Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez Masto lamented the lack of bipartisanship in Congress that stalled a COVID-19 relief package that she says would help the casino industry and ancillary businesses recover from the economic downturn caused by the ongoing pandemic.
During a discussion with American Gaming Association CEO Bill Miller to kick-off the Virtual Global Gaming Expo Tuesday, Cortez Masto, a Democrat and the first Latina ever elected to the U.S. Senate, said bipartisan lawmakers worked together in April to pass the $2.2 trillion CARES Act that is to assist companies nationwide that were closed by COVID-19.
Miller remarked that economic relief not only helped gaming workers but also employees of businesses that derive much of their income from servicing gaming operators in their communities.
Cortez Masto said Nevada’s congressional delegation was able to talk with representatives and senators from states with commercial and tribal casinos to help them understand that numerous small businesses rely on gaming.
“Our colleagues with gaming in their states understand that the direct (gaming) workers and indirect employees all benefit,” Cortez Masto said. “That made it easier to put together the package.”
However, the bipartisanship has disappeared over the summer, and as next week’s presidential election draws closer. The casino industry wants to see a measure passed that supports liability protection in which businesses that follow public health guidelines cannot be sued by people who contract COVID-19. However, she criticized a Republican-introduced package that offers blanket protection “for bad actors” who don’t follow the guidelines.
Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez Masto makes a point during Tuesday’s Virtual G2E
Cortez Masto, who sits on five Senate committees, said bills are not being debated in committee.
“Every time you throw something floor of the Senate, without it going to committee, it’s not good for anyone,” she said, blaming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell with being “the one person” in control of the Senate.
“It’s not good for anyone,” she said. “It’s a disservice to the businesses that need some sort of protection.”
Earlier this month, Cortez Masto and Republican Kevin Cramer of North Dakota introduced legislation that offers tax credits and other incentives to boost the struggling convention and tradeshow business while offering relief and recovery measures to the hospitality, travel, and tourism industries.
The bill would establish a tax credit for the cost of attending or hosting a conference or tradeshow in the United States from 2021 through 2023.
Cortez Masto said the bill would help Las Vegas, where airline volume into McCarran International Airport is down 56%. Also, the Las Vegas Strip has seen five straight months of zero convention attendance, as all major trade shows have been canceled and pushed into next year. She said other big convention cities, such as Chicago, Dallas, Orlando, and San Francisco, would also benefit.
“It’s part of the focus on how we can move through this pandemic and give benefit and relief to this industry,” she said.
Cortez Masto was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2016 – the first woman from Nevada elected to the post. In 2018, she was joined by Senator Jackie Rosen, marking that both Nevada’s senate seats are occupied by women. Previously, Cortez Masto served two terms as Nevada’s attorney general.
She is hopeful once the election passes – she voiced her support for former Vice President Joe Biden – that Congress will pass a COIVD-19 relief package.
Cortez Masto also told Miller that she does not support any federal oversite of the nation’s expanding legal sports betting industry.
“The state can handle it and it’s not the place for the federal government,” she said. “Let the states continue to lead.”
Howard Stutz is the executive editor of CDC Gaming. He can be reached at hstutz@cdcgaming.com. Follow @howardstutz on Twitter.
