We Remember: One Year Since 1October

We’re still recovering from the events that took place on October 1^st. We’re still grieving for the family members who are no longer with us. And we’re still grieving for the survivors whose lives will never be the same.

We can always do things to honor and remember our loved ones—so that they are never truly gone, as long as we are around to say their names or share a memory of them. Today—in remembrance of that awful night one year ago—let’s give thanks for the bravery and dedication of our first responders.

Let’s give thanks to the community of Las Vegas. Their tremendous outpouring of generosity has shown the world what it means to be Vegas Strong. Let’s continue to honor the bravery and selflessness of the first responders, and make sure they have enough resources to do their jobs and keep us safe.

Let’s continue to do everything we can to support those who are still struggling to recover from the emotional and physical wounds they sustained on October 1^st.

Fifty-eight innocent lives ended on October 1^st, but millions more were changed forever. We must keep the survivors in our minds and in our hearts as they heal from their injuries—both visible and invisible—and get back on their feet.  

Senator Cortez Masto Fights for Nevada Workers 

Senator Cortez Masto stood up for Nevada workers in a letter to Wells Fargo CEO and President Timothy J. Sloan. In her letter, the Senator demanded answers after the bank announced it would be closing its Reno Call Center and laying off 340 employees. It has been widely reported that Wells Fargo is laying off thousands of workers throughout America and preparing to hire workers for call centers overseas. The Senator also questioned the banks treatment of its Reno employees by asking that Wells Fargo answer a series of questions regarding the timetable, severance packages and transfer opportunities available to impacted employees in Reno. The Senator is making clear that Wells Fargo understands it has an obligation to treat the communities they do business in fairly and act in good faith.

The Senator also co-sponsored the United States Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act of 2017 to protect the rights of call center employees. If passed, the bill would require call center employees to disclose the physical location of their operation and Nevadans would be able to express their request to have the call transferred to a customer service agent in America. The bill also gives American consumers a voice by ensuring taxpayer dollars are not going to companies sending jobs overseas. 

Senator Cortez Masto Stands Up Against Family Separation

Senator Catherine Cortez Masto toured several facilities in Texas where immigrant families were being detained, processed and separated by the Trump Administration. While she toured these facilities, the Senator met with mothers and fathers that were deeply harmed by the Administration’s inhumane family separation policy. On the floor of the United States Senate, the Senator told the story of what she saw and the people she met, including a mother, Ana and her five-year-old daughter.

The Senator has introduced key legislation to ensure families fleeing violence are protected, and this Administration’s cruel family separation policy is never repeated again. The REUNITE Act would immediately reunify all families and establish a permanent system of coordination between the federal government and support organizations to protect detained immigrants with children. The Senator also co-sponsored The Keep Families Together Act, which keeps immigrant families together by ensuring that the Department of Homeland Security can never take children from their parents at the border again. The Senator also spoke at rallies in support of keeping families together in Nevada and in Washington, D.C. In a July meeting, the Senator called out Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen demanding the Secretary immediately share her plan to reunite parents with their children. During that meeting, Senator Cortez Masto outlined a list of steps DHS must follow and made certain the Secretary knew that Nevadans wanted every child reunited with their parents and accountability from the Trump Administration.

Senator Cortez Masto Stands With Nevada Women

In August, Senator Cortez Masto hosted a roundtable with women’s health and reproductive rights advocates in Nevada. Many of these advocates were steering committee members from the 1990 Campaign for Choice in Nevada. These brave women fought to codify Roe v. Wade into state law in 1990. During the roundtable, the Senator heard the stories of these brave women who went door-to-door to get petitions signed and persuade Nevadans to support their measure; and she listened as participants expressed their concerns over the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to sit on the United States Supreme Court. Senator Cortez Masto has been an outspoken advocate for women’s reproductive freedom and health. She condemned recent decisions by the Supreme Court and the Trump Administration to threaten vulnerable women’s healthcare in Nevada, and across the country. After hearing the voices of these brave Nevada women and reviewing Judge Kavanaugh’s record and judicial philosophy, the Senator announced in September that she would vote ‘no’ on his lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court because his judicial philosophy is extreme and he would vote to rollback Roe v. Wade.

Senator Cortez Masto Fights to Ensure Rural Nevada Thrives

Senator Cortez Masto introduced a bipartisan bill to create a standing ‘Council on Rural Community Innovation and Economic Development’ to work across executive departments, agencies, and offices to streamline the work of agencies and programs that specifically support rural communities. The council will maximize the impact of federal investments across the different agencies in order to promote economic prosperity and quality of life in rural communities and encourage the use of innovative technologies that resolve local and regional challenges. This bill will create a council that will look out for the best interests of Nevadans who live in rural areas and ensures that the government is doing its best to provide geographically isolated communities with the resources and innovative technologies they need to thrive.