Press Releases
Cortez Masto Applauds Senate Passage of Bipartisan Legislation to Reduce Gun Violence
Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) issued the following statement after the Senate passed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, commonsense legislation to strengthen background checks, fund the implementation of red flag laws, close the "boyfriend loophole," and invest in mental health care, including provisions Senator Cortez Masto led to fund more school-based mental health professionals. "Throughout my Senate career, I've stood up for commonsense … Continue Reading
June 23, 2022
Cortez Masto, Rosen Applaud Over $29 Million in PILT Payments to Nevada Counties
Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) announced that the Department of the Interior (DOI) had awarded $29,146,696 under the Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program to rural counties in Nevada for Fiscal Year 2022. "Rural counties across Nevada rely on PILT payments to support local law enforcement and first responders and to fund housing, education, and conservation projects that strengthen our communities," said Senator Cortez … Continue Reading
June 23, 2022
Cortez Masto Introduces Legislation to Reform Student Loan Program, Prioritize Working Nevadans
Washington, D.C. - Today, on the 50th anniversary of the Pell Grant program, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) introduced the Student Loan Relief and College Affordability Act to reform the Pell Grant and federal student loan system so that more Nevadans can access higher education without burdensome debt. Cortez Masto's legislation increases the amount of Pell Grants students can receive and targets student loan forgiveness to the low- and moderate-income Americans who will most … Continue Reading
June 23, 2022
Cortez Masto Introduces Innovative Legislation to Support Domestic Violence Survivors
Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) introduced legislation to provide immediate support from trained advocates for domestic violence victims. The Reaching Every Survivor With Police and On-Site Nonprofit Services Evaluations Act (RESPONSE Act) of 2022 would create a pilot program, based on a model pioneered in Las Vegas by SafeNest, that allows advocates to provide critical services, including support, safety planning, legal options, and information about … Continue Reading
June 22, 2022
Cortez Masto, Moore Introduce Bicameral Legislation to Increase Access to Homeownership
Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Representative Gwen Moore (D-Wisc.-04) introduced bicameral legislation to help working families afford their first mortgages. The Affordable Housing Bond Enhancement Act makes improvements to the Mortgage Revenue Bond (MRB) and Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC) programs that make first-time homeownership possible for thousands of families every year. Since the programs' inception, nearly 4 million families who earn … Continue Reading
June 21, 2022
Cortez Masto Introduces Legislation to Strengthen Law Enforcement Operations at U.S. Southern Border
Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) introduced the Advanced Border Coordination Act, legislation to strengthen border security by improving law enforcement communication and coordination at our southern border. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has periodically established joint operations hubs to help multiple law enforcement agencies work together to address border security and transnational criminal activity like drug and human trafficking. This … Continue Reading
June 21, 2022
Cortez Masto’s Advocacy Results in Historic Pay Raise for Over 16,000 Wildland Firefighters
Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) announced that following her work to secure and implement provisions in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, all federal wildland firefighters, including many working throughout Nevada, will see a significant pay raise through 2023. Senator Cortez Masto fought to provide pay raises for over 16,000 firefighters in last year's bipartisan infrastructure bill, but the implementation of these vital raises has been … Continue Reading
June 17, 2022
Cortez Masto, Rosen Call for Swift Implementation of a New Federal Wildland Firefighter Job Classification
Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) joined Senator Dianne Feinstein's (D-Calif.) letter calling on the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to swiftly implement provisions in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to increase federal firefighter recruitment and retention. The provision would include new occupational series for federal wildland firefighters and pay raises for these responders. OPM, responsible for federal … Continue Reading
June 16, 2022
Cortez Masto Votes to Pass Bipartisan Bill to Support Veterans Exposed to Toxins in the Line of Duty
Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement celebrating the Senate passage of the bipartisan Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act. Named after Sgt. Robinson, who died in 2020 from toxic exposure during his military service in Kosovo and Iraq. This bipartisan bill will ensure that veterans exposed to toxins during their service to our country get access to health care and … Continue Reading
June 15, 2022
Following Cortez Masto’s Recommendation, Amber Torres, Chairman of the Walker River Paiute Tribe, Is Appointed to the Department of the Interior’s Tribal Advisory Committee
Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) announced that Amber Torres, chairman of the Walker River Paiute Tribe, will join the Department of the Interior's (DOI) first-ever Secretary's Tribal Advisory Committee (STAC). Senator Cortez Masto advocated for her selection with DOI, urging them to appoint a Tribal representative from the state of Nevada. The STAC, composed of Tribal representatives from each of the 12 Bureau of Indian Affairs Regions (BIA), will ensure … Continue Reading
June 15, 2022
On the 10th Anniversary of DACA, Cortez Masto Praises its Success and Pushes for More
This morning, Senator Cortez Masto spoke at the U.S. Capitol to honor the DACA program's 10th anniversary and advocate for Congressional action to protect Dreamers Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) issued the following statement on the 10th anniversary of the announcement of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which protects undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children. "Dreamers are an essential part of our … Continue Reading
June 10, 2022
Following Months of Engagement From Cortez Masto, CDC Announces It Will Drop COVID Testing Requirement for International Travelers
Cortez Masto led calls to the CDC to support Nevada's travel and tourism economy by suspending the coronavirus testing requirement for international travelers Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) is pleased that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has suspended the coronavirus testing requirement for international travelers. For months, Cortez Masto has worked directly with the administration, leading efforts to make this change to support … Continue Reading
June 07, 2022
Cortez Masto Saves Nevada Jobs Held Up By Federal Red Tape
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) announced that Storey County's new Sierra BioFuels Plant will soon begin production, protecting 120 permanent jobs and over 1,000 indirect jobs across Nevada. As a result of Senator Cortez Masto's advocacy to speed up a stalled rulemaking process, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a rule to allow for innovative, clean bio-fuel options to be generated and sold on the market. With this fix finalized, Fulcrum … Continue Reading
June 07, 2022
As Reproductive Health Care Is Under Attack, Cortez Masto & Colleagues Introduce Affordable Over-the-Counter Birth Control Legislation
A new poll finds an overwhelming majority of Americans support expanding access to birth control as the Supreme Court is set to overturn Roe v. Wade.Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) in introducing the Affordability is Access Act, legislation to ensure that women across the country can access and afford over-the-counter birth control options and plan their own reproductive lives on … Continue Reading
June 06, 2022
Cortez Masto Applauds Move to Suspend Harmful Solar Tariffs, Highlights Her Continued Support for the Industry
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement applauding the Biden Administration's response to her calls for action to provide certainty for Nevada's solar industry in the face of a Commerce Department investigation into the solar supply chain. The administration announced today that it will create a two-year bridge period suspending tariffs on solar panels and that it will prioritize the growth of the domestic solar panel manufacturing … Continue Reading
May 27, 2022
Cortez Masto, Rosen Visit Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Training Center, Highlight Funding They Secured
Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators for Nevada Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen toured the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department's (LVMPD) new reality-based training center. During their visit, they were joined by Undersheriff Christopher Darcy and LVMPD Foundation Executive Director Tom Kovach. Senators Cortez Masto and Rosen secured $3 million in federal funding to outfit this state-of-the-art training facility. "Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department's new cutting-edge … Continue Reading
May 26, 2022
Cortez Masto Leads Colleagues in Introducing Legislation to Bolster the Solar Manufacturing Supply Chain in the U.S.
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) introduced the Reclaiming the Solar Supply Chain Act to expand the solar manufacturing supply chain in the U.S., create jobs, and support our global competitiveness. "Nevada has a booming solar industry, and bringing the full solar manufacturing supply chain back to the U.S. will help us grow our clean-energy economy and support more good-paying, … Continue Reading
May 26, 2022
Cortez Masto Becomes HillVets Ambassador, Highlights Her Support for Veterans
Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) announced that she has signed on to be a HillVets House Ambassador. HillVets is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization that helps veterans and the military-connected community continue to serve and make an impact in public policy. HillVets House Ambassadors are members of Congress who publicly support the HillVets House Fellowship program and consider HillVets House Fellows for placement in their office to undertake … Continue Reading
May 24, 2022
Cortez Masto Calls on Administration to Resolve Uncertainty Around Solar Panel Supply Chain
Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) spoke on the Senate floor about the urgent need for the administration to act to protect jobs in Nevada's booming solar energy industry. An investigation into solar panels by the Department of Commerce has caused disruption to the solar industry because of concerns that it could result in harmful tariffs that create uncertainty, threaten renewable progress, and put jobs at risk. During her speech, Senator Cortez Masto … Continue Reading
May 24, 2022
Cortez Masto Joins Bipartisan Letter Urging Biden Administration to Swiftly Advance NATO Applications for Sweden and Finland
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), and a bipartisan group of 79 other senators in writing a letter to President Biden urging him to expedite the Executive Branch's process to advance Sweden and Finland's applications for NATO membership and pledging to work with the administration to ensure swift ratification of the Washington Treaty. In the letter, the senators noted that NATO's expansion will send a … Continue Reading
