Mark E. Amodei (R-NV) has served as the U.S. Representative for Nevada’s Second Congressional District since 2011. He is a member of the House Appropriations Committee, and serves on the Financial Services, Legislative Branch, and Interior subcommittees.
Mark was born in Carson City, Nevada on June 12, 1958. He graduated from Carson High School in 1976, where he was Student Class President. Mark graduated from the University of Nevada in 1980, and received his law degree from McGeorge Law School, University of the Pacific in 1983.
As a Member of Congress, part of my job is supporting and introducing legislation about issues that are important to you. Click on the links below to view legislation I've sponsored or co-sponsored.
America's military veterans deserve to receive the benefits they were promised, and I am committed to continuing to ensure that those promises are fulfilled.
May we never lose sight of their needs in the field and at home.
I proudly served in the United States Army Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps from 1983 to 1987, and one of my daughters is a Desert Storm Navy veteran. I know firsthand how important it is that we fulfill our commitments to our servicemembers and their families, all of whom sacrifice dearly on our behalf. Even as we come to terms with the reality of the fiscal crisis, we must never lose sight of our veterans’ needs, both in the field and at home. America's military veterans deserve to receive the benefits they were promised, and I will continue to fight to reform our current system to offer veterans more choices, better services, and greater independence.
My staff and I are working to address the disability benefits claims backlog and continue to meet with officials in the Department of Veterans Affairs and local Veterans Service Organizations to find solutions. I have a dedicated team ready to help veterans navigate the federal resources and benefits available to them. I take casework very seriously, so if you or a veteran you know is having an issue with their benefits, please reach out to my Reno office to see how we can assist.
I am a proud product of the Nevada public school system and a supporter of our public schools and teachers across the state.
I believe education is a top priority for Nevada and the nation and that we must work to strengthen educational opportunities for all students. However, I do not believe that unelected federal bureaucrats are a better judge of educational practices than our local teachers, school administrators, parents and community leaders. Every school system has their own unique challenges, and I strongly support allowing our communities to make decisions about their students’ educations rather than a one-size-fits all federal approach to education.
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), most recently passed as the Every Student Succeeds Act in 2015, replaced many of the unwise and impractical provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002. The Every Student Succeeds Act included provisions that give our children every opportunity for success by eliminating bureaucratic roadblocks and implementing best practices in education quality and school policy.
While I believe America's children have unlimited potential, the schools that serve them require significant improvement. America is increasingly losing its global competitiveness, which we must regain through educational curriculum focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses.
I also believe it is vital that schools provide ample career and technical education (CTE) opportunities for our students. CTE provides hands-on training that prepares students to be career ready. This training often focuses on high-demand fields and trades and sets many of our students on a pathway to success and financial stability.
I care deeply about the future of our nation's educational system and believe we need to empower local leaders to improve student achievement and determine the best path for their students.
The energy sector is crucial to our economic growth, and high energy costs have a major impact on job creation. We have an abundant supply of natural resources in Nevada and across the country that we must use to meet our nation's energy requirements. We need policies that allow us to harness our own resources, develop new sources of energy, improve our permitting processes, and create jobs here at home.
Over the past 220 years, America has created the greatest economic success story in the history of the world. Our innovative society has dramatically improved the length and quality of life for billions of people around the globe. This same ingenuity must be unleashed to meet our energy and employment challenges.
In Nevada, new sources of energy, such as geothermal and solar are showing promise. Geothermal in particular brings jobs and growth to Nevada with 20+ plants in operation providing clean, reliable electrical capacity to the grid and significant additional capacity under development.
I believe Congress should promote policies that protect and preserve our environment for future generations. Responsible stewardship of our environment requires a commitment to sound science and continuous research. I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress to support responsible, commonsense reforms that will help conserve our precious natural resources. It is important that we take practical steps today so that our environment is healthy for our children tomorrow. That is why I am a member of the Conservative Climate Caucus, as well as the Climate Solutions Caucus, both of which aim to find sound environmental policy to reduce emissions and foster a cleaner environment for all.
After more than a decade under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), we've seen plenty of arguments on how to fix our nation's health care system. Regardless of your political views, I do not believe wiping the slate clean and starting over is the answer. I believe Congress should focus on the biggest problem areas and fix them. I also believe there are some successful aspects of our current system that we should keep, such as ensuring individuals with pre-existing conditions have access to the care they need, and that young adults have the option to stay on their parent's health care plan until the age of 26.
As the core provisions of the ACA have been ruled as constitutional by the United States Supreme, I accept that the law is most likely here to stay. Unfortunately, that is not enough for many House Democrats, who instead are committed to pursuing further federal overreach into the U.S. health care system through a proposal commonly known as “Medicare-for-All.” According to a 2018 study, the Medicare-for-All proposal would add an additional $32.6 trillion over the next 10 years to the national debt, which even doubling current tax rates for individuals and corporations would not cover.
Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach with Medicare-for-All, I support giving control to individuals and families to choose a health care plan that works for them by allowing insurance companies to work across state lines. By creating a government run single-payer system, incentives to open competition and lower costs for everyone to have quality care for an affordable cost are eliminated. Please be assured that I will continue working with my colleagues in the House toward solutions that will increase people's access to quality and affordable care.
Immigration reform and border security are complex, emotional debates, with passionate beliefs on all sides. Some view the issue as one of humaneness. Many see it from a perspective of fairness. And still others approach immigration on the basis of practicality. We are a nation of immigrants. My Irish and Italian forebears made their way to Nevada in search of a better life. We are also a nation of laws with the right to control our borders. While I don't think any of those perspectives are mutually exclusive, it seems the one thing all sides can consistently agree on is that our immigration system, as presently constituted, is not working.
I am committed to evaluating each immigration proposal on its merits and understanding the impact on Nevada. While many of the recent immigration-related bills have been overreaching and have lacked necessary protections for current American citizens, I continue to believe that just doing nothing is not a solution.
After years of struggling to get ahead, Americans finally saw jobs, opportunities, and consumer confidence come roaring back as a direct result of Congress passing the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act – with my support. In Nevada’s second congressional district and across the nation, unemployment hit historic lows, and residents saw an increase in income. Now, with the economic challenges we face as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we must be focused on getting America back on track and advancing solutions that provide certainty.
As your Representative, you can rest assured that I will continue delivering on your behalf by supporting pro-growth policies that will lift up our workers, increase economic development, create jobs, and make our country more competitive.
To date, I have backed legislation that has supported more than 51 million jobs nationwide amid the pandemic and allocated more than $25 billion in coronavirus relief funding for Nevada – which is an unprecedented level of relief in our State's history.
As Congress continues to explore solutions to address and mitigate the impacts of the ongoing pandemic, please know I will keep your thoughts in mind.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress has passed almost $6 trillion in stimulus packages, which is more than the GDP of every country in the world except for China and the U.S. This comes out to $17,000 per person, or $69,000 per family of 4 in new spending.
With the U.S. National debt nearing $30 trillion at the start of 2022, it is abundantly clear that unchecked government spending must be reeled in. I firmly believe that we should not be saddling our children and grandchildren with the burden of paying for reckless spending habits, and I will continue to seek areas that merit cuts in spending.
Nevadans must have a seat at the table.
A significant issue for Nevadans, which dovetails with economic growth, is public land management. I believe that it is possible to leverage our natural resources in an economically and environmentally responsible way.
As a member of the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, I continue to advance legislation to strengthen local control over the federal lands, which compromise more than 85 percent of the state. I think that local communities should be able to decide for themselves the best uses for public lands to spur economic growth.
Additionally, I have worked closely with the U.S. Navy and Northern Nevada stakeholders for the last 3 years to find a comprehensive and consensus solution to provide the Navy with the adequate training capabilities they need at the Fallon Range Training Complex (FRTC), while ensuring the appropriate mitigations to the counties, tribes, and other stakeholders who are affected.
I'll continue to work with the support of my western colleagues to pass legislation to help Nevada leverage its vast public lands, while preserving our unique landscape and way of life. In these efforts, I am always cognizant of the importance of water rights and multi-use access.
Common sense federal solutions to our public land designations are possible, but local communities must have a seat at the table to overcome the "Washington knows best" mentality that routinely ignores the best interests of local stakeholders.
During my time in Congress, I introduced more than a dozen bills related to land-use decisions in Nevada. The ultimate goal for each individual bill is to support what the counties, municipalities, and other stakeholders identify as priorities through their local planning and zoning processes, and increase the land-use decision-making process to locally elected officials, communities, and stakeholders – not by bureaucrats at the BLM or Forest Service.
The Challenge
In the aftermath of tragedies that have occurred across our country in recent years, we struggle to find the answers to adequately address violence in America. The temptation is to do something, anything, to prevent such evils from ever happening again. That is a natural response. Unfortunately, powerful emotions and kneejerk political reactions do not typically make for smart policymaking.
One thing is clear: we must take responsible steps to keep firearms out of the hands of mentally disturbed individuals and criminals attempting to circumvent the federal background check process. When taking action to keep Americans safe, however, we must also ensure that we are not creating unintended consequences for the law-abiding citizens who responsibly exercise their right to bear arms. Millions of law-abiding, gun-owning American citizens go to sleep each night without harming others, their families, or themselves.
Current Law
Under current Federal law, there are already a number of prohibited individual categories that prevent a purchase of a firearm from a licensed firearms dealer. Those categories include: felons, fugitives, unlawful users of controlled substances, adjudicated mental defectives, illegal aliens, persons dishonorably discharged, those who renounce citizenship, and persons with restraining orders, in addition to state laws.
For dealers, an individual who is engaged in the business as a firearms dealer is required to have a Federal firearms license. A dealer is any person who deals in firearms as a regular course of trade or business with the principal objective of livelihood and profit through the repetitive purchases and reselling of firearms.
However, an individual who make occasional sales, exchanges or purchases of firearms for the enhancement of a personal collection or for a hobby, or who sells all or part of his personal collection of firearms, is not considered a dealer, and is thus exempt from licensing requirements.
Nevada also currently uses the ‘Point of Contact Program' for firearm purchases in the state, which requires all Federal Firearms Licensees to contact Nevada Department of Public Safety staff to run a more thorough background check against Nevada's own databases and systems, as well as the FBI National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).
Moving Forward
Our liberties, including the right to bear arms, pre-exist the founding of our government. There are no provisions in our founding documents to deprive the people as a whole of these freedoms when certain individuals abuse theirs.
Our law enforcement communities need to be given the tools and resources to enforce the laws that are already on the books while Congress works to enact meaningful solutions that will– without infringing on due process or privacy protections– keep firearms out of the hands of criminals and the mentally disturbed.
My colleagues and I in the House will conduct vigilant oversight on this issue and I will continue to support legislation that defends the Second Amendment and improves the enforcement of current law.
Preserve Medicare for current beneficiaries. Make it sustainable for future generations.
I will not allow seniors to lose coverage at a time in their lives when they need it most. The program is vital to our nation's seniors and be protected.
However, I think everyone can agree that we must reform the Medicare program because will reach insolvency by 2026. We must reform the Medicare program because it is not solvent in its current form and it will reach insolvency by 2026. However, we also must be sure to keep our promises to those current beneficiaries and those nearing eligibility that have planned their health care needs in retirement around it. As we work to ensure that Medicare will serve our nation’s seniors for decades to come, we must keep health care providers in mind - years of Medicare reimbursement cuts have disincentivized critical providers from participation in the program, thus further exacerbating lack of access to care in communities all over the country, especially in rural areas.
I also believe we must reform the health care system generally. Bringing down the costs of services, equipment, and pharmaceuticals overall will carry over to the Medicare market. True health care reform will lower costs, improve care, provide greater patient choice, and increase access to care for all Americans—not increase Americans' dependency on failed federal programs.
We have the greatest health care community in the world, and I continue to examine ways to improve its quality, cost, and accessibility.
Social Security
Protecting and preserving Social Security is one of the most important issues facing Congress. I believe Social Security is a promise that must be kept. And while the fund is solvent for current recipients as well as those nearing retirement age, it will be insolvent by 2033. We must enact reforms in order to preserve Social Security for future generations, but I will not support legislation that will change Social Security for those already receiving benefits.
I agree with the concept of a "lock box" because time and again, leaders in Washington have dipped into the Social Security trust fund to pay for unrelated, wasteful government spending. We need to lock away these funds by taking Social Security "off-budget" to ensure our future retirees receive the promises that have been made to them. America's senior citizens have worked hard for their retirement. Congress needs to change the status quo to make sure Social Security is there for senior citizens and for future generations.
Congress has an opportunity and an obligation to address this issue in an honest and forthright fashion. It is wrong to ignore the problems facing the program for younger workers and it is wrong to frighten senior citizens who are currently reliant upon Social Security benefits. I pledge to work towards a common-sense solution that respects Americans of all ages.
I believe transportation infrastructure is one of the most important elements in creating a thriving, job-creating economy. To ensure tax payer accountability, the current highway program needs to be seriously examined and I believe we need to also look at reasonable methods to respect the autonomy of communities to receive funding for priorities that are important. Nevadans need predictability and sustainability for our infrastructure needs.
As Nevadans, we are privileged to have some of the more breathtaking and elaborate trail systems in the nation. We have also historically enjoyed the reputation as a world-class destination for outdoor recreation. Encouraging and expanding continued visitation to our state will help our recovering economy.
As you know, having good transportation infrastructure is a critical component towards economic growth - especially in a state as economically diverse and expansive like ours. This means that roads, rails, and airports need to be able and ready to alleviate increased congestion to attract additional employers to Nevada. I remain committed to doing whatever is reasonable and prudent to ensure that the transportation funding is sufficient to meet our national needs.
Interstate 11
Congress passed the FAST Act, a five-year federal surface transportation law in 2015. While providing general transportation needs and funding, the law also includes the extension of the Interstate 11 Corridor from Las Vegas to Interstate 80, with the route generally taking place along the western portion of the state.
The vision for the corridor is to connect Mexico with Canada through Nevada, a plan that could take 50 years to complete. State and local stakeholders need to provide input now on the importance of I-11 to meet the growing economic and transportation needs of the state. I will continue to have meaningful discussions with all those who have a say in Nevada's transportation future.
Let me be clear, I do not believe Yucca Mountain should become a simple dumping site for the nation's nuclear waste. This position is proven by my voting record in Congress.
In fact, when the 115th Congress considered the Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act (H.R. 3053), a bill to make Yucca Mountain the nation's permanent repository for nuclear waste, I voted against it. After considering the possibility of this legislation becoming law, I worked to give Nevada a seat at the table through an amendment that would have instituted comprehensive and responsible measures in Nevada's best interest.
Unfortunately, after three years of work on these priorities, the House Rules Committee deemed my amendment out of order because it included a transportation component. The reason being, if nuclear waste is going to potentially be transported across state lines via surface or rail transportation, then it's probably responsible to begin discussing transportation plans at the beginning stages of this project. My amendment being ruled out of order led me back to where this entire discussion started: if I am only given a chance to vote on a bill to designate Nevada as the nation's nuclear land fill – I will not support it.
However, in February 2020, President Trump committed the U.S. Department of Energy to finding alternative solutions to Yucca Mountain, while still fulfilling its legal obligations to manage and dispose of the nation’s nuclear waste and will not stand idly by given the stalemate on Yucca Mountain. President Biden has continued this stance, and is in the process of soliciting public feedback for alternate solutions. As the Department of Energy continues to weigh other options, I believe Nevada should have a seat at the table, and dictate the terms of any proposal that impacts our state.
As a fiscal conservative, I believe that our nation's deficit is out of control. We now borrow 42 cents for every dollar we spend. The bloated federal government spends some of that money on frivolous projects that benefit only a select group of special interests and other needless expenses. A significant portion of revenue also goes to fund Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security -- programs that are headed towards insolvency and need significant reform to become financially viable.
Our runaway spending problem is exactly what motivated me to run for Congress. You can be sure that I am doing all I can to eliminate wasteful spending and reduce the size of the federal government, while protecting promised benefits for our servicemen, veterans, and seniors and reforming Medicare and Social Security to ensure that it exists for future generations.
For this reason, I co-sponsored H.J. Res. 2, a balanced budget amendment. This bill would 1) prohibit spending from exceeding revenues in any fiscal year unless 3/5 of each house of Congress approves, 2) require 3/5 of each house to authorize an increase in the debt limit, 3) direct the President to annually submit a balanced budget to Congress, 4) prohibit any bill that increases revenues unless approved by a majority of each house, and 5) permit waiver of these provisions when a declaration of war is in effect or in other specific circumstances involving military conflict.
I have also supported raising revenues through fundamental, pro-growth tax reform that would broaden the tax base, lower rates, eliminate many special-interest loopholes and deductions, and maintain current levels of progressivity.
The United States Postal Service (USPS) is facing a deficit of about $20 billion that will leave taxpayers footing the bill unless serious changes are made to the current system. I believe that robust reforms to the USPS are needed and steps should be taken to determine what constitutes the appropriate number of facilities throughout the nation.
However, I understand the importance of keeping postal operations in rural communities because they often lack alternatives for conducting postal businesses and parcel delivery. I believe that post offices are a central component for many rural Nevada towns and areas and we must ensure the USPS remains solvent.
For these reasons, I introduced a resolution which expresses the sense of the of House of Representatives that the United States postal facility network is an asset of significant value and the United States Postal Service should take appropriate measures to maintain, modernize, and fully utilize the existing post office network for economic growth.
I am committed to making sure this concept continues as Congress considers avenues to make the USPS more competitive and sustainable in the future.
Strong National Defense
It is important for the United States to maintain a robust military that has the capacity and tools necessary to keep our nation secure from hostile nation states, terrorists, and rogue nations. Congress must be very cautious about cutting the budget of our Armed Forces. Eliminating wasteful spending should be an ongoing effort, but I am not in favor of reducing America’s ability to defend ourselves or our allies. I will continue to do everything possible to ensure that our servicemen and women are equipped with the tools they need to effectively carry out their missions and protect our homeland against enemies foreign and domestic.
ISIS
ISIS is a radical Islamist group that has been overthrowing cities in the Middle East and inciting widespread violence and anti-Western propaganda across the globe. In Iraq and Syria, ISIS continues to systematically target religious and ethnic minority groups and brutally murder thousands of innocent civilians.
After pressure from Congress to properly condemn these atrocities, the Obama Administration finally declared on March 17, 2016 that the Islamic State was committing genocide against Yazidis, Christians and Shiite Muslims in Iraq and Syria.
Unequivocally condemning these horrific actions for what they actually are is a start – but it is not enough. Violence and terrorism have no place in free, democratic societies such as our own. Defeating ISIS will require a coordinated effort from the intelligence community and our international partners. I will continue to support legislation that enhances our national security efforts and do everything possible to put an end to this brutal reign of terror.
Syrian Refugee Crisis
The resulting destabilization of power in the Middle East has left neighboring countries and refugee asylums particularly vulnerable to the proliferation of Islamic extremism. It has long been a security concern that the Syrian refugee crisis would be exploited by ISIS and other terrorist groups to enable jihadists to gain access to the West. Those concerns were heightened when reports indicated one or more of the Paris attackers gained access to the European Union by posing as a refugee in Greece.
In the wake of these devastating attacks, it is necessary that we take action to protect American citizens from horrific acts of terrorism. I have concerns that the flow of refugees from unstable regions of the Middle East to the United States poses a serious national security risk to the American people. I also agree that we do not yet have the necessary intelligence from Syria to vet those seeking resettlement. The United States must remain vigilant, particularly given the threat that ISIS poses around the world.
Iran Nuclear Deal
The Iran Deal, which was a cornerstone of President Obama’s foreign policy portfolio, is a threat to our allies in the region and our own national security. Time and again, Iran has blatantly violated the agreement without any repercussion from the past Administration. The United States has a responsibility to protect our citizens and our ally, Israel. I look forward to President Trump’s Administration taking necessary action to hold Iran accountable to the international community.
Congress has never definitely prohibited Internet gambling. However, two federal statutes have been used by federal prosecutors to prohibit such activity. The Federal Wire Act (Pub. Law No. 87-216), passed in 1961, was intended to prohibit telephone and telegraph betting, but with the advent of the Internet, was later interpreted more broadly by the U.S. Department of Justice to prosecute online gaming enterprises. However, the full reach of this law remained unclear. In December 2011, the Department of Justice abruptly reversed its course and said that this law applied only to sports betting via wire communication.
In 2006, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) (32 U.S. Code §§ 5361-67) was signed into law. UIGEA seeks to cut off the flow of revenue to "unlawful Internet gambling" businesses by enlisting the assistance of banks, credit card issuers, and other payment system participants, who stop payments to these businesses. The law also authorizes federal and state authorities to sue private entities to prevent or restrain violations of its provisions, including requiring Internet service providers to remove Internet gaming sites and their links, but not requiring them to monitor site activity. However, the law does not clearly define what unlawful Internet gambling is.
Internet gambling is a phenomenon that is not going away. The industry generates $30 billion in revenue each year, and online gaming is currently legal in 85 different countries. Americans already play online casino games at more than 1,700 offshore websites, but these consumers are currently inadequately protected by U.S. law.
In recent years, two legislative proposals in the House would legalize Internet gaming: the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act, and the Internet Gambling Prohibition, Poker Consumer Protection, and Strengthening UIGEA Act. These bills would also provide various consumer protections, mandate age and location verification of players, promote responsible gaming, and develop a framework to encourage coordination and information-sharing between states and to provide regulatory predictability and consistency among operators. The two bills also have some significant differences. Notably, the former only legalizes Internet poker, a game of skill at which it is more difficult to cheat, while the latter legalizes all Internet gambling except sports betting. The Internet Gambling Prohibition, Poker Consumer Protection, and Strengthening UIGEA Act also vests regulatory authority in the states and tribes, with oversight only by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, while the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act provides strictly for federal regulation by the U.S. Secretary of Treasury.
I recognize the vital role the gaming industry plays in our State and what additional opportunities Internet gaming would present for our economy. I also agree that this is a sensible way to increase revenues without raising taxes. Online gaming is still in its infancy, and Nevada has proven itself to be the worldwide leader in the administration of a responsible gaming industry that benefits both the public and private sectors. Our State was also the first to implement a regulatory system for Internet gambling. I believe that Nevada should play a central role in any federal legislation that would create nationwide regulation of online gaming.
For this reason, I co-sponsored the Internet Gambling Prohibition, Poker Consumer Protection, and Strengthening UIGEA Act, given its focus on State-initiated regulation. Both bills are currently under consideration by the House Energy & Commerce Committee, the Financial Services Committee and the Judiciary Committee. I will continue to work with my colleagues to advance policy that will responsibly regulate online poker at the federal level while finally making it legal to play online.
The Challenge
In the aftermath of recent tragedies that have occurred across our country, we struggle to find the answers to adequately address violence in America. The temptation is to do something, anything, to prevent such evils from ever happening again. That is a natural response. Unfortunately, powerful emotions and kneejerk political reactions do not typically make for smart policymaking.
One thing is clear: we must take responsible steps to keep firearms out of the hands of mentally disturbed individuals and criminals attempting to circumvent the federal background check process. When taking action to keep Americans safe, however, we must also ensure that we are not creating unintended consequences for the law-abiding citizens who responsibly exercise their right to bear arms. Millions of law-abiding, gun-owning American citizens go to sleep each night without harming others, their families, or themselves.
Current Law
Under current Federal law, there are already a number of prohibited individual categories that prevent a purchase of a firearm from a licensed firearms dealer. Those categories include: felons, fugitives, unlawful users of controlled substances, adjudicated mental defectives, illegal aliens, persons dishonorably discharged, those who renounce citizenship, and persons with restraining orders, in addition to state laws.
For dealers, an individual who is engaged in the business as a firearms dealer is required to have a Federal firearms license. A dealer is any person who deals in firearms as a regular course of trade or business with the principal objective of livelihood and profit through the repetitive purchases and reselling of firearms.
However, an individual who make occasional sales, exchanges or purchases of firearms for the enhancement of a personal collection or for a hobby, or who sells all or part of his personal collection of firearms, is not considered a dealer, and is thus except from licensing requirements.
Nevada also currently uses the ‘Point of Contact Program’ for firearm purchases in the state, which requires all Federal Firearms Licensees to contact Nevada Department of Public Safety staff to run a more thorough background check against Nevada’s own databases and systems, as well as the FBI National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).
Moving Forward
Americans are citizens, not subjects. Our government derives its power from the consent of the people. Our liberties, including the right to bear arms, pre-exist the founding of our government, and the people did not give up their individual rights when they consented to its creation. Nor are there any provisions in our founding documents to deprive the people as a whole of these freedoms when certain individuals abuse theirs.
Our law enforcement communities need to be given the tools and resources to enforce the laws that are already on the books while Congress works to enact meaningful solutions that will– without infringing on due process or privacy protections– keep firearms out of the hands of criminals and the mentally disturbed.
My colleagues and I in the House will conduct vigilant oversight on this issue and I will continue to support legislation that defends the Second Amendment and improves the enforcement of current law.
Discharge Petition Link, #196: http://clerk.house.gov/115/lrc/pd/petitions/DisPet0005.xml
Amodei Amendment to the DREAM Act
Letter to Speaker Ryan Requesting Action on DACA
Previous statements:
Amodei Responds to President's Immigration Executive Order
Amodei votes to defund President's executive actions on immigration
Amodei Responds to Administration's Announcement on DACA
Polling:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/interactive/2017/09/28/fox-news-poll-september-28-2017.html
Bills cosponsored over several sessions of Congress on immigration overall include:
Recognizing America’s Children Act– Provides a way to earn legal status for undocumented child immigrants brought to the United States as children.
Encouraging New Legalized Immigrants to Start Training (ENLIST) Act– Authorizes the enlistment in the Armed Forces of qualified undocumented immigrants.
Legal Workforce Act– Mandates the use of the E-Verify system.
Family Farm Relief Act– Transfers administration of the H-2A visa program from DOL to USDA.
Stop Dangerous Sanctuary Cities Act – Prohibits a sanctuary jurisdiction from receiving grants.
Resettlement Accountability National Security Act of 2017- Prohibits the admission of alien refugees into the United States unless Congress passes a joint resolution.
Resist Executive Amnesty on Defense Installations Act or the READI Act – Prohibits the use of a military installation to house any alien unlawfully present in the United States
H.R. 5079(2014) – Amends the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 to declare that any unaccompanied alien child who has not been a victim of a severe form of trafficking in persons or does not have a credible fear of persecution on returning to his or her country of nationality or of last habitual residence shall be: (1) placed in removal proceedings, (2) eligible for voluntary departure at no cost to the child, and (3) provided with access to counsel. (This bill was an effort to combat the Central American unaccompanied child migrant crisis.
Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2017– Reforms the current high-skill visa category process.
The American Entrepreneurship and Investment Act of 2015– Reauthorizes and reforms the EB-5 Investor visa program.
The EB-5 Integrity Act– Further reforms national security and integrity concerns of the EB-5 Investor visa program.
Jobs Originated through Launching Travel (JOLT) Act– Expands international tourism and increase national security.
Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) – Offers assistance for victims of domestic violence and services for victims, including undocumented victims. The Congressman also voted in favor of legislation that ensures that sex offenders and domestic violence perpetrators are priorities for removal by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Jobs in America Act – Authorizes further immigration investment programs.
I think most of us can agree our current tax code is too complicated and creates an undue burden on hard working Americans, families, and small businesses. I’ve always been supportive of reforming the current tax code in favor of a system that is simpler, fairer, and has lower tax rates.
As you may know, Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX), Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, introduced the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act on 11/2/2017. After passing different versions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the House and Senate each voted this month to send the bill to a Conference Committee where appointed Members worked through legislative differences to ultimately reach an agreement. While we’re still waiting to see the final version of the bill, the legislation reported out of the Conference Committee must now successfully pass out of both chambers before it can head to the President’s desk for a signature. As always, my staff and I will remain transparent throughout this process, keeping you informed of any updates we receive along the way.
Keep in mind, our current tax code has remained untouched since 1986. Now that we have a final work product, the passage of this tax reform bill will finally put us one step closer towards achieving real tax relief for hardworking Americans.
Commonly referred to as “net neutrality” rules, the regulatory impact of these regulations prohibits the blocking of legal content, forbids paid prioritization of affiliated or proprietary content, and prohibits the throttling of legal content by broadband Internet access service providers. This is the ruling the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently agreed to review at its Open Meeting on December 14, 2017.
As my staff and I continue to closely monitor this issue, you might be interested to know these rules are regulated by the Administration. This is not something Congress had a hand in. In fact, Chairman Wheeler exercised the same authority under President Obama. While there is a lot of misinformation and emotion out there, what Chairman Pai is attempting to do is rollback some of the most stringent regulations implemented under the Obama Administration.