Press Releases
Cortez Masto, Colleagues Urge the Department of Justice to Protect Voting Rights of Native Americans
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ranking Member on the Senate Rules Committee, Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Ranking Member on the Committee on Indian Affairs, Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) in sending a letter urging the Department of Justice (DOJ) to protect the voting rights of Native Americans by continuing its work to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act in all states and tribal communities, especially … Continue Reading
May 16, 2018
Cortez Masto Statement on Passage of CRA to Preserve Net Neutrality Protections
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement on the passage of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to reinstate Net Neutrality protections in the Senate after it was repealed by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai in December of last year. Cortez Masto delivered remarks on the Senate floor last week in defense of Net Neutrality, advocating for the state's small businesses and Nevada's leadership in technology and innovation through her Innovation State … Continue Reading
May 16, 2018
Cortez Masto Urges FTC to Protect Consumers from Potential Misuse of AI Technology
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) sent a letter to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman Joseph Simons, urging the Commission to make protecting consumers from potential abuses of Artificial Intelligence (AI) a top priority. The newly unveiled Google Duplex, which made headlines for uncannily mimicking a human voice, has raised concerns for potential misuse by bad actors. With the rapid advancement of AI technology, Cortez Masto is calling on the FTC to work … Continue Reading
May 16, 2018
Cortez Masto Statement on Haspel Nomination
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement announcing her vote on Gina Haspel, President Trump's nominee for Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (C.I.A.): "Gina Haspel chose to be an accessory to the C.I.A.'s illegal and unconstitutional torture regime, supporting waterboarding, and the outright humiliation of prisoners in Abu Ghraib prison. Her complicity darkened the light of America's legal system and rule of law to the entire … Continue Reading
May 15, 2018
Cortez Masto, Scott Introduce Legislation to Expand Banking Services to Underbanked Communities
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.) today introduced the Making Online Banking Initiation Legal and Easy (MOBILE) Act, legislation that will allow consumers to open a bank account online using a copy of the individual's driver's license or personal identification card. An estimated 68 million people in the U.S. are currently unbanked or underbanked. U.S. Senator David Perdue (R-Ga.) also cosponsored the legislation. "The MOBILE Act is a … Continue Reading
May 15, 2018
Cortez Masto, Capito Introduce Legislation to Stop Fraudulent Substance Treatment Programs
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) today introduced the Opioid Addiction Recovery Fraud Prevention Act of 2018. The bipartisan bill would hold fraudulent substance abuse treatment programs and recovery centers accountable by empowering the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and state attorneys general to bring enforcement actions to combat such scams. The growing opioid epidemic has led to an increase of unlawful, deceptive … Continue Reading
May 15, 2018
Cortez Masto Joins More than Two Hundred Members of Congress Opposing a Title X Domestic Gag Rule
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined in a letter led by Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), and Representatives Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.), Nita M. Lowey (D-N.Y.), Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) and Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) to Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar, expressing opposition to the implementation of a domestic gag rule on Title X, the only federal grant program solely dedicated to family planning and … Continue Reading
May 15, 2018
Cortez Masto Cosponsors Resolution Designating National Police Week
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement announcing her cosponsorship of a resolution recognizing National Police Week 2018, which began on Sunday, May 13th and concludes on Saturday, May 19th. Chad Parque and Charleston Hartfield, Nevada police officers who were killed in the line of duty last year, are named in the resolution. "Nevada's police officers work tirelessly to make sure our communities are safe and secure. When I served as … Continue Reading
May 14, 2018
Cortez Masto Urges FCC to Address Shortage of Broadband Connectivity for Rural Health Care Providers
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) in urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to increase the funding cap for a program aimed at improving the quality of health care available to patients in rural areas. In a letter to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, the senators highlight the need to strengthen the Rural Health Care (RHC) Program to address the shortage of broadband connectivity for rural health care providers. The … Continue Reading
May 14, 2018
Cortez Masto Statement on Supreme Court Ruling to Open Door for Legalized Sports Betting
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement in response to the Supreme Court's ruling striking down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), a law that had prohibited sports betting outside Nevada: "In Nevada, we know better than anyone that sports betting that is regulated responsibly and efficiently can be a great source of revenue for boosting local economies. I look forward to working with industry leaders, … Continue Reading
May 11, 2018
Cortez Masto Applauds HHS Grant to Support Early Education in Nevada’s Tribal Communities
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement applauding the Department of Health and Human Services for awarding $2,174,787 to the Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada (ITCN) in support of their Office for Children and Families and the National American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Program. "The Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada has been serving Nevada's tribal communities for more than 50 years. With ten Head Start Centers located throughout … Continue Reading
May 10, 2018
Cortez Masto Protects Over $181 Million in Funding for Flood Control in Northern Nevada
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) today applauded Chairman John Barasso (R-Wyo.) and Ranking Member Tom Carper (D-Del.) of the Senate Environmental and Public Works Committee for approving her request to add a provision to the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2018 that would protect federal funding for critical flood control projects in the Truckee Meadows. "Flooding in Northern Nevada is a threat to residents every spring. Just last year, we saw … Continue Reading
May 10, 2018
Cortez Masto, Colleagues Call on Mulvaney to Turn Over Meeting Records After ‘Pay to Play’ Comments
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) - ranking member of Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee - and 20 Senate colleagues in sending a letter to Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney to request documents related to his scheduling policies at OMB and CFPB since his Senate confirmation in early 2017 for public review to determine if he has continued the 'pay to play' policy while serving in the Trump … Continue Reading
May 10, 2018
Cortez Masto, Schumer: We Will Ensure Yucca Remains Dead on Arrival
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Senate Democratic Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) released the following joint statement after the House of Representative passed legislation to restart the Yucca Mountain project: "The House bill to revive Yucca Mountain is dead on arrival. Yucca is a massive waste of taxpayer dollars to the tune of $15 billion. Now, the House has voted to waste another $82 billion. We will continue to make sure that any effort to restart … Continue Reading
May 09, 2018
Cortez Masto Commends National Endowment for the Arts Grant Funding for Nevada
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement commending the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) fiscal year 2018 grant funding for Nevada. "I am pleased that several performance arts centers, art exhibits and arts education programs in Nevada will be receiving financial resources so they can continue making an impact in our local communities," said Cortez Masto. "I commend the National Endowment for the Arts for their support and their … Continue Reading
May 09, 2018
Cortez Masto: Nevadans Can’t Afford Repeal of Net Neutrality
"Chairman Pai's misguided decision threatens to change the Internet as we know it." Watch HERE. FTPs for T.V. stations are available here. Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) today spoke on the Senate floor in support of Net Neutrality. She urged her colleagues to vote in favor of a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to overturn the Federal Communications Commission's decision to repeal Net Neutrality. Her remarks as prepared for delivery are below: I … Continue Reading
May 09, 2018
Cortez Masto Applauds the Selection of the City of Reno and Flirtey for Competitive DOT Program
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, released the following statement congratulating the City of Reno and Flirtey, a Reno-based drone delivery startup, for being selected to participate in the highly competitive Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Integration Pilot Program. Senator Cortez Masto toured Flirtey's manufacturing facility this past August and has … Continue Reading
May 09, 2018
Cortez Masto, Ernst Introduce Bill to Prepare U.S. for Advances in Artificial Intelligence Technology
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, and Joni Ernst (R-IA), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee, today introduced bipartisan legislation to spur much needed attention to maintaining America's competitiveness in artificial intelligence (AI), in support of U.S. national security and economic interests, as well as to maintain a competitive advantage … Continue Reading
May 08, 2018
Cortez Masto: Trump’s Decision Emboldens Iran & Isolates America
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement after President Donald J. Trump announced that he is withdrawing the United States from the Iran Nuclear Deal. "President Trump's reckless actions today ignore the advice of Defense Secretary Mattis and his military leaders. Trump's decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal and re-impose sanctions against Iran destroys America's credibility, strengthens Iran and it's most dangerous leaders, … Continue Reading
May 08, 2018
Cortez Masto Statement on Lawsuit Against HUD’s Suspension of Fair Housing Rule
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement in response to the National Fair Housing Alliance's lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's suspension of an Obama-era anti-discrimination rule: "In January, Secretary Ben Carson abruptly suspended the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule with no alternative proposals, no timeline for public input and no regard for the well-being of millions of Americans … Continue Reading