Cortez Masto Joins Bipartisan VISIT USA Act to Restore Brand USA Funding, Promote U.S. Tourism

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) cosponsored bipartisan legislation to restore full funding for Brand USA, a critical program that helps drive international tourism, after the Republican tax law slashed the program's funding by 80 percent. Amid a national tourism decline, Brand USA's public-private partnership model is essential for promoting America as a premier destination and clearly communicating U.S. entry policies abroad.

The Vital Investment in Sustaining International Tourism to the USA (VISIT USA) Act, led by Senators Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) will fully restore Brand USA's funding in Fiscal Years 2026 and 2027. The chaotic policies of the Trump Administration - including new fees on foreign visitors at national parks, detention of tourists, and increasingly hostile rhetoric to American allies - have caused a decline in tourism in the country as a whole and in Nevada. Passage of the VISIT USA Act would help to revitalize the American tourism industry ahead of events like the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympic games.

"Las Vegas is an internationally renowned travel destination, and tourism drives the Nevada economy, supporting good-paying, union jobs," said Senator Cortez Masto. "Unfortunately, President Trump's reckless policies have created chaos in our travel industry. That's why I am supporting the VISIT USA Actto bolster promotion of Nevada's tourism industry."

The VISIT USA Act is endorsed by the U.S. Travel Association. Representatives Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.-09) and Kathy Castor (R-Fla.-11) have introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.

Senator Cortez Masto is a fierce advocate for Nevada's tourism economy, fighting for transparency and working to support the state through the current economic chaos. On multiple occasions throughout 2025, the Senator raised concerns and demanded the Trump Administration consider and reverse their detrimental policies and make constructive plans for strengthening travel and tourism in the U.S. Overall, Cortez Masto is seeking economic analysis from the Trump Administratoin and Congress on the impacts of reduced tourism to the economy nationwide. In September, she hosted a press conference with the Culinary Union to call out Trump administration policies that are slowing travel and tourism in Nevada. She has led legislation to bolster Nevada's legal sports betting industry, remove tariffs on key goods, and ensure that the no taxes on tips policy best serves Nevada workers. She was also been the Senate leader in passing the original seven-year reauthorization of Brand USA before the Trump administration stripped its funding.

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