Rebecca F., Sparks, Nevada

Rebecca F., a single mother of one, faced an unexplained delay in getting her tax return. My office helped her resolve the problem.

“I wasn’t getting my return back, and I had tried contacting the IRS multiple times. I couldn’t get an answer on what was causing the holdup. . . . I reached out to your office. . . . I really do feel like without the help, I could still be waiting.” 

Steve B., Reno, Nevada

When Steve B.’s mother passed away, the government incorrectly recorded her date of death, so Medicare did not cover her end-of-life benefits. My staff was able to resolve the mistake quickly.

“I gave [the office] all the information, and it was immediately straightened out—it was fantastic. You know, it was a great relief because I’d been working on that for a year, a year and a half. I went to a Medicare office twice . . . and nothing happened. I contacted the senator, and it just was solved—it was tremendous.” 

Allison K., Las Vegas, Nevada

Allison K. was pregnant and working for the federal government overseas when she learned that her baby’s medical condition meant she would need to return home to Las Vegas for his birth. In order for her to return to her job overseas, she had to get her newborn a passport, but services were difficult to obtain during the pandemic. My office was able to get her son a passport quickly.

“Someone suggested I reach out to my senator, so that they could expedite his application and have it ready for my flight in 20 days. A couple people from your office reached out and made sure we had the right name and application number. From the first contact to you to the day I had the passport, it all took only 7 days.” 

Northern Nevada International Center, Reno, Nevada

The Northern Nevada International Center, a nonprofit affiliated with the University of Nevada, Reno, wanted to secure PPP loans during the COVID-19 pandemic to help pay staff. Because of its complex financial status, the center struggled to find a PPP lender. The center reached out to my staff to help navigate the loan application process.

“The PPP loans we received allowed us to pay rent and employee salaries that were no longer going to be covered by grants. Without these funds, we would have had to let administrative staff go. With them, we were able to pivot to virtual programming.” 

Lorraine B., Lyon County, Nevada

Lorraine B., a veteran, applied for disability benefits from the Veterans Administration several times without receiving them. In addition, Medicare discontinued her coverage unexpectedly. My office helped her get back disability payments from the VA and reinstate her Medicare coverage.

“It means a great deal. It’s not only a matter of principle—I didn’t wish this disability on myself. Right is right.” 

Tim & Neldie C., Nye County, Nevada

Tim C. is a Nye County resident who was living in the Philippines when he got into an accident and had to travel to the United States for treatment. He needed his wife, Neldie, with him to help him recover, but she had to have a spousal visa to travel, and the pandemic was delaying services.

“We were told we had to apply online, and it would go back to the United States—and it would get back to us in the Philippines by God knows when. We knew it would be a nightmare. That is when I asked the senator to expedite the visa for us, and it was probably a good six months faster than it would’ve been. It made the world of difference.” 

Dana G., Las Vegas, Nevada

Dana G., the widow of a veteran, discovered that her benefits stopped because the Veterans Administration mistakenly believed she was deceased. When she could not get the VA to fix the problem, she reached out to my office, and we were able to quickly resolve her issue.

“It would have been so tightening to my budget if I hadn’t received that payment allotment. I still hadn’t received Social Security. It was a moment of panic. Having . . . your office respond that quickly was amazing. . . . I was dealing with people that cared. It felt like your office cared.” 

Elton C., Elko, Nevada

Elton C. received government benefits he was entitled to, but years later, the government agency contacted him saying it had overpaid him. After eight months of trying unsuccessfully to correct the government’s error, he reached out to my office. We ensured that the agency waived the repayment it had requested.

“The only reason things moved was because of Senator Cortez Masto’s office. [My case worker] followed up both by phone and mail—it was amazing. . . . He resolved the issue so quickly. I am not sure how this would have gotten resolved without his help.” 

Chris R., Sparks, Nevada

Chris R. spent two years waiting to obtain disability benefits from Social Security. He contacted Senator Cortez Masto’s office to find out what was holding up the process.

“I reached out to the office because nothing was happening with Social Security. And then, literally within 10 days of reaching out to your office, I heard back from Social Security saying they were working diligently to plan a hearing for me. . . . If I hadn’t received this help, it would have been devastating, because I hadn’t worked, and my wife and I raise our granddaughter together. Raising a child requires a lot of money, and so it was a huge relief.” 

Reno Ice, Reno, Nevada

When Reno Ice ran into problems securing temporary work visas for three German engineers needed to construct an Olympic-sized ice-skating rink, the company reached out to my office. My staff and I were able to secure the visas, ensuring construction of the rink was completed on time. Today, Reno Ice is booming, welcoming families and sports enthusiasts from all over Northern Nevada.

Meredith H., Las Vegas, Nevada

Meredith H. and her spouse needed their passports expedited for travel overseas. One of the passports was processed, but the couple was still waiting on the second when they decided to contact my office for help.

“We knew to reach out to our senator because of resources online that suggested contacting your representative. We reached out to your office, and within 24 hours, your office reached back out and informed us what was going to be done. It was a matter of two phone calls on our end, and the passport was overnighted within couple days. It was amazing.” 

Yerington Post Office, Yerington, Nevada

When the Yerington Post Office ran out of stamps right in the middle of the holiday season, my office and I secured a special transfer of stamps from Carson City. The stamps were immediately made available for Nevadans looking to ship their Christmas cards and packages.

School of the Arts at the University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada

The School of the Arts at UNR organized a concert involving a well-known Irish band. Less than a week before the performance, the band reported that it was having trouble getting visas to come to the United States. The special events manager at UNR, Shoshana Z., contacted my office for help with the visa issue, and my staff was able to quickly resolve it, allowing UNR to successfully reschedule the concert. UNR estimates that the concert generated $50,000 in event-related spending in the Reno area.

“For us, having Senator Cortez Masto’s office's assistance was quite significant. We are not for profit and raise all of the funds for the series through grants, donations, and ticket sales. If this performance had been canceled, we would have lost tens of thousands of dollars in ticket sales, marketing initiatives, and staff time.”