— Endorsement by UNLV Rebel Yell
There is a monumental political fight raging on right now. In certain ways, this fight is just as important as the one to keep the racist, dangerous demagogue Donald Trump out of the White House.
Our Congress has been overrun by the antiquated and ineffective Republican party, and it’s time for Democrats to reclaim the majority. Right here in Nevada, this critical battle it is being led by former Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto.
Cortez Masto is a progressive Democrat running to fill Harry Reid’s seat in the Senate, and she is taking on her reactionary Republican opponent, Joe Heck, and his corrupt corporate backers.
Being a popular candidate amongst college students, it was quite exciting when Cortez Masto agreed to speak with the Rebel Yell about her campaign.
“[My campaign] is about fighting for working families, and families in general,” Cortez Masto explained. “I always felt it was important to fight for the people most vulnerable. Our economy is moving in the right direction, we came out of the worst recession we’ve ever seen, but there are still a lot of families unfortunately struggling.”
As a native Nevadan who spent eight years as Attorney General, she has seen first-hand the struggle that many people in our state have gone through, and knows what measures must be taken.
Cortez Masto supports raising the minimum wage, equal-work-for-equal-pay, comprehensive immigration reform, protecting social security and making college affordable. She has publicly opposed the Citizens United Supreme Court decision that allows uncapped political expenditures by nonprofit organizations.
Cortez Masto also opposes the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a huge multi-national trade agreement that was negotiated in complete secrecy and gives greater freedom to businesses and corporations to move jobs overseas.
“I learned from my parents that when you have certain opportunities and you’re blessed, you give back. You continue to fight for your neighbors and friends,” she said.
Cortez Masto is more than just talk. All one needs to do is look at her record in politics to find that she has been a champion for these issues. As attorney general, she prioritized the rights of women and children.
Her monumental successes against sex-trafficking and abuse will no doubt be at the forefront of her legacy in our state. One of her proudest accomplishments was the bill she introduced to criminalize sex trafficking.
“It passed our legislature unanimously, and was signed by the governor. It really strengthened our laws against pimping, but it was also important because it started putting victims on the path to becoming survivors,” Cortez Masto said.
Protection of the disenfranchised should be a priority of the government, not just a platitude spoken by career politicians.
This is the type of common sense Cortez Masto utilizes in her approach to legislation.
“We have to find ways to approach violence with common sense. Expanding background checks is common sense. Not letting somebody buy a gun on the internet is common sense!”
Giving beneficiaries of the Development Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act (DREAMers) a pathway to citizenship, taking dark money out of politics and helping college students get their degrees without falling into crippling debt are all common sense measures Cortez Masto fights for.
Heck has been leading a fight of his own. His fight is against civil liberties, equality, education and the environment..
“There are stark contrasts between the two of us,” Cortez Masto seemed happy to explain to me. “You just have to look at Joe Heck’s voting record in Congress. If we’re talking about just education, he voted to cut pell grants and wouldn’t even lock in an interest rate [on loans].
He has fought to defund Planned Parenthood 10 times, voted against equal pay three times, he is opposed to increasing the minimum wage. He actually signed onto a bill to criminalize abortion.
“I think he is more interested in protecting big corporations,” Cortez Masto concluded.
The claim that Heck is a puppet for corporate interests is not a difficult conclusion to arrive at when one considers that the oil business magnates, the Koch Brothers, have spent millions of dollars trying to get him elected.
Heck was also an admirer of Donald Trump until he rescinded his support in a cowardly act to save his own political career after Trump’s sexual assault comments were leaked.
Though Cortez Masto received endorsements from Bernie Sanders, President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, and is running against a backwards opponent, she is still locked in a dead tie.
Cortez Masto cannot win unless we all vote on election day. Nevada’s seat in the Senate is too valuable of a position to ignore, and she needs our vote to take the progressive cause to Washington.
“This particular seat alone is enough for the Democrats to take back the majority, and if we really want to get something done, we need to elect progressive Democrats who will fight for the things Bernie talked about,” Masto said.
Catherine Cortez Masto is that progressive, and I endorse her to be our next Senator. I hope you will join me in casting your vote for her on or before election day.
Key points:
Cortez Masto is a progressive Democrat running to fill Harry Reid’s seat in the Senate, and she is taking on her reactionary Republican opponent, Joe Heck, and his corrupt corporate backers.
[…]
As a native Nevadan who spent eight years as Attorney General, she has seen first-hand the struggle that many people in our state have gone through, and knows what measures must be taken…Cortez Masto is more than just talk. All one needs to do is look at her record in politics to find that she has been a champion for these issues. As attorney general, she prioritized the rights of women and children.
[…]
Heck has been leading a fight of his own. His fight is against civil liberties, equality, education and the environment.
Heck has fought to defund Planned Parenthood 10 times, voted against equal pay 3 times, he is opposed to increasing the minimum wage. He actually signed onto a bill to criminalize abortion. “I think he is more interested in protecting big corporations,” Cortez Masto concluded.
The claim that Heck is a puppet for corporate interests is not a difficult conclusion to arrive at when one considers that the oil business magnates, the Koch Brothers, have spent millions of dollars trying to get him elected.
Heck was also an admirer of Donald Trump until he rescinded his support in a cowardly act to save his own political career after Trump’s sexual assault comments were leaked.
[…]
Cortez Masto cannot win unless we all vote by election day. Nevada’s seat in the Senate is too valuable of a position to ignore, and she needs our vote to take the progressive cause to Washington.