Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Washington memo: Reid’s plans unchanged by injury

Harry Reid

J. Scott Applewhite / AP

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, 75, talks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015, for the first time since he suffered an eye injury and broken ribs on New Year’s Day accident while exercising at his home in Henderson.

Federal lawmakers are wrapping up their sixth straight week in Congress today, but they've left a lot of loose ends as they prepare for a break.

The Department of Homeland Security still has to be funded. The president's request to authorize military force against the terrorist group ISIS needs to be debated. The nation needs a new top lawyer.

But for Nevada's lawmakers, the show must go on, even in a dysfunctional Congress. The state's six representatives busied themselves with other matters before returning home to spend the next week in their districts. Here's a wrap-up of their week in Congress:

Sen. Harry Reid has another surgery, reaffirms he's running for re-election

Doctors still aren't sure if the Nevada Democrat and Senate minority leader will regain vision in his right eye, injured in a New Year's Day exercise accident.

Reid will spend the next week resting in his Washington, D.C., apartment. But a day before he underwent surgery this week, he gathered his staff in the Capitol, where he reassured them he would run for a sixth term, Politico first reported.

The renewable-energy supporter also took some time to brag about his role promoting solar development. A report released Thursday touted Nevada as the nation's largest per-capita growth in solar jobs since 2013:

He also announced $9 million from the Department of Transportation to help repair a stretch of Interstate 15 that was badly damaged by flooding last year. Here's more on how members of Congress help secure federal grants.

Sen. Dean Heller focuses on Internet, tax breaks

The Nevada Republican is taking advantage of serving in the majority for his first time as a U.S. senator by introducing legislation on a range of topics.

He introduced a bill to try to make Federal Communications Commission's controversial regulations on Internet traffic more transparent. He also introduced a bipartisan bill with Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., to set standards making the Department of Veterans Affairs more accessible to women. He signed on to repeal the Affordable Care Act. And legislation he co-authored with Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., to reinstate a tax break for companies that turn leftover industrial heat into electricity passed the Senate Finance Committee. Finally, legislation he introduced to give tax credits for land owners who donate easements for conservation passed the House of Representatives.

Heller, a former basketball player, also honored UNLV basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian, who died this week.

Rep. Dina Titus goes to the White House

The Las Vegas Democrat zeroed in this week on veteran's issues. She introduced a bipartisan bill with Rep. Paul Cook, R-Calif., to analyze the government's job-training programs for veterans, particularly homeless veterans or those with little education. And she urged the VA chief to support LGBT vets and medical marijuana for vets.

Ever focused on keeping Las Vegas tourist friendly, Titus also sent a letter to the president urging him to appoint a Transportation Security Administration chief who would stay committed to expedited screening processes for low-risk airport passengers.

Titus also quietly introduced legislation that would stop energy development on an area bigger than Rhode Island in Nevada, including the almost-complete earth sculpture "City."

Titus capped off her week with a trip to the White House to support a veterans' suicide-prevention bill President Obama signed into law.

Rep. Mark Amodei climbs the Capitol

The Northern Nevada Republican joined with Heller and Reid to introduce the largest land swap bill ever for Douglas County.

The legislation opens 10,000 acres in the northwestern county for sale while closing off 12,000 for wilderness protection, among a host of other trade-offs. The wilderness-for-development swap is a common deal Nevadan lawmakers make to balance protecting public land in the state with development.

Amodei also got a bird's-eye view of Washington on a chilly tour of the cast iron Capitol Dome, which is under construction to fix leaks and cracks that have developed since the last time it got a makeover, in 1959. Amodei sits on the House committee that approves money for these kinds of projects.

Rep. Joe Heck tackles military pay

Rep. Joe Heck started the long and challenging process this week of reforming the military's pay and compensation benefits — the final stretch in a multiyear task by Congress and an independent commission to make military benefits more affordable while balancing America's commitment to service members. You can read more about his efforts from the Military Times.

This week, the Republican from the Las Vegas suburbs also succeeded in advancing his initiative to help school districts better support students with military parents. An education committee included his amendment to require state and local education agencies to report on the academic achievement of military parents, setting up the first national database of its type. The entire bill is on its way to a vote in the House of Representatives.

Rep. Cresent Hardy honors civil rights leaders

Nevada's newest member of Congress says six weeks in, he's getting the hang of things.

"It's actually been a little easier than I suspected at this point," said the Republican, who represents North Las Vegas and Central Nevada while winding through basement hallways with two reporters trailing him.

This week, Hardy got to question Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx about his commitment to relieving the West's traffic jams — building an interstate highway is just the thing to alleviate some of that, Hardy noted. Hardy and Titus are ardent supporters of advancing I-11 through Nevada.

He also co-sponsored a bill to award the Congressional Gold Medal, one of Congress' highest honors, to civil rights leaders in Selma. Hardy hasn't wasted any time lending his support to bills: On the first day of Congress, he signed onto a bill to audit the Federal Reserve.

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