John Ensign

DOJ Access To Ensign Emails Could Determine His Legal Fate

Susan Crabtree | May 27, 2011, 4:40PM

Former Sen. John Ensign's (R-NV) legal fate may hinge on a gray area of the law governing the separation-of-powers between the legislative and judicial branches of government.

The Senate Ethics Committee's decision to hand over all of its evidence in the case against Ensign to the Justice Department - which includes hundreds of e-mails as Reuters' Murray Waas reported Thursday -- has raised new questions about the Speech and Debate Clause of the Constitution and whether it can prevent DOJ prosecutors from using those e-mails and other documents obtained in the panel's investigation that ended the Nevada Republican's once promising political career.

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John Ensign

'Jack Him Up To High Heaven' Ensign Said After Constituent Refused To Hire His Mistress' Husband

Susan Crabtree | May 12, 2011, 4:48PM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

Former Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) was so aggressive in helping Doug Hampton, the husband of his ex-mistress and a former top Senate aide, violate the one-year lobbying ban after Hampton resigned that he threatened to cut off constituents who refused to hire Hampton.

After Hampton learned about the affair between his wife, Cynthia, and Ensign, the senator told Hampton he could not longer work for him and started negotiating a severance payment. Ensign also set out to find him work, meeting with constituents and recommending they hire Hampton.

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John Ensign

The Last Senate Expulsion: 1862 (With Some Close Calls Since)

Eric Kleefeld | May 12, 2011, 3:40PM

With the news that the Senate Ethics Committee would likely have recommended the expulsion of former Sen. John Ensign (R-NV), who resigned last week, it's worth asking the question: When was the last time a senator was actually expelled?

The last House expulsion was in 2002, with the Senate expelling Rep. James Traficant (D-OH) after he was convicted on corruption charges, but the last Senate expulsion was much further back. As the Senate historian's office told TPM, the last time a Senator was expelled was in 1862, when Sen. Jesse Bright (D-IN) was expelled for supporting the Confederacy. Indeed, a total of 15 senators were expelled for that reason in the early years of the Civil War, with Bright being the last -- and also the only one from a non-Confederate and non-border state.

On other rare occasions, as in the case of Ensign, senators who faced likely expulsion would instead resign before such a vote would be taken. In recent history, Sen. Bob Packwood (R-OR) resigned in 1995 after the the Ethics Committee recommended expulsion following an investigation into alleged sexual abuse of female former staffers. In 1982, Sen. Harrison Williams (D-NJ) resigned after he had been convicted of bribery the previous year, as a result of an FBI sting, and efforts to appeal the verdict had failed.

Here's what got Bright expelled, courtesy of the Senate's history web site:

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John Ensign

Senate Ethics Refers Ensign Case to DOJ, FEC

Susan Crabtree | May 12, 2011, 2:34PM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

The Senate Ethics Committee has uncovered extensive evidence that former Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) and others broke U.S. law by trying to cover up an affair Ensign had with a campaign aide, the wife of one of his top Senate staffers.

The panel has forwarded the evidence of criminal activities to the Department of Justice for further investigation, which it is required to do in any investigation that turns up evidence of criminal wrongdoing, Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), who chairs the ethics panel, and Johnny Isakson (R-GA), said in letters to the DOJ and FEC released Thursday along with a final report from a special prosecutor handling the case.

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John Ensign

Boxer And Isakson To Address Ensign Ethics Case

Susan Crabtree | May 12, 2011, 1:25PM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

In a rare move, leaders of the Senate Ethics Committee will take to the Senate floor this afternoon to inform their colleagues about their two-year investigation into the sex scandal and legal issues surrounding it that lead Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) to resign earlier this month.

Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), who chairs the ethics panel, and Johnny Isakson (R-GA), the ranking member, are scheduled to give a floor speech about their findings in the case against the Nevada Republican who admitted to having an affair with a former campaign aide, Cynthia Hampton, and then helping her husband, also a top aide, establish a brief lobbying career.

Formal accusations and charges have focused on the great lengths -- and potentially illegal steps -- Ensign took to keep the affair quiet, including having his parents (wealthy Las Vegas casino owners) pay the Hamptons $96,000 in hush money.

Ensign was also accused of knowingly helping Doug Hampton violate the one-year lobbying ban by helping him set up a short-lived job on K Street.

If the ethics committee has found any evidence of criminal wrongdoing, they must forward that evidence to the Justice Department for further investigation.

In March federal prosecutors charged Doug Hampton with seven counts of violating conflict-of-interest laws. In December Ensign said the Justice Department had told him he was no longer a target in its probe, but shortly after the Ethics Committee's hiring of a special counsel to continue its investigation, Ensign said he would retire instead of seeking reelection.

The Federal Election Commission said the $96,000 payments did not violate campaign-finance law because they were paid in installments to the Hamptons and their children in amounts allowed under U.S. tax law.

Still insisting he did nothing wrong, in announcing his resignation in April, Ensign said he decided it was time to go after the Ethics Committee named a special prosecutor to continue looking into the matter, even though he believed the Justice Department had dropped its case and the FEC has dismissed the accusations against him.

Dean Heller

Heller To Take Senate Oath, Replace Resigned Sen. Ensign

Jon Terbush | May 9, 2011, 1:16PM

Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV)

The U.S. Senate will return to full strength on Monday when Rep. Dean Heller (R-NV) is sworn in to replace Sen. John Ensign, who resigned last week after the fallout from a sex scandal and resulting ethics investigations continued to cloud his tenure.

After polls showed his popularity plummeting and the odds of retaining his seat next year dwindling, Ensign announced early this year that he would not seek reelection in 2012. Then in late April, as his political standing worsened and as a Senate ethics investigation dragged on, Ensign decided to end his term even sooner, saying he would resign on May 3.

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Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Republicans Make Power Play To Gut Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Brian Beutler | May 6, 2011, 4:11PM

Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL)

On Thursday, while House Republicans were dealing with a small Medicare privatization snafu, their Senate counterparts laid down an impossible marker. Forty four of their 47 members have signed on to a letter threatening to filibuster any nominee to head the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau unless it is dramatically weakened.

"We will not support the consideration of any nominee, regardless of party affiliation, to be the CFPB director until the structure of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is reformed," reads a letter, co-authored by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL), ranking member of the Banking Committee.

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John Ensign

Scandal-Plagued Sen. Ensign Delivers Emotional Farewell As Bin Laden Distracts

Benjy Sarlin | May 2, 2011, 4:44PM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

With the world's eyes focused on the late Osama Bin Laden and Congress largely quiet, Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) ended his tumultuous political career with a farewell speech from the Senate floor on Monday afternoon.

Ensign, who announced his resignation last month almost two years after revealing an extramarital affair with a staffer, issued an apology to his family and fellow lawmakers -- and a warning to avoid his path to ruin.

In his remarks, Ensign lamented how he had grown "blind to how arrogant and self-centered that I had become" en route to his scandal, even as he saw the same self-centeredness exhibited in his Senate colleagues.

"My caution to all of my colleagues is to surround yourself with people who will be honest with you about how you really are and what you are becoming, and then make them promise to not hold back, no matter how much you may try to prevent them, from telling you the truth," Ensign said. "I wish that I had done this sooner, but this is one of the hardest lessons that I've had to learn."

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Sharron Angle

Sharron Angle For Senate? Poll Says Fat Chance

Jon Terbush | April 29, 2011, 8:20AM

According to a PPP poll released this week, Sharron Angle would face strong opposition should she run for a Senate seat in Nevada next year. This time, however, that opposition would come from within her own party.

In the poll, Angle trailed Rep. Dean Heller (R) in a hypothetical Republican primary contest to seek the seat being vacated by embattled Sen. John Ensign (R) -- and it wasn't even close. In that matchup, Heller led Angle by a mammoth 84% to 8% margin.

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NV-SEN

Heller Appointed To Nevada Senate Seat

Eric Kleefeld | April 27, 2011, 3:54PM

Rep. Dean Heller (R-NV)

Rep. Dean Heller (R-NV) is officially the newly appointed Senator for Nevada, the Las Vegas Sun reports. He'll take the seat being vacated in early May with the resignation of Republican Sen. John Ensign.

Heller had already been running for the seat, following the scandal-plagued Ensign's announcement that he would not run again in 2012. When Ensign announced his resignation last week, Heller became the immediate favorite to be appointed by Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval.

"The people of Nevada deserve a new senator who can begin work immediately," Sandoval said in a press release, mounting an apparent defense of his appointment of an already active candidate. "Too many important issues face our state and our nation to name a caretaker to this important position; Nevada needs an experienced voice in Washington, DC."

This appointment gives Heller an initial incumbency in 2012 against his Democratic challenger, Rep. Shelley Berkley. A recent survey from Public Policy Polling (D) gave Heller a narrow lead of 47%-43% over Berkley in this perennial swing state.

John Ensign

John Ensign Resigning Senate Seat

Evan McMorris-Santoro | April 21, 2011, 6:09PM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

Embattled Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) is resigning from his seat in the U.S. Senate. In a statement released by his office Thursday evening, Ensign said his last day as a Senator will be May 3.

"It is with tremendous sadness that I officially hand over the Senate seat that I have held for eleven years," Ensign said in the statement. "The turbulence of these last few years is greatly surpassed by the incredible privilege that I feel to have been entrusted to serve the people of Nevada. I can honestly say that being a United States Senator has been the honor of my life."

Ensign had already announced he wouldn't be seeking a third term in 2012, after his current term was marred by scandal involving an affair with the wife of a longtime friend and former staffer. The scandal put Ensign in the sights of the Senate Ethics Committee.

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Labor

Top Union Presses Senators To Ditch Union-Busting Push By House GOP

Brian Beutler | April 20, 2011, 12:43PM

A powerful union is lobbying Democratic and Republican congressional negotiators to make sure they don't curtail worker rights when they finalize new FAA legislation.

A conference committee composed of a bipartisan group of senators and congressmen will soon sort out differences between two different versions of the bill. But the House bill contains a provision that would make it much more difficult for airline and rail workers to form unions. More on that provision here -- it would reinstate old rules that count abstentions as "no" votes in union elections, thus stacking the deck against pro-union workers.

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Dean Heller

Rep. Dean Heller (R-NV) Announces Run to Replace Ensign

Benjy Sarlin | March 15, 2011, 11:35AM

Rep. Dean Heller (R-NV)

The open seat left by Sen. John Ensign's (R-NV) scandal-aided retirement in Nevada has drawn its first official top-tier candidate: Republican Congressman Dean Heller.

In an e-mail to supporters obtained by the Las Vegas Sun's Jon Ralston, Heller announced his candidacy, which was already long expected by political observers regardless of whether Ensign retired. Heller's note overwhelmingly focuses on fiscal issues and he proudly touts his vote against TARP, setting up a preview of the race ahead.

"My view then, just as it is now, is that debt fueled bailouts only hurts [sic] long-term economic growth and places taxpayers on the hook for the excesses of Wall Street," Heller wrote. "Now I want to take this fight to the United States Senate."

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John Ensign

Who Will Replace John Ensign in Nevada?

Benjy Sarlin | March 9, 2011, 10:10AM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

John Ensign (R-NV) is not running for re-election after bowing out Tuesday, but his ongoing scandals and weak poll numbers mean that both parties have had plenty of time to contemplate an election without him. Republicans and Democrats are expected to field formidable candidates, setting up a brawl that could be as competitive as any in the nation.

On the Republican side, Rep. Dean Heller (R-NV) is considered the most likely nominee and was already widely discussed as a primary challenger for Ensign if the senator decided to go for another term. Polls have shown him strong against both Ensign and likely Democratic opponents and some observers have labeled him an early, if slight, frontrunner in the general election. He could have some competition from a familiar face, however -- one of Sharron Angle's former aides has been floating her as a potential candidate in the press. (She could also run for Heller's House seat if he vacates it to seek the Senate post.)

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112th Congress

John Ensign's Political Career Felled By Neverending Scandal

Benjy Sarlin | March 7, 2011, 3:00PM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) announced he would call it quits on his Senate career today, capping a lengthy and sprawling scandal that began close to two years ago and at one point included a criminal investigation. In a press conference announcing the move, Ensign told reporters he had come to a decision only in recent weeks after determining it would be best for his family not to seek another term.

Ensign, a former member of the Republican Senate leadership and once considered a possible presidential contender, became a thorn in his party's side during that time, lingering in office as details slowly emerged about his affair with a married campaign aide. The story broke in June 2009, when Ensign publicly admitted that he had a relationship with campaign staffer Cindy Hampton. Hampton's husband, Doug Hampton, also worked for Ensign and the senator reportedly told colleagues at the time that his announcement was necessary to head off an extortion attempt by the man. Several lawmakers in whom he confided as a member of a Christian house in DC known as "C Street" reportedly urged him to come clean as well.

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112th Congress

Report: John Ensign To Announce Retirement at 3 PM

Benjy Sarlin | March 7, 2011, 1:43PM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

Update: Roll Call reports that Ensign will announce his retirement at today's press event.

Embattled Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) will hold a press conference today at 3 PM ET in order to discuss his "political future," according to a report by local station KSNV. He is up for re-election in 2012 and a number of candidates from both parties have been discussed by observers as possible opponents in the primary and general election.

The junior Senator from Nevada has been caught in a long-running scandal concerning an affair with a married staffer and questions surrounding whether he helped the husband of the aide in question, also a staffer, get a lobbying job after he discovered their relationship. While Ensign says the Department of Justice is no longer investigating the issue, the Senate Ethics Committee is still looking into the issue.

Harry Reid

Nevada's Brothel Lobbyist: Reid's Anti-Prostitution Stance A 'Unique Challenge'

Benjy Sarlin | February 24, 2011, 3:43PM

It's hard out here for a prostitution lobbyist.

George Flint, who has represented the Select Legal Brothels of Nevada for the last 26 years, is still reeling from Sen. Harry Reid's dramatic call for a statewide ban on the world's oldest profession. Flint, 77, told TPM he was particularly shocked because he and Reid have known each other for over 40 years, going back to the Senator's earliest days in state politics -- yet he's never heard him complain about the business.

"We're more or less personal friends and I'm completely blown out of the water," he said. "I have no idea what it's tied to. It's nothing like he's ever done before. We're all trying to get a handle on it."

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Harry Reid

Harry Reid and John Ensign Duel Over Prostitutes

Benjy Sarlin | February 24, 2011, 12:03PM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) defended Nevada's legal prostitution industry on Wednesday -- putting him at odds with Sen. Harry Reid's (D-NV) call this week to end the brothel business.

"You know, that's a county by county issue and I think and it should be left to the counties," Ensign told local station KTNV.com after a town hall meeting.

On Tuesday, Reid delivered a speech to the Nevada legislature in which he declared "the time has come for us to outlaw prostitution." Many state lawmakers defended the current brothel system after and it's unclear whether Reid's position has enough support to move forward. Governor Brian Sandoval (R) has said the issue should be left to the counties as well.

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Senate '12

Poll: Embattled Sen. Ensign Could Lose Primary Challenge

Jon Terbush | February 15, 2011, 1:48PM

Rep. Dean Heller (R-NV) and Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) is no David Vitter (R-LA), the Senator who won reelection last year despite having cheated on his wife with prostitutes. But that doesn't mean he's sitting pretty in the Silver State.

Bogged down by a sex scandal and ethics investigations, a new poll conducted by the Tarrance Group shows that Ensign (R-NV) could get knocked off in a primary challenge next year if he decides to seek reelection.

In the poll, Rep. Dean Heller (R) led Ensign in a head to head primary matchup, 53% to 38%. And while the poll was commissioned by the Heller camp -- usually a sign that it should be taken with a grain of salt -- the results still paint a bleak picture of Ensign's reelection prospects, with Heller coming out on top with several crucial GOP demographics.

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2012

PPP Poll: Sen. Ensign Trails In 2012 NV-SEN GOP Primary

Jon Terbush | January 11, 2011, 2:24PM

Senator John Ensign (R-NV) may be ready to run for office again, but his own party's voters may be ready for someone new. In a PPP poll released today, Ensign gets no love from Republican voters, 41% of whom said he shouldn't even run for reelection, versus a marginally better 42% who say he should run again.

In hypothetical primary matchups, Ensign's reelection prospects look even grimmer. Among the seven candidates posited in the poll, Ensign came in second at 20%, 10 points behind Rep. Dean Heller's 30%, but well within striking distance for the other contenders in the crowded field. Rounding out the top five were two failed candidates for the party's 2010 Senate nomination, Sue Lowden (12%) and Danny Tarkanian (10%), and the GOP Senate nominee, Sharron Angle (9%.)

Also troubling for Ensign, he fared even worse in a one-on-one contest with Heller, trailing in that mathcup 52% to 34%.

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NV-SEN

What The Cluck? Lowden Ready To Run Again (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | January 7, 2011, 6:37PM

Sue Lowden

Sue Lowden might not be done kicking up the dust in Nevada politics. In an interview just now with Chris Matthews, the former Nevada Senate candidate, who lost the Republican primary last year, was asked whether she might run for the Senate in 2012, if scandal-plagued incumbent Republican Sen. John Ensign were to retire. And on top of that, you might be surprised to hear what she's doing now.

"If John Ensign doesn't run, and Congressman Dean Heller decides not to throw his hat in the ring, I would think about it seriously," said Lowden.

"But you don't want to beat Heller?" Matthews asked

"I don't think I can beat Heller," Lowden said, laughing. "I mean, that's an honest answer it's a very honest answer."

What's the matter, Sue Lowden -- chicken?

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2012

PPP Poll: Sen. Ensign In Big Trouble For 2012 Reelection Bid

Jon Terbush | January 6, 2011, 4:11PM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

Embattled Sen. John Ensign (R-NV), who has been mired in multiple ethics investigations over the past two years, has a steep hill to climb if he hopes to keep his Senate seat in 2012, according to a new poll.

In the PPP poll, half of Nevada voters say they disapprove of Ensign's job performance, and nearly six in ten say he should not seek reelection. What's more, Ensign trails in hypothetical races with every Democratic challenger matched against him, but another Republican, Rep. Dean Heller, tops each of those same Democrats,

In the poll, 59% of respondents said they thought Ensign should not seek a third term in the Senate, while just 26% thought he should run again. And even if he were to run again, he would be hard pressed to convince his constituents that he deserves a second term. Fifty percent of respondents said they disapproved of Ensign's job performance, versus 35% who said they approved.

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NV-SEN

John Ensign Is Running Again -- And One Poll Shows That's Not A Bad Idea

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 17, 2010, 3:23PM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) -- yes, that Sen. John Ensign -- thinks he can convince the voters of Nevada to grant him another term in office in 2012.

Broke and under investigation for trying to cover up an affair by allegedly funneling contracts to his mistress' husband, Ensign doesn't have the kind of resume recruiters generally look for when trying to populate the ballot.

Nevertheless, his staff told the Las Vegas Review-Journal yesterday that the Senator is ready to earn a third term.

"Senator Ensign has been focused on earning back the trust of Nevadans and does plan to run for re-election at this time," spokesperson Jennifer Cooper told the paper.

Some new numbers from Nevada suggest that as crazy as an Ensign campaign might sound, on paper it might actually make sense.

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Earmarks

Earmark Fight In Senate Pits Tea Partiers Against Establishment GOP

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 12, 2010, 8:50AM

Jim DeMint

Total opposition to earmarking is a key tea party tenet, and the battle to get Republicans to voluntarily ban it in their ranks is already raging. Establishment leaders like Minority Leader Mitch McConnell -- who favor earmarking for its time-honored electoral implications -- are clashing with pro-ban Senators led by Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC), the body's tea party hero.

Lining up behind DeMint in the push to end earmarks are Sens. Jim Coburn (R-OK), John Cornyn (R-TX), John Ensign (R-NV) and Mike Enzi (R-WY) -- along with Senators-elect Pat Toomey (R-PA), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Rand Paul (R-KY), Mike Lee (R-UT), Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) and Ron Johnson (R-WI).

McConnell has reportedly been fighting behind the scenes to squash the proposed ban, and Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) -- one of the Senate's most conservative members -- is publicly blasting his anti-earmark colleagues for hypocrisy.

Who wins the scrum could have broad implications in 2012.

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John Ensign

PPP Poll: John Ensign Leads In Early Look At NV-SEN Primary

Marc Kilstein | November 10, 2010, 12:50PM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

Embattled Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) surprised many when he started gearing up for a 2012 re-election bid, amidst his sex-and-lobbying scandal. But according to a newly released PPP poll (D), Nevada's junior senator remains popular among Republicans and is well-positioned in the state's Republican primary.

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John Ensign

Ensign: Angle Will Have To Be Disciplined To Win In Nevada

Brian Beutler | June 9, 2010, 2:36PM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

What's the Republican party's message to Sharron Angle, their freshly minted Senate candidate in Nevada? Get disciplined. Quick.

"When you're running statewide like this, you know, it is a different level," Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) told me this afternoon after a policy meeting with the Republican caucus. "And especially to the extent there's going to be a lot more scrutiny because you're running against the Majority Leader, so she's going to have to exercise really severe discipline.... She and her team are going to have to really think about that, and not lose that passion that got her a lot of the grassroots support, but also be a little measured."

Angle defeated one-time favorite Sue Lowden in the GOP primary last night on a wave of Tea Party support, but was met immediately by a torrent of criticism and a long record of radical statements and policy positions. Democrats couldn't be more pleased, but her candidacy has Republicans worried.

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John Ensign

NRSC Hoping John Ensign Can Help Raise A Little Cash

Evan McMorris-Santoro | May 10, 2010, 9:02PM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

At 9:30 tomorrow morning the NRSC is calling on Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) to help the group raise a little money from some high-dollar donors. Ensign -- whose $50.00 in first quarter fundraising for his own campaign might call into question his ability to bring in the bucks for anyone these days -- will be the "draw" at this month's regular NRSC coffee for high-dollar donors.

According to an invitation to the event obtained by TPMDC, Ensign will be the guest of honor when Policy Board Members (those who gave at least $15,000 to the NRSC in the last year) gather at NRSC headquarters for coffee. But you don't need to have 15 grand lying around to grab breakfast with Ensign in D.C. tomorrow morning. The cost for other guests is $250.00 for individuals, and $500.00 for PACs. But don't clear your calendar -- the NRSC says Ensign's coffee is already sold out.

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John Ensign

Nevada GOP Congressman: 'Wounded' Ensign Is 'Cause For Concern'

Zachary Roth | April 8, 2010, 1:19PM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

It looks like Nevada Republicans' patience with Sen. John Ensign (R-NV), amid the senator's sex-and-lobbying scandal may be wearing thin.

"The fact we have a wounded junior senator, yeah, it is cause for concern," Rep. Dean Heller (R-NV) said in a TV interview.

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John Ensign

Poll: Even With Scandals, Ensign Ahead For 2012 Reelection

Eric Kleefeld | January 15, 2010, 12:35PM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

The new survey of Nevada by Public Policy Polling (D) has a startling result about Republican Sen. John Ensign: Despite the sex scandal that obliterated his presidential ambitions last year, and has raised questions about payments made by Ensign's parents to the family of his ex-mistress, Ensign could still get reelected in 2012.

Only 38% of Nevada voters approve of Ensign's job performance, with 44% disapproving. However, he still leads three Democrats in hypothetical match-ups. He leads Rep. Shelly Berkley by 49%-40%. He leads Secretary of State Ross Miller by 47%-36%. And he edges out Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman by 43%-41%, within the ±3.6% margin of error.

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Health Care

Here 'Til Christmas? Republicans Differ On Whether To Run Out The Health Care Clock

Brian Beutler | December 21, 2009, 1:00PM

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK)

Apparently not all Republicans think the most fruitful use of their time is delaying a final vote on health care reform. Early this afternoon, Republicans filed into a caucus meeting just off the Senate floor to discuss whether it makes sense to require Democrats to run out the clock, as is their right under Senate rules, or to cede back some time so that members can go home early.

Filing in, though, Republicans I spoke with seemed to think it would be best to stick around for the long haul.

Among Republicans, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) has been the most adamant that the minority use all of the tools at its disposal--maximize the number of filibusters, and make sure they last as long as possible--to delay (or forestall) a final vote.

In a brief interview with TPMDC, Coburn said he will make sure the Senate stays in session until the last possible moment. "No, there's no chance," he told me.

Coburn said he would object if Democrats asked for unanimous consent to hold health care votes in more rapid succession.

Complicating factors for members is that they have to hold a vote, before the year is out, on raising the country's debt ceiling. If Republicans refuse to cede back time on health care, that vote will have to happen next week, after a very brief Christmas break. But Coburn says he's going to force the issue.

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Health Care

GOP Meme: Senate Health Care Bill Actually Costs $2.5 Trillion

Brian Beutler | November 23, 2009, 3:50PM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

Whenever a Democratic agenda item spends some time in the spotlight--be it health care or energy--Republicans do a little hocus pocus and claim that, whatever the CBO might believe, the true costs of reform are sky high. So it's no surprise that the new GOP line regarding the Senate health care bill is that it's actually three times more expensive over a 10 year window than the CBO says it will be.

Where does this number--$2.5 trillion--come from? In this USA Today counterpoint, Sen. John Ensign (R-NV), cites this article in The Hill. But the article in question simply quotes Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) who seems to pull the number out of thin air. "When fully implemented, it will cost $2.5 trillion," McConnell said.

And where did McConnell get this idea?

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John Ensign

Ensign's Fundraising Pool Dries Up

Evan McMorris-Santoro | October 16, 2009, 11:37AM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) says he plans to run for reelection in 2012, despite being dogged by a sex-and-cover-up scandal since June.

Recent fundraising reports show that Ensign might be the only one who thinks running again is a good idea. In the third fundraising quarter, Ensign banked just $33,000 -- a low number for any incumbent senator and a huge drop compared to his normally gold-plated FEC filings.

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Health Care

Rockefeller Says His Public Option Would Save $50 Billion Over 10 Years

Brian Beutler | September 29, 2009, 10:25AM

Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT)

Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) has introduced his public option amendment before the Senate Finance Committee. In making the pitch to the panel's skeptics, he's noted that it will save the federal government about $50 billion over 10 years, and would be, as its name implies optional--i.e. it's not a "government takeover" of health care.

Late update: To the chagrin of chairman Max Baucus, Rockefeller is lambasting the insurance industry, and citing a number of ways other health care reform bills do a better job at reining in their excesses. He cited insurance industry whistleblower Wendell Potter, who said that, without a public option, health care reform legislation might as well be named the "Insurance Industry Profit Protection Act."

The House bill, Rockefeller noted, would place strict limits on the so-called medical-loss ratio (i.e. percentage of each premium dollar that can go to profits, administrative costs, and other non-health care related activities.)

Late, late update: It's worth mentioning that you can follow the hearing at this link.

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Health Care

Trying To Move On, Ensign Submits 30 Amendments To HCR Bill

Rachel Slajda | September 22, 2009, 12:51PM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

John Ensign (R-NV), a member of the Senate Finance Committee and recent scandal-maker, has submitted 30 amendments for the committee's version of the health care reform bill, the Las Vegas Sun reports.

Most of these changes, which will be voted on in hearings that began this morning, are plays to the conservative base. One would guarantee that seniors wouldn't be dropped from Medicare Advantage and be forced to go on a different government plan. Another would replace the word "fee" with the word "tax" in the bill. One would prohibit funding to ACORN; another would require new health czars be confirmed by the Senate. One would require Social Security cards to be shown in order to get subsidies to buy insurance, in order to prevent illegal immigrants from getting such subsidies.

Ensign seems to be trying to rebuild the support of conservative voters, support that took a beating in Ensign's highly publicized love triangle in which he slept with a staffer, fired her, and then had his wealthy parents pay off both her and her husband, also a former staffer.

He also may be trying to re-assert himself legislatively after laying low after the scandal and resigning as chairman of the Republican Policy Committee.