#NVSen: New Ad Highlights Heller’s Bipartisan Record

Builds on Heller’s Long Record of Cooperation with Both Parties

(Las Vegas, NV) – Today Dean Heller released a new ad demonstrating his commitment to doing what is in the best interest of Nevadans, even if it means breaking with party lines. His message of bipartisanship strikes a stark contrast to that of his opponent, who has voted with the party line and Nancy Pelosi 95% of the time.

Heller’s Bipartisan Legislative Highlights Include:

Dean Heller worked with women from across the aisle to champion a mobile mammography program that allows women to receive care in underserved areas:

• While serving in the House of Representatives, Dean was the original author of the Mobile Mammography Promotion Act.  Democrat Melissa Bean (D-IL-8) was the original Democratic cosponsor of that bill.
• Dean reintroduced the Mobile Mammography Promotion Act in the 112th Congress (H.R. 879) along with current DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz as the original Democratic cosponsor of that bill.

Heller was the lead Republican on legislation also sponsored by Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and Sen. Tom Udall to crack down on drug smugglers using ultralight aircraft. The President signed this bipartisan legislation into law.

• Led efforts with Gabby Giffords in the 111th Congress and Tom Udall in the 112^th Congress to pass legislation increasing penalties for using ultralight aircraft for illegal drug smuggling (Ultralight Aircraft Smuggling Prevention Act, S. 1974).

Heller was the only Republican Senator to vote for the Democratic Balanced Budget Proposal: “Sen. Dean Heller of Nevada was the lone Republican to support a balanced budget amendment offered by Democrats.”  (Peter Urban, Heller is lone Republican on Democrat-backed budget plan, Las Vegas Review-Journal, 4/1/12)
Heller’s “No Budget No Pay” legislation has been embraced by Democrats and Republicans: 

• Introduced bipartisan legislation that would prevent Members of Congress from being paid unless the budget and appropriations bills for a given fiscal year are passed before the start of that fiscal year (S. 1981)
• Legislation was adopted into plan by non-partisan group No Labels as one of twelve proposals to Make Congress Work.
• Companion legislation was introduced in the House by Representatives by Jim Cooper (D-TN, H.R. 3643).
• “This is a truly non-partisan issue, one that pits every taxpayer in the country against the 535 members of Congress themselves — regardless of their party affiliation. The idea is a simple one, as evidenced by the bill’s official title: the ‘No Budget, No Pay Act.’” (Chris Weigant, “The No Budget, No Pay Act,” Huffington Post, 3/15/2012)

Heller breaks from his party on renewable energy:

•  “In break from GOP, Dean Heller goes green: Sen. Dean Heller is taking the road less traveled among GOP candidates: The Nevada Republican says he’s better for clean-energy interests than his chief Democratic rival…Heller’s message puts him in contrast with other Republicans, who are distancing themselves from any past support for clean energy and instead are embracing an “all of the above” message that stresses expanded domestic drilling.” (Alex Guillen, “In break from GOP, Dean Heller goes green,” Politico.com, 3/6/12)

Heller proposed a compromise to close tax loopholes for big oil companies:

• The Gas Price Relief Act closes loopholes on tax breaks for the largest oil and gas companies and puts that money toward reducing the gas tax and the highway trust fund. The bill also increases oil drilling and construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline.
  (Press Release, “Heller Introduces Gas Price Relief Act,” March 28, 2012)
• The bill is a “common-sense, all-of-the-above strategy to provide for the development of our domestic energy resources.”
  (Karoun Demirjian, “Dean Heller files amendment that repeals tax breaks for oil companies,” Las Vegas Sun, March 28, 2012)

Heller was one of few Senators to push his GOP colleagues on the payroll tax cut extension:

“Dean Heller to House GOP: Pass the payroll tax cut extension: Republican Sen. Dean Heller of Nevada today scolded his fellow Republicans in the House for refusing to support a bipartisan package to extend payroll tax cuts and unemployment insurance, saying while he agreed with them in principle, playing politics with such an important issue was unacceptable.” (Karoun Demirjian, “Dean Heller to House GOP: Pass the payroll tax cut extension,” Las Vegas Sun, December 19, 2011)

• “Obama, Boehner square off in payroll tax fight: Meanwhile, five mostly moderate Republican senators have called for the House to support the Senate’s two-month extension. The group consists of Sen. Scott Brown of Massachusetts, Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine, Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana and Sen. Dean Heller of Nevada.
  (Tom and Alan Silverleib, “Obama, Boehner square off in payroll tax fight,” December 21, 2011)

Heller has repeatedly broken with his Republican colleagues in supporting the extension of unemployment benefits:

• Dean Heller has consistently supported efforts to extend unemployment insurance.  (H.R. 2642 6/3/2008; H.R. 6867 11/21/2008; H.R. 3548 11/6/2009; H.R. 3326 12/16/2009; H.R. 4851  4/15/2010; H.R. 5618 6/29/2010; H.R. 5418 7/1/2010; H.R. 4213 7/22/2010; H.R. 3630 2/17/2012)
• Dean Heller has repeatedly introduced legislation to extend unemployment benefits (H.R. 5453, May 2010; (H.R. 5647, July 2010); (S. 1885, November 2011).
• In July 2010, Las Vegas Review Journal’s Steve Sebelius praised Dean Heller, saying he “crossed party lines on Thursday to vote for an extension of unemployment benefits for more than 1 million people in America, including thousands here in Nevada,” after Heller’s own legislation to extend benefits was unsuccessful  (Steve Sebelius, “In Praise of Dean Heller,” Las Vegas Review-Journal)
• Additional Bipartisan Efforts in the Senate
• Original Republican cosponsor of a bill authored by Senator Wyden (D-OR) to support growth in utility scale geothermal power, distributed on-site power generation, and heating for buildings and commercial processes, while using clean and renewable American energy (Geothermal Tax Parity Act, S. 1413).
•  Lead Republican cosponsor of legislation with Senator Tester (D-MT) that would allow the American Legion to accept credit card payments for membership dues (S. 1639). .  This legislation was passed by Congress.
•  Authored a bill with Democratic Senators Klobachar from Minnesota and Begich from Alaska to alleviate the wait times at some embassies and consulates for U.S. travel visas (International Tourism Facilitation Act, S. 1653).

Additional Bipartisan Efforts in the House:

• Coauthored bill with Democratic Representative John Lewis to end the federal telephone excise tax that was originally intended to help fund the Spanish-American War in 1898 (H.R. 428 in the 111th Congress).
•  Original Republican cosponsor of Democrat Caucus Chairman John Larson’s (D-WA) Energy Efficient Commercial Roofs Act, which would provide a tax incentive to make roofing more energy efficient.
•  Advocated and voted for a renewable energy portfolio standard to require electric suppliers, other than governmental entities and rural electric cooperatives, to provide 15 percent of their electricity using renewable energy resources by the year 2020 (110th Congress).
•  Lead Republican on legislation with Congressman Mike Thompson (D-CA) to provide seven year depreciation for motorsports facilities (Motorsports Fairness and Permanency Act, H.R. 1974 in the 111th Congress).
•  Coauthored legislation with Representative Mike Thompson to repeal provisions that took geothermal royalty sharing away from counties (H.R. 4060, 111th Congress).
•  Authored the bipartisan Nellis Dunes National Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area Act to create a specific area on BLM land for OHV activities.

Heller has repeatedly broken with his Republican colleagues in supporting the following proposals:

•  Prescription drug reimportation, which would introduce more competition in the pharmaceutical market and lower costs for seniors and other Americans who depend on medication.
• In 2007, Heller voted for stem cell research, which promises meaningful breakthroughs in medical science.
• In 2007, voted for severe penalties for gasoline price gouging – a proposal that was vocally opposed by oil and gas companies.