Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid Tuesday questioned why presidential hopeful John McCain is not taking time from his campaign for Senate votes.

The Hill reported Tuesday that Reid, a Democrat, said McCain, the Republican presidential nominee, is not planning to attend the Senate's debate this week on the Department of Defense policy bill.

McCain is the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, which has jurisdiction over the legislation, Reid said.

"Right now the apparent head of the Republican Party is John McCain. John McCain is a member of the United States Senate. He's been absent as to his person and his leadership in the Senate," Reid said. "Does anyone ever hear Senator McCain offer an opinion on what should be done? Where is he on the defense authorization bill? Not a word have we heard from this so-called leader of the Republican Party."

Reid also criticized McCain for missing the Senate's recent energy and housing debates.

"John McCain talks about changing Washington, which is good for him, but he's done nothing to change what's happened to this country over the last eight years," Reid said.