SUBMITTED RELEASE FROM NEVADA STATE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
By Phoebe Sweet
LAS VEGAS–Republican Sen. John Ensign once again made it clear that when it comes down to helping struggling Nevadans or partisan politics, the latter wins every time. This time around Ensign voted against extending unemployment insurance and COBRA benefits that will help 20,000 Nevadans. While the embattled Ensign has one foot out the door, the question is, would Sue Lowden and Danny Tarkanian have done the same?
We know Lowden and Tarkanian opposed the stimulus bill, which extended unemployment insurance for tens of thousands of Nevadans and millions of Americans who couldn’t find work during the depths of the recession.
And they were silent, as was Ensign, while Republicans held up extension of unemployment benefits in March–putting 20,000 Nevadans at risk. They even held their tongues when Rep. Dean Heller said extending unemployment benefits during a recession would turn out-of-work Nevadans into a new generation of hobos.
So, why have Tarkanian and Lowden stayed mum? Is it because they agree with GOP candidate John Chachas, who bragged about how a bad economy was good Republican politics?
Whatever the reason, the extension of unemployment benefits and COBRA is the number 1 issue before the US Senate as they return from recess, and it’s time for Lowden and Tarkanian to get on the record as to how they’d vote on the pending legislation on which they’re running to represent Nevadans’ interests. (Note to Lowden: That’s what a U.S. Senator does.)
“Sue Lowden and Danny Tarkanian continue to remain silent on extending benefits to out-of-work Nevadans, presumably because they’re still rooting for economic failure or they simply don’t want to reveal that they’d vote against Nevada’s workers,” said Phoebe Sweet, communications director for the Nevada State Democratic Party. “These Republican candidates are running to represent us in the US Senate, and it’s high time they got on the record about the legislation that would be in front of them if they held that job.”
