An Interview with Nevada Sen. Jacky Rosen

Q: What sparked your desire to become a U.S. Senator?

A: Growing up, one of the lessons that was instilled in me by my family and my Jewish faith was the idea that it is up to each and every one of us to make the world a better place, and we all need to do our part. This concept sparked a passion for public service that has carried me all the way here.

Women often don’t take a straight path in their careers, especially when it comes to running for office. I ran for office not to hold a title, but to help hard-working families in my community. When I think about my path to the Senate, from my days working my way through college as a waitress in Las Vegas to building my career as a woman writing code, it encourages me to want to bring more women to the decision-making table. I felt a sense of responsibility to stand up, lift my community’s voice and ensure that their concerns and priorities were at the table in Washington.

Q: What do you hope to accomplish in the next six years?

A: As a Senator, my priority is to work on the issues that matter to Nevadans, and no issue affects Nevadans more than health care. At the end of the day if you don’t have your health, then you don’t have anything.

I was elected to defend access to health care for the nearly 1.2 million Nevadans who live with a pre-existing condition. Unfortunately, we’ve seen what happens to families if they’re no longer able to have access to life-saving care. That’s why I refuse to sit on the sidelines during this fight for Nevada’s and our nation’s health care.

I’m also working to make progress in other key issue areas including investing in our children’s education, protecting the environment and our public lands, working toward comprehensive immigration reform, honoring our veterans and service members, and embracing and preparing for the economy of the future by investing in clean energy technology and enhancing our tech workforce.

Q: What do you consider the biggest issues women face in our country?

A: Recently, we’ve seen an alarming wave of restrictive anti-choice laws in various parts of the country. To say that these new laws are extreme is an understatement. The reality is that these dangerous laws are part of a deliberate effort to roll back women’s rights over their own bodies, and ultimately overturn Roe v. Wade. We must stand up against the rollback on women’s reproductive rights.

We also need to address that the lack of affordable, quality child care in this country too often forces families, and more often than not, mothers, to make the difficult choice between working to provide for their family or staying home to care for a child. Supporting women means supporting hard-working families. That’s why I was proud to co-sponsor the Child Care for Working Families Act, a bill that would help families avoid having to make that difficult choice by providing access to high-quality child care that doesn’t break the bank. Not only that, but through federal-state partnerships, the bill would support universal access to high-quality preschool programs.

Q: What issues have you faced as a woman in government?

A: During my time as a computer programmer, I, like the vast majority of women today, witnessed wage discrimination and the many difficulties that come with confronting gender stereotypes. This experience informs how I legislate; it’s a reason why I’m fighting for affordable child care, to end pay discrimination, and to provide paid family leave.

I’m proud to be part of an incredible class of strong, passionate, trailblazing women who are stepping up to lead, and I’m even more thrilled to help be a voice of empowerment to other women who are also looking to break through barriers. I hope to encourage more women to step up and lead because our unique experiences in life make us more than prepared to run.

Q: What are the most important federal issues that Nevadans should be paying attention to?

A: An issue that’s recently gained attention is the potential for a restart of the Nuclear Waste repository at Yucca Mountain. Efforts to revive Yucca Mountain are dangerous and put our tourism economy, environment, military readiness, and livelihoods at risk. Most importantly, this project lacks our consent. An overwhelming majority of Nevadans do not want to see our state become a dumping ground for nuclear waste. This project has no business being revived, and I'll keep fighting to protect Nevada from these reckless plans. 

Q: How can citizens ensure their voices are heard on the federal level?

A: The best way to ensure that your voice is heard is to get involved in our country’s political process. Pick an issue that you care about and become an advocate. Our political system works best when people get involved. No matter who you are, or what background you come from, there is a place for you in politics. Take part in fighting for the issues that you care about, take part in building bridges toward civility, and take part in coming together to repair the world.

Also, to any young women reading this, many people called last year the “Year of the Woman.” I have a request: Let’s make it the decade of the women. Let’s keep fighting, keep breaking down barriers, and keep working to build better communities, a better state, a better country, and a better world.