Rep. Titus warns Nevada Legislature of 'tsunami' of challenges from Trump policies

Congresswoman Dina Titus, D-Nev., speaks with reporters before a ceremony at the Nevada Conservation League offices Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023. Officials celebrated the addition of four electric buses to the Regional Transportation fleet. Photo by: Steve Marcus

Returning to the chamber where she served two decades as a state senator, U.S. Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., addressed the Nevada Legislature with the insight of someone intimately familiar with the institution’s inner workings.

Titus delivered an unvarnished assessment of the challenges state lawmakers face — challenges she attributes directly to President Donald Trump’s policies. It’s unlike anything she encountered during her statehouse tenure, she said.

As the fifth member of Nevada’s congressional delegation to address state lawmakers in Carson City, she echoed warnings from her Democratic colleagues about the disruption the Trump administration is creating.

“I’m not going to sugar coat it. I’m going to tell you what it’s like,” Titus said Wednesday night. “You are facing a tsunami that is coming, and I don’t envy your task. I know you’re up to it. I know you’ll do what’s in the best interest of Nevadans, but let’s just get ready because it’s coming fast.”

She went on to specify that the looming “tsunami” includes potential Medicaid cuts amid congressional Republicans’ budget reconciliation efforts, Trump’s import tariffs and reductions to the federal workforce.

Titus also expressed frustration that letters from Democrats to the administration, including requests for information on billionaire Elon Musk’s security clearances, “pretty much goes ignored.”

All Democratic members of Congress who addressed Nevada lawmakers raised concerns about potential Medicaid rollbacks, which is one of Washington’s most contentious issues.

While Trump’s administration maintains it would only eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse within the program rather than cut funding, Democrats remain skeptical.

Democratic alarms intensified after House Republicans introduced a budget resolution bill designed to implement the president’s agenda, which directs the House committee overseeing Medicaid to identify $880 billion in savings through 2034.

They’re now backed by experts, including a report from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office that determined that amount of savings within the named House committee wouldn’t be feasible without Medicaid reductions. Republicans in both chambers are resolving differences on the framework.

Titus warned the possible Medicaid cuts would extend the state legislature’s work beyond its scheduled 120 days ending in early June.

“I think everybody kind of agrees it’s likely you’ll be back in special session when you figure out just how much it is you’re going to have to cut or pay for or eliminate or whatever,” Titus said. “Because you got to deal with this firestorm somehow.”

State Sen. Jeff Stone, R-Henderson, was present for Titus’ speech and said he feels like he gets along quite well with his “Democratic friends on the other side of the aisle.” He added that he enjoys when Congress members visit, though the speeches from Democrats during this session have held partisan messaging. 

“The Democrats were, I think, overly partisan and kind of towing the party line against the policies of the Trump administration,” Stone said. “But I think that you’ll see in the future that, no, they’re not taking Medicaid away. I know we’re not. I don’t believe we’re having any special sessions.”

In her address to the state lawmakers, Titus said their partnership wouldn’t always mean their viewpoints aligned, referencing a bill to end daylight savings as a measure she didn’t agree with.

“We’ll have a few differences, but the basic values are the same,” Titus said. “And we’ll agree that all Nevadans will need to be taken care of, and that should be our priority.”