John Ensign

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John Ensign
Junior Senator from Nevada
Incumbent
Assumed office  January 3, 2001– Serving with Harry Reid
Preceded by	Richard H. Bryan
Succeeded by	Incumbent (2013)
Born	March 25, 1958 (age 49) Roseville, California
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Darlene Ensign
Religion	International Church of the Foursquare Gospel

John Eric Ensign (born 25 March 1958) is the junior United States Senator from Nevada. He is a member of the Republican Party, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee and was recently re-elected in the 2006 midterm elections.

Contents 1 Early life, education, and early career 2 Political career 2.1 House of Representatives 2.2 Election to the U.S. Senate 2.3 Political positions and actions 2.4 Committee assignments 3 2006 re-election campaign 4 Personal 5 Footnotes 6 External links

[edit] Early life, education, and early career

Ensign was born in Roseville, California to Sharon Lee Cipriani and a father whose surname was "Mueller"; his maternal grandfather was of Italian descent.^[1] Ensign's family moved to Nevada when he was a child. His mother remarried Michael S. Ensign, a gaming industry executive who subsequently became chairman of the board of directors of Mandalay Bay,^[2] and who adopted John.

Ensign went to UNLV, Oregon State University, and Colorado State University, becoming a veterinarian in 1985. He then became a successful businessman, opening a 24-hour animal hospital in Las Vegas.

[edit] Political career

[edit] House of Representatives

In 1994, Ensign won the Repubilcan nomination for Nevada's 1st congressional district, based in Las Vegas. He was far behind four-term Democratic incumbent, James Bilbray, for most of the campaign. However, Ensign gained considerable momentum after reports surfaced that a Bilbray aide stood to make a huge profit from lands legislation sponsored by Bilbray. [1] Ensign won by 1,400 votes. He was reelected in 1996 by seven points, even as Bill Clinton carried the district by a large margin.

[edit] Election to the U.S. Senate

In 1998, Ensign ran for the Senate but was defeated by the Democratic incumbent, Harry Reid, by only 428 votes. ^[3]

Ensign won a Senate seat on his second try in 2000, defeating Democratic opponent Ed Bernstein by a 55%-40% margin,^[4] to succeed the retiring Democratic incumbent, Richard H. Bryan.

[edit] Political positions and actions

Ensign has become a leading voice against the Kelo v. New London Supreme Court ruling, and has announced plans to introduce a bill that would strongly blunt the effects of the ruling.

Ensign has been praised by many organizations for his support for fiscal conservatism. In 2003, the American Conservative Union named Ensign along with Senators Chuck Hagel (NE) and Don Nickles (OK) as the most conservative Senator in 2003. Ensign failed to achieve the award in 2004, receiving a 92% score. In 2004, he was named, along with Senator Jon Kyl (AZ), the most taxpayer-friendly senator by the National Taxpayers Union. Ensign also received the highest rating for a senator by the Citizens Against Government Waste, while being named a "Taxpayer's Hero" for his lifetime efforts against government waste. Both Citizens for a Sound Economy, whose chairman is former House Majority Leader Dick Armey, and the National Tax Limitation Committee gave Senator Ensign their highest ratings.

For a short time in March 2006, Ensign blocked the nomination of Vice Admiral Thad Allen to become the next Commandant of the United States Coast Guard. Allen was the principal federal official responsible for handling the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, replacing FEMA director Mike Brown. ^[5]

In 2005, Ensign introduced a Senate version of a bill that would repeal the Wright Amendment, a law strongly opposed by Southwest Airlines. The bill passed both houses and became law in 2006.

Ensign has been a strong supporter of the U.S. effort in Iraq. In May 2006, speaking before the Nevada Republican Convention, Ensign said ""Democratic leaders like Nancy Pelosi and Ted Kennedy -- let me tell you, I say this without reservation -- they have hurt our military, they have emboldened the enemy." Ensign also said that the failure of citizens to continue supporting the war was a reflection of an "instant gratification culture" in the U.S.^[6] In March at a Lincoln Day Dinner in Pahrump, he had made similar if less-publicized comments, saying "Every time Ted Kennedy gets up and speaks (against the war) he undermines our troops."^[7]

After Ensign was re-elected in 2006, Ensign was elected Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC). As chairman of the NRSC, Ensign is to be charged with assembling a staff to win back the U.S. Senate for Republicans in the 2008 elections. Ensign has chosen Mike Slanker and Lindsey Slanker of Nevada based political consulting firm November Inc. to be the Political Director and Finance Director of the NRSC. Slanker and his team successfully guided Ensign, Jon Porter and Dean Heller to victory in the face of the anti-Republican wave in the 2006 mid-term elections.

Ensign and Reid have developed a fairly good relationship, despite their bruising 1998 contest. They frequently work together on Nevada issues.

[edit] Committee assignments

• Committee on Armed Services
  • Subcommittee on Strategic Forces
  • Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities
  • Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support (Chairman)
• Committee on the Budget
• Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation
  • Subcommittee on Aviation
  • Subcommittee on Communications
  • Subcommittee on Competition, Foreign Commerce, and Infrastructure
  • Subcommittee on Science, Technology and Space
• Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions
  • Subcommittee on Aging
  • Subcommittee on Children and Families
  • Subcommittee on Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
• Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
• Committee on Veterans' Affairs

[edit] 2006 re-election campaign

Main article: Nevada U.S. Senate election, 2006

Ensign faced Democrat Jack Carter, son of former President Jimmy Carter, in the November general election. Both he and Carter won over token opposition in the 15 August 2006 primary. Senator Ensign defeated Carter in the general election held on 7 November 2006 by a 55% to 41% margin. [2]

[edit] Personal

Ensign has been spending his workweek in Washington and his weekends in Las Vegas with his wife, Darlene, and their three children (Trevor, Siena, and Michael).^{[citation needed]}

In April 2003, the Associated Press reported that Ensign was one of six Congressmen living in a Capitol Hill townhouse subsidized by The Family, a secretive religious organization.^[8]

On the morning of 30 January 2006, Ensign and an aide were involved in a traffic accident in Las Vegas after their car was struck by an oncoming car on their way to the airport. Both suffered minor injuries. ^[9]

Ensign is a member of the Pentecostal International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, and is the only Pentecostal in the Senate. He attends a Foursquare church in northwest Las Vegas.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Footnotes

[edit] External links

• United States Senator John Ensign official Senate site
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Federal Election Commission - John Ensign campaign finance reports and data
• New York Times - John Ensign News collected news and commentary
• On the Issues - John Ensign issue positions and quotes
• OpenSecrets.org - John Ensign campaign contributions
• Project Vote Smart - Senator John Ensign (WA) profile
• SourceWatch Congresspedia - John Ensign profile
• Washington Post - Congress Votes Database: John Ensign voting record
• John Ensign U.S. Senate official campaign site
• Nevada 2006 Election Results

Preceded by James Bilbray	United States Representative for the 1st Congressional District of Nevada 1995 – 1999	Succeeded by Shelley Berkley
Preceded by Richard Bryan	United States Senator (Class 1) from Nevada 2001 – present Served alongside: Harry Reid	Incumbent
Preceded by Elizabeth Dole	Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee 2007-	Succeeded by Incumbent

Nevada's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators: Harry Reid (D), John Ensign (R) Representative(s): Shelley Berkley (D), Dean Heller (R), Jon Porter (R) All delegations: Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming — American Samoa • District of Columbia • Guam • Puerto Rico • U.S. Virgin Islands

Chairmen of the National Republican Senatorial Committee
Bridges • Brewster • Dirksen • Goldwater • Dirksen • Schoeppel • Goldwater • Morton • Murphy • Tower • Dominick • Brock • Stevens • Packwood • Heinz • Packwood • Lugar • Heinz • Boschwitz • Nickles • Gramm • D'Amato • McConnell • Frist • Allen • Dole • Ensign