U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nevada, recently hosted a meeting with Native American staffers focused on overcoming barriers to greater diversity in congressional offices.
The Dec. 8 meeting was the fifth installment of Cortez Masto’s Cafecito Con Catherine mentorship series, an initiative dedicated to empowering people from minority backgrounds who work on Capitol Hill.
Cortez Masto has previously met with Latina, Asian-American and Pacific Islander, African-American, and LGBTQ staffers.
“Too often, the concerns of tribal members are ignored in the federal government and in the halls of Congress,” Cortez Masto said in a statement.
“That is unacceptable, and I will not stop working to ensure that their voices are heard,” Cortez Masto said. “I am thankful that this group of Native American staffers took the time to share their experiences and ideas with me.
“This meeting has given me the input I need to continue working with my colleagues in the United States Senate —especially my colleagues on the Senate Rules Committee—to make diversity a priority in all congressional offices,” she said.