July'10 Nevada Government—U.S. Congresswoman Shelley Berkley Column

Berkley Statement In Remembrance Of Former Nevada Governor Kenny Guinn

July 22, 2010 – Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Shelley Berkley today issued the following statement on the passing of former Nevada Governor Kenny Guinn:

“I am absolutely heartbroken over this tragic loss. I have known Kenny Guinn since he was Superintendent of the Clark County School District, where he did an extraordinary job for our community. As a University Regent, I helped to recruit Kenny Guinn as President of UNLV and worked alongside him in that role to improve the University and better serve our students. He was a dynamic force in Nevada politics and our State’s business circles for as many decades as I can remember, and he had an extraordinary influence on me. He was a good man and he will be deeply missed. My condolences to the Guinn family and all those who are mourning the passing of this remarkable Nevadan.”

Berkley Votes To Extend Helping Hand For Unemployed Nevadans

*** House Approves More Aid for Silver State Jobless Struggling to Buy Food, Pay Rent ***

July 22, 2010 – Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Shelley Berkley today voted to extend vital unemployment assistance for Nevada families continuing to struggle at a time when the Silver State’s jobless rate remains above 14%. In a speech from the House floor, Berkley outlined her support for the legislation extending aid for qualifying unemployed Americans in Las Vegas and nationwide. The House approved the bill on a vote of 272 to 152. View Berkley’s full statement here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_o0ci6VSRA.

“Let me tell you something about the State of Nevada. We have the highest unemployment rate in the country, 14.5% unemployed. Our fellow citizens with no jobs to go to and no jobs to seek. We have the highest mortgage foreclosure rate in the country. Nevadans are suffering. It has taken far too long for this Congress to act. Unemployment benefits are not a handout. It's not welfare. It's giving a helping hand to our fellow citizens that need it the most, to get them where they are now, which is without a job, to where they're going to be when there's an economic recovery,” Berkley said.

Berkley also emphasized the positive impact of stimulus funding for Nevada under the Recovery Act, including payments to disabled veterans and seniors, and billons of dollars for transportation projects in the Las Vegas Valley and for Clark County teachers and classrooms.

“Let me tell you what the stimulus package did for us. It put $700 billion into our education system. I'm not talking about only paying teachers and keeping them employed, I'm talking about the possibility of having to close schools,” Berkley said. “It put $500 billion into Medicaid so that poor children and poor adults aren't going to be out on the streets dying for lack of medical care. Our unemployment compensation trust fund was broke, zero, zippo. We were able to put money into that. And in addition to that, the construction projects that came directly from the stimulus package. Not public, but private contractors bidding on these projects and then hiring construction workers. The downtown transportation center, the park and ride in Centennial Hills, the Boulder Highway Transportation Center and so many more came directly from this stimulus bill,” said Berkley. “In addition to that, we had a middle-income tax cut. We had $250 that went to every Social Security recipient. $250 went to every disabled veteran in Nevada. We welcomed this money. We needed this money. It kept us afloat.”

Republican opposition has repeatedly stalled the efforts of Berkley and her Congressional colleagues to extend unemployment benefits for Nevadans, leaving families to worry about rent, food and the ability to cover their bills.

“Again and again, the majority of Republicans in Congress have turned their backs on Nevada families who are in search of jobs by opposing the extension of these unemployment payments to those struggling just to afford a loaf of bread and desperately hoping they can stay off the streets,” said Berkley. “When I am home in southern Nevada, I talk to men and women who have worked their whole lives and suddenly lost a job through no fault of their own. And I see the fear in their eyes when they have to worry that no more assistance will be available to them through an unemployment insurance system they have supported for years.”

Berkley: Tough New Wall Street Reform Law Will Protect Nevada Consumers & Small Businesses

*** Safeguards Savings, Increases Transparency, Ends “Too Big to Fail” ***

July 21, 2010 – Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Shelley Berkley today praised enactment of a new financial reform law that will prevent reckless Wall Street practices and protect the savings and investments of consumers in Nevada and nationwide. President Obama signed The Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (H.R. 4173) into law this morning.

“This tough new law will help to ensure that Wall Street and the large financial institutions can never again rob Americans of their savings and investments through reckless and irresponsible practices driven by greed,” said Berkley, who voted repeatedly in the House for Wall Street reform.

The new law creates the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) -- a consumer watchdog devoted to protecting Americans from unfair and abusive financial practices. The CFPB will set safety standards to prevent hidden credit card fees, deceptive “fine print,” and other financial abuses that have escaped oversight until now.

“The creation of a new consumer protection agency, coupled with other vital reforms, will hold Wall Street and the big banks accountable, end future bailouts and create true transparency for investors and borrowers,” said Berkley. “This independent watchdog will provide accurate information to families and small businesses so they can ensure that bank loans, mortgages and credit cards are fair and rates are affordable. Having this system in place will also enable us to dismantle financial firms that are ‘too big to fail’ before they can again threaten America’s economic future and stability.”

The Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act will stop large financial firms from risking retirement and college savings, while also helping prevent the type of financial practices that led to the financial meltdown. The bill establishes a process for shuttering large, failing firms whose collapse would put the entire economy at risk.

Highlights of The Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act:

* Protects families and small businesses by ensuring loans, mortgages, and credit cards are fair, affordable and transparent through the creation of a new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

* Ends predatory lending practices, stops the need for more bailouts and puts checks on firms that are “too big to fail.”

* Increases enforcement power and funding for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

* Enhances oversight and transparency for credit rating agencies.

* Allows limits on executive pay by giving shareholders a say on salaries and requiring independent directors on compensation committees.