Two issues continue to be top priorities for Nevadans: protecting our public lands and addressing the housing crisis.
Recent polling shows overwhelming support for keeping public lands in public hands, while communities across the state continue to seek practical solutions to make housing more affordable.
At LEAN, we’ve been following both conversations closely. We’ve examined the proposed federal housing legislation and continue to advocate for balanced solutions that include building more housing in existing communities, thoughtful rezoning, expanding housing options like ADUs and “missing middle” housing, and protecting the public lands that are central to Nevada’s identity.
As people of faith, we believe caring for our neighbors means both protecting God’s creation and ensuring everyone has access to a safe, affordable place to call home.
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.
If you would like to schedule time with your legislator, please reach out to Pastor Paul,and he is willing to work with ELCA Advocacy Partners to secure a time.
Amplifying support of the Bridging Agency Data Gaps and Ensuring Safety (BADGES) for Native Communities Act H.R. 1010 is one meaningful way we can act now.
The crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Relatives (MMIWRGR) continues to affect Indigenous communities across the United States and Canada. Indigenous communities continue to experience disproportionately high rates of violence, disappearance and loss, a reality rooted in centuries of colonization and structural violence. “The ELCA, with others in this country, recognizes that this dreadful history must be acknowledged, the status of Native Americans in the United States protected, and efforts at reconciliation and justice increased,” reads the ELCA social statement Faith and Civic Life: Seeking the Well-being of All (p. 68). As a church, we are called not only to awareness, but to repentance, accompaniment and justice. A MMIWRGR resource from the ELCA shares more about the crisis (linked to ELCA.org/MMIW).
With passage in the Senate, this Congress has already made bipartisan steps to enact meaningful legislation in addressing the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) crisis. Action in the House is now required. Amplifying support of the Bridging Agency Data Gaps and Ensuring Safety (BADGES) for Native Communities Act H.R.1010 is one meaningful way we can act now. If passed, the BADGES for Native Communities Act will:
Establish grant funding opportunities to support investigations.
Promote collaborative responses to missing person cases.
Provide culturally appropriate resources and training for Tribal law enforcement officers.
When discussed recently by the ELCA MMIW Sub Task Force, the group stated: “Since one of the greatest challenges in the MMIW crisis is a lack of support from law enforcement, we encourage all to engage with their representatives in support of the BADGES for Native Communities Act.”
Customize your message to urge your representative to secure justice for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Relatives.
Contact your lawmakers today. Customize your message with your experiences and values.
If you would like to schedule time with your legislator, please reach out to Pastor Paul,and he is willing to work with ELCA Advocacy Partners to secure a time.
Calling all hunger champions —Join this network of the Grand Canyon Synod! Meet to hear updates on national and local Hunger and Food Insecurity efforts and initiatives, to learn from one another, and to share with the group what’s happening in our congregations. Anyone interested in alleviating hunger is welcome. Prepare to be encouraged and supported!
If you have any questions about this group, please contact Melanie Hobden (Desert Cross, Tempe) or Solveig Muus (LAMA).
