[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 77 (Thursday, May 9, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S2754]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                             Maiden Speech

  Ms. ROSEN. Madam President, I thank Senator Cortez Masto for that 
great introduction.
  I am honored and humbled to address this distinguished body as the 
newest Senator from the great State of Nevada and to stand alongside an 
exceptional group of colleagues with a shared commitment to public 
service. I am especially honored to hold this seat, as it once belonged 
to a great Nevada public servant, Senator Richard Bryan. Senator Bryan 
served in just about every position in government, from assemblyman to 
Governor. He worked tirelessly to advance civil rights, empower women 
in government, and defend Nevada's public lands. I am so honored to 
carry his values with me to move Nevada forward.
  As I take up this mantle in the Senate, I am prepared to continue 
Senator Bryan's legacy and work for Nevadans, while also building 
toward a legacy of our own. I stand here as Nevada's 28th Senator and, 
for the first time in history, as one of two women to represent our 
State in the Senate. I am proud to be part of such an incredible 
movement of strong, passionate, trailblazing women like Senator 
Catherine Cortez Masto, who became the first female Senator to 
represent the great State of Nevada and the first Latina elected to 
serve in the Senate.
  Everywhere, we are seeing women who are stepping up to lead, and I am 
thrilled to have the chance to empower women who are looking to break 
barriers along the way. By bringing more women to the decision-making 
table, we can open doors and make progress on issues that affect us and 
our hard-working families on a daily basis. When women put their minds 
together, there is no new ground we cannot break, and there is no glass 
ceiling we cannot shatter.
  I stand here today to share my vision for how we can work together--
on both sides of the aisle--to lay down a framework for progress 
because Nevadans and Americans everywhere are counting on us to go 
above and beyond, to overcome obstacles before us, and to find 
commonsense, forward-thinking solutions for the challenges of this new 
era--challenges like immigration reform, which protects our Dreamers 
and TPS recipients; challenges like a changing 21st century economy and 
climate change; and, of course, an issue that is so important to hard-
working families everywhere, the challenge of access to affordable, 
quality healthcare.
  Before I discuss where we are going, let me tell you just a bit about 
where I come from--my values and the ways in which my story has helped 
to shape who I am and how it will shape who I will be as Nevada's 
newest Senator.
  I am the proud granddaughter of immigrants and a first-generation 
college graduate who worked my way through college waiting tables. Yes, 
I am a former member of the Culinary Workers Union, and I saved my tips 
in envelopes to pay for that college tuition. I am a computer 
programmer and a systems analyst who worked my way up in what has been 
long considered a male-dominated industry.
  I am a wife to my husband Larry, a radiologist, whom I can always 
count on to be by my side. I am a mother to my wonderful daughter 
Miranda, whom I am so proud of and who inspires me every day to build a 
better future for our country.
  I am a former president of my synagogue--the largest synagogue in 
Nevada--and during my tenure, I witnessed the beauty of our country's 
religious diversity and how community engagement strengthens America. I 
also learned the importance of working together to fight against anti-
Semitism, which we are seeing now, once again, rear its ugly head here 
at home and around the globe.
  Remembering where I come from, my story, my roots, this is what 
guides me every day to make decisions to help working families. When it 
comes to issues like college affordability and education, equal pay for 
equal work, labor rights, combating hate and anti-Semitism, and 
standing up for Israel, I can speak from personal experience.
  I am reminded that my story is just one of many from Las Vegas to 
Reno, to Searchlight, to Lovelock, and everywhere in between because I 
hear from Nevadans who share some of those same stories from every part 
of the rich, vibrant fabric that makes up our diverse State, including 
Latinos, Asian Americans, African Americans, Tribal communities, and 
beyond.
  When I think of the shores of Lake Tahoe and of Lake Mead, the 
majestic canyons of Red Rock, the open skies across the desert, and the 
mountains that shine below them like jewels in the sun, I think of 
home. Nothing rings more true to me than saying home means Nevada to 
me.