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

Ensign: My State Has Taken Another Hit
From Obama That We Cannot Afford

February 2, 2010 – Washington, D.C. – Senator John Ensign spoke out today about yet another hit that Las Vegas has taken from the President of the United States:

“President Obama has become quite comfortable criticizing Las Vegas,” said Ensign. “Unfortunately, I think that he has failed to grasp the weight that his words carry. As a result of his irresponsible comment just last year, countless companies and federal agencies cancelled their conventions at Las Vegas hotels, costing these hotels and our city millions of dollars. Once again he has threatened the struggling economy of Las Vegas. I certainly hope that companies across this country understand that his comments are simply cavalier assumptions about a city that offers dollar for dollar the best rates in the country.

“I am calling on the President to apologize for his remark. Las Vegas is suffering through one of the highest unemployment rates in the country and we cannot afford for the President to bring us down any further.”

Ensign Joins Legislation To Try
Christmas Day Bomber In Military Tribunal

February 2, 2010 – Washington, D.C. – Senator John Ensign today joined with his colleagues, Senators Cornyn, Inhofe, Vitter, Bennett, Chambliss and Wicker in introducing a resolution to try Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab in a military tribunal as opposed to a civilian court.

“The President of the United States has the power to treat Abdulmutallab as an enemy combatant, which he most certainly is,” said Ensign. “With that classification, we can continue to interrogate this terrorist to gather vital intelligence information that will directly affect our national security. As an enemy combatant, Abdulmutallab should be tried in a military tribunal, where he rightly belongs. I am urging President Obama to think about the security of our nation and the bad precedent that plea bargaining with terrorists sets, and classify Abdulmutallab as an enemy combatant.”

The resolution would establish a sense of the Senate that foreign terrorists who are enemies of the United States should not be afforded the same rights under the Constitution as United States citizens. Further, it would establish that Attorney General’s decision to end the interrogation of Abdulmutallab after 50-minutes has cost the United States an untold amount of intelligence and has made America less safe.

The resolution would express that the Attorney General should at a minimum consult with the Director of the FBI, the Director of National Intelligence, the Director of the CIA, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, the Secretary of Defense, congressional leaders and the President before making rogue and unilateral decisions about the national security of our country.

Ensign: More Of The Same With Obama Budget

February 1, 2010 – Washington, D.C. – Senator John Ensign today made the following statement regarding President Obama’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2011:

“President Obama’s budget is exactly what we were hoping not to see: more of the same. Record-breaking spending and deficits and big tax increases for individuals, families, and small businesses will do nothing to accomplish the President’s stated goal of job creation.

“President Obama said just last week that ‘it is critical that we rein in the budget deficits we've been accumulating for far too long—deficits that won't just burden our children and grandchildren, but could damage our markets, drive up our interest rates, and jeopardize our recovery right now.’ I wholeheartedly agree with his sentiment, but his budget stands in stark contrast to his words as the deficit projections are a record-setting $3.8 trillion over the next 10 years.

“I am also worried that his projections for the deficit are far too rosy. In last year’s budget, he projected a deficit of $1.3 trillion in 2010, a truly staggering number in itself, and yet this year’s budget projects a deficit of $1.6 trillion for the same year—an almost $300 billion dollar increase from his initial estimate. From that we can only assume his estimate of the deficit for next year will end up being higher still. We simply cannot sustain this level of spending beyond our means if our goal is to get this economy back on track—even President Obama has acknowledged that reality.

“An idea I strongly urge President Obama to consider in order to reduce the deficit is to return to last year’s spending levels and freeze those levels for three years. Another idea is to use unspent TARP money and money that has been paid back into the TARP fund to go toward reducing the deficit instead of creating a brand new slush fund that Congress will spend on new government programs.

“I am glad to see President Obama upholding his pledge to close the Yucca Mountain project. I have long been an opponent of this project and have strongly advocated for common sense alternatives.”

Ensign Praises Announcement Of Commission
To Study Alternatives To Yucca Mountain

January 29, 2010 – Las Vegas, NV – Senator John Ensign today praised the announcement of a national commission on high level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel to study alternatives for managing nuclear waste in the United States. Ensign was the lead cosponsor to legislation that initially encouraged the Administration to create the commission. According to the bill, the commission will have two years to study the issue and report its findings to Congress.

“I am pleased to see the Administration is serious about turning away from Yucca Mountain and moving toward innovative solutions that are good for our country, our energy security and the safety of residents of Nevada,” Ensign said. “I look forward to the findings of this commission and the future of recycling, dry cask storage and other solutions for nuclear waste. This is another step in the right direction to find solutions.”