Senator John Ensign

Legislative Accomplishments

Planning for Nevada’s Future and Preserving Our State’s Resources

• Coauthored the Clark County Lands Bill, which was signed into law, that releases thousands of acres in the Las Vegas Valley for development and settles long-term wilderness designations. It also creates a new National Conservation Area to protect the Sloan Canyon petroglyphs. At least $1 billion more will flow into the Southern Nevada Special Account which can be used for more parks, trails, and natural areas. (107^th Congress)
• Secured $300 million ($37.5 million over eight years) for the restoration of Lake Tahoe—record funding. (108^th Congress)
• Fought efforts in the Senate and by the Administration that would divert proceeds from land sales in Nevada away from the state by transferring millions of dollars in land sales under the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act (SNPLMA) to the federal treasury for deficit reduction. (109^th Congress)
• Coauthored the Lincoln County Conservation, Recreation, and Development Act, which was signed into law, that enhances the development of infrastructure, provides recreational opportunities, and assists in the conservation of our natural resources and public lands in Lincoln County. (108^th Congress)
• Secured $750,000 to operate an emergency warning system for the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, including the Mt. Charleston and Lee Canyon areas. (109^th Congress)
• Took the lead in making fuel reduction at Lake Tahoe a priority. (109^th Congress)

Improving Educational Opportunities (Member of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions)

• Received the 2005 Educational Pioneer Award for his vision and contributions to the disadvantaged student population of Nevada. (109^th Congress)
• Authored a provision in the No Child Left Behind Act that requires population updates every year. Conservatively, over the authorization of NCLB, Nevada will get an additional $35 million to serve Title I students. In the 2004-2005 school year, the state of Nevada will receive an additional $6.7 million because of the annual population update that is required by this amendment. (107^th Congress)
• Secured higher education funding of $350,000 for Western Nevada Community College, $400,000 for Truckee Meadows Community College, and $350,000 for the Community College of Southern Nevada. (108^th Congress)
• Honored with the Senatorial Leadership Award by Black America’s Political Action Committee for his leadership in areas including choice in education, protecting the sanctity of human life, and fighting for limited government. (108^th Congress)

Keeping Promises to Our Veterans (Member of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs)

· Received the commitment for a new VA healthcare facility in Las Vegas, including an 81-bed hospital, a 120-bed nursing home, and a state-of-the-art clinic twice the size of the Guy Ambulatory Care Center. (108^th Congress)

· Secured an additional $1.79 billion for veterans’ medical care in the budget for 2004. (108^th Congress)

· Authored an amendment to the CARES authorization bill that requires that population growth be considered when making recommendations for new VA facilities. (108^th Congress)

· Wrote language in the CARES authorization bill making construction of a community-based outpatient clinic in Elko a priority by VA. (108^th Congress)

· Authored a Medicare amendment for military retirees for a waiver of the late enrollment penalty and year-round enrollment in Medicare Part B. (108^th Congress)

· Offered an amendment that was included in the Budget Resolution. The amendment provided an additional $410 million for health care for America’s veterans, delivered relief on veterans’ co-pays for prescription drugs and eliminated a proposed $250 enrollment fee for VA healthcare programs. (109^th Congress)

Advocating a Strong National Defense and an Effective Approach to Combating Terrorists (Committee on Armed Services, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support)

• Secured funds for Satellite Communications (PRC-117) backpack radios for Nellis Air Force Base’s 66th Rescue Squadron after learning of the need during a visit to the base. (107^th Congress)
• Secured $58.6 million in military construction for Nevada. (108^th Congress)
• Introduced legislation that renamed a Reno post office the Guardians of Freedom Memorial Post Office in honor of military men and women who have fought and died in defense of our country. (108^th Congress)
• Authored an amendment to allow American troops to use tear gas in certain combat situations approved by the United States Senate. (109^th Congress)
• Introduced an amendment and signed a letter to President Bush calling for the hiring, training and placement of additional Border Patrol agents. (109^th Congress)
• Visited troops twice in Iraq. (108^th and 109^th Congresses)

Accessing Quality Health Care (Member of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions)

• Coauthored the Nurse Reinvestment Act, which was signed into law, to help alleviate the nationwide nursing shortage. (107^th Congress)
• Authored and received a vote (49-48) on medical liability reform legislation. (108^th Congress)
• Secured $1.35 million for the Nevada Cancer Institute. (108^th Congress)
• Coauthored the Mammography Quality Standards Act Reauthorization, which was signed into law, to renew MQSA for two more years by maintaining quality standards for mammography services. (108^th Congress)
• Coauthored the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005, which was signed into law, to continue federal support for bone marrow and umbilical cord blood research as part of the effort to find cures or improved treatments for diseases including Parkinson’s, diabetes, and heart disease. (109^th Congress)
• Worked to remove obstacles to the loan guarantee process for the hospital in Pahrump which resulted in a $17.5 million loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. (109^th Congress)
• Authored the HEALTH Act and continues to take the lead on medical liability reform. (109^th Congress)

Fighting for a Smaller, More Effective Government and Tax Relief (Committee on the Budget)

• Received the “Spirit of Enterprise” award from the United States Chamber of Commerce for his voting record during the 2nd session of the 108th Congress.
• Named the top friend to taxpayers and received an “A” for his fiscal voting record in 2002 and 2004 from the National Taxpayers Union.
• Named a Taxpayer Hero by the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste’s 2004 Congressional Ratings.
• Received the Hero of the Taxpayer Award from Americans for Tax Reform. (108^th Congress)
• Received the Tax Fighter Award from The National Tax-Limitation Committee for his work to control federal spending. (108^th Congress)
• Took the lead with the Senate Fiscal Watch Team to cut government spending in order to offset the tens of billions of dollars being spent on hurricane relief in the Gulf Coast region. (109^th Congress)
• Halted asbestos reform legislation being considered by the United States Senate in order to protect taxpayers from being responsible for literally hundreds of billions of dollars in future liability. (109^th Congress)

Promoting Commerce and High Tech for the Future (Member of the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation; Chairman of the Subcommittee on Technology, Innovation and Competitiveness; and Chairman of the Senate Republican High Tech Task Force)

• Named the Legislator of the Year by the Information Technology Industry Council. (108^th Congress)
• Received the Digital Patriot Award from the Consumer Electronics Association. (109^th Congress)
• Coauthored the Dot Kids Implementation and Efficiency Act of 2002, which was signed into law, to create a protected place on the Internet under the “.kids.us” subdomain. (107^th Congress)
• Authored the Invest in the U.S.A. Act, which was signed into law and that has infused $300 billion into our economy. (108^th Congress)
• Introduced a bill to give the Federal Trade Commission the ability to establish the Do Not Call list, nullifying a court ruling that blocked its implementation. (108^th Congress)
• Received the 2003 Founders Circle Award from TechNet for demonstrating active leadership in the area of technology. (108^th Congress)
• Authored the Broadband Investment and Consumer Choice Act designed to update the nation’s telecommunications laws and increase choices for consumers in the field of technology. (109^th Congress)

Fighting Yucca Mountain

• Cut funding for Yucca Mountain in the DOD authorization bill by half. (108^th Congress)
• Fought off efforts in the Budget Committee to increase the annual funding level for Yucca Mountain, helping to stall completion of the project. (108^th Congress)

Protecting the Right to Vote with Election Reform

• Authored an amendment in the 2002 Help America Vote Act calling for voter verification paper trails. (107^th Congress)
• Introduced the Voting Integrity and Verification Act designed to create a new level of integrity at the ballot box by requiring a paper printout of votes cast at electronic voting machines. (108^th Congress)

Improving Transportation

• Authored a provision in the Aviation Security Law, which was signed into law, to remove arbitrary age limit and allow retired law enforcement officers and retired members of the armed forces to apply to be federal air marshals. (107^th Congress)
• Secured $5 million for the Las Vegas Beltway. (108^th Congress)
• Secured additional baggage screeners for McCarran and $93.75 million for McCarran’s baggage screening system. (108^th Congress)
• Worked with the FAA to quickly resolve failures of the Instrument Landing System (ILS) at the Reno-Tahoe International Airport that resulted in a total shutdown during heavy holiday travel in 2004. (108^th Congress)
• Authored the American Right to Fly Act and took lead in repealing Wright Amendment flight restrictions to provide Americans with more options and lower fares on air flights. (109^th Congress)
• Included an amendment in the Senate transportation bill to dispose of a lawsuit over the widening of U.S. 95 and allow the project to continue as a way to pressure the Sierra Club and highway officials to come to the table and solve their differences outside of the courts. (109^th Congress)
• Secured funding for transportation projects in the Transportation Equity Act: $20 million for the Blue Diamond Hwy/SR 160 Widening; $8 million for I-15 Widening and Interchanges, Las Vegas Valley; $18 million for the Boulder Highway MAX Bus Rapid Transit; $32 million for the Henderson-Las Vegas-North Las Vegas Regional Fixed Guideway Project; $7 million for US 95 Widening and Interchanges, Las Vegas; $16 million for the Las Vegas Resort Corridor Downtown Extension Project; $18 million for the Las Vegas-Boulder Highway MAX Bus Rapid Transit; $6 million for the I-80 at Fernley Interchange; $12 million for the Virginia Street Bus Rapid Transit, Reno; $12 million for the Pyramid Highway Corridor, Sparks; $2 million for Railroad Reconstruction, Ely and White Pine County; $15 million for the Downtown Railroad Trench Public Plaza, Reno. (109^th Congress)
• Won approval of an amendment to protect southern Nevada air tour operators’ ability to provide aerial tours of the Grand Canyon. (109^th Congress)
• Recognized by the Century Council for his continuous efforts to stop drunk driving and underage drinking as a member of the Congressional Stop DUI Caucus. (109^th Congress)

Foreign Affairs

• Traveled to Mexico to meet with President Fox and secured the commitment from the Mexican Foreign Minister to open a Mexican Consulate in Las Vegas. (107^th Congress)

· Sponsored the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Enhancement Act and took the lead on bipartisan legislation that expresses the Senate's expectation that the Palestinian Authority must meet certain conditions before a Palestinian state is recognized, including a leadership not compromised by terrorism; a firm commitment to peace with Israel; the dismantling of terrorist infrastructures in the West Bank and Gaza; sustained security cooperation with Israel; and an end to anti-Israel incitement. (108^th Congress)

• Took the lead on legislation to commemorate the United States’ implementation of the Genocide Convention and to reaffirm America’s commitment to preventing historical atrocities like those that occurred during the Holocaust and the Armenian Genocide, among others. (108^th Congress)

· Sponsored a Senate resolution, which was signed into law as part of an Omnibus Appropriations Act, to condemn Syria’s interference in the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence of Lebanon. (108^th Congress)

• Sponsored the bipartisan Cuba Transition Act of 2003 to support multilateral efforts to plan for a Cuba transition; to provide funds to assist the Cuban people and independent nongovernmental organizations in Cuba to build civil society; and to establish a fund, called the Fund for Free Cuba, to provide assistance to a future transition government in Cuba (as defined by Helms-Burton). (108^th Congress)
• Sponsored a successful Senate amendment to the Foreign Operations Appropriations Act of 2004, which increased financial and infrastructure aid to the Cuban people and support for democracy-building efforts. (108^th Congress)
• Introduced the United Nations Oil-for-Food Accountability Act of 2005 and took the lead in holding the United Nations accountable for the Oil-for-Food Scandal by introducing legislation to withhold a portion of America’s dues to the United Nations until the organization provides full cooperation with the investigation. (109^th Congress)
• Joined the Cuba Democracy Caucus. (109^th Congress)

· Cosponsored a resolution urging the EU to classify Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. (109^th Congress)

Protecting Nevada’s Economy

• Helped secure a final tip agreement between the Nevada gaming industry and the Internal Revenue Service. (108^th Congress)
• Drafted an amendment that allowed the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to judge the merits of $330 million worth of contracts that defunct energy company Enron attempted to collect from Sierra Pacific and Nevada Power. Enron never supplied the power. It saved Nevada taxpayers from rate increases. (109^th Congress)

Encouraging Opportunity for those with Disabilities

• Received the 2004 Jacob K. Javits Award for his efforts and action on behalf of Americans with disabilities. (108^th Congress)
• Authored an amendment approved by Congress to allow Opportunity Village, the Las Vegas-based organization that provides employment and educational opportunities for people with severe disabilities, to retain a contract to provide food service at Nellis Air Force Base. (108^th Congress)
• Helped craft the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act to ensure quality education and services for children with disabilities. (108^th Congress)
• Requested and received improved handicapped access to federal buildings in Las Vegas. (109^th Congress)

Animal Advocacy

• Named Humane Society’s Legislator of the Year (2005)
• Wrote the Animal Drug User Fee Act, which was signed into law, to speed animal drugs to market through the FDA. (108^th Congress)
• Authored the Captive Wildlife Safety Act, which was signed into law, prohibiting the interstate shipment of exotic animals. (108^th Congress)
• Secured $475,000 for displaced wildlife in Nevada. (108^th Congress)
• Secured funding for the Wild Horse Adoption Center (109^th Congress)
• Authored the Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act of 2005, which passed the Senate, to stop animal fighting by making the transportation of animals across state lines for the purpose of fighting a felony under federal law. (109^th Congress)
• Took the lead in urging an immediate and coordinated federal rescue effort of pets abandoned in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. (109^th Congress)
• Authored the Virgie S. Arden American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act and has taken the lead on legislation to end the slaughter of horses for human consumption. (109^th Congress)

Other Accomplishments

Judiciary/Nominations

• Daniel Bogden as United States Attorney for the District of Nevada
• James Mahan to the U.S. District Court, Nevada
• Larry Hicks to the U.S. District Court, Nevada
• Jay Bybee to the 9^th Circuit Court of Appeals
• Brian Sandoval to the U.S. District Court, Nevada
• Took the lead on the Circuit Court of Appeals Restructuring and Modernization Act of 2005 to split the Ninth Circuit Court (109^th Congress)

Constituent Services

• Resolved more than 12,000 cases in 5 years.