffman,” Reid said on the Senate flood Tuesday. “He of course as we know died of a drug overdose.”

{mosads}Hoffman was found dead in his Manhattan apartment over the weekend. Police found envelopes of heroin and used needles in the apartment.

Reid said he wanted to make his remarks while Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) was on the floor because the current governor of Vermont’s State of the State address focused on the “scourge” of heroin addiction.

“The governor of Vermont was very visionary in directing his State of the State to the scourge that is sweeping the nation and that is heroin addiction,” Reid said. “I say to my friend from Vermont, make sure you tell the governor I can’t think of a better word than visionary to describe his remarks.”

Leahy said he would not only relay Reid’s remarks, but he would use his position as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee to hold hearings on the topic.