Acknowledging his mother's history as an immigrant, Rep. Joe Heck, R-Nevada, announced his U.S. Senate bid to succeed Sen. Harry Reid's, D-Nevada, seat.

"I come from an immigrant family," were Heck's first words in his Senate announcement video titled "Healer," released on June 6. "My mom's parents came to America for a new life and better opportunity. They sailed under the torch of the Statue of Liberty, which lit the way to their American Dream."

Heck's announcement continued with his family's upbringings, from childhood to adulthood, later adding, "Like my immigrant grandparents coming to America, most Nevadans came here for a new start, a better life, and more opportunity. We turned the desert into a place of new beginnings. I see a Nevada of unlimited opportunity, a place with better jobs, higher wages and the chance to rise as far as the path will take us. And that's why I'm running for the United States Senate."

Heck positioned himself as a "healer" who believes in providing "more opportunity" for Nevadans by recognizing his history as a son of immigrants, Emily's List Deputy Communications Director Soñia Melendez Reyes noted that his record shows "a radically different story." Melendez Reyes stated Heck has prioritized an extreme agenda, which includes restricting access to health care and voting against minimum wage increases.

"Congressman Heck claims to be an 'amigo' to Nevada's immigrant families, but in one of his first opportunities to vote on comprehensive immigration reform he sided with the radical wing of the Republican Party, tearing millions of hardworking Nevadan families apart," Melendez Reyes said. "Congressman Heck even voted for a budget that would decimate Medicare and Social Security.

On immigration, according to the Washington Post, Heck has read the Senate's 1,200-page comprehensive immigration reform bill in 2013 and requested hundreds of miles of border fencing built, more border agents and to "toughen" education requirements for undocumented immigrants' children seeking U.S. citizenship. He admitted he would vote "no" on the Senate bill unless House amendments were included.

Heck's district does include a prominent Filipino population. In a bipartisan effort, he is a cosponsor of the "Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act of 2015" (H.R. 483), which would exempt children of select Filipino World War II veterans from the immigrant visas quota whose parent(s) were naturalized under the Immigration Act of 1990. The bill has been referred to the House Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security.

As Latin Post reported, Heck introduced a House bill to expand existing grant dollars for Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) for students attending medical school. Heck, who's also a physician, said the legislation (H.R. 2927) gives students more opportunities in pursuing medical education and as a result would improve access health care and quality of life.

"This bill will give them a chance to do just that," Heck said in a statement.

Melendez Reyes claimed Heck's record of health and safety toward women included votes excluding groups of women, including undocumented immigrants and lesbian women, from protections under the Violence Against Women Act.

"[Heck] has also voted for legislation that would force sexual assault victims to prove they were raped during an IRS audit. As a physician, Congressman Heck should know the importance of access to quality health care for all. But clearly, this is not a priority for him," Melendez Reyes said.

Melendez Reyes was referring to "No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2015" (H.R. 7), which prohibited federal dollars from funding abortion coverage except for cases of incest, rape and when a physical condition endangers a woman's life. The bill also amended the IRS to disallow premium assistance tax credits or health insurance tax credits for health plans covering abortion that would otherwise be eligible for federal funding. The aforementioned language, however, was removed from the House floor vote and has moved forward into the Senate.

Heck does have a track record on women's issues, both in health services and security. He cosponsored the Violence Against Women Authorization Act of 2012 (H.R. 4970), which expands a 1994 law to include protections for "populations who face barriers to accessing and using sexual assault victim services due to geographic location or religious, racial, or ethnic identity or because of special needs." The bill also amended the Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005 through the 2017 fiscal year, offering grant programs through outreach and services for adult or youth victims of dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking.

Most recently, he cosponsored the International Violence Against Women Act of 2015 (H.R. 1340), which instructs the Secretary of State to create an "Office of Global Women's Issues." The bill, which was introduced in March with bipartisan support, also calls for a senior coordinator for gender equality and women's empowerment within the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). H.R. 1340 also aims to develop a strategy to prevent and respond to violence toward women and girls.

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UPDATED 7/7/15: 11 p.m. EST: Article updated to included Heck's legislation sponsorship on related issues.

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