Press Releases
Cortez Masto Applauds DOT Public Transportation Grant for Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation
Las Vegas, Nev. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) applauded the U.S. Department of Transportation for awarding a $200,000 grant to the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation. The community will use the grant to establish the first tribal public transit system in the area in order to connect residents with healthcare, education, and other necessary services in and around the reservation. "Living in remote, rural areas should not prevent Nevadans from … Continue Reading
December 14, 2017
Cortez Masto, Udall, Murkowski Bill Would Restore Tribal Jurisdiction Over Domestic Violence Incidents on Tribal Land to Children and Law Enforcement
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) introduced the bipartisan Native Youth and Tribal Officer Protection Act (NYTOPA) to build on the Tribal jurisdiction provisions in the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (VAWA 2013) by extending protections to children and law enforcement personnel involved in domestic violence incidents on Tribal lands. The bill also will enhance federal coordination of victim … Continue Reading
December 14, 2017
Cortez Masto: Proposed Cuts to EPA Threaten Public Health
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined in a letter led by Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) to push back on proposed cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) budget that would threaten public health and the environment. "The Trump Administration has made dismantling the EPA a core mission. We urge you to oppose any legislation that advances that goal by further cutting the EPA's already decimated funding levels," the Senators wrote. "Because of these … Continue Reading
December 14, 2017
Cortez Masto: Repeal of Net Neutrality Rules Will Hurt Nevadans
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement concerning the Federal Communication Commission's vote to repeal Obama-era net neutrality rules: "Despite my calls to cancel today's vote, the FCC has now granted permission to internet service providers to play favorites with customers who can afford to pay more while leaving others behind. Without net neutrality protections, Nevada's schools, libraries, first responders, rural communities, and … Continue Reading
December 14, 2017
Cortez Masto, Online Community Participate in Website Blackout in Support of Dreamers
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement after Wednesday's digital day of action and website blackout in support of Dreamers. Cortez Masto organized the day of action to bring attention to Dreamers who are losing DACA and face deportation, and for Congress to urgently pass the Dream Act before the end of the year: "Each day that Congress fails to protect Dreamers, 122 more young individuals get their DACA protections taken away from … Continue Reading
December 13, 2017
Cortez Masto: Republican Tax Plan Fails to Consider Concerns of Indian Country
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), a member of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, released the following statement today in anticipation of the conference report on the Republican tax legislation: "I am disappointed with Congressional Republican leadership and the Trump Administration for moving forward with a plan that would target the most vulnerable people in our communities and raise taxes on Nevada's working … Continue Reading
December 12, 2017
Cortez Masto: Congress Must Act Now to Protect Dreamers from Deportation
"We cannot turn our backs on Dreamers. We must embrace them. They are living examples of what America stands for as a nation built through the sweat and hard work of generations of immigrants." "Blue jeans, hamburgers, ketchup, YouTube, Google, Apple. Even America's best idea-our national parks. These are iconic American inventions, and yet they were all created, in whole or in part, by immigrants." "We must pass the Dream Act before the end of the year." Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator … Continue Reading
December 12, 2017
Cortez Masto Announces Website Blackout in Support of Dreamers
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) today announced that, tomorrow, December 13th, she will black out her website with a message of support for Dreamers for three hours, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. E.T. Members of the Senate Democratic Caucus will also demonstrate their solidarity with Dreamers throughout the day. "Three months ago, President Trump rescinded the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The damage is already being felt for Dreamers … Continue Reading
December 12, 2017
Cortez Masto Joins Letter Urging FCC Chairman Pai to Postpone Vote on Repeal of Net Neutrality Protections
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), joined a letter, led by U.S. Senator Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), urging Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai to postpone the vote to repeal pro-consumer net neutrality protections. If approved, the repeal will place internet service providers back in complete control of their networks' management, allowing them to potentially discriminate access to content, which would be a departure from a truly free and open … Continue Reading
December 11, 2017
Cortez Masto Hosts Fifth Mentorship Initiative Meeting with Native American Congressional Staffers
Washington, D.C. - On Friday, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) hosted a meeting with Native American staffers focused on overcoming barriers to greater diversity in congressional offices. This meeting was the fifth installment of Cortez Masto's Cafecito Con Catherine mentorship series, an initiative dedicated to empowering people from minority backgrounds who work on Capitol Hill. Cortez Masto has previously met with Latina, Asian American and Pacific Islander, African American, … Continue Reading
December 11, 2017
Cortez Masto Joins First Responders, Volunteers at El Sol Toy Drive
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) participated in the annual El Sol de Nevada Toy Drive on Saturday in Reno. At the event, the Senator joined first responders and fellow volunteers to distribute toys to children throughout northern Nevada. The El Sol Toy drive is held every year by El Sol de Nevada. "The holiday season reminds us of the importance of giving, especially to children and families in our communities who may need a helping hand," said Senator Cortez … Continue Reading
December 07, 2017
Cortez Masto Statement on Resignation of Senator Al Franken
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement after Senator Al Franken's announcement that he will resign: "I am extremely disappointed in Senator Franken. The experiences shared by the brave women who have come forward show a disturbing pattern of behavior. "Throughout my career as a prosecutor and Nevada's Attorney General, I've stood up to support survivors of sexual violence and misconduct. My time working with these survivors has shown … Continue Reading
December 06, 2017
Cortez Masto Testifies Before Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing to Ban Bump Stocks
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) today testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee to highlight the need to ban bump stocks from being sold to the public. Following the Las Vegas shooting on October 1st, Cortez Masto shed light on the human cost of the existing bump stocks loophole, and called on members of the Judiciary Committee to effectively ban these deadly devices. Below are her opening remarks as prepared for delivery: Chairman Grassley, Ranking … Continue Reading
December 06, 2017
Cortez Masto, Colleagues Call for Investigation of Botched FEMA Contracts for Hurricane Recovery Efforts in Puerto Rico
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined a group of senators led by U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) in calling for an investigation of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) decision, following the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria, to award over $30 million in contracts to Bronze Star LLC for temporary roofing materials in Puerto Rico that were never delivered. The hurricane caused billions of dollars in property damage, and left many … Continue Reading
December 06, 2017
Cortez Masto Calls Out GOP on Wall Street Reform, Consumer Protection Hypocrisy
Click Here to Watch Washington, D.C. - During a U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs markup on a bill to roll back major provisions in the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), a member of the Committee, proposed six amendments to empower consumers and protect taxpayers from bank bailouts. Cortez Masto Amendment 70 ensured that borrowers would be able to take their bank to court. By reinstating a rule from the … Continue Reading
December 05, 2017
Cortez Masto: Trump Threatens A Century of Environmental Protections
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement after Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke officially recommended that President Trump make boundary changes to Gold Butte National Monument. This decision comes just a day after President Trump sharply reduced the size of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments in Utah. "Today's recommendation, along with yesterday's decision by President Trump, threatens over a century of … Continue Reading
December 05, 2017
Cortez Masto Urges President to Swiftly Nominate Aggressive Head of Consumer Watchdog
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined Senators Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and 43 other senators in a letter urging President Trump to follow the law and swiftly nominate a permanent director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) who will put working families ahead of Wall Street. In their letter, the senators cited the CFPB's "aggressive enforcement and supervision," which has resulted in $12 billion in relief to 29 million … Continue Reading
December 04, 2017
Cortez Masto Joins Colleagues in Urging FCC Chairman Pai to Delay Vote Rolling Back Net Neutrality Rules
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) today joined 27 of her Senate colleagues in a letter, led by U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai, expressing concern over reports that bots filed hundreds of thousands of comments to the FCC during the net neutrality policymaking process and calling on the Chairman to delay the planned December 14th vote to roll back net neutrality rules until an investigation of the … Continue Reading
December 04, 2017
Cortez Masto Applauds DOJ Grant for Hiring, Rehiring Police Officers in Paiute, Shoshone Communities
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement applauding the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for disbursing $375,000 in grants under the COPS Hiring Program to the Fallon Paiute Shoshone Tribes, Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, and Temoak Western Shoshone Law Enforcement to hire and rehire law enforcement officers: "The COPS Hiring Program provides state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies with support in hiring and rehiring officers with … Continue Reading
December 01, 2017
Cortez Masto Statement on Sexual Harassment
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement today after new reports were published related to sexual harassment by Members of Congress, including Nevada Representative Ruben Kihuen: "Sexual harassment in any context is unacceptable. I am frustrated, disappointed, and disgusted by the stories I have learned from women and men who were harassed and disrespected by powerful men in government, entertainment, private business and media. I … Continue Reading
