Nevada lawmakers recognized for effectiveness in Congress' last session

From center, Nevada Representative Susie Lee, Nevada Senator Jacky Rosen and Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez Masto attend Brightline West's groundbreaking ceremony Monday, April 22, 2024. Photo by: Wade Vandervort

Three members of Nevada’s congressional delegation were lauded for their effectiveness during the last session of Congress in a report published today by the Center for Effective Lawmaking. 

Nevada Democrats Rep. Dina Titus and Sens. Jacky Rosen and Catherine Cortez Masto were listed in the “top ten” among their party for their respective congressional chambers. 

Titus, listed in third place among House Democrats, was the highest ranking “moderate” in the grouping — categorized based on an assessment of her voting patterns. The center identified her work on international affairs, government operations and public lands. 

In a post on X, Titus wrote in response: “There are show horses and there are workhorses. I’m proud to be recognized as the 3rd most effective House Democrat thanks to results I delivered to help #OnlyInDistrictOne combat extreme heat, conserve water, and improve the tourism experience”.

The center is a partnership between Vanderbilt University and the University of Virginia’s Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy.

The report uses assigned “legislative effectiveness scores” based on metrics including bills sponsored by lawmakers and how far into the process their legislation makes it. 

Rosen was among four freshmen senators “exceeding expectations,” while also ranking ninth among Senate Democrats. The ranking cited two of her bills that were enacted into law — both signed by President Joe Biden in the final days of his tenure. 

The No CORRUPTION Act prohibited congressional members convicted of a crime related to public corruption from being eligible to receive a taxpayer-funded pension during the appeals process. 

Another Rosen bill, the Never Again Education Reauthorization Act of 2023, also was signed late December, reauthorized a program establishing a federal fund through the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum to provide teachers resources and training for teaching about the Holocaust. 

Cortez Masto, whom the report ranked seventh among “effective” Senate Democrats, had one bill signed by Biden: The Lake Tahoe Restoration Reauthorization Act, which reauthorizes activities to restore Lake Tahoe and its surrounding basin through 2034.