Horsford Featured at M2M Dems’ Monthly Meeting

By VERNON ROBISON

The Progress

The Mesquite to Moapa Democrats (M2M) featured Rep. Steven Horsford (D-NV4) as the guest speaker at the group’s monthly online meeting held on Wednesday evening, April 5.

Horsford spent about 30 minutes with the local club talking about conditions in the U.S. House of Representatives, issues that are key to his role in Congress and his recent election as chair of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC).

“I am the 28th chair for the CBC,” Horsford said of his new role. “This is an opportunity for me in a leadership role to work with our new leadership team to help advance issues that are important to all of us; from voting rights to democracy to social justice issues to economic opportunity for everyone.”
Horsford said that the Congressional session had gotten off to an “interesting” start. He talked about the change between the previous Democratic leadership of the House and that of the new Republican leadership under Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

“Nowadays we say that ‘D’ is for Democrats,” Horsford told the M2M membership. “And it is also for Delivering and also now Defending against some of the worst attacks on the American public.”

Horsford talked about how his district, Congressional District 4, had changed since January with the recent redistricting going into effect. About 16 percent of CD4 is new since that time. The district picked up parts of downtown Las Vegas, the Arts District and the area around University Medical Center. It lost rural White Pine County.

“But I am excited that Mesquite and Moapa continues to be the heart of our community particularly in the outlying areas,” Horsford said.

Some of the most important issues at the moment deal with defending Democracy, he said. He spoke specifically about the events at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
“We must make sure that people are still held accountable for their role in that attack on our democracy,” Horsford said.

Another major focus was to ensure the implementation of landmark legislation passed by the previous Congress under Democratic leadership.

Perhaps first among these is the infrastructure investment law passed. “That bill was more than just roads and bridges,” Horsford said. “It is the most historic investment in public transit and in water systems – including the drought here in Nevada. Those are all important provisions that we are working with the administration now to make sure it gets implemented.”

During a brief question and answer period, Horsford was asked to talk more specifically about the water issue in Nevada and what was being done to ease the drought.

Horsford responded that $4 billion had been set aside by the Inflation Reduction Act to help drought-stricken states like Nevada.
“That funding is to help states with the drought in the short term while we work with our colleagues along the Colorado River Basin to address the longer term needs,” Horsford said.

Horsford was also asked about the explosion of violent crime and gun violence across the country and what was being done to address it.
Horsford admitted that crime had become an issue, particularly violent crime. “Unfortunately, that is as true here in Clark County as it is in other major metropolitan areas,” he said. “We have to lean in on this issue. This is not something that Democrats should shy away from.”

Horsford said that this problem was separate from the issue of public safety reform of police departments across the country. “I believe that we can both give the support that we need to law enforcement while holding bad policing practices accountable for the mistreatment of individuals,” he said. “It is a false choice to say that we cannot do both.”

The Congressman added that an emphasis on devoting resources to mental health treatment was also needed. In a recent meeting with the Clark County Sheriff, Horsford said he was told that the Clark County Jail had become the biggest mental health institution in the state; and the biggest substance a treatment facility in the state as well.

“That should not be!” Horsford said. “We need more community-based solutions to help people with mental health or substance abuse problems. Law enforcment should not be the only partner addressing those needs in our community. That is something I am working on as Chair of the Black Caucus.”

Another question dealt with the desire to bring legislation banning assault weapons in light of recent gun violence.
“The House Democrats have called for Republicans to bring gun reform legislation to the floor,” Horsford said. “We know that we are up against the gun lobby on that.”

Horsford said that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) had issued a letter indicating that if such a bill was not brought forward, he would enact a little known procedure called the discharge petition. “That would allow us to, with 218 signatures, bring a bill to the floor for a vote,” Horsford said.