It's been a busy two months is Congress with tensions still running high over the government shutdown last month and the president's controversial emergency declaration on the Southern border. To get the latest from Washington, KUNR’s Paul Boger spoke with Nevada’s newest U.S. Senator, Democrat Jacky Rosen.
“People are concerned about the national emergency. People are concerned about their healthcare protections for pre-existing conditions. People are just anxious and concerned about what’s going on.”
On the secret shipment of plutonium from South Carolina late last year, Rosen says she, along with other members of Nevada's Congressional delegation, received a classified briefing on the shipment. And while she was unable to go into further detail about the specifics of that meeting, she said she applauds Governor Steve Sisolak and Attorney General Aaron Ford's efforts to get an injunction that may stop more shipments in the future.
As for President Donald Trump's emergency declaration on the U.S. Southern Border, Senator Rosen says she is opposed to the move and believes Congress will take action to condemn the president's actions.
Senator Rosen also introduced her first piece of legislation in the Senate this week: the Hire Student Veterans Act. According to Rosen, the measure would extend the Work Opportunity Tax Credit to employers who hire student veterans for part-time jobs or paid internships. Rosen says the program has broad bipartisan support, something desperately needed in Congress.
“There are so many things that we can agree on when it comes to veterans, students, when it comes to career and technical education, STEM education. There’s a lot of things that we can work on, and I want to focus on those things where we can get along.”
