Representative Mark Amodei (District 2) was one of Donald Trump's biggest Nevada supporters during the presidential campaign and he says he will use any favor with the new administration to help Nevadans.
He says when the next congressional session starts January 3rd, the top priorities will be tax, health care and immigration reform.Â
"I'm looking forward to, 'Here's what the actual proposal is. Where are we at on this? Do we support it, are we opposed to it?" says Rep. Amodei, "But at least to take it out of the whole speculation of the unknown stuff right now, which is serving to do nothing except heighten people's fears."
Amodei says Donald Trump won the election because the American people want strong leadership. He blames both sides of the isle for gridlock in Washington and what he calls "political cliche" adding that if the Republican Party can't prevent gridlock, voters will move back to Democrats or even a 3rd party.
"They want to see stuff in the economy. They want to see stuff in the jobs. They want this health care stuff to get fixed," says Rep. Amodei, "In a  responsible way that works, cause if we go to fix it and it doesn't work. We're going to be as dead as the last folks that did it."
He says to keep the Republican majority, his party will have to pass legislation responsibly, "Not air dropping it saying 'Hey we're gonna vote on this in three days' and you go 'Did I miss the hearing?'"
Amodei supported four bipartisan measures that would impact the Silver State in some way. Two of the measures succeeded before the end of the 114th session while Amodei two others that stalled will be a good start for the 115th session.
One secures money to protect Lake Tahoe and another allows the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority to add more customs officers. A shortage of officers, leading to long wait times for international flights arriving to Reno, prevented a direct flight from London to Reno from getting off the ground in 2015.
The two efforts he wants to continue with are to get a new zip code for Storey County and build a memorial Vietnam helicopter pilots in Arlington National Cemetary. Rep. Amodei would like to meet with the new head of the Army and Secretary of Defense nominee General James Mattis to get the memorial built without congress.
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"Say 'Hey, we really shouldn't have to run a bill for this. These folks worked for you, here's the story. What do you think?'" says Rep. Amodei.
