LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Rep. Susie Lee, D-Nev., discussed the economy, tariffs, the war in Iran, data center regulation and the Clark County lands bill following her primary win and ahead of the general election.
Cost of living remains top issue
Lee said the economy and cost of living remain the top concerns she hears from constituents. She said the Trump administration’s policies, supported by Republicans in Congress, have cost the average Nevada family about $3,300 since President Trump took office.
Lee cited tariffs, the war in Iran, rising gas prices and health care costs, saying another estimate shows health care costs in Nevada are set to rise 17%.
“People just feel like they’re getting stretched thin from every direction,” Lee said.
Lee said her opponent, Marty O’Donnell, has said the president is doing “an amazing job.”
Asked about the president’s statements that prices would come down after the election and that payments would go out if Republicans win, Lee said: “Sounds like a bribe to me, and quite illegal.”
Lee said the president has pressed legal limits before, citing a recent ad buy that used government funding. She said Congress should hold the administration accountable and that, if Democrats take the House majority, the first priority would be lowering the cost of living and health care costs.
Lee said Democrats have filed lawsuits against the administration, including a case over birthright citizenship that reached the Supreme Court, which she said upheld the challenge.
Asked whether she would support impeachment proceedings if Democrats take control of the House, Lee said other agenda items take priority, including health care costs, immigration reform, tariff policy and the war in Iran. She noted that conviction would require the Senate.
Tariffs linked to tourism and housing costs
Lee said there is a direct correlation between the president’s tariffs on Canada and a decline in Canadian visitors to Las Vegas. She said tariffs have also raised the cost of groceries, appliances and housing, adding that building a house now costs $11,000 more in supplies because of tariffs.
Lee said Canadian tourists, Nevada’s top international visitor group, are down close to 20%, which she linked to retaliation over tariffs. She said the state has lost billions of dollars in trade as a result.
Lee cited what she called the “Trump slump,” including decreased gaming revenues and visitor counts. She said rising gas prices have also reduced visits from California, Las Vegas’ largest domestic visitor market, which she said has created a ripple effect affecting casino employee shifts and local business spending.
War in Iran
Lee said Iran has been an exporter of terrorism for decades but said the war was launched without congressional approval. She said the administration’s stated rationale changed over time, from limiting missile production to targeting nuclear capabilities.
Lee said the campaign has limited Iran’s ability to produce missiles and affected its nuclear program, but said it remains unclear whether the program has been ended completely. She said the number of American casualties is not yet fully known.
“When you make a decision to put men and women in harm’s way, you better have a clear strategy and a clear exit strategy,” Lee said. “We had neither of those with this war.”
Data centers and AI regulation
Lee said her district includes Switch, a data center she said runs on renewable energy with a closed water loop cooling system. She said she introduced the Energy Bills Relief Act, which would require data centers to bear the cost of new infrastructure and increased energy costs rather than passing those costs to average energy users.
Lee said decisions on where data centers are located should be made at the local level through community input, including regulations and incentives negotiated by local governments.
On AI regulation, Lee said developers across the industry have asked Congress to establish guardrails and said Congress is “late to the party” on the issue. She said Congress should act quickly, noting lawmakers were sent home in July and September rather than addressing the issue.
Lee said she is tracking the Frontier Act, a bipartisan bill introduced by Rep. Lori Trahan and Rep. Jay Obernolte, which would establish guardrails for AI while addressing safety, national security and competition with China.
Clark County lands bill
Lee said she sponsors a Clark County lands bill in the House, with Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto sponsoring a companion bill in the Senate. She said the bill has been in negotiation for years and includes provisions for both development needs and conservation.
Lee said a Northern Nevada lands bill sponsored by Rep. Mark Amodei recently passed the House before recess, which she said may create an opportunity to advance a Southern Nevada lands bill in the Senate. She said 80% of land in Nevada is federally controlled, making conservation provisions important, though she said some colleagues want no conservation measures included. Lee said the governor has made calls to Senate counterparts in support of the bill.
Water conservation and growth
Responding to concerns about building amid water shortages, Lee said Southern Nevada has reduced indoor water use by 40% despite population growth of 800,000 residents over the past decade.
Lee said about $12 billion in conservation funding included in the infrastructure bill and the Inflation Reduction Act was rolled back by the administration, which she said is now moving to release some of that funding as Lake Mead and Lake Powell reach critical levels.
Lee said she created an Office of Water Efficiency and Conservation through the Water Resource Development Act and passed a bipartisan infrastructure bill funding a large-scale water recycling partnership between Las Vegas and the Los Angeles Metro, which she said would preserve enough water in Lake Mead for 500,000 homes.
Reelection bid
Lee said her constituents are focused on the cost of living and do not want a “rubber stamp” for the president. She said her opponent, Marty O’Donnell, said he would not run for office without Trump’s endorsement and has described himself as the president’s “reinforcement.”
Lee said Nevadans are spending $3,300 more per year than when Trump took office.
Asked why voters should reelect her, Lee cited 33 years living in Nevada, work running nonprofits, $12 billion in delivered investment, and the resolution of 10,000 constituent cases resulting in $42 million returned to residents.
Lee contrasted her record with O’Donnell, whom she described as a California multimillionaire who moved to Nevada five years ago.
“I think Nevadans see right through that,” Lee said.
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