WASHINGTON — National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Executive Director Rob Jesmer issued the following statement today in regards to the news that the House Ethics Committee’s ongoing investigation of Congresswoman Shelley Berkley has now interviewed the top aide of the Southern Nevada Veterans Affairs Program:

“The news that the House Ethics Committee has now interviewed the chief of the Southern Nevada Veterans Affairs program is an ominous sign that embattled Congresswoman Shelley Berkley’s ongoing ethics investigation is now much broader than we previously knew about.  Given the serious nature of the allegation that Shelley Berkley used her office to enrich herself, it’s time for her to come clean with the people of Nevada.”

BACKGROUND …

“The top official for the Department of Veterans Affairs in Southern Nevada has been questioned by the House Ethics Committee in its investigation of allegations that Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., used her office to boost her husband’s medical practice.  John Bright, director of the VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System, confirmed Friday that he spoke with committee representatives earlier this fall, as the committee presses to wrap up its work by the end of the year.  “I had a discussion with them,” Bright said, declining to elaborate on the contact because of an agreement he said he signed with the committee. He said he was not subpoenaed.”  (Steve Tetreault, VA chief in Las Vegas questioned in Berkley ethics probe, Las Vegas Review-Journal, 10/27/12)

In July 2012, The Ethics Committee Announced They Unanimously Voted To Proceed With The Investigation Against Berkley. “In a move that shakes up the U.S. Senate race in Nevada, the House Ethics Committee announced Monday it will investigate allegations that Rep. Shelley Berkley used her office wrongfully to advance health policies that benefited her husband, a prominent Las Vegas doctor. 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.” (Steve Tetreault, “House panel to investigate allegations against Berkley,” Las Vegas Review Journal, 7/9/12)

The House Ethics Committee Consists Of 5 Republicans And 5 Democrats.  The Democrats On The Committee Are Linda Sanchez (D-CA), John Yarmuth (D-KY), Donna Edwards (D-MD), Pedro Pierluisi (D-PR), Joe Courtney, (D-CT). (House Ethics Committee Website, Accessed 10/24/12)

“‘It’s Certainly Not Good News, And With A Unanimous Vote, It Becomes Even Worse News,’ Said Eric Herzik, Professor Of Political Science At UNR. ‘Heller doesn’t even have to do anything … so this is a pretty severe blow. She was going to have damage control to do anyway; now the damage is even worse.’” (Karen Demirjian, “Formal ethics investigation likely to dog Berkley for duration of Senate campaign,” Las Vegas Sun, 7/10/12)

Jennifer Duffy Of The Cook Political Report Said There Was More Juice Behind The Investigation Because The Votes Was Unanimous. “Jennifer Duffy, an analyst with the Cook Political Report, said the ethics probe is a blow to Berkley, giving Republicans stronger ammunition against her and probably keeping the matter open all the way to Election Day. ‘The issue stays alive through the campaign, and Republicans got a little bit more juice behind it with the unanimous vote’ from five Democrats and five Republicans on the panel, Duffy said.” (Steve Tetreault and Laura Myers, “Berkley facing ethics probe,” Las Vegas Review Journal, 7/10/12)

Associated Press: “The Committee Could Have Dismissed The Complaint Outright, But Its Unanimous Decision To Conduct A Formal Investigation Gives Critics More Opportunity To Raise The Specter Of Impropriety By Berkley, who has said she was merely looking out for kidney patients who would have had to travel out-of-state to get transplants.” (Kevin Freking, “Ethics Committee appoints panel in Berkley Case,” The Associated Press, 7/10/12)

Las Vegas Review Journal: “Truth Is, This Is A Major Blow To The Berkley Campaign. Nor Can This Be Dismissed As A Partisan Smear. None Of The Five Democrats On The 10-Member Ethics Panel Dissented. And USA Today Reports That The Committee’s Action Is Somewhat Rare, given that five of the last six cases the independent Office of Congressional Ethics has forwarded to the House panel have ended there without further investigation.” (Editorial, “Berkley Probe,” Las Vegas Review Journal, 7/12/12)

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During her long career in Washington, Berkley supported the Wall Street bailout, the failed $825 billion stimulus and a $1.76 trillion healthcare law that has only increased the size of government, while doing nothing to boost Nevada’s ailing economy. 

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO

“Between her support for the failed $825 billion stimulus and a $1.76 trillion job-killing healthcare bill, Nevadans are paying dearly for embattled Congresswoman Shelley Berkley’s reckless spending habits,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokesman Jahan Wilcox.  “Under President Obama and Shelley Berkley’s watch, Nevada’s unemployment rate has gone up and our national debt has skyrocketed.  In a time like this, it’s clear Nevadans need a proven leader like Dean Heller who will work to enact pro-jobs policies that will get Nevada working again.”  

BACKGROUND …  

Embattled Congresswoman Shelley Berkley’s Job-Killing Record

Berkley Voted To Approve The TARP Program. (H.R. 1424, CQ Vote #681: Agreed To 263-171: R 91-108; D 172-63, 10/3/08, Berkley Voted Yea)

Berkley Voted In Favor Of The $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)

Berkley Voted For The Final Version Of The Obama-Pelosi-Reid Health Care Bill That President Obama Later Signed Into Law. (H.R. 3590, CQ Vote #165: Motion Agreed To 219-212: R 0-178; D 219-34, 3/21/10, Berkley Voted Yea)

The post NRSC Releases New Ad Reminding Nevadans That They Are Paying For Shelley Berkley’s Reckless Spending Habits appeared first on NRSC - National Republican Senatorial Committee.

Speaking on CBS’ 60 Minutes last night about the current problems in the Middle East, President Obama said:

“I was pretty certain and continue to be pretty certain that there are going to be bumps in the road…” (CBS’s “60 Minutes,” 9/23/12)

These are the same words he used about our economic problems in a speech last year:

“There are always going to be bumps on the road to recovery.” (President Barack Obama, Remarks, Toledo, OH, 6/3/11)

“It’s typical of President Obama and the Democrat leadership to dismiss serious problems as being ‘bumps in the road’.  While they might just be inconvenient to them, to everyone else, these ‘bumps in the road’ are real and they amount to some of the biggest diplomatic and economic challenges we’ve seen in our lifetime,” NRSC spokesman Jahan Wilcox said today.  “Shelley Berkley needs to tell Nevadans whether she shares President Obama’s casual view of the position we’re in. Voters want and expect strong leadership from Government and real policy solutions, and these are things we are not seeing from Democrats in Washington these days.”

President Obama and congressional Democrats are dismissive of these problems even as evidence mounts about the scale of the challenges this country faces. On the economy, the recovery continues to be long, slow and hard for families across America:

• More Than Twenty-Three Million Americans Are Unemployed, Underemployed, Or Have Stopped Looking For Work. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, 9/10/12)

• The Latest Jobs Report Showed The “Economy Slogged Along For The 43rd Month In A Row With Joblessness Above 8 Percent.” “American employers added 96,000 jobs in August, the Labor Department reported Friday. The unemployment rate fell to 8.1 percent as the economy slogged along for the 43rd month in a row with joblessness above 8 percent.” (Susanna Kim, “August Jobs Report: Unemployment Falls To 8.1 Percent,” ABC News, 9/7/12)

• In August, The Unemployment Rate Either Increased Or Was Unchanged In 38 States. “The Labor Department says rates increased in 26 states. They fell in 12 states and were unchanged in the other 12.” (Christopher S. Rugaber, “Unemployment Rates Rise In Half Of US States,” The Associated Press, 9/21/12)

• “A Record 46.7 Million Americans Received Food Stamps In June…” “A record 46.7 million Americans received food stamps in June, up 0.4 percent from the previous month, the government said. Participation was 3.3 percent higher than a year earlier and has remained higher than 46 million all year as the unemployment rate has stagnated just above 8 percent. New jobless numbers will be released Sept. 7.” (Alan Bjera, “Food-Stamp Use Climbed To Record 46.7 Million In June, U.S. Says,” Bloomberg, 9/4/12)

In the Middle East, commentators worry about the direction the Middle East is taking:

• The Wall Street Journal: “Mideast Turmoil Spreads” (The Wall Street Journal, 9/14/12)

• Bloomberg: “U.S. Officials Concerned Over What Follows Arab Spring”(Bloomberg, 9/12/12)

• The Associated Press: “Arab Winter? Spreading Anti-American Unrest Prompts Debate On US Policy In The Arab World” (The Associated Press, 9/14/12)

• The New York Times: “U.S. Is Preparing For A Long Siege Of Arab Unrest” (The New York Times, 9/15/12)

The post NRSC TO EMBATTLED REP. BERKLEY: ARE ECONOMIC AND DIPLOMATIC FAILURES JUST “BUMPS IN THE ROAD”??? appeared first on NRSC - National Republican Senatorial Committee.

It was a little more than two years ago, when embattled U.S. Congresswoman Shelley Berkley rammed her $1.76 trillion healthcare bill through Congress, which cut over $700 billion from Medicare and today a new report details the exact impact this will have on Nevada.

According to the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Business, these cuts will take approximately $4.1 billion from seniors in Nevada who depend on Medicare.

• Over The Next 10 Years, ObamaCare Will Cut $4.1 Billion From Medicare Plans That Nevada Seniors Rely On For Their Health Care Needs. (Robert A. Book and Michael Ramlet, “What Is The Regional Impact Of The Medicare Fee-For-Service And Medicare Advantage Payment Reductions,” University Of Minnesota’s Carlson School Of Management, 9/12)

Notably, earlier this week it was reported that those who disobey the individual mandate would be subjected to a fine of approximately $1,200.

“It’s simply remarkable that embattled U.S. Congresswoman Shelley Berkley voted for a healthcare bill that cut $4.1 billion from seniors in Nevada who depend on Medicare,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokesman Jahan Wilcox.  “This non-partisan report is a sobering reminder that Shelley Berkley’s liberal agenda is wrong for the Silver State.”

BACKGROUND….

Shelley Berkley Cut $716 Billion From Medicare To Pay For Obamacare –  A Cut The Obama Campaign Now Refers To As An Achievement:

According To The Nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, Obamacare Cuts $716 Billion From Medicare. (Congressional Budget Office, Letter To Speaker John Boehner, 7/24/12)

·       Miami Herald: “Obama’s $700 Billion Medicare-Cut Problem” (Marc Caputo, “Obama’s $700 Billion Medicare-Cut Problem,” Miami Herald, 8/12/12)

President Obama’s Senior Campaign Aide Has Bragged That President Obama “Achieved” $700 Billion In “Cuts In Medicare.” CUTTER: “Well, you know ask the wealthy to pay a little bit more. Cut waste from the government. Reform Medicare. More than $300 billion in savings from Medicare. On top of the savings we’ve already achieved. You know I heard Mitt Romney deride the $700 billion cuts in Medicare that the president achieved through health care reform.” (CBS’s “Face The Nation,” 8/12/12)

Berkley’s Medicare Cuts Will Jeopardize Benefits For Seniors – Reducing Access To Care And Driving Millions From Medicare Advantage:

The Medicare Actuary Has Estimated 15% Of “Hospitals, Skilled Nursing Facilities, And Home Health Agencies” Will Be In The Red Before The Decade Is Over. “In the Office of the Actuary‘s April 22, 2010 memorandum on the estimated financial effects of the Affordable Care Act, we noted that by 2019 the update reductions would result in negative total facility margins for about 15 percent of hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and home health agencies. This estimated percentage would continue to increase, reaching roughly 25 percent in 2030 and 40 percent by 2050. In practice, providers could not sustain continuing negative margins and, absent legislative changes, would have to withdraw from providing services to Medicare beneficiaries, merge with other provider groups, or shift substantial portions of Medicare costs to their non-Medicare, non-Medicaid payers.” (“Projected Expenditures Under An Illustrative Scenario With Alternative Payment Updates To Medicare Providers,” Center For Medicare & Medicaid Services, 5/13/11) 

52 Percent Of Doctors Say Obamacare Will Compel Them To Close Or Significantly Restrict Their Practices To Medicare Patients. (Merritt Hawkins, “Health Reform and the Decline of Physician Private Practice,” The Physicians Foundation, October 2010)

Obamacare’s Cuts Will Cause Enrollment In Medicare Advantage To “Plummet By About 50 Percent” And Leave Seniors With “Higher Out-Of-Pocket Costs.” “In addition to flagging provider cuts as potentially unsustainable, the report [HHS] projected that reductions in payments to private Medicare Advantage plans would trigger an exodus from the popular alternative. Enrollment would plummet by about 50 percent. Seniors leaving the private plans would still have health insurance under traditional Medicare, but many might face higher out-of-pocket costs.” (Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, “Report Says Health Care Will Cover More, Cost More,” The Associated Press, 4/23/10)

·       The Medicare Trustees Project These Cuts Will Drive 4 Million Seniors Out Of Medicare Advantage Plans By 2018. (Medicare Trustees Report, 4/23/12)

The post NEW NON-PARTISAN REPORT ON OBAMACARE: Shelley Berkley’s Healthcare Bill Cut $4.1 Billion From Nevada Seniors On Medicare appeared first on NRSC - National Republican Senatorial Committee.

On September 1st of this year, Berkley told a reporter that her office “did contact the ethics committee” and just seven days later to a different reporter she denies having made that statement. Watch Berkley change her statement below.

The post What is Berkley Hiding? appeared first on NRSC - National Republican Senatorial Committee.

Nearly four years ago, President Barack Obama and liberal Congresswoman Shelley Berkley rammed an $825 billion stimulus into law that was supposed to “create or save” 34,000 jobs in Nevada, yet today’s jobs report reiterates that their failed economic policies are not working.

As the Wall Street Journal reports:

JOB GROWTH SLOWS SHARPLY IN AUGUST: Job growth slowed sharply in August, the Labor Department said Friday. Total nonfarm payrolls increased by 96,000, lower than the 125,000 gain expected by Wall Street economists.  Adding to the sense of weakness, job growth in the past two months were revised down by 41,000.  The unemployment rate declined to 8.1% in August from 8.3% in the previous month but the drop was due to a smaller labor force.  Economists forecast the unemployment rate to hold steady at 8.3%.  Average hourly earnings were flat at $23.52.  Earnings are up 1.7% in the past year. The average workweek was unchanged at 34.3 hours. (Greg Robb, Job growth slows sharply in August, Wall Street Journal’s Market Watch, 9/7/12)

Notably, according to Reid, Berkley and their fellow Democrats if their policies actually worked the national unemployment rate would be well below 6 percent by now.

“We’ve tried the failed policies of President Obama and Shelley Berkley and today’s report is just further proof that their tax-and-spend agenda is not working,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesman Jahan Wilcox. “With Nevada as the unemployment capital of the country, it’s clear we can’t afford Shelley Berkley’s failed record.”

BACKGROUND….

Berkley & Obama Promised The Stimulus Would ‘Create Or Save’ 34,000 Nevada Jobs

ASSOCIATED PRESS:  The Obama administration is defending its claim that the $787 billion economic stimulus plan will save or create 3.5 million jobs before 2011 even while conceding that unemployment will likely continue to rise beyond its earlier predictions.  (Stimulus plan will create or save 3.5 million jobs, White House says, Associated Press, 05/11/09)

SHELLEY BERKLEY:  “From incentives to increase clean energy production to funding for work on I-15 and the Las Vegas Beltway, this [stimulus] package will mean jobs for Nevada at a time when we continue to face record unemployment levels,” said Berkley. “According to the White House, passage of this legislation will create or save 34,000 jobs statewide, with the majority of those in Clark County.”  (Shelley Berkley, Berkley: Report Shows Broad Economic Recovery Package Will Mean More Nevada Jobs, Press Release, 02/12/09)

And That The Unemployment Rate Today Would Be Less Than 6%  

The post New Jobs Report Reiterates That The Policies Of President Obama & Congresswoman Berkley Are Not Working appeared first on NRSC - National Republican Senatorial Committee.

WASHINGTON – Last month the top Senate Democrat leaders who are overseeing Shelley Berkley’s campaign for Senate made clear that they were willing to allow the country to go over a “fiscal cliff” unless their demands for massive tax hikes were met.

But today, a new report from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) made clear that as a result of the Democrats’ reckless tax-and-spend policies, we are already headed in that direction.  The report shows that the economy would go into a recession and unemployment would increase if the Democrats’ proposed small business tax hike and massive defense cuts are put into effect.

“Today’s report is just the latest evidence that the failed economic policies trumpeted by Shelley Berkley and President Obama are driving our country over a fiscal cliff,” National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokesman Jahan Wilcox said today.  “From the reckless spending to the massive expansion of government in ObamaCare, Shelley Berkley has marched in virtual lockstep with President Obama and their failed policies are hurting Nevadans.

“Under the Obama-Reid-Berkley economy, we’ve had 43 straight months of unemployment above 8 percent, a skyrocketing debt that’s now reached almost $16 trillion, and four straight years of trillion dollar deficits.  This report is yet another big wake-up call that Nevada simply can’t afford four more years of Obama and Berkley’s failed economic policies,” Wilcox concluded.

BACKGROUND….

CBO Projects ‘Significant Recession,’ ‘Jobless Rate Rising’

NATIONAL JOURNAL: “CBO: Jumping Off Fiscal Cliff Would Cause Recession” (“CBO: Jumping Off Fiscal Cliff Would Cause Recession,” National Journal, 8/22/12)

NEW YORK TIMES: “…if Congress takes no action to stave off tax increases due and automatic budget cuts scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, the economy could fall into a recession, with total output shrinking and the jobless rate rising to about 9 percent in the second half of 2013… Fears about tax increases and spending cuts — the ‘fiscal tightening’ — are depressing economic growth…” (“Report Sees Risk Of Recession If Budget Stalemate Persists,” The New York Times, 8/22/12)

WASHINGTON POST: “The nation would be plunged into a significant recession during the first half of next year if Congress fails to avert nearly $500 billion in tax hikes and spending cuts set to hit in January…” (“Significant Recession Imminent If Congress Doesn’t Act On Fiscal Cliff: CBO Report,” The Washington Post, 8/22/12)

REUTERS: “…even worse economic damage than previously thought if Washington fails to come up with a solution, Congress’ budget referee said on Wednesday.” (“U.S. CBO Sees Deeper ‘Fiscal Cliff’ Recession Next Year,” Reuters, 8/22/12)

AP: “… fresh, dire projections by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.” (“Analysts: Recession Likely Without Budget Accord,” AP, 8/22/12)

CBO: “…a recession, with real GDP declining by 0.5 percent between the fourth quarter of 2012 and the fourth quarter of 2013 and the unemployment rate rising to about 9 percent in the second half of calendar year 2013.” (“An Update To The Budget And Economic Outlook: Fiscal Years 2012 To 2022, Congressional Budget Office, 8/22/12)

Under Senate Democrats’ We Are Now Facing A Fourth Straight Year Of Trillion Dollar Deficits

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Is Predicting The Fourth Straight Deficit To Exceed $1 Trillion At $1.1 Trillion. “Congress’ nonpartisan budget analysts are projecting a $1.1 trillion federal deficit for 2012, the fourth straight year the government’s shortfall will exceed $1 trillion.” (“Analysts Project $1.1T Federal Deficit This Year,” The Associated Press, 8/22/12)

• CBO: “The Federal Budget Deficit For Fiscal Year 2012 … Will Total $1.1 Trillion … Marking The Fourth Year In A Row With A Deficit Of More Than $1 Trillion.”(“An Update To The Budget And Economic Outlook: Fiscal Years 2012 To 2022,” Congressional Budget Office, 8/22/12)

CBO: “The Amount Of Federal Debt Held By The Public Has Skyrocketed In The Past Few Years, Rising From 40 Percent Of GDP At The End Of 2008 To An Estimated 73 Percent By The End Of This Year.” (“An Update To The Budget And Economic Outlook: Fiscal Years 2012 To 2022,”Congressional Budget Office, 8/22/12)

• According To The CBO, Federal Debt Held By The Public Will Reach The Highest Levels Since The 1950s. ”Federal debt held by the public will reach 73 percent of GDP by the end of this fiscal year-the highest level since 1950 and about twice the 36 percent of GDP that it measured at the end of 2007, before the financial crisis and recent recession.” (“An Update To The Budget And Economic Outlook: Fiscal Years 2012 To 2022,”Congressional Budget Office, 8/22/12)

Senate Democrats’ Plan —  ‘Risk Racing Over The Fiscal Cliff’

“…Democratic Senator Patty Murray said her party is willing to risk racing over the fiscal cliff and into financial chaos in 2013.” (“US Lawmakers Head Home, Severe Challenges Loom,” AFP, 8/4/12)

“Democrats say they are prepared to go over the so-called fiscal cliff at the end of the year …” (“Democrats Risk Fiscal Cliff By Targeting Top Earners’ Break,” Bloomberg News, 7/10/12)

·       “Democrats have made clear that they are ready to allow tax rates to rise and automatic cuts to kick in for both defense and domestic programs… Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., who outlined the Democratic strategy in a speech this month, put the GOP on notice that her party would rather plunge off the fiscal cliff than extend tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. White House aides pointedly backed Murray’s threat on Tuesday.” (“Democrats Waxing Tough On Fiscal Cliff,” National Journal, 7/25/12)

·       SEN. PATTY MURRAY (D-WA): “So if we can’t get a good deal… then I will absolutely continue this debate into 2013… our country is going to have to face the consequences…” (Sen. Murray, Remarks At The Brookings Institute, 7/16/12)

·       SEN. MARK BEGICH (D-AK): “There are more people today than before that say let this all just expire out.” (“Geithner Meets Murray Amid Fears Lawmakers Might Not Stop Fiscal Cliff,”The Hill, 8/2/12)

·       SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV): Q: “Do you agree with Senator Murray that if you do not get a balanced deal, you’ll fight this into 2013?” SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV): “…Patty Murray knows what she’s talking about.” (Sen. Reid, Press Briefing, 7/17/12)

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WASHINGTON — As every poll continues to find that Dean Heller is maintaining his lead over embattled Congresswoman Shelley Berkley and with political analysts moving the race from toss-up to lean Republican, today in a last ditch effort to revive her campaign, Shelley Berkley will finally campaign with President Barack Obama.

Previously, she has found every reason under the sun not to appear with Mr. Obama, but now she’s trying to vindicate her flailing campaign by showing Nevadans that even President Obama will campaign with a candidate that’s embroiled in an ongoing ethics investigation in the House of Representatives.
Notably, President Obama is probably pleased to campaign with Berkley, because she’s the only Senate candidate in the race that joined him in raiding $700 billion from Medicare to pay for his $1.76 trillion job-killing healthcare law.

“As she remains embroiled in an ongoing ethics investigation, Shelley Berkley is making a last ditch effort to revive her campaign by finally appearing with President Obama,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokesman Jahan Wilcox.  “Given that Ms. Berkley joined him in raiding $700 billion from Medicare to pay for their job-killing healthcare law, the President is probably pleased to finally share the stage with the embattled Congresswoman.”     

BACKGROUND …

As Political Analysts Move Nevada From Toss-Up To Lean Republican

LARRY SABATO:  The recent ethics investigation into Nevada Democratic Senate candidate Shelley Berkley has changed the state’s Senate race from a toss-up to lean Republican, according to Larry Sabato and Kyle Kondik at the University of Virginia Center for Politics.  (Emily Schultheis, Politico Morning Score, 7/19/12)

Berkley Is Now Desperately Trying To Revive Her Campaign By Finally Appearing With President Obama

Democratic U.S. Rep. Shelley Berkley will campaign with President Barack Obama for the first time this year Wednesday in Nevada, cozying up to the White House leader as he promotes education and gives her image a boost in her close U.S. Senate race against Republican incumbent Dean Heller.  (Laura Myers, Berkley to campaign with Obama in Southern Nevda, Las Vegas Review-Journal, 8/21/12)

The post Embattled Rep. Berkley Desperately Tries To Revive Her Flailing Campaign By Appearing With President Obama appeared first on NRSC - National Republican Senatorial Committee.

After calling the President of the United States a loser and the Federal Reserve Chairman a political hack, yesterday Harry Reid sunk to a new low when he hurled the baseless claim that Governor Mitt Romney hasn’t paid taxes in 10 years.

Reid’s undignified statement is remarkable, given that he’s claimed that his liberal protégé, embattled Congresswoman Shelley Berkley is innocent, despite the fact that 5 of her Democrat colleagues believe that it’s very possible the Congresswoman used her office to enrich herself.

“Once again Democrat Leader Harry Reid has embarrassed himself, the State of Nevada and his Democrat colleagues in the U.S. Senate by hurling a wild accusation that he cannot verify,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokesman Jahan Wilcox.  “Given Reid’s belief that one is guilty until proven innocent, then according to his logic he must believe Congresswoman Shelley Berkley is guilty of using her office to enrich herself.”     

The post Harry Reid’s Guilty Until Proven Innocent Theory Further Damages Embattled Congresswoman Berkley appeared first on NRSC - National Republican Senatorial Committee.

Two years ago liberal U.S. Congresswoman Shelley Berkley – at the urging of Nancy Pelosi – voted for President Obama’s healthcare bill that raided over $500 billion from Medicare in order to expand government and yet today she’s hoping Nevadans will forget that vote.

According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), ObamaCare will cut $500 billion from Medicare, which includes $200 billion from Medicare Advantage, $150 billion from hospitals and nursing homes and $40 billion from home healthcare.

“It’s remarkable that Shelley Berkley would celebrate the birth of Medicare, given that she recently raided over $500 billion from the program for her job-killing healthcare law,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokesman Jahan Wilcox.  “This fall, Nevadans will remember that Shelley Berkley is the only candidate that has cut Medicare.”

Notably, as Nevada continues to suffer from the highest unemployment rate in the country, the Wall Street Journal has written that ObamaCare is the largest tax increase in history on the middle class.

BACKGROUND…

SHELLEY BERKLEY VOTED FOR OBAMACARE

Berkley Voted For The Health Care Reform Law. (H.R. 3590, CQ Vote #165: Motion agreed to, thus clearing the bill for the president, by a vote of 219-212: R 0-178; D 219-34, 3/21/10, Berkley Voted Yea)

WHICH STRIPPED OVER $500 BILLION FROM MEDICARE

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO

SEN. DICK DURBIN (D-IL): “Some Of Our Critics On The Other Side Of The Aisle Have Said, ‘Ydurbou Know, They’re [Democrats] Going To Cut Hundreds Of Billions Of Dollars Out Of Medicare.’ And The Simple Answer Is, Yes.” (Sen. Durbin, Floor Remarks, 3/4/10)

WASHINGTON POST:  The Health Care Bill Cut Medicare By Roughly “$500 Billion Over The Next Decade.” “To cover the cost of those changes, the compromise would impose a 3.8 percent Medicare tax on investment income for wealthy taxpayers, a levy that would come in addition to a Senate-proposed increase in the regular payroll tax for those families. And it would slice an additional $60 billion from Medicare, with the privately run program known as Medicare Advantage targeted for particularly deep cuts, bringing the total reduction in projected spending on the program to more than $500 billion over the next decade.” (Lori Montgomery and Paul Kane, “House Leaders Announce $940 Billion Health-Care Compromise Bill,” The Washington Post, 3/19/10)

AND THE NON-PARTISAN CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE BREAKS DOWN BERKLEY’S MEDICARE CUTS

$200 BILLION IN CUTS TO MEDICARE ADVANTAGE

“Medicare Advantage Payments… -131.9 [Billion Dollars].” “TITLE III—Improving The Quality And Efficiency Of Health Care; Subtitle C—Provisions Relating to Part C; Medicare Advantage Payments… 2010-2019… -131.9 [Billion Dollars].” (CBO Director Doug Elmendorf, Letter To Rep. Pelosi, 3/18/10, P. 13)

“Medicare Advantage Interactions… -70.4 [Billion Dollars].” “Interactions; Medicare Advantage Interactions… 2010-2019… -70.4 [Billion Dollars].” (CBO Director Doug Elmendorf, Letter To Rep. Pelosi, 3/18/10, P. 18)

$150 BILLION IN CUTS TO HOSPITALS, NURSING HOMES, AND HOSPICE

“Ensuring Medicare Sustainability… -156.6 [Billion Dollars].” “TITLE III—Improving The Quality And Efficiency Of Health Care; Subtitle E—Ensuring Medicare Sustainability; 3401 Revision Of Certain Market Basket Updates And Incorporation Of Services Productivity Improvements Into Market Basket Updates That Do Not Already Incorporate Such Improvements (Effect Of Productivity Adjustment For Home Health Included In Estimate For Section 3131)… 2010-2019… -156.6 [Billion Dollars].” (CBO Director Doug Elmendorf, Letter To Rep. Nancy Pelosi, 3/18/10, P.14)

$40 BILLION IN CUTS TO HOME HEALTH CARE

“Home Health Care… -39.7 [Billion Dollars].” “TITLE III—Improving The Quality And Efficiency Of Health Care; Subtitle B—Improving Medicare For Patients And Providers; Part III – Improving Payment Accuracy; 3131 Payment Adjustments For Home Health Care (Includes Effect Of Section 3401)… 2010-2019… -39.7 [Billion Dollars].” (CBO Director Doug Elmendorf, Letter To Rep. Nancy Pelosi, 3/18/10, P.13)

$20 BILLION IN REDUCED “PAYMENTS TO HOSPITALS THAT SERVE A LARGE NUMBER OF LOW-INCOME PATIENTS”

“Medicare Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) Payments… -22.1 [Billion Dollars].” “TITLE III—Improving The Quality And Efficiency Of Health Care; Subtitle B—Improving Medicare For Patients And Providers; Part III—Improving Payment Accuracy; 3133 Medicare Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) Payments… 2010-2019… -22.1 [Billion Dollars].” (CBO Director Doug Elmendorf, Letter To Rep. Nancy Pelosi, 3/18/10, P.13)

“Reducing Medicaid and Medicare payments to hospitals that serve a large number of low-income patients, known as disproportionate share (DSH) hospitals…” (CBO Director Doug Elmendorf, Letter To Sen. Harry Reid, 11/18/09, P. 10)

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