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Press release from U.S. Senator Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), Ranking Member of the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee: Enzi Leads GOP HELP Committee Inquiry Into Alleged NEA Political Activity WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), Ranking Member of the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, today led his fellow Republican HELP Committee members in requesting an explanation regarding possible violations of federal law at the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Enzi and his colleagues sent the request to NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman. In the letter delivered today the Senators questioned the possibility of “taxpayer...

Dear Senator Enzi, Democracy’s Achilles Heel As a member of the gang of six Senators that are trying to reach a compromise on the health care issue I would like to share with you my thoughts on compromise and what I consider Democracy’s Achilles Heel. A liberal’s nature supports government safety net programs and the role of big government’s as nanny state and exercises a general faith of government solutions to societal problems emphasizing the general welfare of the populace (Democrats and big government). Conservative’s nature on the other hand believes that America’s safety net has become a hammock and...

As Obama Speech Nears, Details on a Compromise By JACKIE CALMES and ROBERT PEAR September 7, 2009 WASHINGTON — As President Obama and top advisers drafted his eagerly awaited health care speech to Congress, new details emerged Monday about fees and coverage limits under a proposal being floated by the chairman of a crucial Senate committee. The proposal from the lawmaker, Senator Max Baucus, who heads the Finance Committee, would impose new fees on some sectors of the health care industry, but none on individuals, to help offset initial costs estimated at $880 billion over 10 years, according to officials...

Here is video of White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs today castigating GOP Sen. Mike Enzi for clearly turning "over his cards on bipartisanship" in the Health Care negotiations. Enzi is one of the GOP leaders in the negotiations, and Gibbs says his recent comments indicate the Republicans are stepping away from bipartisanship . . . . . (Watch Video)

Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY) of Wyoming delivered the weekly Republican address Saturday on the loss of Senator Kennedy and the importance of getting health care reform done right. Senator Enzi discussed how the Democrats are rushing a health reform bill through congress that will ultimately "raid Medicare", raise costs and increase the deficit. And, he urged lawmakers to listen to what the American people are saying and scrap the Democrats’ current plan in order to "enact common sense reform that will actually cut costs." Here's the video: Senator Enzi: ObamaCare to Cut Billions from Elderly

Senator Mike Enzi of Wyoming delivers the weekly Republican address on the loss of Senator Kennedy and the importance of getting health care reform done right. Sen. Enzi discusses how the Democrats are rushing a health reform bill through congress that will ultimately "raid Medicare", raise costs and increase the deficit. Sen. Enzi urges lawmakers to listen to what the American people are saying and scrap the Democrats' current plan in order to "enact common sense reform that will actually cut costs."

Mike Enzi (R-WY) has taken plenty of heat from his conservative constituents for attempting to hammer out a bipartisan health-care reform bill in the Senate.  However, Enzi appears frustrated not with Wyoming voters but with the Democrats on the other side of the table.  With just a few days left before Congress resumes work, Enzi blasted the Democrats for spending too much money and limiting patient choice, when what America needs is the exact opposite: A leading GOP negotiator on health care struck a further blow to fading chances of a bipartisan compromise by saying Democratic proposals would restrict medical...

Signaling a fading chance for compromise, a leading Republican negotiator on health care legislation on Saturday criticized Democratic legislative proposals as budget-busters that would reroute Medicare spending and restrict medical choices. The criticism from Sen. Michael Enzi, R-Wyo., echoed that of many opponents of the Democratic plans under consideration in Congress. But Enzi's judgment was especially noteworthy because he is one of only three Republicans who have been willing to consider a bipartisan bill in the Senate.

<p>A leading GOP negotiator on health care struck a further blow to fading chances of a bipartisan compromise by saying Democratic proposals would restrict medical choices and make the country's "finances sicker without saving you money."</p> <p>The criticism from Sen. Michael Enzi, R-Wyo., echoed that of many opponents of the Democratic plans under consideration in Congress. But Enzi's judgment was especially noteworthy because he is one of only three Republicans who have been willing to consider a bipartisan bill in the Senate.</p>

Sen. Mike Enzi wants the Obama administration to withdraw its nominee for Solicitor of the Department of Labor. Enzi sent a letter to President Obama accusing nominee Patricia Smith of giving "inconsistent statement and testimony" to the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Enzi, of Wyoming, is the top Republican on the panel. Smith currently serves as commissioner for the New York Department of Labor and started a program in the city called "Wage Watch," which utilizes community groups to "participate in a range of activities aimed at improving labor law compliance, including holding know-your-rights training, providing employers with information...

Partisan anger flared Wednesday as senators began the public drafting of legislation to remake the health care system. By day’s end, lawmakers had settled in for a long, hard slog that may not fit with President Obama’s goal of signing a bill within four months. ... Another Senate committee, dogged by questions about the cost and complexity of the legislation, postponed its session, scheduled for next Tuesday, until after July 4. Democrats said they needed the delay by the Finance Committee to work on reducing the cost of the bill, intended to provide insurance to millions of people with no...

Washington, D.C. –U.S. Senator Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee and the Senate’s only accountant, today criticized wasteful spending in a health care reform bill released by HELP Committee Democrats this week. “The Kennedy-Dodd bill will pave sidewalks, build jungle gyms, and open grocery stores, but it won’t bring down health care costs or make quality coverage more affordable,” Enzi said. “In a time of record debt and deficits, how can Democrats justify the wasteful spending in this bill? “We need to root out the waste, fraud and abuse that is...

Seven Republican senators signed a letter sent to President Bush on Tuesday, urging him not to use Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) funds in a bailout of U.S. automakers. The senators wrote that absent restructuring, they "do not believe any amount of money will succeed in saving these companies." The letter was sent by Senators Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina), Jeff Sessions (R-Alabama), John Ensign (R-Nevada), Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Mike Enzi (R-Wyoming) and Saxby Chambliss (R-Georgia).

The pro-life record of Wyoming's two Republican U.S. senators is being questioned following their strong support for the Susan G. Komen Foundation's "Race for the Cure" in their home state.  Sens. Craig Thomas and Mike Enzi routinely vote on the side of pro-life causes, but their alliance with the Komen Foundation's Wyoming affiliate exists despite the fact that Komen hands part of the money it raises over to local chapters of the pro-abortion Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Planned Parenthood clinics provide breast cancer screening and education, but the organization is the nation's top abortion provider. Both senators' conservative...

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, R-Wyo, Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, today introduced legislation to wipe out tobacco use in America through an innovative cap-and-trade program that will shrink the size of the tobacco market over the next 20 years. “Tobacco kills. We need new ideas to get people to stop smoking, or better yet, never to start,” Enzi said. “That’s what my legislation does. My bill contains a novel cap-and-trade program that will guarantee that fewer people suffer the deadly consequences of smoking, while providing flexibility in how those reductions...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Dr. John Barrasso began his rounds on Capitol Hill on Monday, learning how to be a senator. At a photo session with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Wyoming's other senator, Republican Mike Enzi, Barrasso declined to answer any questions, walking out of the room with his new colleagues as a reporter asked how he would vote on an immigration measure. Barrasso has so far declined to say how he will vote on the issue, but he is not expected to stray far from his party's policies. Barrasso will serve until the beginning of 2009. A...

This morning the U.S. Senate further considers S.1955, a bill to amend title I of the Employee Retirement Security Act of 1974 and the Public Health Service Act to expand health care access and reduce costs through the creation of small business health plans and through modernization of the health insurance marketplace. This bill would significantly impact health insurance in ways many may not understand. Everyone using health insurance really needs to be aware of what's in this bill. And small business owners, too. Is it the right solution to lower health care costs? Is it what it appears to...

CHEYENNE, Wyo. - Insurance commissioners and other officials from several states are criticizing legislation sponsored by Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., that they say would strip states of their ability to set minimum coverage requirements for health insurance plans. While Enzi says he intends his Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization and Affordability Act to allow people who are currently uninsured to afford coverage, officials from half a dozen states warn that the bill could in fact raise costs for many customers while reducing minimum coverage. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee last month approved the bill. Enzi, who chairs the...

Senate Bill Would Override State Health Coverage Rules GOP backers see the legislation as a way for insurers to offer more affordable plans. Critics say it would undermine treatment protections. By Ronald Brownstein, Times Staff Writer March 16, 2006 WASHINGTON — The battle over healthcare moved to a new front Wednesday as Senate Republicans advanced a bill that would change the way health insurance was sold nationwide. On a party-line vote, a Senate committee approved a bill that would preempt state laws that require insurance policies to cover specific services, such as maternity care and supplies for diabetics.

This may be the last holiday season to enjoy tax-free Internet shopping, thanks to new legislation in the U.S. Congress. Two bills introduced Wednesday propose sweeping changes to how Americans are taxed for online and mail order purchases. Businesses initially would be required to collect sales taxes on purchases shipped to roughly half of the country, and that percentage is expected to rapidly increase. "Main Street retailers collect sales taxes, while many online and catalog retailers are exempt from collecting the same taxes," said a statement published by Sen. Mike Enzi, a Wyoming Republican. "This is costing states and localities...

Alliance for Marriage Recognizes 13 Senators With “Defender of Marriage” Award Rudy Takala The American Eagle News And Economic Report May 27,2005 Pine City, MN Last May 19th, the Alliance for Marriage (AFM) recognized thirteen senators with their first annual “Defender of Marriage” Award. The award was given to both Republican and Democratic senators who voted for the Federal Marriage Amendment in 2004, including Senators Allard (R-CO), Bunning (R-KY), Burns (R-MT), Byrd (D-WV), Brownback (R-KS), Cornyn (R-TX), Frist (R-TN), Inhofe (R-OK), Lott (R-MS), Santorum (R-PA), Sen. Enzi (D-WY), Hatch (R-UT), and Smith (R-OR). Ultimately, the amendment failed by a vote...

Much of the Washington press corps was preoccupied last week with the White House economic proposals, which are about allowing people to keep more of their money. Meanwhile, the National Governors Association was across town hosting a separate gathering that focused on just the opposite. The NGA -- along with its buddies at the National Conference of State Legislatures, the National League of Counties, the National League of Cities and the U.S. Conference of Mayors -- desperately wants to tax Internet use. And they're hoping that Internet phone calls... will pave the way. You're forgiven if you thought this was...

Meeting addresses 'No Child' act By Becky Orr rep6@wyomingnews.com Published in the Wyoming Tribune-Eagle CHEYENNE - A federal law that brings major changes in public education to Wyoming and across the country will be the focus of a town hall meeting Monday. People who have questions about what the No Child Left Behind Act means can ask the experts during the meeting at Laramie County Community College. U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., will join State Superintendent of Public Instruction Trent Blankenship and assistant secretary of legislation Karen Johnson from the U.S. Department of Education. They'll explain what the No Child...

Libertarians eye Wyoming for relocation of 20,000 By Ilene Olson Published in the Wyoming Tribune-Eagle CHEYENNE – Wyoming’s low population and conservative mentality have put the state in a prime position be the target destination for 20,000 Libertarians as part of the party’s Free State Project. “We like Wyoming,” said Keith Carlsen, spokesman for the project. “It’s not only a beautiful state, but it has the lowest population. It’s easier to persuade less people. “Wyoming is one of the most pro-freedom, independent-minded states in the country,” Carlsen said. But Gov. Dave Freudenthal said Libertarians “are overestimating the receptivity of their...

More than halfway through his term, President Bush still doesn't have a confirmed Assistant Secretary of State for the Western Hemisphere. The reason is one of those Beltway scandals that deserves more public attention, not least because the episode is doing tangible harm to U.S. national interests. The stability of the Americas is obviously vital to U.S. security, and U.S. leadership is essential for a stable Latin America. But with Colin Powell and Mr. Bush otherwise engaged with the Middle East, the absence of a political appointee at State has let the troubles that began in the Clinton years grow...

“Model rocket enthusiasts across the country and even across the ocean are very worried about how enforcement of regulations and the passage of new restrictions in the Homeland Security Act could negatively affect them. It was not Congress’ intent to harm model rocketry with passage of the Homeland Security Act. My bill would simply assure that people can go on enjoying their hobby without having to jump through a lot of needless regulatory hoops”

January 15, 2003 Wyoming, Utah Senators Most in Harmony During Last Session The Senate duo from Wyoming was the chamber's most agreeable pair in 2002. Republican Sens. Craig Thomas and Michael B. Enzi voted the same way on 225 of 234 roll call votes in which both participated, an agreement rate of 96.2 percent, CQ research shows. They edged by one-tenth of a percentage point past the Republican senators from neighboring Utah, Robert F. Bennett and Orrin G. Hatch, who voted alike on 224 of 233 votes. The typical Senate pair agreed on 87.5 percent of votes last year, and...

Lott is out, who is best on RKBA to replace him? Here are some short biographies of the people that have announced they might run for senate majority leader, along with a few pertinent items I found on their sites. They are followed by a couple of members who GOA would rate much higher on supporting our RKBA. So far, Enzi looks best to me! --------------------- FRIST, William H., a Senator from Tennessee; born in Nashville, Tenn., on February 22, 1952; attended public and private schools in Nashville; graduated from Princeton University 1974; graduated from Harvard Medical School 1978; worked...