They’re Just a Small Number of People’: Dina Titus Stumbles Through Defense of Vote Against No Tax on Tips

Rep. Dina Titus had what should have been an easy opportunity this week to explain one of the most politically damaging votes of her career.

Instead, she delivered a rambling word salad.

During an interview on C-SPAN, Titus was asked a simple question: Why did she vote against No Tax on Tips?

Rather than offering a direct answer, the longtime Nevada Democrat launched into a confusing explanation that critics say only reinforced how disconnected she has become from the workers who power Nevada’s economy.

At one point, Titus attempted to downplay the policy by suggesting it only affects “a small number of people.”

In Nevada, that’s simply not true.

According to the Tax Policy Center, Nevada has one of the highest concentrations of tipped workers in the nation, with more than 5% of the state’s workforce relying on tips as a significant part of their income. That includes servers, bartenders, casino dealers, cocktail servers, valet attendants, hotel workers, bellhops, and thousands of hospitality employees who keep the state’s tourism industry running.

In other words, the very workers who define Nevada’s economy.

For Republicans, Titus’ response perfectly encapsulates why they believe the veteran congresswoman has lost touch with the district she represents.

Instead of acknowledging that No Tax on Tips would allow hardworking Nevadans to keep more of the money they earn, Republicans argue Titus dismissed the people most affected by her vote while struggling to explain why she opposed the proposal in the first place.

The issue has become one of the defining political fights heading into the 2026 election.

The National Republican Congressional Committee has relentlessly highlighted the fact that Titus voted against eliminating federal income taxes on qualifying tips despite representing one of the most hospitality-dependent states in America.

The issue has only become more problematic for Democrats after the policy was ultimately enacted, allowing millions of tipped workers across the country to begin keeping more of their hard-earned money.

Now, Republicans argue, Titus is left trying to explain why she opposed a tax cut that directly benefits thousands of her own constituents.

NRCC Spokesman Christian Martinez said Titus’ latest comments only deepen that political liability.

“Out of touch Dina Titus voted against No Tax on Tips and sold out the servers, bartenders, valets, hotel staff, and casino workers who power Nevada’s economy,” Martinez said. “Nevadans deserve to keep more of their hard-earned tips, not more pathetic excuses from a washed-up politician like Titus, who forgot who actually keeps Nevada running.”

The controversy also comes as Republicans continue making inroads with Nevada’s working-class voters, particularly those employed in the tourism and hospitality industries.

President Donald Trump carried Nevada in 2024 after making No Tax on Tips a centerpiece of his campaign, arguing that service industry workers deserved to keep more of the money they earned.

Republicans believe the issue remains a potent political contrast.

On one side, they argue, is a tax policy that puts more money into the pockets of working Nevadans.

On the other is a congresswoman who not only voted against it but, when asked to explain herself, appeared to dismiss the workers affected as little more than “a small number of people.”

For a state built on hospitality, Republicans say that’s an answer Nevada voters are unlikely to forget.

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