Press Releases
Cortez Masto Statement on Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. David Shulkin
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) today released the following statement after voting to confirm Dr. David Shulkin as the next Secretary of Veterans Affairs: “The Department of Veterans Affairs needs a leader who is committed to providing the very best for our veterans and their families. Our veterans rely on the VA for much needed support and care, but backlogs and long wait times have prevented them from getting immediate access to critical and lifesaving … Continue Reading
February 13, 2017
Cortez Masto Participates in Floor Debate in Opposition to Steven Mnuchin’s Nomination for Treasury Secretary
Washington, DC - Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) participated in the floor debate in opposition to Steven Mnuchin's nomination to serve as President Trump's Treasury Secretary. In her remarks, Cortez Masto highlighted how Mnuchin's OneWest Bank used predatory practices to take advantage of Nevadans facing foreclosure and how she worked to combat those practices as the state's Attorney General. Watch Senator Cortez Masto's remarks here. Below are Senator Cortez Masto's … Continue Reading
February 09, 2017
Cortez Masto Statement Opposing Secretary of Health & Human Services Nominee Congressman Tom Price
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) today released the following statement on her opposition to Congressman Tom Price's nomination to serve as Donald Trump's Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS): "Rep. Tom Price has spent his career working to weaken and dismantle basic programs and services that allow the Department of Health and Human Services to fulfill its mission. I cannot in good conscience support Rep. Price to lead HHS and put … Continue Reading
February 09, 2017
Cortez Masto Statement on Ruling Against Reinstating Muslim Ban
Washington, DC - Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement after the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the Trump administration's appeal to reinstate its Muslim ban on travel to the United States: "This ruling reaffirms that President Trump's hateful and divisive executive order amounts to religious discrimination against Muslims. Imposing a religious test like this on who can travel to the United States is immoral, alienates our allies in … Continue Reading
February 08, 2017
Cortez Masto Joins Letter Blasting Dakota Access Pipeline Decision, Calling on Trump Administration to Stand up for Tribal Sovereignty and Treaty Rights
Members of Congress: "We strongly oppose this decision and any efforts to undermine tribal rights" Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the House Committee on Natural Resources in sending a letter to President Donald Trump blasting the Trump Administration's approval of a final easement to build the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) and their failure to undertake meaningful consultation with … Continue Reading
February 08, 2017
Cortez Masto and Senators to Trump: Expand Pell Grant to Make College More Affordable
28 Senators urge Trump Administration to help students pay for college by expanding Pell Grant starting in FY 2017 Washington, DC - In an effort to help make college more affordable for American families, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined with 27 of her Senate Democratic colleagues in sending a letter to President Trump asking him to expand the Pell Grant beginning in Fiscal Year 2017. Pell Grants are federal, need-based financial aid awarded to qualified undergraduate … Continue Reading
February 03, 2017
Cortez Masto on Trump’s Executive Orders to Cripple Measures Holding Wall Street Accountable and Increasing Protections for American Consumers
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, issued the following statement on President Donald Trump's actions to weaken reforms made in the 2010 Dodd-Frank law that hold financial institutions accountable and increase protections for consumers. This statement follows Senator Cortez Masto's op-ed in the Reno Gazette-Journal today highlighting the serious risk posed to American families by confirming … Continue Reading
February 02, 2017
Cortez Masto Joins Bipartisan Senate Effort Urging FCC to Close Rural Broadband Gap
Washington, DC - Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined a bipartisan group of Senators to send a letter to the new Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai urging him to prioritize mobile broadband deployment in rural and underserved areas. Specifically, the Senators are calling on the agency to move forward with Phase II of the Universal Service Fund's (USF) Mobility Fund, which is aimed at providing broadband service to these areas. "Advances on … Continue Reading
February 02, 2017
Cortez Masto RGJ Op-Ed: “Why I Can’t Support ‘Foreclosure King”
Washington, DC - Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, wrote an op-ed column for the Reno Gazette-Journal highlighting why she cannot support President Trump's Treasury Secretary nominee, former OneWest Bank CEO and Goldman Sachs executive Steven Mnuchin. The column highlights Heather McCreary of Sparks, Nevada, who recently came to Capitol Hill to discuss OneWest's controversial foreclosure … Continue Reading
February 01, 2017
Cortez Masto Co-Signs Letter to Wells Fargo Calling for Answers into Bank’s Alleged Fraud Cover-up
Scathing report alleges Wells Fargo branches were tipped off ahead of investigations, shredded, forged documents to hide massive customer fraud Washington, DC - U.S. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), member of the Senate Banking Committee, joined five Democratic committee members today signing a letter to Wells Fargo CEO Tim Sloan demanding answers after revelations that the bank reportedly tried to cover its tracks by shredding and forging documents to conceal the widespread customer fraud. … Continue Reading
February 01, 2017
Cortez Masto and Senate Indian Affairs Committee Democrats Urge President Trump to Exempt Indian Services Agencies from Federal Hiring Freeze
Washington, DC - Today, U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), and Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) urged President Trump to exempt federal agencies that provide essential services to Native communities - particularly the Indian Health Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education -- from his executive order freezing federal hiring. In a letter to the president, … Continue Reading
February 01, 2017
Cortez Masto Celebrates Black History Month
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement in celebration of Black History Month: "At a time when defending our civil rights is more important than ever, celebrating Black History Month is an opportunity for us to recommit ourselves to fighting against racial inequality. It is a time for us to remember the achievements and immense sacrifices of those who fought for African Americans to be full and equal citizens of this country. It's a time … Continue Reading
January 31, 2017
Cortez Masto Statement on Department of Interior Nominee Rep. Ryan Zinke
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, issued the following statement on her vote today in support of U.S. Representative Ryan Zinke's nomination to serve as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Interior: "The majority of Nevada's land is operated by the federal government, and the Department of the Interior will continue to directly affect many issues that concern our vast and beautiful state, from … Continue Reading
January 31, 2017
Cortez Masto Statement on Energy Secretary Nominee Rick Perry
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), a member of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, voted today in support of former Texas Governor Rick Perry's nomination to serve as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy. Senator Cortez Masto met one-on-one with Governor Perry in her office earlier this month and questioned him at his recent confirmation hearing about issues including Nevada's vocal opposition to Yucca Mountain, clean-up of the Nevada National … Continue Reading
January 31, 2017
Cortez Masto Joins Bipartisan Coalition of 48 Senators in Urging President Trump to Include Broadband in Any Infrastructure Initiative
Promoting broadband access will empower Americans living in every community-from rural towns to urban city centers -with economic opportunities that will jumpstart growth in jobs and wages; In fact, for every $5 billion invested in broadband infrastructure, 250,000 jobs are created and with every percentage point increase in new broadband distribution, employment expands by 300,000 In a letter to President Trump, the senators urged the prioritization of policies that will promote deployment … Continue Reading
January 30, 2017
Cortez Masto Co-Sponsors Legislation to Rescind President Trump’s Discriminatory Executive Order on Immigration
Cortez Masto also rallied today with Senate Democrats outside the Supreme Court to protest Trump's executive order Washington, DC - Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) announced that she is co-sponsoring legislation to rescind President Trump's discriminatory executive order barring immigrants from Muslim-majority countries. Senator Cortez Masto also joined Senate colleagues tonight for a rally outside the Supreme Court in Washington to call for a reversal of the President's … Continue Reading
January 30, 2017
Cortez Masto Statement Opposing Secretary of State Nominee Rex Tillerson
Washington, DC - Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement opposing former ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson's nomination to serve as President Donald Trump's Secretary of State: "Rex Tillerson's background in diplomacy is limited to corporate deal making, advancing only the interests of Big Oil while the rest of the world is ready to move toward clean and renewable energy. Even more troubling is his refusal to answer questions on Exxon's decades-long … Continue Reading
January 27, 2017
Cortez Masto Co-Sponsors Constitutional Amendment to Overturn Bad Court Decisions Like Citizens United and Get Big Money Out of Politics
Washington, DC - Following the seventh anniversary of the Supreme Court's Citizens United v. FEC decision allowing unlimited corporate spending in elections, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) this week joined Senate and U.S. House of Representatives colleagues to reintroduce the Democracy for All constitutional amendment to restore democratic power to the American people. Led by U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.), the constitutional amendment would overturn Buckley v. Valeo (1976) and … Continue Reading
January 27, 2017
Cortez Masto Statement Denouncing President Trump’s Muslim Ban
Washington, DC - Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement in response to President Donald Trump's Muslim ban: "President Trump's latest executive order would essentially enact his unconstitutional Muslim ban. This type of religious discrimination is wrong and ineffective - in fact, all it accomplishes is stirring up bigotry and violence against American Muslims, alienating our Muslim allies across the world, and helping terrorist organizations like … Continue Reading
January 26, 2017
Cortez Masto Co-Sponsors Bipartisan Legislation to Clear Criminal Records for Human Trafficking Victims
Bill Would Provide Relief to Victims of Sex Trafficking, Labor Trafficking, and Other Forms of Human Trafficking Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) is co-sponsoring the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act, bipartisan legislation that would help human trafficking victims by clearing any federal convictions for nonviolent crimes from criminal records. The legislation, led by U.S. Sens. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), would increase support for … Continue Reading
