January '10 Nevada Government—U.S. Senator John Ensign Column

Ensign: Stop Spending And Start Creating Jobs

January 28, 2010 – Washington, D.C. – Senator John Ensign today voted against raising the debt limit, once again, to record levels. However, the bill passed on a party-line vote when Senate Democrats voted to raise the debt limit by another $1.9 trillion; it was most recently increased by $290 billion in December 2009.

“I had hoped that once Democrats went home and heard the concerns of their constituents, they would return to Washington with a new perspective,” Ensign said. “Believe me, I heard from Nevadans in the town hall meetings that I held this month that increased spending and more debt is simply not acceptable.”

The federal debt per household in 2009 was $68,000 and that is projected to increase to $137,000 in 2019 under the Obama Administration’s budget. Under the Democrats’ leadership, debt limit increases will become a regular occurrence. The debt subject to limit is projected to grow to $24.5 trillion by 2019.

“Nevadans are hurting enough right now—they don’t need this added burden. We have to stop this spending and start focusing on the real solution to the slow economy—jobs,” Ensign said. “American families have had to make tough choices to balance their budgets. But we in Congress want to have it all—even when we can’t pay for it. That is unacceptable.”

After just one year in office, the Obama Administration’s spending has left American families in quite the financial hole. Since his inauguration, the national debt has increased by $1.7 trillion. A single Obama term will add about as much new debt held by the public as all other presidents in U.S. history combined.

Ensign Commission Would Decrease
Out-Of-Control Government Spending

January 28, 2010 – Washington, D.C. – Senator John Ensign today introduced legislation that would help rein in the wasteful government spending habits that have taken Washington, D.C., by storm. The Commission for Fiscal Sustainability Act of 2010 would establish a bipartisan, bicameral commission that would focus solely on reducing the levels of government spending.

“Washington is spiraling out of control when it comes to spending taxpayer money,” said Ensign. “We’re spending money more quickly then we can print it, and yet, we’re printing money at record levels. The problem with this mentality is that we are going to have to pay down this debt, but will it be too little too late when we do?” Ensign said.

The Commission for Fiscal Sustainability Act of 2010 would be established to guarantee the long-term fiscal strength and economic security of the United States. The legislation would require that the 16 members focus solely on finding ways to cut out-of-control government spending without raising taxes on hard-working Americans. Additionally, the commission would provide the much-promised transparency that Congress needs by operating under open meeting laws.

“We need to act and we need to act now. Congress needs to focus on the long-term stability of this country rather than the short-term shopping spree that it is currently embarking on. My commission will do this to ensure that our children and grandchildren will have an America that they are proud of.”

The Commission for Fiscal Sustainability Act of 2010 would differ from Obama’s own proposal for a fiscal action commission by being restricted from recommending tax increases.

Ensign: Good Start But More Is Needed

January 27, 2010 – Washington, D.C. – Senator John Ensign made the following statement tonight in response to President Obama’s State of the Union address:

“Tonight President Obama proposed many ideas to get this country back on track. I welcome the promise of bipartisanship and hope to see both Democrats and Republicans working together to reset this Congress’ priorities. Our focus should be on jump-starting our stalled economy, reducing our nation’s debt and shoring up this country’s national security so that Americans don’t live in fear.

“I welcome the President’s proposal that we freeze some federal spending but I don’t think it goes far enough. A far more appealing idea is to return to last year’s spending level and freeze those levels for three years. Spending has dramatically risen under this Congress and freezing the current levels will not fix the problem.

“We need to focus on reducing our massive deficit. Unspent TARP money and money that has been paid back into the TARP fund should go towards reducing the deficit instead of creating a brand new slush fund that Congress will spend on new government programs.

“Most importantly, Congress needs to come together to solve the problem that plagues too many Americans: unemployment. We need to take ideas from both sides of the aisle and put them into action for Americans. Incentivizing small businesses to, once again, be the engines of job creation for our economy needs to be priority number one. Americans need jobs and we need to incentivize businesses to create them.

“I also hope that Congress refocuses our efforts on strengthening our national security. We should be treating terrorists as enemy combatants and not coddle them by giving them the same rights as American citizens. The protection of our homeland is of the utmost importance and we cannot forget that.

“The resilience of the American people, the freedoms that we enjoy as a country and the pride that we carry as a nation ensures that the spirit of the American people will not falter and will not waver. Congress has the responsibility to enact legislation that reduces wasteful government spending, creates jobs, and strengthens national security; through this, we can improve our economy and save the future of our country.”

Ensign, Reid Honor Stanley Cooper, Nevada Law Enforcement Involved In Courthouse Shooting

January 27, 2010 – Washington, D.C. – Today, the Senate passed a resolution introduced by Senators John Ensign and Harry Reid to honor the heroic actions of law enforcement personnel that were involved in the shooting at the Lloyd D. George Federal Courthouse on January 4, 2010. Court Security Officer Stanley Cooper gave his life that day and Deputy United States Marshal Richard J. “Joe” Gardner was wounded.

“The law enforcement personnel that confronted the shooter acted heroically,” said Ensign. “Stanley Cooper gave his life protecting the staff and visitors of the federal courthouse and his sacrifice will not be forgotten. Joe Gardner and the other law enforcement officers acted bravely, and I wish Joe a full and speedy recovery from his injuries. I am so proud of the collaborative effort that it took on all levels of law enforcement to ensure that there were no further casualties on that tragic day.”

“Stanley Cooper is a hero not just for the sacrifice that he made protecting those in the federal courthouse that fateful day, but for his long history of dedicated public service,” Reid said. “We are all incredibly grateful to Stanley, Joe Gardner and all of the law enforcement personnel who were at the courthouse. I’m glad to know that Joe is recovering from his injuries, and I’m grateful that law enforcement did their jobs so well amidst tragedy.”

The resolution applauds the Court Security Officers and members of the United States Marshals Service and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department for their brave and courageous actions in responding to the assault at the Lloyd D. George Federal Courthouse.

Ensign: I Have Lost Faith In Fed Chairman

January 26, 2010 – Washington, DC – Senator John Ensign today made the following statement regarding Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke’s nomination:

“Ben Bernanke’s decisions and actions regarding our current economic crisis have led me to lose faith in his ability to lead the Federal Reserve. He is far too political for our current economic situation—we need someone who will make objective decisions, not decisions based on pressure from the powers that be. Our economic problems cannot be solved by simply printing money and then kicking the can down the road for future generations to solve—that is in fact making our problems worse.

“Moreover, according to documents recently released, the New York Federal Reserve actively fought efforts to disclose that it paid billions in taxpayer money to companies like Goldman Sachs and Deutsch Bank through the bailout of AIG. The decision to cover up this information, as well as the underlying failure to use its negotiating power to save taxpayer money, raises serious doubts about the Federal Reserve System as a whole and its Chairman, Ben Bernanke. In order to make a more informed decision on this confirmation vote, I requested to see these documents, but I was denied. I feel strongly that before the Senate is asked to vote on this nomination, we should be allowed to see those documents.

“I plan to vote against the Ben Bernanke nomination.”