Press Releases
Cortez Masto Announces First-Generation Intern Scholarship Recipient for Spring 2018
Keibi Mejia, Senator Catherine Cortez Masto's Spring 2018 First-Generation Intern Scholarship Recipient Washington, D.C. - Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement announcing Keibi Mejia, a junior at the University of Nevada, Reno majoring in Political Science and International Affairs, and a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient, as her office's Spring 2018 first-generation intern scholarship recipient. Keibi Mejia will work on behalf of the … Continue Reading
January 12, 2018
Cortez Masto Touts SMART Communities, Tech and Innovation Legislation at Consumer Electronics Show
Las Vegas, Nev. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) today attended the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and toured the exhibits, while discussing several bills she is leading in the Senate that would create more opportunities and resources for American cities to become SMART communities, encourage young women to pursue STEM careers, safely integrate critical Unmanned Aircraft Systems use and expand broadband access to urban and rural Nevada. These are part of her efforts in … Continue Reading
January 12, 2018
Cortez Masto Urges DHS to Reverse Decision to End TPS for El Salvador
Las Vegas, Nev. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined in a letter led by Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Nielsen urging DHS to reverse its decision to end Temporary Protection Status (TPS) designation for El Salvador. Earlier this week, DHS announced it would be ending TPS designation for the nearly 200,000 Salvadorans working and living under TPS protections in the United States today. Ending the TPS designation will not only … Continue Reading
January 11, 2018
Cortez Masto Calls for Hearing on Addressing Country’s Transportation, Infrastructure Challenges
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, sent a letter to Commerce Committee Chair John Thune (R-S.D.) and Ranking Member Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) requesting that the Committee hold a hearing on how smart cities and communities can effectively address our nation's transportation and infrastructure challenges. "According to the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), Americans spend an average of … Continue Reading
January 09, 2018
Cortez Masto to Co-Sponsor Net Neutrality Resolution
Washington, D.C. - Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and 38 other Senators to cosponsor a resolution of disapproval that overturns the anti-consumer regulations passed in December by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai and supported by President Donald Trump to end net neutrality. With this Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution, Democrats in the Senate are working to legislatively restore the 2015 FCC Open Internet … Continue Reading
January 09, 2018
Cortez Masto, Democratic Senators Condemn Trump Administration Offshore Drilling Reversal
Washington, D.C. - Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined three dozen U.S. Senators, led by Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), in sharply criticizing the Trump administration's decision to reopen offshore drilling leases three years ahead of schedule. This decision puts vast stretches of coastline along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts and in the Arctic at risk. "This draft proposal is an ill-advised effort to circumvent public and scientific input, and we object to sacrificing public … Continue Reading
January 08, 2018
Cortez Masto, Senators Urge Commerce Secretary to Reject DOJ Request to Include Citizenship Question in 2020 Census
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and four other senators sent a letter to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross calling on the Commerce Department to reject a Department of Justice (DOJ) request to include a question on citizenship in the 2020 Census. DOJ's request comes on the heels of reports that planning and preparations for the 2020 Census are significantly behind schedule and underfunded. The question on citizenship dramatically increases concerns about the … Continue Reading
January 08, 2018
Cortez Masto Condemns Trump Administration Decision to Revoke TPS for Salvadorans
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement condemning the Trump Administration's decision to revoke Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for families from El Salvador, which will eliminate their legal immigration status and expose them to deportation: "The more than 250,000 Salvadorans who came to the United States to flee a bloody civil war in the 1980's and dangerous living conditions following a catastrophic 2001 earthquake have spent their … Continue Reading
January 04, 2018
Cortez Masto Denounces DOJ’s New Misguided Marijuana Policy
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement denouncing Attorney General Jeff Sessions' decision to rescind the U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) Obama-era marijuana policy: "Attorney General Sessions says he is a headstrong advocate for states' rights. However, his decision giving free rein to federal prosecutors to target the cannabis industry in states where voters and legislatures have chosen to legalize and regulate the use of … Continue Reading
January 03, 2018
Cortez Masto Calls for Reform of Senate Ethics Committee Investigations on Sexual Harassment
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) sent a letter to U.S. Senate Select Committee on Ethics Chairman Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) and Ranking Member Chris Coons (D-Conn.), calling on the Committee to evaluate its practices and procedures to ensure that the investigative process for any sexual harassment allegation referred to the Committee is expeditious, transparent and thorough. Last year, a series of allegations brought a national spotlight to sexual misconduct, … Continue Reading
January 01, 2018
Cortez Masto Tours All Nevada Counties
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement after completing her tour of all 17 Nevada counties: "There is no better way to learn about issues that matter to Nevadans than to hear from them directly at events, town halls, roundtables, or even at a local grocery store. The stories I've heard and the people I've met all across Nevada are what drives me every single day, and I am honored to bring their voices to Washington. From fighting for … Continue Reading
December 22, 2017
Cortez Masto, Senators Urge Federal Agencies and Mortgage Lenders to Assist Hurricane Victims in Puerto Rico Ahead of Looming Foreclosure Crisis
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) led a bipartisan group of senators in a letter to the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac, urging them to help hurricane victims keep their homes as they rebuild and recover from Hurricane Maria's devastation. Puerto Rico is on track for a foreclosure crisis that could surpass the worst of the Las Vegas housing crisis nearly a decade ago, and Hurricane Maria has reportedly worsened delinquency in … Continue Reading
December 22, 2017
Cortez Masto Calls on Trump Administration to Develop Bipartisan Plan to Rebuild America’s Infrastructure
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) called on two members of the Trump administration, Gary Cohn, Director of the National Economic Council, and Elaine Chao, Secretary of Transportation, to work with Democrats to develop a bipartisan consensus on how best to invest in our nation's infrastructure. Cortez Masto wrote that fiscally responsible, pro-growth infrastructure investments are needed to grow Nevada's economy and improve Nevadans' quality of life. She … Continue Reading
December 21, 2017
Cortez Masto: Christmas Can Wait, No Deal Without Nevada’s Priorities
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement on tonight's vote on the continuing resolution in the Senate: "We have been telling Dreamers to sit back and be patient for over 16 years. For 16 years, we've been telling them to wait their turn. And then when the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program went into effect, we told Dreamers that if they gave the government all of their personal information and paid an annual fee, they would … Continue Reading
December 20, 2017
Cortez Masto Presses U.S. Forest Service on Greater Sage-Grouse Review
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and 12 other senators wrote a letter to U.S. Forest Service Chief Tony Tooke to request information about the agency's role in the Trump Administration's review of 2015 plans to protect the imperiled greater sage-grouse. In a Federal Register notice last month, the U.S. Forest Service signaled that the agency may be seeking potential changes to the 2015 plans. Because modifying the plans could have a significant economic impact … Continue Reading
December 19, 2017
Cortez Masto Rejects Scott Garrett’s Nomination to Head Ex-Im Bank
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, released the following statement on her vote earlier today against Scott Garrett's nomination to head the Export-Import (Ex-Im) Bank of the United States: "Today's bipartisan rebuke of Mr. Scott Garrett's nomination is indicative of how poor of a candidate he is to lead the Ex-Im Bank. Scott Garrett has vowed to eliminate the Bank and his record has … Continue Reading
December 18, 2017
Cortez Masto Applauds DHS for FEMA Winter Storm Grant
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) applauded the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for awarding a more than $1.4 million Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant to the Nevada Division of Emergency Management. "With a name that means 'snowy' in Spanish, Nevada is no stranger to winter storms, specifically throughout the Great Basin and at higher altitudes," said Senator Cortez Masto. "Snow storms can be dangerous, even life threatening. DHS's latest … Continue Reading
December 15, 2017
Cortez Masto on Passage of Bipartisan Bill Banning Egregious Form of Animal Abuse
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement after a bill she cosponsored, the bipartisan Prevent Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act, passed the Senate last night. The PACT Act seeks to outlaw a heinous deadly form of animal maiming and torture known as "crushing." It is the first-ever federal law to grant all animals federal protections against cruelty and abuse. "Any form of abuse against animals must be punishable by law, and I am … Continue Reading
December 15, 2017
Cortez Masto, Senators to Experian: Fix System to Allow Consumers with Credit Freezes to Easily Sign Up for ACA Health Care Plan
Las Vegas, Nev. - Following reports that some consumers with credit freezes are experiencing issues enrolling into a health care plan under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined a group of senators, led by U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai'i), in calling on credit reporting agency Experian to work quickly to resolve the issue in their system so that consumers can verify their identity online and to waive any fees for consumers who choose to … Continue Reading
December 15, 2017
Cortez Masto Applauds HUD Grants for Southern Nevada, Reno Housing Authorities
Las Vegas, Nev. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) applauded the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for awarding a $612,000 grant to the Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority (SNRHA) and a $99,765 grant to the Housing Authority of the City of Reno (RHA) for HUD's Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Program. The FSS Program empowers low-income families that receive public housing or Section 8 assistance with finding employment, pursuing personal and career goals, … Continue Reading
