Cortez Masto will work for Nevadans

By Geoconda Arguello-Kline

Thursday, Nov. 3, 2016 | 5:08 p.m.

On Nov. 8, Nevada has the opportunity to elect the first Latina to the U.S. Senate, and the time has come to break yet another barrier for Hispanics in this country.

Catherine Cortez Masto is a hard-working Nevada Latina who will deliver results in Washington and fight for our loved ones, continuing the legacy and work Sen. Harry Reid has done to help Hispanic families in the state.

Rep. Joe Heck had his chance, and during his time in Congress, he has been nothing but a disappointment and a danger for our families. He hasn’t delivered anything positive for our community. On the contrary, he’s been on the wrong side of the immigration, education and women’s health debates. Heck voted to get rid of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA) and to defund Planned Parenthood clinics, which are a great source for quality, accessible health care for Hispanics.

Cortez Masto has a long history of public service in Nevada, during which she fought against special interests and focused on the well-being of our families, seniors, women and children.

She worked to crack down on sex trafficking and violence against women, fighting to offer assistance to victims of sex trafficking and to allow victims to sue their abusers. She fought against the big banks that take advantage of our families with predatory loans and high interest rates, which in many cases lead to foreclosures. During her tenure as Nevada attorney general, Cortez Masto created a protection unit to shield senior citizens from abuse and prosecute abusers, and she also strengthened laws to protect children from abuse and ensure they’re far from the hands of criminals.

Her record speaks for itself.

In the Senate, Cortez Masto will continue working for us. She will defend DACA and the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents program (DAPA) tirelessly and will work to pass comprehensive immigration reform that can once and for all keep our families united and safe. She will also fight to increase the minimum wage for hard-working Nevadans and to bring new businesses to the state.

In Congress, Heck has only been out for himself, and his votes are hurting Nevada families. We can’t afford to give him another chance. Heck had the opportunity to demonstrate that he is with us, but instead he showed that he’s in the pocket of his special-interest donors. Rather than supporting workers, he supported corporations. Instead of supporting deportation relief for young Dreamers, Heck voted against DACA and put Dreamers again in danger of deportation.

Don’t let so-called Hispanic organizations such as the Libre Initiative deceive you into supporting Heck. Libre is not looking out for Nevadans’ best interest; it is working to benefit its billionaire Koch funders.

What has Heck done to improve your life? Cortez Masto has already done a lot, and she has proven that she can deliver results that will keep our communities safe and help our families prosper.

On Nov. 8, elect a strong leader who will fight for our community and best represent working families in the Senate.