Nevada Senate Race Backgrounder
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Jacky Rosen Is A Climate Champion Who Will Protect Our Progress
Senator Jacky Rosen is a climate champion for Nevadans. Rosen was a decisive vote to pass the clean energy plan, the largest investment in our nation’s history to address the climate crisis that has already spurred $14.5 billion in investment and helped create over 20,000 new clean energy jobs in the Silver State. She also strongly supports our clean energy economy and has fought to expand clean energy in Nevada. Rosen has advanced funding and legislation to help address the worst aspects of the climate crisis, such as extreme heat, droughts and water issues, wildfires, and air pollution. Rosen has also worked to hold Big Oil accountable, calling for the Department of Justice to conduct an industry-wide investigation of price fixing and demanding the Federal Trade Commission investigate and crack down on Big Oil mergers that reduce competition and drive up gas prices.
In stark contrast, GOP Senate candidate Sam Brown is following up his failed 2022 Senate bid by making the expansion of oil and gas a centerpiece of his campaign. Brown wants to expand oil, gas, and coal production and wants to restore Trump’s energy policies, and even called for eliminating the Department of Energy and federal environmental agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency. When it comes to addressing Nevada’s extreme heat, drought, wildfires, and air pollution, Brown has not offered any plan or solution. Instead, he strongly opposed a shift to clean energy and has criticized solar projects in Nevada, a crucial component of the over 20,000 clean energy jobs in Nevada that the clean energy plan helped create.
Sam Brown is out of touch with the climate reality facing Nevadans and directly threatens jobs in the state’s clean energy industry. While 76% of Nevadans – including 70% of Republicans – support keeping clean energy and energy efficiency tax credits in place, Brown has parroted the oil and gas industry’s talking points in attacking the clean energy industry and called for an expansion of fossil fuels in the U.S. In Nevada, the impacts of climate change will mean more frequent and intense heat waves, decreased flow of water in the Colorado and other rivers, and increased frequency and intensity of wildfires. The state’s agriculture, its economy, and people’s health will all be hurt:
- In the past decade, Nevada has experienced 12 billion-dollar climate-related disasters that caused $143.8 billion in damages and killed 801 people.
- Reno and Las Vegas are the first and second-fastest warming cities, respectively. East Las Vegas, a predominantly Latino community, experiences higher temperatures than other neighborhoods due to the urban heat island effect, a significantly lower tree canopy, and older buildings that cannot regulate heat well.
- According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, emergency department visits related to the heat across Nevada in July 2023 more than doubled compared to the same period the previous year.
- The megadrought that has gripped the southwestern U.S. for the past 22 years is the worst in at least 1,200 years. A November 2023 study by the Bureau of Reclamation found Lake Mead may hit the lowest water level in 2025. Lake Mead is the drinking water source for more than 95% of the population and businesses in Clark County.
- In the Southwest, fires have become larger, more frequent, and more severe, with clear evidence of climate change as a major cause. The largest fires in Nevada history burned in 2018. Rural communities often see severe impacts from wildfire smoke, and communities in Northern Nevada also receive delayed information when wildfires strike.
- Nevada has some of the worst air quality in the nation. For the first time, Reno joined the 25 worst cities for annual particle pollution, and Las Vegas reentered the list for the first time since 2018.
Advancing Climate Action
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As of June 2024, Nevada has received over $4 billion in funding from the Rosen-backed clean energy plan – that’s money going to communities all across the state to promote drought and climate resiliency, reduce pollution, and advance climate-smart agriculture. Senator Jacky Rosen understands the impacts of climate change and has also cosponsored several pieces of legislation to address climate change, while Sam Brown avoided discussing the climate crisis and called for eliminating the Environmental Protection Agency.
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- Rosen voted to pass the largest investment in our nation’s history to address the climate crisis and fight the worsening effects of climate change.
- In 2020, Rosen cosponsored the Clean Economy Act, which requires the Environmental Protection Agency to implement a plan to reduce pollution and set a goal of net zero emissions by 2050.
- In 2021, Rosen cosponsored the Climate Change Education Act, which declares that evidence of human-induced climate change is undeniable and establishes programs to increase climate literacy in the United States.
- In 2022, Rosen helped introduce the National Climate Adaptation and Resilience Strategy Act, a landmark climate resilience bill that would require the development of a whole-of-government National Climate Adaptation and Resilience Strategy.
- Brown criticized the Biden administration’s policy to reduce pollution from diesel trucks, saying they underscore Democrats’ desire to “over-regulate an industry they don’t understand.”
- Brown called for eliminating the Department of Energy and federal environmental agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency.
- Brown failed to mention climate change even once on his campaign website and hasn’t addressed the issue publicly.
Expanding The Clean Energy Economy
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The clean energy plan has already spurred over $14.5 billion in investment and helped create 20,448 jobs. But Sam Brown meanwhile has criticized solar projects in Nevada and railed against “radical” and “extreme” energy agendas.
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- Rosen supports a transition to a clean energy economy and has led the years-long fight in Congress against harmful solar tariffs, saying “it’s critical that we invest in clean energy projects that reduce our pollution and lower energy costs for Nevadans.”
- In 2019, Rosen cosponsored the Renewable Electricity Standard Act, which requires retail electric suppliers to generate a significant amount of electricity from renewable energy resources.
- In 2024, Rosen helped secure nearly $1.8 million for clean energy projects in Nevada, as well as vital extensions of the renewable energy investment tax credit and the residential renewable energy tax credit to boost solar energy.
- Rosen said she would “always fight to deliver federal investments for our state’s booming clean energy economy.”
- Brown criticized Senator Jacky Rosen’s support for solar energy projects in Nevada, saying, “they’re being built on our land, and not to our benefit.”
- Brown spread misinformation about Democrats banning gas-powered engines.
- Brown falsely claimed solar power generated in Nevada goes directly to California.
- Brown railed against “radical” and “extreme” energy agendas and falsely claimed electric vehicles were being forced on American automakers and consumers.
Extreme Heat
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Nevada’s increase in temperatures and extreme heat events put people’s jobs and lives at risk. While Senator Jacky Rosen has fought to ensure that Nevadans have access to federal resources to stay safe during extreme heat, Sam Brown has not acknowledged extreme heat and the toll it takes on Nevadans.
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- Rosen voted to pass the clean energy plan, which includes grants and funding that address extreme heat in Arizona, such as tree planting projects that help protect communities from excessive heat.
- Rosen has fought to ensure that Nevadans have access to federal resources to stay safe during extreme heat.
- In 2024, Rosen introduced legislation to give Nevadans access to more resources and funding by recognizing extreme heat as a major disaster.
- In 2024, Rosen met with local leaders in Las Vegas to discuss efforts to keep Nevadans safe from the heat and promised to “keep working to bring more federal resources to Nevada to address the effects of extreme weather.”
- Rosen acknowledged that Nevada already experiences extreme heat and said it was urgent to work together to mitigate the growing climate crisis.
- Brown handed out water bottles to attendees at a Trump rally in Las Vegas, where six people were ultimately taken to the hospital and two dozen received medical attention due to extreme heat.
- Brown’s campaign has not addressed extreme heat issues in Nevada.
Droughts And Water
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The waterways Nevada relies on are increasingly fragile due to sustained drought periods exacerbated by climate change. While Senator Jacky Rosen cosponsored legislation to address the drought and water issues in Nevada, Sam Brown has not offered any plan or solution to address the problem.
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- Rosen voted for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which has injected nearly $186 million into water infrastructure projects across Nevada that improve drinking water and preserve water resources.
- In 2019, Rosen cosponsored the PFAS Action Act, which requires the Environmental Protection Agency to designate all perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances as hazardous substances.
- In 2021, Rosen cosponsored a bill requiring the Department of Interior to fund the planning, design, and construction of large-scale water recycling and reuse projects in drought-stricken regions of certain Western states.
- In 2024, Rosen helped secure $30 million for water treatment and infrastructure to make Northern Nevada’s water more drought-resilient.
- Rosen demanded additional federal funding to address the region’s long-term drought worsened by climate change, asking the government to “bring all resources to bear in helping address long-term drought and aridification in the Western United States.”
- Rosen acknowledged that Nevada experiences increasing droughts and wildfires and said it was urgent to work together to mitigate the growing climate crisis.
- While Brown has acknowledged the water crisis in Nevada, he has not offered any plan or solution to address the problem, saying only that federal and state representatives need to work together to forge solutions.
Wildfires
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Nevadans are increasingly at risk from larger, more frequent, and more severe wildfires. Senator Jacky Rosen has helped secure funding to reduce wildfire risk for Nevadans and cosponsored legislation to improve predictions of wildland fires and enhance community resilience to them, while Sam Brown has not addressed the issue at all.
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- In 2022, Rosen cosponsored the National Wildland Fire Risk Reduction Program Act, which directs the President to establish a program to improve assessments and predictions of wildland fires and develop and encourage measures to enhance community resilience to them.
- In 2024, Rosen helped secure nearly $28 million to reduce wildfire risk in several Nevada counties.
- In 2024, Rosen helped introduce bipartisan legislation to permanently raise the overtime pay cap for wildland firefighters.
- Rosen requested that the Air Force and Air National Guard provide Reno with newer and more capable planes to fight wildland fires.
- Rosen acknowledged that Nevada experiences increasing droughts and wildfires and said it was urgent to work together to mitigate the growing climate crisis.
- Brown’s campaign has not addressed the issue of wildfires in Nevada.
Clean Air
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Air quality remains an issue in Nevada, and communities of color bear the brunt of air pollution. While Senator Jacky Rosen has voted for legislation to establish air quality monitoring systems in communities across Nevada and fund clean school buses, Sam Brown has called for eliminating federal environmental agencies and departments that keep air pollution in check and hold polluters accountable.
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- Rosen voted for the clean energy plan, which provided nearly $1 million in funding to establish air quality monitoring systems in communities across Nevada, including providing the Shoshone Paiute Tribes of Duck Valley funding to create their first-ever air quality monitoring system on the Reservation.
- Rosen voted for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which funded 25 clean school buses across Nevada, ensuring cleaner air for students and their families.
- Rather than utilizing government agencies to improve air quality for Nevadans and hold polluters accountable, Brown has called for eliminating federal environmental agencies and departments.
Yucca Mountain
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While Senator Jacky Rosen has spent years fighting to prevent Yucca Mountain from moving forward, including introducing legislation banning Yucca Mountain from being a nuclear waste dumping ground and repurposing it for alternative job-creating projects, Sam Brown flip-flopped on Yucca Mountain after admitting to “not knowing a ton about the history.”
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- In 2024, Rosen introduced a bill to ban Yucca Mountain from being a nuclear waste dumping ground and repurposing it for alternative job-creating projects.
- Rosen has been “fighting alongside colleagues on both sides of the aisle for years to prevent Yucca Mountain from moving forward.”
- Brown flip-flopped on Yucca Mountain after admitting to “not knowing a ton about the history.”
Holding Big Oil Accountable
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Senator Jacky Rosen has fought hard to hold Big Oil accountable for gas price increases, while Sam Brown took nearly $170,000 from the oil and gas industry and his second-largest campaign contributor was an oil and natural gas company.
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- In 2024, Rosen called for the Department of Justice to conduct an industry-wide investigation of price fixing among Big Oil companies.
- In 2023, Rosen joined an effort demanding the Federal Trade Commission investigate and crack down on Big Oil mergers that reduce competition and drive up gas prices at the pump.
- In 2023, Rosen criticized big oil companies for gouging Americans at the pump while making record profits.
- In 2021, Rosen introduced a bill that would increase royalty rates, rental rates, and minimum bidding standards for onshore oil and gas leasing.
- Brown took nearly $170,000 from the oil and gas industry and his second-largest campaign contributor was Devon Energy, an oil and natural gas company.
- Brown wanted to “drill, baby, drill” and called for expanding oil, gas, and coal production.