Nevada senator touts defense spending bill, benefits for Nevada veterans

U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto touted bipartisanship Tuesday as she highlighted provisions in the recent defense spending bill that increased pay for military service members and earmarked millions of federal dollars for Nevada facilities.

President Donald Trump signed the $900 billion bill in December, which included 3.8 percent pay bumps and military housing improvements.

“I am so pleased to be able to talk about this because I think oftentimes so much negativity is out there and, unfortunately, partisan infighting,” said Cortez Masto, D-Nev., from a Nevada National Guard facility in Las Vegas.

She added: “But in actuality, if we just put our heads together to solve problems and work together to address the needs of this country, we’re going to move us (forward) so much more.”

Cortez Masto said her priorities for the defense bill stemmed from veteran roundtable discussions in 2025.

“This is the direct result of my conversation with veterans right here in Nevada, and this is how we get things done,” she said.

The legislation will provide more than $64 million for the Nevada National Security Site, $47 million to update a military training complex in Fallon, and $8.6 million for new facilities at the Nevada Air National Guard.

Also, the legislation classified the Creech Air Force Base as a remote facility, a designation that qualifies it for increased funding, Cortez Masto said.

Helping veterans transition to civilian life

One of Cortez Masto’s asks for the bill included allowing service members to include their current contact information in discharge documents so they can be told about resources for when they transition into civilian life, she said.

“This is when veterans are at the highest risk for unemployment, housing instability, rental and mental health challenges and disconnection from their benefits,” said retired Col. Mary Devine, who is the director of the Nevada Department of Veterans Services. “If we miss them during this window, we often don’t see them until they are in crisis.”

Army veteran Ross Bryant is the executive director of the UNLV Military and Veteran Services Center.

He said that when he left the Army after serving 25 years, the branch had no proper way to get in touch with him.

Improving the contact system will help veterans transitioning to student life, which is often riddled with anxiety because they’re no longer in a military base with wraparound resources, Bryant said.

“This new bill will allow the Nevada Department of Veteran Services to be in contact with those veterans and also share all of the vast veteran benefits in the state,” he said. “And all of that will help with anxiety,” he added.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com.