Catherine has dedicated her career to protecting women from violence and sexual assault, and in the Senate, she has led efforts to address the epidemic of missing, murdered, and trafficked Indigenous women. Teaming up with Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Catherine passed two bills, Savanna’s Act and the Not Invisible Act. They were signed into law in 2020 to ensure that the federal government is better equipped to prevent violent crime against Indigenous women and girls.
Catherine has worked to provide Native American communities across Nevada with access to quality health care, securing coronavirus relief funding for the Indian Health Services and additional funding for tribes and urban Indian health organizations to address mental health needs for these communities. She is leading legislation to address dire doctor and nurse shortages in Indian Country, and helped push legislation to address health disparities for Native Americans in urban areas.
Catherine has focused on delivering federal resources to improve transportation, roads, bridges, schools, and housing in Native communities. Through the American Rescue Plan, Catherine helped secure the largest investment in Native programs in history, including Native education and housing, which she has helped deliver to tribes across Nevada. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law she supported included historic funding for tribal transportation programs, including aging tribal bridges, improved access to clean water for Indian Country, and improved tribal broadband.
