Press Releases
Cortez Masto, Rosen Press Coronavirus Task Force on Situation in Nursing Homes and Preparedness for Seniors, People with Disabilities
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) joined Senator Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and more than 25 U.S. Senators to press the Coronavirus Task Force on their preparedness and response plans for seniors and individuals with disabilities. The Senators sent three letters to the Trump Administration regarding the safety of people living in nursing homes, the ability of seniors living in the community to maintain critical services including delivered meals … Continue Reading
March 17, 2020
Cortez Masto, Rosen Request Administration Address Needs of Federal Workers in Coronavirus Response
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) joined Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and 29 U.S. senators in demanding that Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia ensure the federal government's response to coronavirus address the immediate and long-term needs of workers. The senators expressed concern regarding the Department of Labor's (DOL) continued absence or exclusion from the President's Coronavirus Task Force. As the coronavirus spreads to … Continue Reading
March 16, 2020
Cortez Masto Calls for Debt Waiver to Protect Civilian Coronavirus Patients Treated at Military Treatment Facilities from Aggressive Debt Collection Practices
Washington, D.C. - As coronavirus cases surge, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) called on Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to protect civilians who may be treated at military treatment facilities during the coronavirus pandemic from aggressive debt collection tactics like garnishing patients' wages, tax refunds, and Social Security benefits. In a letter, the Senator asks that the U.S. Treasury use any applicable flexibility to allow exceptions to their debt collection requirements … Continue Reading
March 13, 2020
Cortez Masto, Rosen Release Joint Statement on President Trump’s Emergency Declaration, Seek to Reassure Nevadans
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) released the following statement highlighting their firm commitment to continue supporting Governor Sisolak and Nevada state and local officials, and ensuring local health authorities have the test kits and medical supplies they need following President Trump's announcement of a state of emergency due to the coronavirus (COVID-19). In addition, the Senators emphasized their shared goals of protecting … Continue Reading
March 13, 2020
Cortez Masto Calls for Passage of Legislation to Improve Veterans’ Access to Outdoor Therapies
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) today called for the Senate to take action on her bipartisan Accelerating Veterans Recovery Outdoors Act to allow veterans expanded access to public lands for outdoor therapy and rehabilitation treatments. A 2014 study demonstrated the positive impact of outdoor activities on veteran mental health. "Anyone who's ever hiked the trails of Nevada's Ruby Mountains, the shores of Lake Tahoe, or the peaks of Red Rock knows the benefits … Continue Reading
March 13, 2020
Cortez Masto, Democratic Senators Call for Coronavirus Economic Response Focused on Helping Those Workers & Families Most Harmed
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined 33 Senate Democrats in a letter to President Trump, led by U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.), calling for an economic stimulus package focused on helping working Americans and their families who will be most harmed by the outbreak and spread of COVID-19, the novel coronavirus in the United States. "The spread of COVID-19 will create economic ramifications that will affect individuals, families, and regions differently. … Continue Reading
March 12, 2020
Cortez Masto, Rosen Introduce Legislation to Create National Veterans Cemetery in Elko
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) introduced legislation to authorize the creation of the Elko Veterans Cemetery. The senator's legislation would authorize the transfer of administrative jurisdiction for the land needed to construct the burial site from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for use as a national cemetery. "Elko's veterans and community leaders have been working for over seven … Continue Reading
March 12, 2020
Cortez Masto, Senators Call on Administration for Guidance on School Closures Due to Spread of Coronavirus
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and 30 Democratic colleagues in the Senate in urging Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to provide clarity and guidance for school districts and institutions of higher education, as well as families and students, following widespread school closures across the country due to the spread of the coronavirus. In a letter to Secretary DeVos, the senators stressed that it is crucial that the … Continue Reading
March 12, 2020
Cortez Masto Urges Action on Bill to Increase Number of Mental Health Providers in Low-Income Schools
Washington, D.C. - With nearly half of children with mental health disorders not getting the care they need, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement urging action to advance the Increasing Access to Mental Health in Schools Act. Introduced by Senator Jon Tester (D-Mont.), the legislation would help expand the workforce of mental health providers serving students by creating incentives for trained psychologists, social workers, and school counselors to … Continue Reading
March 12, 2020
Cortez Masto Cosponsors Legislation To Protect Students From Bullying
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) cosponsored legislation introduced by Senator Robert Casey (D-Pa.) to protect students from bullying and harassment in schools. The Safe Schools Improvement Act would amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require schools to establish anti-bullying and harassment policies for their students. "Bullying harms students mentally, physically, and emotionally. I'm proud to support legislation that will place the … Continue Reading
March 11, 2020
Cortez Masto Applauds Passage of Her Legislation to End Crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) issued the following statement applauding the Senate's passage of the Not Invisible Act and Savanna's Act. These bipartisan bills, which are led by Cortez Masto and Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), work together to combat the epidemic of missing, murdered, and trafficked indigenous women and girls. Senator Cortez Masto wrote the Not Invisible Act to improve coordination across federal agencies in responding to disappearances … Continue Reading
March 11, 2020
Cortez Masto Cosponsors Legislation to Encourage Adoption of Smart Buildings as Part of Innovation State Initiative
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) in cosponsoring the Smart Building Acceleration Act to accelerate the transition to smart buildings by supporting research and by documenting the costs and benefits of emerging technologies in private-sector and federal government buildings. "Buildings use a huge portion of our nation's energy and contribute to the growing climate crisis. We need more … Continue Reading
March 11, 2020
Cortez Masto, Romney Introduce Legislation to Study Drone Interference in Combating Wildfires
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah) introduced the Aerial Incursion Repercussion (AIR) Safety Act to study the effects of drone incursions on wildfire suppression and costs. When an unauthorized drone enters temporarily restricted air space during efforts to control wildfires, all aerial firefighting tools must be grounded. Companion legislation has been introduced in the House of Representatives by Representatives John Curtis (R-Utah-3) … Continue Reading
March 11, 2020
Cortez Masto Statement on Senate’s Vote to Protect Defrauded Student Loan Borrowers
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) issued the following statement after the Senate voted 53-42 in favor of a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to overturn the Department of Education's rewritten Borrower Defense Rule. Earlier this year, the House of Representatives passed a companion resolution introduced by Representative Susie Lee (D-Nev.-03) to reinstate protections for student loan borrowers. "Secretary DeVos' Borrower Defense Rule unfairly penalizes … Continue Reading
March 11, 2020
Cortez Masto, Grassley Introduce Legislation to Encourage Mental Health Support & Protect Privacy of Law Enforcement Officers
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) introduced legislation to encourage the adoption of law enforcement peer counseling programs and protect the privacy of federal officers who participate. The Confidentiality Opportunities for Peer Support (COPS) Counseling Act would ensure that the information disclosed during peer support counseling sessions by federal law enforcement officers is kept confidential. The legislation also requires the … Continue Reading
March 10, 2020
Cortez Masto Grills Kraninger About CFPB’s Failure to Protect Small-Dollar Borrowers
Washington, D.C. - As many American workers face financial uncertainty due to the coronavirus outbreak, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) questioned Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Director Kathy Kraninger about the CFPB's efforts to roll back commonsense protections for small-dollar borrowers. The senator pressed Kraninger about the CFPB's lack of enforcement against predatory lenders and asked if the Bureau was proceeding with plans to rescind existing small-dollar … Continue Reading
March 10, 2020
Cortez Masto Cosponsors Legislation to Permanently Fund LWCF, Help Reduce National Park Maintenance Backlog
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) cosponsored bipartisan legislation to permanently and fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and provide funding for National Park Service deferred maintenance projects at the Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Bureau of Indian Education schools. The Great American Outdoors Act would fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund at the fully authorized annual amount of $900 … Continue Reading
March 10, 2020
Cortez Masto Urges Action of Bipartisan Bill to Increase Access to Mental Health and Addiction Treatment
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement urging action to advance the Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act. Introduced by Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), this bill renews and expands a successful pilot program currently operating in eight states, including Nevada, to treat mental health issues and addiction. "We have a shortage of behavioral health providers in this country, especially in our rural … Continue Reading
March 09, 2020
Cortez Masto, Banking Democrats Urge Regulators to Provide Guidance to Financial Institutions About Forbearance Due to Coronavirus Impacts
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.) and several members of the Senate Banking Committee in a pair of letters to financial regulators and trade groups urging our nation's financial sector to prepare for the likely impacts of the coronavirus and take steps to protect consumers who may suffer financially as a result of a coronavirus outbreak. In a letter to leaders of the Federal Reserve, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation … Continue Reading
March 09, 2020
Cortez Masto, Scott Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Expand Access to Lending Options For Families, Students and Farmers
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.) introduced the Expanding Access to Lending Options Act, bipartisan legislation to expand access to lending options for hardworking families across the country. The bill will allow credit unions more flexibility in the type of loans they may offer, providing consumers with more options and better payment plans, including student lending options and agricultural loans. "Credit unions play an important role … Continue Reading
