Making August Recess Count
August recess provides congregations and community organizations an important opportunity to meet with members of Congress while they are home in Nevada.
Committee assignments help us understand which lawmakers are especially well positioned to shape legislation before it reaches the House or Senate floor. While every member votes on final passage, committee members often have the earliest opportunity to influence federal policy.
Every Nevadan is represented by two U.S. senators and one member of the House of Representatives. Constituents should always begin by contacting their own representative, but statewide organizations and ministries may also wish to engage members whose committee responsibilities closely intersect with their work.
LEAN’s Federal Priorities
- Protect SNAP and strengthen the Farm Bill
- Protect Medicaid and health care access
- Support affordable housing and homelessness solutions
- Protect immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers
- Strengthen democracy and civic participation
- Care for creation and strengthen climate resilience
Nevada’s Congressional Delegation
Senator Catherine Cortez Masto
Committees
- Finance
- Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs
- Energy and Natural Resources
- Indian Affairs
Why this matters
These committees touch many of LEAN’s priorities:
- Medicaid and Medicare
- Affordable housing
- Banking and consumer protections
- Public lands
- Tribal communities
- Energy policy
This makes Senator Cortez Masto an important contact on health care, housing, economic security, tribal concerns, and stewardship of public lands.
Senator Jacky Rosen
Committees
- Armed Services
- Commerce, Science and Transportation
- Foreign Relations
- Small Business and Entrepreneurship
Why this matters
While Senator Rosen does not serve on Agriculture or Finance, these committees oversee issues including:
- Economic development
- Broadband
- Transportation
- International humanitarian policy
- Small business support
Congregations can share how federal investments strengthen local communities and support working families.
Congressional District 1
Representative Dina Titus
Committees
- Transportation and Infrastructure
- Foreign Affairs
- Select Committee on Strategic Competition with the Chinese Communist Party
Especially relevant issues
- Public transportation
- Extreme heat preparedness
- FEMA disaster assistance
- Community infrastructure
- Humanitarian assistance
- Migration in the Western Hemisphere
Las Vegas congregations may find Representative Titus especially well positioned to discuss transportation, emergency preparedness, resilient communities, and international migration.
Congressional District 2
Representative Mark Amodei
Committees
- Appropriations
- Interior, Environment and Related Agencies
- Homeland Security
- Financial Services and General Government
Especially relevant issues
- Federal budget
- Public lands
- National parks
- Housing grants
- Wildfire resilience
- FEMA
- Water resources
- Rural communities
As Nevada’s only Republican member of Congress, Representative Amodei also serves on the powerful House Appropriations Committee, making him an important voice on annual federal funding that supports communities across Nevada.
Representative Susie Lee
Committees
- Appropriations
- Energy and Water Development
- Defense
- Natural Resources
- Federal Lands
- Energy and Mineral Resources
Especially relevant issues
- Federal spending
- Water infrastructure
- Housing investments
- Public lands
- Energy policy
- Wildfire resilience
Representative Lee’s Appropriations assignment makes her an important contact regarding federal investments that strengthen Nevada communities.
Congressional District 4
Representative Steven Horsford
Committees
- Ways and Means
- Health
- Social Security
Especially relevant issues
- Medicare
- Medicaid
- Social Security
- Affordable Care Act
- Tax policy
- Family economic security
- Poverty reduction
Representative Horsford’s committee oversees many of the federal programs that directly affect Nevada families’ financial and physical well-being, making him a key contact on health care access and economic security.
Where LEAN Priorities Best Connect
| LEAN Priority | Key Nevada Members |
|---|---|
| SNAP & Farm Bill | Entire delegation (no Nevada member serves on Agriculture Committee) |
| Medicaid & Health Care | Sen. Cortez Masto, Rep. Horsford |
| Housing & Homelessness | Sen. Cortez Masto, Reps. Amodei, Lee, Titus |
| Public Lands & Creation Care | Sen. Cortez Masto, Reps. Amodei and Lee |
| Immigration & Refugees | Sen. Rosen, Rep. Titus |
| Economic Security | Sen. Cortez Masto, Rep. Horsford |
| Federal Investments | Reps. Amodei and Lee (Appropriations) |
Making August Recess Count
You do not need to be a policy expert to be an effective advocate.
The most powerful advocacy often begins with a simple story:
- What are you seeing at your food pantry?
- How has Medicaid helped someone in your congregation?
- What housing challenges are your neighbors facing?
- How has extreme heat affected your community?
- How are immigrant families experiencing welcome—or barriers—in Nevada?
When meeting with a member of Congress or their staff:
- Introduce yourself as a constituent and person of faith.
- Share one story from your congregation or community.
- Connect that story to the member’s committee responsibilities.
- Ask one clear question:
- What will you do to protect SNAP?
- How will you strengthen Medicaid?
- How will Congress support affordable housing?
- How will you ensure immigrant families are treated with dignity?
Faithful advocacy is not about party loyalty. It is about bringing the experiences of our neighbors into the public square and encouraging public servants to pursue policies that promote the common good.
Lutheran Engagement and Advocacy in Nevada 