Senate leaders mourn Inhofe’s son

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) offered condolences to his colleague Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla), whose son died Sunday in a plane crash.

“I extend my deepest condolences to the senior Senator from Oklahoma, Senator Inhofe, and his wife Kay on the loss of their son, Perry,” Reid said. “Flying aircrafts is in the blood of the Inhofe family.”

{mosads}Perry Inhofe, 52, died in a plane crash. His father, James Inhofe was also a pilot before becoming a senator.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Chaplain Barry Black also offered words of sympathy for the Inhofes.

“God comfort Senator and Miss. Inhofe as they grieve their son,” Black said at the end of his morning prayer.

Reid also warned that there might be weekend work in order to finish the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) before Thanksgiving.

This week the Senate is expected to work on the Drug Quality and Security Act, H.R. 3204, which aims to make compound drugs made in the United States safer. If the Senate uses the entire week to complete work on that bill, NDAA would receive only one week of debate before Thanksgiving.

“We must finish this legislation quickly, so we can wrap up consideration of the crucial Defense Authorization bill before Thanksgiving,” Reid said. “I put all Senators on notice: we will do whatever it takes to accomplish that, even if it means working weekends.”

Past NDAA bills have usually taken at least two weeks because so many amendments are typically considered.