Congressman-elect Kihuen plans rural tour
Congressman-elect Ruben Kihuen plans a rural tour in his district after he is sworn in next year.
Kihuen, a Democrat, unseated first-term Republican Congressman Cresent Hardy in a competitive race for the Nevada’s 4th Congressional District on Nov. 8. The district includes northern Clark County, all of Nye, Lincoln, Esmeralda, Mineral counties and southern part of Lyon County.
“I am honored and humbled by the opportunity to serve the people of the 4th District,” Kihuen said in a statement. “I will work tirelessly on behalf of all of my constituents — Democrat, Republican and independent, rural and urban — to fight for the American Dream. I made a point of getting to know the rural communities throughout the district during the campaign process. After I’m sworn in next year, I look forward to planning out a rural tour of the district to hear from constituents directly in places like Pahrump to learn more about their challenges and how I can represent their voices in Washington.”
Kihuen said that one of his first priorities will be a “seamless” transition with Congressman Hardy’s office so that he can get to work right away on constituent services.
“I owe it to the people I represent to start working on solutions, and also to be a strong voice where Donald Trump and the other side are wrong for our district,” Kihuen said. “I’m still committed to the same values that I talked about on the campaign trail: defending Social Security and Medicare for seniors, passing immigration reform and keeping families together, raising the minimum wage, ensuring women get equal pay for equal work, protecting Planned Parenthood funding, passing common-sense gun safety laws.”
Access to critical emergency services and health care is an important issue for Nevada’s rural counties, Kihuen said.
“For too many, life-saving medical care can be hours away. I will fight to invest in rural health care services, from building new hospitals and community health care facilities to offering telemedical services to remotely connect patients and doctors,” he said.
Kihuen said he will continue Congressman Hardy’s efforts to promote and secure funding for the extension of Interstate 11, the four-lane freeway linking Las Vegas to Reno through Nye County.
“One of the most important things my office will do is continue to provide vital constituent services, whether it’s helping seniors resolve issues with their Social Security, ensuring veterans get the benefits they’ve earned, or assisting with immigration claims,” Kihuen said.
Kihuen is Nevada’s first Latino congressman. He was elected to the state Assembly in 2006 and served two terms before running for the state Senate in 2010. He has also served as majority whip for the Democrats in the Senate in the 77th legislative session.
Contact reporter Daria Sokolova at dsokolova@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @dariasokolova77
