Free Republic

"Marco Rubio is the next generation of conservative leadership in this country. I've become convinced that he's the candidate capable of uniting conservatives, growing our party, and beating the Democrats in November. He understands what it takes to get our economy back on track and he understands how to keep us safe. And Marco understands Nevada, he grew up here. I am proud to offer my full support and look forward to campaigning with him in Nevada today." - US Senator Dean Heller

WASHINGTON (AP) — After years of stymied efforts to address the nation's aging and congested highways and transit systems, Congress found the sweet spot for passage on Thursday — a 5-year, $305 billion bill laden with enough industry favors, parochial projects, safety improvements and union demands to gain overwhelming support. The bill was approved 359 to 65 in the House, and 83 to 16 in the Senate. The bill now goes to the White House for President Barack Obama's signature.

Republican strategist Karl Rove may be moving to help bankroll Ben Carson in the presidential race. Reports say Rove helped to set up a meeting between Carson's campaign and billionaire Steve Wynn, but additional details were not immediately clear. Wynn, who owns casinos and hotels across the country, has contributed a combined $30,000 to political action committees associated with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie in this election cycle. Ben Carson presently ranks fourth in the Washington Examiner's power rankings. Wynn is munificent when it comes to campaign contributions, and he rarely discriminates between parties. Federal Election Commission filings indicate Wynn...

A battle over “sanctuary cities” is dividing Senate Republicans. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has teed up legislation that would crack down on cities that don't comply with federal immigration law. But its unclear whether the bill can get through the Senate — and not just because of opposition from Democrats. In addition to limiting federal money for sanctuary cities, Sen. David Vitter's (R-La.) bill would increase the amount of prison time an undocumented immigrant could serve if they re-enter the United States after having previously been deported. Conservatives like his plan, but it has drawn opposition from Sens. Jeff...

During a July 23 interview on the Lars Larson Show, Senator Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV) said that in June he “submitted an amendment” to the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) “to give military base commanders the authority to allow service members to carry personal firearms.” That was weeks before the heinous attack on Chattanooga, but he says the amendment went nowhere because Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) “didn’t want the amendment as part of the bill and wouldn’t accept it.” On July 21–just 5 days after the heinous attack in Chattanooga–Senator Heller re-introduced his amendment...

Three visiting U.S. senators said on Saturday they hoped Congress would support President Barack Obama's opening toward Cuba, including lifting a ban on U.S. citizens traveling to the Communist-run island. Democratic Senators Patrick Leahy of Vermont and Ben Cardin of Maryland joined Republican Dean Heller of Nevada on a trip to Cuba where they met First Vice-President Miguel Diaz-Canel, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez and ordinary Cubans.

Gov. Brian Sandoval announced Tuesday he will not run for Harry Reid’s U.S. Senate seat. Sandoval made known his intentions to remain as governor, at least for now, following the conclusion of the 2015 legislative session on June 1... “I have said many times that it is an honor and a privilege to serve as Nevada’s chief executive and that I love my job. My heart is in my responsibilities as governor and continuing to build the New Nevada. My undivided attention must be devoted to being the best governor, husband and father I can be. “For these reasons, I...

Forty-seven Senate Republicans are signaling in an open letter to Iran and the White House that a deal over Tehran’s nuclear program will be at risk once President Obama leaves office. “It has come to our attention while observing your nuclear negotiations with our government that you may not fully understand our constitutional system,” the senators wrote in the letter, which was first reported by Bloomberg. “Thus, we are writing to bring to your attention two features of our Constitution — the power to make binding international agreements and the different character of federal offices — which you should seriously...

Ted Cruz released this statement in favor of moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to that nation's capital, Jerusalem: "I am proud to join Senator Dean Heller, R-Nevada, in the introduction of the Jerusalem Embassy and Recognition Act of 2015 that recognizes Jerusalem as the undivided capital of the State of Israel and relocates the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. This bill removes the President's waiver authority that has delayed this important action, and requires official government documents to reflect this recognition by identifying Jerusalem as Israel's capital. "Almost fifteen years ago Congress passed the...

The Senate approved a continuing resolution for the budget which included a provision authorizing President Obama to arm and train Syrian rebels for the purpose of combating Islamic State terrorists. The legislation passed 78-22. Of the 22 Senators that voted no, here are the 12 Republicans that voted against the provision: John Barrasso (WY) Tom Coburn (OK) Michael Crapo (ID) Ted Cruz (TX) Mike Enzi (WY) Dean Heller (NV) Mike Lee (UT) Jim Moran (KS) Rand Paul (KY) James Risch (ID) Pat Roberts (KS) Jeff Sessions (AL)

Remember these sixteen names when they run for office again. The sixteen Republicans who voted to proceed were Sens. Lamar Alexander (Tenn.), Kelly Ayotte (N.H.), Richard Burr (N.C.), Saxby Chambliss (Ga.), Tom Coburn (Okla.), Susan Collins (Maine). Bob Corker (Tenn.), Jeff Flake (Ariz.), Lindsey Graham (S.C.), Dean Heller (Nev.), John Hoeven (N.D.), Johnny Isakson (Ga.), Mark Kirk (Ill.), John McCain (Ariz.), Pat Toomey (Pa.) and Roger Wicker (Miss.). List courtesy The Hill.com. As reported by RedState yesterday, this bill would allow doctors to add a person’s name to the national database currently used for background checks, and list them as...

Senator Harry Reid told reporters the Bundy Ranch dispute is not over. “Something will happen.” ... Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says “something is going to happen” to get Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy to stop letting his cattle graze on federal land. “It’s obvious that you can’t just walk away from this. And we can speculate all we want to speculate to what’s going to happen next,” Reid told KSNV-TV. “But I don’t think it’s going to be tomorrow that something is going to happen, but something will happen. We are a nation of laws, not of men and women.”...

LAS VEGAS (KSNV MyNews3.com) — Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., called for Congressional hearings into the BLM’s stand-off with cattle rancher Cliven Bundy. Heller requested the hearings during a joint appearance today with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., on the KSNV-TV News 3 program “What’s Your Point?” Nevada’s junior senator noted that he wants to determine “who drove” BLM policy into the tense standoff that ended Saturday. Heller said that he took issue with the BLM “coming in with a paramilitary army. It made a lot of people very uncomfortable.” “It’s obvious,” Reid noted, “the federal government can’t just walk...

So, are the self-styled, armed militia now camping out on the Cliven Bundy cattle ranch domestic terrorists, as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says? Or are they “patriots,” as Nevada’s junior senator, Dean Heller, called them? They’re neither. First, when one thinks of domestic terrorists, one calls to mind Americans who have turned against their country and committed horrific acts of murder. Timothy McVeigh, who drove the truck bomb that destroyed the Oklahoma City federal building in 1995, for example. Or Unibomber Ted Kaczynski, who hand-delivered or sent bombs through the mail for nearly 20 years before being arrested in...

The 60 Plus Association today released TV and radio advertisements in seven states targeting Senate Banking Committee Members who are sponsoring recently introduced legislation that will allow the government to take over the mortgage industry in an action 'disturbingly similar' to Obamacare. 60 Plus targeted three Democrat and four Republican U.S. Senators supporting this government take-over, including Joe Manchin (D-WV), Mark Warner (D-VA), Kay Hagan (D-NC), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Dean Heller (R-NV), Mark Kirk (R-IL), and Jerry Moran (R-KS).

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that two militia members from Montana and one from Utah have arrived at Cliven Bundy’s ranch. “We need to be the barrier between the oppressed and the tyrants,” Ryan Payne of the West Mountain Rangers told the Review-Journal. “Expect to see a band of soldiers.” Payne said that militias from New Hampshire, Texas and Florida are likely to join and stand with Bundy and stay at his ranch. “They all tell me they are in the process of mobilizing as we speak,” Payne told the Review-Journal, adding that hundreds of militia members are expected. The...

Anxious Senate Republicans are worried party leaders are focusing too much this election year on ObamaCare and not enough on jobs and the economy. The concern among GOP centrists comes as President Obama and congressional Democrats are crowing about a surge in late enrollments and claiming the political winds are shifting around the Affordable Care Act. A growing rift in the GOP was exposed when a group of Senate Republicans recently struck a bipartisan deal to extend unemployment benefits. Neither Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) nor Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) embraced the agreement. Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.), who spearheaded...

John McCain voted yea WASHINGTON, D.C., November 7, 2013 (LifeSiteNews.com) – This afternoon the Senate approved a bill that could force business owners who adhere to traditional values to hire homosexuals, bisexuals, and those who do not dress in accordance with their biological sex or face litigation. The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) passed following a bipartisan 64-32 vote. Supporters say it would forbid “workplace discrimination” against homosexuals and transgender employees and job-seekers. But critics say, like the HHS mandate, its religious exemption is unduly narrow and would force employers – including Christian schools and nurseries – to violate their consciences....

In a secret meeting on Tuesday morning, Senator Rand Paul (R., Ky.) hosted a bipartisan group of senators and House members in the Capitol’s basement. According to several participants, the lawmakers plotted ways to stop the use of U.S. military force in Syria. Since the diplomatic situation is fluid, there was no final consensus on how best to combat the administration, but potential legislative maneuvers, press appearances, and letters were discussed. Several undecided members asked questions. Aides say Paul planned the gathering over a week ago, and the list of attendees grew by the day. He is pleased, especially, by...

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Dean Heller (R-NV) issued the following statement in opposition to the Manchin-Toomey amendment to S. 649. “When it comes to national policy choices on issues such as Constitutional liberties, gun violence and public safety, the stakes could not be higher. The enormity of this issue has weighed heavily on me. While I was home this past weekend, my family and I ate at the Carson IHOP where four people lost their lives and several were injured. The survivors of that senseless shooting in the morning hours of September 6, 2011, deserve this debate. “I...