Ensign Urges Caution On DC Representation Bill

“At a minimum, this is a constitutional uncertainty.
Isn’t that enough reason to pause?”
Sen. John Ensign, Chairman of the Republican Policy Committee

Senator John Ensign today (February 24, 2009) voted against bringing the D.C. Representation bill to the floor for debate.  Historical evidence shows that the intent of our Founding Fathers was clear: Washington, D.C. should remain a federal city as the seat of government with its independence firmly protected.

 “I find it hard to believe that those who wrote the Constitution with unbelievable vision and divine foresight simply forgot to address this issue, as proponents suggest,” said Ensign.   “There is evidence that our Founding Fathers had given this issue serious consideration.  They were deliberate and held excruciating debates and discussions about every facet of the new government.”

The Founding Fathers carved out land for the District so that it would not be located in any particular state, and they designed it to be governed equally by all states through Congress. Housing the District within any single state would have put a large financial burden on that state to maintain the capital.

On average, D.C. residents receive $6,485 in federal aid each year per person, as compared to a national average of less than $1,500 per person. D.C. fared first in per capita spending overall in the stimulus bill and far better than the vast majority in other categories, especially Nevada.

 “With these kinds of numbers, I just hope other states don’t start a movement to become the next capital of the United States,” said Ensign.

 “Beyond these concerns, I’m troubled that this is the most pressing issue when we should be debating the best policies to turn our economy around,” Ensign concluded.

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Ensign Bill Will Protect Second Amendment Rights 

Today (February 25, 2009) Senator John Ensign, Chairman of the Republican Policy Committee, introduced an amendment to protect Second Amendment rights in our nation's capital. Ensign is working with his colleagues and pushing for a vote on this issue this week.

 “A fundamental right given to every American by our Founding Fathers is in jeopardy,” said Ensign.  “The D.C. City Council is misinformed if they think that the facts and numbers are on their side on this issue.  Statistics have shown that crime rates in the District actually rose as more and more Second Amendment rights were stripped away.”

The Supreme Court ruled last year in District of Columbia v. Heller that the D.C. City Council’s gun ban was unfairly and unconstitutionally restricting law-abiding citizens’ ability to defend themselves.  In response to this ruling, the District of Columbia introduced burdensome gun laws to further infringe on the Second Amendment rights of residents of the nation’s capital. 

 “I am working with my colleagues to ensure that the Constitutional injustice that has been plaguing the District of Columbia for the past 30 years is brought to an end,” said Ensign.

Senator Ensign’s amendment is substantially similar to the bipartisan compromise that passed the House last year, with the exception of a few technical changes.  This bill will repeal the most recent D.C. gun law package, the “Firearms Registration Amendment Act of 2008

 

 

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Ensign Responds To President’s Budget

Senator John Ensign, Chairman of the Republican Policy Committee, released the following statement after President Barack Obama put forward his budget plan.  Obama’s budget raises taxes and grows the size of government.

 “As I have said many times in the past it is critical that we work together to solve this nation’s economic woes, and President Obama has indicated he wants to do this through an ‘honest’ budget.  But we need to remember that we don’t just need an honest budget, we also need an effective one.

 “With this budget, Democrats have laid out their priorities for spending taxpayer dollars, and their priorities are clear: grow the size of government until it is entwined into every aspect of our lives.   The era of big government is back.

 “This budget proposes over one trillion dollars in new taxes.  Don’t let the rhetoric fool you – it is not just the rich who will be responsible for paying for this colossal spending bill – every single American will feel the effect of this budget.  If you use electricity you will be taxed to pay for this bill.  It’s as simple as that. 

 “Let’s get to work to craft a budget that protects taxpayers’ dollars while creating jobs at the same time.”