Earlier this week, Congresswoman Shelley Berkley wrote an op-ed for the Las Vegas Review-Journal where she chastised folks in Washington for failing to focus on legislation that would create jobs in Nevada.

Berkley said that Washington should be focused on legislation that will put people back to work every waking hour.

“Unfortunately, far too many in Washington just don’t have their priorities straight.  With the highest unemployment rate in the nation, one would expect Nevada’s representatives in our nation’s capital to be spending every waking hour focused like a laser on getting people back to work. Instead of a “jobs agenda,” however, far too many in Washington seem to have an “anything but jobs agenda,” spending precious time on issues that not only won’t help our unemployment situation, but actually would harm Nevada’s middle-class families.” (Shelley Berkley, GOP wants to hurt seniors while massaging Big Oil, China, Las Vegas Review-Journal, 11/07/11)

Remarkably, Berkley failed to mention that the House of Representatives has passed 15 bipartisan jobs bills and that she only voted for 1 of them.  These bills are commonly to referred to as the Forgotten 15, because Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has refused bring these bills up for a vote.  Additionally, Berkley has also refused to take a position on President Obama’s latest $450 billion stimulus, which has also been introduced by Senator Reid.

“When Nevadans hear Shelley Berkley chastise those in Washington for failing to pass pro-jobs legislation, they should ask the Congresswoman if she’s looked in the mirror lately because she’s been a big part of the problem,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokesman Jahan Wilcox.    “Even with at least 175,000 Nevadans out of work, Berkley has voted against virtually every single pro-jobs bill passed out of the House of Representatives.  Nevada families and small businesses can’t afford more fancy double-talk from liberal Congresswoman Berkley and her mentor, Harry Reid.”

BACKGROUND

The Forgotten 15

House Republicans have passed 15 jobs bills that remain stuck in the Senate, they are:

1) The Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act (H.R 872) - Reduces overlapping and unnecessary regulation on

pesticides; thereby reducing costs to both farmers and small business owners.

• Introduced by Rep. Bob Gibbs (OH) on March 2, 2011

• Passed the House by a vote of 292-130 on March 31, 2011 – Berkley Voted Nay

2) The Energy Tax Prevention Act (H.R. 910) - Prohibits the federal government from regulating

greenhouse gas emissions; thereby by preventing a needless increase in energy prices for American

households and businesses.

• Introduced by Rep. Fred Upton (MI) on March 3, 2011

• Passed the House by a vote of 255-172 on April 7, 2011 – Berkley Voted Nay

3) A Resolution of Disapproval Regarding FCC’s Regulation (H.J. Res. 37) - Prevents the federal

government from regulating the Internet and broadband providers

• Introduced by Rep. Greg Walden (OR) on February 16, 2011

• Passed the House by a vote of 240 to 179 on April 8, 2011 – Berkley Failed To Vote

4) Restarting American Offshore Leasing Now Act (H.R 1230) – Helps to reduce energy prices and

promote job creation by expediting offshore oil and natural gas exploration in the Gulf of Mexico and the

Virginia coast.

• Introduced by Rep. Doc Hastings (WA) on March 29, 2011

• Passed the House by a vote of 266-149 on May 5, 2011 – Berkley Voted Nay

5) Putting the Gulf of Mexico Back to Work Act (H.R. 1229) – Promotes job creation and reduces energy

prices by reinstating oil drilling permits in the Gulf Coast.

• Introduced by Rep. Doc Hastings (WA) on March 29, 2011

• Passed the House by a vote of 263-163 on May 11, 2011 – Berkley Voted Nay

6) Reversing President Obama’s Offshore Moratorium Act (H.R 1231) – Promotes lower energy costs and

job creation by allowing drilling in at least 50 percent of the Outer Continental Shelf areas known to contain

the most oil and gas.

• Introduced by Rep. Doc Hastings (WA) on March 29, 2011

• Passed the House by a vote of 243-179 on May 12, 2011 – Berkley Voted Nay

7) The Jobs and Energy Permitting Act (H.R 2021) – Promotes job growth and reduces energy costs by

expediting the process of obtaining an offshore drilling permit.

• Introduced by Rep. Cory Gardner (CO) on May 26, 2011

• Passed the House by a vote of 255-166 on June 22, 2011 – Berkley Voted Nay

8) The Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act (H.R 2018) - Prevents the federal government from

interfering with a state’s water quality program once that state has already met existing federal standards;

thereby eliminating needless red tape and tinkering by bureaucrats.

• Introduced by Rep. John Mica (FL) on May 26, 2011

• Passed the House by a vote of 239 to 184 on July 13, 2011 – Berkley Voted Nay

9) The Consumer Financial Protection Safety and Soundness Improvement Act of 2011 (H.R. 1315) -

Improves consumer protection and provides greater economic stability by allowing the Financial Stability

Oversight Council to vote to set aside any harmful federal regulation.

• Introduced by Rep. Sean Duffy (WI) on April 1, 2011

• Passed the House by a vote of 241-173 on July 21, 2011 – Berkley Voted Nay

10) The North American-Made Energy Security Act (H.R. 1938) – Promotes job creation and energy

security by ending the needless delay of the construction and operation of the Keystone XL pipeline.

• Introduced by Rep. Terry Lee (NE) on May 23, 2011

• Passed the House by a vote of 279-147 on July 26, 2011 – Berkley Voted Nay

11) The Protecting Jobs From Government Interference Act (H.R. 2587) - Seeks to guarantee private

companies the flexibility to develop their businesses in the state that offers the best opportunities for

growth, job creation and stability.

• Introduced by Rep. Tim Scott (SC) on July 19, 2011

• Passed the House by a vote of 238-186 on September 15, 2011 – Berkley Voted Nay

12) The Transparency in Regulatory Analysis of Impacts (TRAIN) Act (H.R. 2401) - establishes an

interagency committee to evaluate the economic impacts of EPA regulations and delay the final dates for

both the maximum achievable control technology (Utility MACT) standards and the cross-state air pollution

rule (CSAPR) until the full impact has been studied. Both regulations would cost consumers and

businesses $184 billion from 2011-2030 and would skyrocket electrical prices.

• Introduced by Rep. John Sullivan (OK) on June 24, 2011

• Passed the House by a vote of 249-169 on September 23, 2011 – Berkley Voted Nay

13) The Cement Sector Regulatory Relief Act (H.R. 2681) – provides a stay of the EPA’s overly burdensome

rules and allows for the implementation of effective regulation that protects communities both

environmentally and economically.

• Introduced by Rep. John Sullivan (OK) on July 28, 2011

• Passed the House by a vote of 262-161 on October 6, 2011 – Berkley Voted Yea

14) The EPA Regulatory Relief Act (H.R. 2250) – alleviates the excessive regulatory burden placed on

employers by the EPA’s Boiler MACT rules, potentially costing companies $14 billion and 224,000

American jobs, and replacing them with sensible, achievable rules that do not destroy jobs.

• Introduced by Rep. Morgan Griffith (VA) on June 21, 2011

• Passed the House by a vote of 275-142 on October 13, 2011 – Berkley Voted Nay

15) The Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act (H.R. 2273) – bipartisan legislation providing

consistent, safe management of coal combustion residuals in a way that protects jobs and encourages

recycling and beneficial use.

• Introduced by Rep. David McKinley (WV) on June 22, 2011

• Passed the House by a vote of 276-144 on October 14, 2011 – Berkley Voted Nay