Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement on the omnibus spending deal:
“While this legislation appears to provide critical funding to address Nevada’s affordable housing crisis, provide for infrastructure investments, fight the opioid epidemic, boost college affordability programs, invest in Child Care Development Block Grants and authorizes a pay raise to our troops while increasing health care resources for veterans, it is far from perfect. This bill fails to address many other important issues for Nevadans, like putting Dreamers on a pathway to citizenship, stabilizing the health care marketplaces, and authorizing long-term funding for Brand USA.
“Democrats in Congress fought hard and I’m happy to see that a number of my priorities including funding for rural broadband, Secure Rural Schools, affordable rental housing, critical fire mitigation and prevention for the U.S. Forest Service and crucial Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) funding that strengthens our rural communities will be in this bill. I am also encouraged to see that this bill includes important common sense gun safety measures including Fix NICS and funding for the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to finally start studying and understanding our nation’s epidemic of gun violence.
“I look forward to further reviewing this legislation to determine whether or not it will receive my support.”