Ruben Kihuen in State of Nevada Archives

On Budget & Economy: Wall Street blames homeowners for the foreclosure crisis

We didn't get here by accident. Congress is controlled by the wealthy and the elite, by Wall Street bankers and billionaires, who have rigged the system against working families to protect their own bottom line.

Many, especially those on Wall Street, want to blame me and millions like me who lost their homes in the foreclosure crisis. But the truth is that this wasn't a case of a handful of Americans making bad financial decisions. It was widespread fraud by large banks and Wall Street bankers looking to turn a quick profit at the expense of people's financial security and well-being. Worst still, after the economic collapse, the same elite that ruined so many lives and so many dreams demanded that the American people bail them out.

On Crime: End the for-profit prison industry in America

In Congress, I will:
• Sponsor legislation to end for-profit prisons in America.
• Work on criminal justice reform legislation that ensures that young men in this country are not caught in the revolving door of prison.
• Use Congress' oversight ability to ensure the Justice Department properly investigates and holds police departments accountable in cases of corruption and excessive force including more citizens review boards like we have here in Las Vegas.
• Work to end the practice of selling excess military supplies to local police departments.

On Crime: Require police body cameras, to address injustice

That's why in the legislature I supported legislation to require police to wear body cameras. This commonsense step helps protect our citizens and our police.

On Education: Don't divert funding to private schools through vouchers

In the 2015 legislative session, I helped lead the way toward a solution to fully-fund K-12 education in Nevada by passing the largest investment in our state's history. I fought to include funding for full day kindergarten, English language learner programs and zoom schools.

In Congress, I will:
• Continue the fight to fully-fund early childhood education through the Head Start Program.
• Oppose any effort to put profits over people by diverting public school funding to private schools through vouchers.
• Ensure teachers have the proper training and tools they need to give our children the best education.

On Education: Let students borrow money near 0% interest, like big banks

In Congress, I will:
• Sponsor legislation to end the U.S. Government's practice of profiting from student loans. If the big banks can borrow money at or near 0% interest, so too should our students.
• Fight to make public colleges, universities and community colleges 100% free for all those who wish to attend.
• Work with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Congressional investigators to hold companies like Navient, the student loan servicing company, accountable when they take advantage of students in debt to bolster their profits.

On Energy & Oil: Transfer money from big oil to renewable energy portfolio

In Congress, I will:
• End subsidies for big oil companies.
• Invest the money we've been handing over to big oil into expanding our renewable energy portfolio and ensure that we lead the way on creating a clean energy economy that will provide new jobs.

On Environment: Polluters have determined our environmental policy

In Congress, I will:
• Ensure that polluters pay for the damage they're doing to the environment.
• Be a voice for keeping our public lands in public hands and push for a funding increase in our land and water conservation fund to protect America's great places.

On Families & Children: Fight to make child care a critical economic issue

The average cost of childcare is over $11,000 a year. Most Americans do not have jobs that give them the flexibility [to watch their kids outside of school].

I will fight to stop child care from being relegated to a 'woman's issues' and put it front and center as a critical issue we must address to build an economy that works for all families.

On Government Reform: Constitutional amendment to overturn Citizen United

In the Nevada legislature, I supported legislation to strengthen our campaign finance laws, improve the reporting of campaign contributions and make all of that data more accessible to the public.

In Congress, I will:
• Sponsor a constitutional amendment to overturn the Citizen United decision and once and for all state that government has to right to regulate the corrupting influence of money in politics.
• Fight to immediately pass the DISCLOSE Act and require all outside groups report their donors.
• Support public financing of elections, like the Government by the People Act, to finally get money out of politics entirely.

On Gun Control: The NRA exists only to protect the big gun companies

In the State Senate, I helped champion legislation to require universal background checks for all gun sales in Nevada and I fought against reckless Republican bills that would have allowed guns in our public schools.

The truth is the fight against gun violence prevention is dominated by the National Rifle Association. The NRA claims to stand for personal freedoms, but they really only exist to protect the bottom line of the big gun companies. We must expose the NRA for the profit-protecting, corporate machine that they are.

In Congress, I will:
• Fight for universal background checks for all gun sales.
• Ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines.
• End the gun show and terrorist watch-list loopholes.
• Stand up to the NRA and the gun lobby.

On Health Care: Expand Medicaid to ensure that no American is uninsured

I am proud to have fought for an expansion in Medicaid and the successful implementation of the ACA here in Nevada.

In Congress, I will:
• Fight any attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
• Demand lower prescription drug prices and give Medicare the ability to negotiate lower prices.
• Expand Medicaid in all states to ensure that no American is uninsured because their Governor decided that ideology is more important than making healthcare available to their constituents.

On Homeland Security: Focus on veterans, not defense company lobbyists

In Congress, I will:
• Reform the DOD budget process to put the needs of those who defend our country first instead of wasteful or duplicative projects that only benefit defense contractors and the Members of Congress they contribute to.
• Fully-fund the VA system to shorten wait times and improve care while reforming critical gaps in service like a lack of dental benefits [especially] for veterans who live in rural areas.
• Ensure that veterans have a strong advocate to fight for the benefits they have earned but have been wrongly denied.

On Immigration: Families immigrate to America seeking the American dream

Today Nevadans from all walks of life see the reality of that American dream slipping away. My proposals to put people before profits. These policies will ensure that ALL Nevadans have the opportunities my family and I enjoyed for generations to come.

On Immigration: Pass comprehensive reform with clear pathway to citizenship

Ironically, my family and I, who immigrated to this country when I was 8, are only here because of Ronald Reagan's immigration reform of 1986. President Reagan understood that when you give hardworking immigrants a chance, they contribute to our economy and help make this country the greatest in the world. It's time to pass comprehensive immigration reform.

There are a lot of specific proposals that can go into CIR and many should be worked out in a bipartisan debate on the House and Senate floors but let me be clear about the one, non-negotiable element of CIR: a pathway to citizenship.

Without a clear pathway to citizenship for those currently in the country and a reformed system for new immigrants to achieve citizenship, it simply cannot be called comprehensive and won't get my vote. Period.

On Jobs: Women earn less for same job as male colleagues

It is unacceptable that if a woman and a man do the same job, on average, the woman will make 30% less. That's why I sponsored and passed legislation to crack down on employers knowingly paying women less than men in Nevada.

On Jobs: No one who works full time should live in poverty

In 2015, I presented the bill in the Nevada legislature to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour. Unfortunately, the reckless Republicans who controlled the legislature killed the bill. I will continue to fight for an increase at the Federal level in Congress.

On Social Security: Fight any attempt to privatize or voucherize

In Congress, I will:
• Fight any attempt to privatize, voucherize, reduce benefits or otherwise undermine Social Security or Medicare.
• Scrap the payroll tax cap to ensure the wealthiest pay their fair share for Social Security. The wealthiest Americans stop paying taxes for Social Security on January 2nd, that's just wrong.
• Expand Social Security benefits to give our seniors the dignified retirement they deserve.

On Tax Reform: End the absurd carried interest tax loophole

• Sponsor legislation to hold Wall Street executives accountable when they defraud the American People and ensure criminal behavior is prosecuted, even if the criminals wear a suit and work in downtown Manhattan.
• Fight any effort to roll back Dodd-Frank and work to pass new, tough regulations on Wall Street including an end to the Volcker Rule's hedge fund loophole, increased regulation of the shadow banking system, and fight to make the stock market more fair so high frequency scalpers are not allowed to reap profits off the backs of everyday Americans.
• End the absurd carried interest tax loophole that allows Wall Street to claim their profits as capital gains instead of income. No hedge fund manager should pay a lower tax rate than his or her secretary.

On Gun Control: Background checks for mental health before gun purchase

Excerpts from veto message: While I support enhanced reporting requirements concerning mentally ill persons, the provisions of Senate Bill 221 pertaining to background checks for the private sale and transfer of firearms constitute an erosion of Nevadans' Second Amendment rights.

Legislative outcome: Sen. Kihuen voted YEA; Bill passed Senate 11-10-0, May 22; passed House 23-19-0; June 3; vetoed by Gov. Sandoval on June 13

On Government Reform: Audit the cost of capital punishment

Analysis by Center Right NV blog: AB501 calls for the legislative auditor to examine the costs of capital cases compared to non-death penalty cases. The study includes pre-trial, trial and appeal costs, plus how much it costs to keep an inmate on death row.

Veto message analysis by Nevada Prison Watch blog analysis of Veto Message: Sandoval was not convinced it would be a fair audit. "The bill lists the costs to be assessed in determining the overall fiscal impact of the imposition of the death penalty, but it does not specify how it is these costs will be assessed," the governor said. Sandoval said that death row inmates make "individualized litigation choices" that drive up the costs of their cases.

Legislative Outcome: Passed Assembly 28-14-0 on Apr/25/11; Passed Senate 11-10-0 on May/28/11; Senator Ruben Kihuen voted YES; Vetoed by Gov. Sandoval on May/31/11.

On Government Reform: Approved legislative majority-minority redistricting

Analysis by Ballotpedia.org: Both parties have claimed to have the best interests of minority voters at heart in their map. Republicans accuse Democrats of diluting reliably Democratic Hispanic votes to maximize the party's chances without giving equal consideration to what Hispanics specifically want. Democrats shoot back that the GOP is, far from creating majority-minority district to benefit Hispanics, actually packing them in order to weaken their power overall.

Gov. Sandoval's veto message: The plan reflected in the bill did not provide for the fair representation of the people of the state of Nevada, nor did it comply with the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Legislative Outcome: Passed Assembly 26-16-0 on May/18/11; Passed Senate 11-10-0 on May/25/11; Senator Ruben Kihuen voted YES; Vetoed by Gov. Sandoval on May/31/11.

On Education: Restore budget cuts for K-12 public education

Opinion in support by John Oceguera, the incoming speaker of the Nevada Assembly: The governor's budget cuts $668 million in state support for K-12, a cut of 27%. These proposed cuts, on top of cuts made in the last two years, will likely result in teacher layoffs, even larger classes, fewer career and technical education opportunities and elimination of full-day kindergarten and other programs proven to help students learn.

Gov. Sandoval's veto message: Were this bill to be enacted into law, insufficient revenue would be available for the Legislature to meets its obligation to prepare a balanced budget encompassing all areas of state responsibility..

Legislative Outcome: Passed Assembly 26-16-0 on May/10/11; Passed Senate 11-10-0 on May/10/11; Senator Ruben Kihuen voted YES; Vetoed by Governor Brian Sandoval on May/16/11.