![[menu_gallery]](http://www.theminorityreportblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/GridIcon-24px.png "[menu_gallery]"){kind=small}
Join Kick-off of "Shelley Berkley: Rubber Stamp for Failure" Bus Tour #NVSen
Our friends at Americans for Prosperity are launching their “Shelley Berkley: A Rubber Stamp for Failure” bus tour this week and hope you will be able to join them as they take it across Nevada. The following information was forwarded to me by AFP this afternoon. – Chuck Muth
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Congresswoman Shelley Berkley has proven time and time again that she has been nothing but a rubber stamp for the failed policies of Barack Obama, Harry Reid, and Nancy Pelosi.
It is now time for Nevadans to tell Congresswoman Shelley Berkley to begin working for Nevadans and not for liberal special interests.
Join us on Thursday, July 19th at 9:00 a.m. at Congresswoman Shelley Berkley’s office:
When: Thursday July 19th at 9:00am
Where: The Congressional Office of Shelley Berkley
2340 Paseo Del Prado, Suite D-106
Las Vegas, NV 89102
NV Company Proof of Failed Stimulus Spending #NVSen
Time for Shelley Berkley to Explain Exactly How Stimulus is Helping Nevada
(Las Vegas, NV) – In yet another account of how Shelley Berkley’s stimulus has failed Nevada, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that “Amonix closes North Las Vegas solar plant after 14 months, heavy federal subsidies.” The news today highlights how Shelley Berkley’s big-government spending solutions are failing at a time when Nevadans can least afford it.
“Congresswoman Berkley, when you voted for the trillion dollar stimulus, you promised it would create 34,000 jobs in Nevada. Nevada lost jobs. Congresswoman Berkley, you pushed $6 million in funding to a company that has created zero long-term jobs for Nevada. Congresswoman, it’s time. It’s time for you to admit the stimulus – and your policies – aren’t working,” said Chandler Smith, Heller for Senate spokeswoman.
Since 2010, Berkley supported $5.9 Million in federal stimulus funding granted to Amonix, Inc.
- “Congresswoman Shelley Berkley today announced that solar cell manufacturer Amonix will receive $5.9 million in federal stimulus funding to create clean energy manufacturing jobs in Nevada…This funding will be used to create Nevada jobs involved in the manufacturing of highly efficient solar panels that increase the amount of clean energy that can be harnessed from every ray of sunshine.” (Press Release, “$5.9 Million In Stimulus Funding Awarded To Create New Nevada Solar Manuacturing (sic) Jobs,” Office of Rep. Shelley Berkley, Jan. 8, 2010)
#NVSen: U.S. Chamber Up with New Ad Hammering Berkley for Supporting Obama and Pelosi’s Failed Economic Policies
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that the U.S. Chamber is up with a new ad hammering embattled U.S. Congresswoman Shelley Berkley for supporting Obama and Pelosi’s failed economic policies. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce weighed in on Nevada’s U.S. Senate race today, debuting a television ad that manages to blast Shelley Berkley and praise Dean Heller in 30 seconds. … In it, a boxer takes punches to the face and to the gut as a crowd boos, dark music plays and a male narrator announces that “Washington continues to hit Nevada job creators.” “Whose corner is Shelley Berkley in?” it asks, showing Berkley with her mouth open in an unflattering pose while criticizing the Las Vegas Democrat’s vote for health care reform, or “government-mandated health care, which hurts small business.”
Meanwhile, Ethics Committee appoints panel in Berkley case: The House Ethics Committee announced Monday that it had appointed a panel to investigate whether Democratic Rep. Shelley Berkley used her position to benefit her family’s financial interests, giving Republicans additional fodder to question her conduct leading up to November’s election for a Senate seat in a critical swing state.
#NVSen: Berkley Defends Trillion Dollar Stimulus
Nevada’s Children Now Responsible for Paying Off Debt
(Las Vegas, NV) – Rarely has seven-term Congresswoman Shelley Berkley encountered a government spending proposal she doesn’t like. Just as Nevada was entering into one of the deepest recessions in history, Shelley Berkley promised the one trillion dollar stimulus would create 34,000 jobs in Nevada, a promise that has long been proven broken.
“After fourteen years in Washington, Shelley Berkley still doesn’t get that a bigger, more powerful government is not the answer to getting our economy back on track. She clearly has no concept of how many taxpayers’ dollars she wasted. Instead, she followed President Obama and Nancy Pelosi’s lead, and spent a trillion in taxpayers’ dollars growing jobs in Washington DC. Meanwhile, Nevada was left hung out to dry,” said Chandler Smith, Heller for Senate spokeswoman.
Berkley doubles, triples down on the stimulus:
- Berkley claimed the trillion dollar stimulus “will create or save 34,000 jobs statewide, with the majority of those in Clark County.” In fact, Nevada lost 65,000 jobs. (Berkley Press Release, February 12, 2009)
- Berkley: “I’m very grateful for that stimulus and if I had to vote on it again today with all the negative publicity I would vote on it again.” (Hearing on Responding to Long-Term Unemployment, House Committee on Ways and Means, June 10, 2010)
- Berkley said that the stimulus “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…”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.” (Steve Tetreault, “Stimulus working or not? Heller and Berkley duke it out,” Las Vegas Review Journal, July 17, 2010)
· But Shelley Berkley had her facts wrong:
o “Berkley later said she meant to say millions of dollars, not billions.
o “Her office also said that Nevada education received roughly $550 million and that the state’s Medicaid share was $450 million plus additional money for health insurance for the unemployed. (Steve Tetreault, “Stimulus working or not? Heller and Berkley duke it out,” Las Vegas Review Journal, July 17, 2010)
But in fact the stimulus padded the wallets of Washington DC and left Nevada hung out to dry:
· The stimulus created 6.8 jobs for every 1,000 Washington DC residents. It created .7 jobs for every 1,000 residents outside of the District of Columbia. (“The Obama Stimulus, Three Years of Failure,” Republican Policy Committee, February 17, 2012)
· According to study reported by the White House, “the District stands to benefit the most from the stimulus bill as it is home to the majority of Federal agencies in the region…
(The White House, “Real Estate Giant Predicted DC Area Would Benefit The Most From Stimulus Bill,” April 22, 2009)
· Washington DC received $8,357 in spending per capita. Nevada received $1,671.
(Propublica.org; http://projects.propublica.org/recovery/, Accessed February 28, 2012)
· Nevada unemployment remains the highest in the nation at 11.6 percent.
American Chemistry PAC Nevada Senate Campaign Ad: “Support for Senator Dean Heller" #NVSen
Advertisement being run by the American Chemistry Council in support of Dean Heller (R-NV)
#NVSen: Embattled Congresswoman Shelley Berkley Stages Manufactured Event in Henderson
After being informed that the House Ethics Committee (composed of 5 Democrats and 5 Republicans) voted UNANIMOUSLY to investigate her, and being completely dominated by Dean Heller in the news cycles for the better part of a week… Rep. Berkley, Harry Reid, and Dina Titus manufactured an “AstroTurf” event in order to deflect attention from the fact that she’s under official investigation.
Made up of Las Vegas area sycophants, and reportedly “residency challenged” supporters, this event was nothing more than a venue for Shelly to once again give a sanitized version of her record & resume and continue to reinforce the fact that she is in lockstep with the Obama-Reid-Pelosi dependency agenda.
No explanations to her undying and unwavering support for:
A) The Failed TARP Program. (H.R. 1424, CQ Vote #681: Agreed To 263-171: R 91-108; D 172-63, 10/3/08, Berkley Voted Yea)
B) The Failed $787 Billion House-Passed “Stimulus” Bill. (H.R. 1, CQ Vote # 46: Adopted 244-188: R 0-177; D 224-11, 1/28/09, Berkley Voted Yea; H.R. 1, CQ Vote # 70: Adopted 246-183: R 0-176; D 246-7, 2/13/09, Berkley Voted Yea)
C) The Universally Unpopular Obama-Pelosi-Reid Health Care Bill (AKA The White House Health Care TAX) (H.R. 3590, CQ Vote #165: Motion Agreed To 219-212: R 0-178; D 219-34, 3/21/10, Berkley Voted Yea)
D) RAISING TAXES ON GASOLINE
Berkley voted for a massive new federal energy tax that would raise the cost of gasoline and the energy used to heat and cool your home 50% for each Nevada family.
Berkley has voted more than 20 times against increasing our nation’s access to our own domestic resources, and opposed building the Keystone Pipeline, which would increase domestic energy production.
Berkley has opposed policies that could increase oil and gas production by more than 10 million barrels of oil per day and create 1.4 million more jobs by 2030, and more than 1 million by 2018. (Wood Mackenzie, “U.S. Supply Forecast and Potential Jobs and Economic Impacts,” September 7, 2011)
Berkley has voted against streamlining regulations to help promote renewable energy sources like wind, solar and geothermal on federal lands, making it more difficult for Nevada to harness its renewable energy. (Hastings Amendment, H.R. 3408, February 16, 2012)
E) Or The Fact That She Opposes A Balanced Budget Amendment That Would Rein In Her Reckless Spending Habits.
We say this event was manufactured for several reasons, 1) being intimately familiar with NV politics this is par for the course for Harry Reid and 2) if this were really a spontaneous show of support for her candidacy it would have been held in Reno and 3) immediately following this trumped-up event a press release was issued with gushing quotes from supporters and distributed to bloggers
“I’m so pleased to be supporting my longtime friend Shelley Berkley for the U.S. Senate because Nevada middle-class families know they can count on her to fight for them,” said former U.S. Congresswoman Dina Titus. “Shelley’s been a leader on making Nevada the clean energy jobs capital of the country, has been a champion for women and working families, and has been a staunch advocate for Nevada’s veterans and seniors, and that’s why we need her to continue fighting for Nevada for years to come in the U.S. Senate.”
“I’m proud to support Shelley Berkley because she’s always been there for Nevada’s women,” said former Nevada Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa. “Whether it is fighting for equal pay for equal work regardless of gender, working to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act or leading the fight against Republican attempts to defund Planned Parenthood and rollback women’s access to health care, Shelley’s the champion Nevada women need in the U.S. Senate.”
“When it comes to who will best fight for the Latino community in the U.S. Senate, the choice between Shelley Berkley and Dean Heller isn’t even close,” said state Senator Ruben Kihuen. “Shelley’s been a champion for the DREAM Act, comprehensive immigration reform, and vigorously opposes the extreme Arizona anti-immigrant law, while her opponent, Senator Heller opposes immigration reform, the DREAM Act, and has even said he wants to bring Arizona’s law to Nevada. The Nevada Latino community simply can’t afford or trust Dean Heller to fight for them, that’s why we stand behind Shelley.”
“As both an elected official and a veteran, I’m proud to stand by Shelley Berkley,” said state Assemblyman Elliot Anderson. “As the daughter of a World War II veteran, Shelley’s been a friend to veterans every step of the way. Whether it was her early support for the new GI Bill, her work on behalf of the Justin Bailey Act, or her fight to bring the new VA hospital to southern Nevada, Nevada veterans will be able to count on Shelley to be a champion for them in the U.S. Senate for years to come.”
“I’ve known Shelley Berkley for years, and she’s been a fighter for Nevada for as long as I have known her,” said state Assemblywoman Lucy Flores. “Whether it is protecting Medicare from being turned over to greedy private insurance companies, closing tax loopholes for companies that send American jobs overseas, or ensuring that women have access to quality and affordable health care, Nevada working families need Shelley in the U.S. Senate.”
“As a longtime public servant from the state of Nevada, and as someone who has known Shelley Berkley for many years, I know that Nevada middle-class families will be well served by her in the U.S. Senate,” said former U.S. Senator Richard Bryan. “Shelley has been a tenacious fighter on behalf of Nevadans, whether it be fighting for jobs, protecting Medicare and Social Security, or working to bring the new VA Hospital to southern Nevada. We need Shelley to continue fighting for Nevada in the U.S. Senate.”
“Suffering from disproportionately high levels of unemployment, mental illness, and substance abuse, veterans need their elected officials to be looking out for them–and not just in election years,” said veteran Leo Dunson. “Shelley has been a huge asset to the veterans community here in Las Vegas. Whether it was through her work fighting for the Justin Bailey Act, working to protect veterans’ housing vouchers, or pushing for the new GI Bill, Shelley has always been there for us, and is the only candidate in in the race Nevada veterans can trust.”
“Nevada seniors know Shelley, and they know that she’s been their champion in Washington,” said Randall Downey. “With Medicare and Social Security under assault by Republicans like Dean Heller in Congress, Shelley’s fought back and has opposed any and all attempts to dismantle and privatize these two programs that so many Nevada seniors rely on to make ends meet. Nevada seniors can’t count on politicians like Dean Heller to lookout for them, that’s why we need Shelley Berkley in the U.S. Senate.”
“As an RN, I know that Shelley Berkley fights tirelessly for all Nevadans in need of care,” said registered nurse Teresa Crawford. “Shelley helped get the funding for the new state-of-the art VA Medical Center in southern Nevada, she protects Medicare and Social Security against Republican attacks and she said ‘no way’ when Republicans tried to restrict women’s access to health care. Shelley’s work in Congress saves lives and we need her to keep fighting for us in the U.S. Senate.”
Now if you look at the circumstances we’ve laid out and read these testimonials and don’t immediately call BS… we have some Oceanfront property in West Las Vegas for sale!
Berkley: More Regulations, More Bad Votes for NV #NVSen
Votes to Protect Regulations, Harm Growth for NV Mining Industry
(Las Vegas, NV) – Once again, seven-term Congresswoman Shelley Berkley voted to make Nevada’s economic recovery even more difficult, especially for northern Nevada.
“Shelley Berkley votes the party line for more bureaucracy, bigger government and more regulations, even when it’s detrimental to Nevada. The seven-term Congresswoman today once again voted against streamlining the federal permitting process and instead chose to preserve miles of red tape and empower Washington bureaucrats. Either Congresswoman Berkley is simply out of touch, or she just doesn’t care all that much,” said Chandler Smith, Heller for Senate spokeswoman.
Today, Shelley Berkley voted for the Tonko Amendment to H.R. 4402, National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act of 2012, which narrows the definition of “strategic and critical minerals.” She also voted for language to add unnecessary beaucratic delays to the bill that would not improve the permitting process.
Right now, the United States relies on foreign countries to supply many of the raw materials addressed by this bill. These minerals are necessary for national defense, renewable energy, medical devices, manufacturing, and many other important sectors of our economy, as well as the innovative technologies of the future.
But this isn’t the first, second, or even third time Shelley Berkley has turned her back on Northern Nevada and rural Nevada.
In June 2012, Berkley took sides with the League of Conservation Voters instead of creating 800 jobs in Lyon County. (H.R. 4039, Yerington Land Conveyance and Sustainable Development Act).
In June 2012, Berkley voted against legislation that would give grazers greater certainty about their permit renewal. (H.R. 4234, Grazing Improvement Act)
Shelley Berkley said she doesn’t want to go looking at “your mines” in rural Nevada: “I have my hands full down here…I don’t think I have to be traipsing up to Carlin to look at your mines when I have so many needs (in Clark County).” (John Mercurio, “Between the Lines,” Roll Call, Jan. 29, 2001)
Shelley Berkley said doesn’t want to represent rural areas: “Speaking so bluntly she insulted at least one rural lawmaker, Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., told legislators Monday she doesn’t want her district redrawn to include rural areas….Berkley wants to represent only urban Las Vegas, also opposing any thought of her district encompassing the suburbs.” (Jane Ann Morrison, “Berkley: ‘Hands full’ with urban issues,” Las Vegas Review-Journal, Jan. 23, 2001)
#NVSen: Heller Proposes Debates for U.S. Senate Race
Proposes multiple debates in locations across the state
(Las Vegas, NV) – Today Dean Heller’s campaign sent a letter to Shelley Berkley’s Campaign Manager proposing seven different debates to be held across the state. The letter reports that Dean Heller is ready to begin debating the seven-term Congresswoman as early as July, and is willing to debate many times in order to reach a maximum audience.
Heller’s campaign proposed debates in Carson City, Elko, Las Vegas, and Reno as well as on statewide and national outlets.
Full text of the letter below:
July 12, 2012
Berkley For Senate
7437 S. Eastern Avenue #427
Las Vegas, NV 89123
Dear Ms. Mackler,
With November quickly approaching, Dean Heller is looking forward to opportunities to debate Congresswoman Shelley Berkley. Our campaign is eager to move forward and establish a robust debate schedule for the coming months.
We suggest that debates begin in July, with no more than two debates per month until early voting begins on October 20, 2012.
We intend to be flexible regarding formatting specifics. We do require that all debates be televised, either live or live to tape. We also require that every debate be broadcast on a major broadcast station in Nevada. Other details – length of debate, whether the candidates are sitting or standing, and length of response and rebuttal, just to name a few, all remain open for discussion.
Our proposed debates, in no particular order:
1. Face to Face Debate:
Our campaign would agree to a debate hosted by Jon Ralston to air on his show, “Face to Face.”
2. Las Vegas — Channel 8/KLAS:
Our campaign would agree to a debate to air on Channel 8 in July or possibly early August. The debate would be one hour, commercial-free, either live or live to tape.
3. Las Vegas — Nevada Broadcasters Debate:
Our campaign would agree to a debate hosted by the Nevada Broadcasters Foundation. The debate would be aired live or on tape delay on a mutually agreeable day.
4. Reno Debate:
Our campaign is proposing a debate in Reno. We are ready to accept an invitation from Mitch Fox on behalf of Vegas PBS to participate in a statewide debate on Nevada’s Public Television stations. This debate would take place in Reno at the KNPB studios. Vegas PBS proposed that Mitch Fox moderate the debate on Thursday, September 27 from 8-9pm.
5. Carson City Debate:
Our campaign is proposing a debate in Carson City. We suggest that Nevada Newsmakers host the debate, with Sam Shad and Ray Hagar as moderator(s).
6. Elko Debate:
Our campaign is proposing a debate in Elko. A possible broadcast opportunity includes KENV (NBC) with Lori Gilbert.
7. Meet the Press Debate:
We will agree to a debate on “Meet the Press” if asked.
The order and timing of these debates remain open for discussion. We look forward to your timely response.
Sincerely,
Mac Abrams
702.228.2012
Heller for Senate
Campaign Manager
#NVSen: Berkley Ad Clearly a Desperate Attempt to Distract
Congresswoman’s Ethics Troubles Not a Free Pass to Lie to Nevadans
(Las Vegas, NV) – As Congresswoman Shelley Berkley’s ethics investigation looms over her campaign, the seven-term Congresswoman has launched ads that knowingly mislead Nevadans.
“How about the truth, Congresswoman? For the first time since 2009, a bipartisan committee of five Democrats and five Republicans unanimously decided Congresswoman Berkley’s actions required a formal investigation on the basis of a non-partisan report. In the very same ad she asks for the ‘truth,’ Shelley Berkley desperately tries to shift blame and repeats Politifact’s Lie of the Year over and over again. No matter how much she may want to distract from her own problems, Congresswoman Berkley’s ethics troubles do not give her a free pass to lie to Nevadans,” said Chandler Smith, Heller for Senate spokeswoman.
- “The complaint about Shelley Berkley was filed by the Republican Party:” The House Ethics Committee is comprised of 5 Democrats and 5 Republicans. The Committee voted unanimously to create a subcommittee to further their investigation:
“The bipartisan House Ethics Committee has voted unanimously to proceed with a full-scale investigation into whether Rep. Shelley Berkley used her position in Congress to benefit her husband’s medical practice.” (Erin Kelly, “House Ethics Committee appoints panel in Shelley Berkley case,” Reno Gazette Journal, July 9, 2012)
“The committee’s leaders said the panel voted unanimously to establish a four-member subcommittee armed with subpoena powers to conduct the probe, a process expected to stretch through the summer and fall and cloud the Las Vegas Democrat as she campaigns for the U.S. Senate House panel to investigate allegations against Berkley.” (Steve Tetreault, Laura Myers, “House panel to investigate allegations against Berkley,” Las Vegas Review Journal, July 7, 2012)
“In a fairly unusual move after reviewing a subsequent report from the Office of Congressional Ethics, the House Ethics Committee has formed a subcommittee to launch a formal investigation…” (Anjeanette Damon, “For State GOP, a Rare Coup,” Las Vegas Sun, July 12, 2012)
“This is the first time the ethics panel has empaneled a formal investigative subcommittee based on an OCE report since October 2009, when it agreed to probe allegations against Reps. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) and Laura Richardson (D-Calif). In recent years, the committee also has launched formal investigations against Rep. Charles E. Rangel (D-N.Y.). (Washington Post, Shelley Berkley faces formal ethics investigation, Ed O’Keefe, July 9, 2012)
· “Dean Heller is attacking Berkley for trying to stop cuts to Medicare”: Wrong again. The fact is Congresswoman Shelley Berkley singlehandedly wrote a letter to Rep. Pete Stark, the chairman of the Subcommittee with jurisdiction over Medicare “warning him to move carefully in considering changes in compensating doctors who provided dialysis treatments.” The letter was sent the same day she received “a series of campaign contributions.”
“In early February 2008, for example, Ms. Berkley received a series of campaign contributions, first $1,000 from Amgen, then $2,000 from Kidney Care Partners, a trade group backed by Amgen and DaVita, then $3,000 from DaVita, and then $1,000 from Dr. Lehrner’s group, the Renal Physicians.
“The day that two of those checks were delivered, Ms. Berkley sent a letter to Representative Pete Stark, Democrat of California, then chairman of the House Ways and Means subcommittee with jurisdiction over Medicare, warning him to move carefully in considering changes in compensating doctors who provided dialysis treatments.” (Eric Lipton,“A Congresswoman’s Cause Is Often Her Husband’s Gain,” New York Times, September 5, 2011)
- “Dean Heller voted twice to end Medicare”: False. This statement was labeled Politifact’s 2011 Lie of the Year. But even knowing this statement is false, Berkley’s campaign decided not to split those hairs.” (Anjeanette Damon, “Berkley launches new ad campaign to defend against ethics charge,” Las Vegas Sun, July 12, 2012)
- The ads repeat the same claims from previous ads that Factcheck.org found to “twist the truth:” (“Outside Groups Twist Truth in Nevada Senate Race, Factcheck.org, June 21, 2012); (“No End to ‘End Medicare’ Claim, Factcheck.org, July 6, 2012)
The Facts
Shelley Berkley supported the President’s health care law that cut $500 billion out of the Medicare program. It also created a panel of 15 unelected bureaucrats that have the power to deny health care for seniors. (House Vote 165 – HR 3590, HR3590, March 21, 2010)
In fact, the government takeover of healthcare’s cuts to Medicare could put Medicare Advantage benefits at risk, including for 110,000 Nevadans: “Seniors in a number of states risk losing their Medicare Advantage benefits because of cuts in President Obama’s healthcare reform law, according to a new report from Avalere. The law contains about $200 billion in direct and indirect cuts to private Medicare plans through 2017.” (Julian Pecquet, “Report: Healthcare law cuts put Medicare Advantage benefits at risk in some states,” The Hill’s Healthwatch Blog, 3/12/12)
Shelley Berkley voted for a 2% cut from the Medicare program which would restrict seniors’ access to care.
· Sequestration as a result of the Budget Control Act would require Medicare cuts of up to $11 billion a year (about $140 billion over ten years) if deficit reduction targets are not reached (RC #123, 112th Congress, 1st Session).
In fact, Dean Heller has repeatedly voted to preserve the Medicare programs, voting against $1.6 trillion in proposed Medicare cuts:
· Opposed legislation that proposed expanding the SCHIP program by cutting Medicare by nearly $200 billion (RC #787, 110th 1st Session).
· Voted against ObamaCare, which cut half a trillion dollars from the Medicare program (RC #165, 111th Congress, 2nd Session).
· Opposed the Budget Control Act, which provides for possible Medicare cuts of up to $11 billion a year (about $140 billion over ten years) if deficit reduction targets are not reached (RC #123, 112th Congress, 1st Session).
Dean Heller has consistently voted to ensure physicians are properly reimbursed so they will continue participating in the Medicare program and provide necessary services for seniors.
· (RC #1184, 110th Congress, 1st Session; RC # 443 and 491, 110th Congress, 2nd Session; RC #985 , 111th Congress, 1st Session; RC #211, #393, and #626, 111th Congress, 2nd Session; RC #232, 112th Congress, 1st Session).
#NVSen: Berkley Votes to Raise Taxes, Cut Medicare
Votes against Repealing ObamaCare Even Though She Isn’t “Proud” of It
(Las Vegas, NV) – Seven-term Congresswoman Shelley Berkley yet again voted with President Obama and Nancy Pelosi rather than choosing to repeal Obamacare, legislation that imposes 14 tax increases on the middle class and 21 tax increases overall. Even though she couldn’t admit she was proud of her vote for ObamaCare, Congresswoman Berkley has repeatedly voted the party line.
“Middle class Nevadans just can’t afford Shelley Berkley and her lockstep support for President Obama and Nancy Pelosi. This massive government health plan makes insurance more expensive, forces Nevadans out of health care plans they like, cuts funding for Medicare and raises taxes by more half a trillion dollars. Remind us again, Congresswoman, why you keep voting the party line? Was it because you were afraid Nancy Pelosi would punish you?” said Chandler Smith, Heller for Senate spokeswoman.
When asked on Jon Ralston’s “Face to Face” if she was “proud of voting for the Affordable Care Act,” on June 25, 2012, Congresswoman Berkley responded “Look…” Full transcript below:
RALSTON: “Are you proud of voting for the Affordable Care Act?”
REP. BERKLEY: “Look…”
RALSTON: “Are you proud of it?”
REP. BERKLEY: “I’m proud I’m in a position to help patients get the care that they need in this country….”
Shelley Berkley’s Long Record on ObamaCare:
July 15-16, 2009: House Ways & Means Committee considers health care legislation. Shelley Berkley offers no amendments to the bill.
November 7, 2009: Shelley Berkley tried to sell health care legislation to Nevadans with false promises, saying: “This bill is good for Nevada. Over 400,000 uninsured Nevadans will be able to get health insurance because of this bill.” (www.berkley.house.gov, accessed June 13, 2012)
November 7, 2009: Berkley voted for health care reform law that imposes a tax on anyone who does not have health insurance. (House Vote 887 – HR 3962, HR3962: Health Care Overhaul – Passage)
March 21, 2010: Shelley Berkley votes for final passage of ObamaCare. This legislation cut $500 billion from Medicare and created a panel of bureaucrats that have the power to deny care for seniors. (House Vote 165 – HR 3590, HR3590, March 21, 2010)
March 22, 2010: Shelley Berkley attends signing ceremony for ObamaCare at the White House.
March 24, 2010: Shelley Berkley voted against efforts to reverse the Democrats’ health care reform’s cap on the amount that can be deposited in flexible spending accounts. (House Vote 181 – HR 4849: Small-Business Tax Credits – Recommit)
June 15, 2010: Shelley Berkley voted against repealing the individual mandate to purchase health insurance. (House Vote 362 – HR 5486: Small Business Tax Relief – Recommit)
January 19, 2011: Shelley Berkley refused to repeal the President’s health care law. (House Vote 14 – HR 2, HR2, January 19, 2011)
April 13, 2011: Shelley Berkley voted against repealing ObamaCare slush funds. (Roll Call 264, Clerk of the U.S. House, 4/13/2011)
May 3, 2011: Shelley Berkley voted against repealing funds for ObamaCare state exchanges. (Roll Call 285, Clerk of the U.S. House, 5/3/2011)
October 24, 2011: Steve Wynn reports that Shelley Berkley voted for ObamaCare because if she didn’t, Nancy Pelosi would “punish” her. (Link here.)
March 22, 2012: Shelley Berkley voted against repeal of IPAB, a panel of 15 bureaucrats that have the power to deny care for seniors. (House Vote – HR 5 Roll Call Vote 126)
April 16, 2012: Shelley Berkley “stopped short Wednesday of urging the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the federal health care law supported by Democrats and abhorred by Republicans” and “declined to defend the law” even after voting for it so many times. (Cristina Silva, Rep. Berkley champions small businesses in Vegas, Associated Press, 4/16/12)
April 27, 2012: Shelley Berkley voted against repealing ObamaCare slush funds to prevent student interest rate hikes. (Roll Call 195, Clerk of the U.S. House, 4/27/2012)
June 8, 2012: Shelley Berkley voted against repealing a 2.3% tax on medical devices created by ObamaCare, even though she said that the tax “will be very detrimental to patients.” (Steve Tetreault, “Berkley shifts on medical equipment tax,” Steve Tetreault, June 7, 2012)
