Shelley Berkley

Shelley Berkley
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Nevada's 1st district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 1999
Preceded by	John Ensign
Member of the Nevada Assembly from the Clark County district
In office November 1982 – November 1984
Personal details
Born	Rochelle Levine January 20, 1951 (1951-01-20) New York City, New York, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Residence	Las Vegas, Nevada
Alma mater	University of Nevada, Las Vegas, University of San Diego
Religion	Judaism
Website	http://berkley.house.gov

Rochelle "Shelley" Berkley (born Rochelle Levine; January 20, 1951) is the U.S. Representative for Nevada's 1st congressional district, serving since 1999, and a candidate for U.S. Senate. She is a member of the Democratic Party.

Early life, education, and legal career

Berkley moved with her family to Nevada when she was a junior high school student, attending Fremont Junior High. Her mother is of Greek Jewish descent. After completing junior high and high school in Las Vegas, Shelley became the first member of her family to attend college when she enrolled as an undergraduate at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She was also a member of Delta Zeta sorority. Elected student body president her senior year, Shelley graduated with honors in 1972, earning a B.A. in Political Science. After obtaining her law degree in 1976 from the University of San Diego School of Law, Shelley returned to Las Vegas and began her professional career.

Berkley practiced law for several years, mainly as a member of the legal counsel for several Las Vegas casinos. She also served as the national director for the American Hotel-Motel Association.

Early political career

Berkley served in the Nevada Assembly from 1982 to 1984 and was involved in civic affairs locally. She also served on the Nevada University and Community College System Board of Regents from 1990 to 1998, and was appointed vice chair.

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

In 1996, U.S. Congressman John Ensign barely won re-election in Nevada's 1st congressional district with 50.1% of the vote. The day after, Berkley filed papers to run in the district. She raised $206,000 in the first six months and $410,000 in the next six months. Berkley was Democrats' dream candidate, as she easily won the primary with 81.5% of the vote. Ensign decided to retire in order to run against U.S. Senator Harry Reid in the very close and competitive 1998 senate election. In the general election, she defeated Republican Don Chairez, a Deputy District Attorney in Clark County with 49.2% of the vote.

In 2000, she won re-election with 51.7% against State Senator Jon Porter. In 2002, she defeated Republican Las Vegas City Councilwoman Lynette Boggs with 53.7%. She won re-election in 2004, 2006, 2008, and 2010 with more than 60% of the vote in each election.

Tenure

Congresswoman Berkley has represented Nevada's 1st congressional district since 1999 and is currently in her seventh term as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. The district includes most of the city of Las Vegas as well as the Las Vegas Strip and the city of North Las Vegas. She is the second woman elected to Congress from Nevada, the first woman elected to the 1st district and the first elected as a Democrat.

Berkley is a member of the New Democrat Coalition. She views her top priorities as affordable health care coverage for all Americans, veteran's rights and alternative energy.^{[citation needed]} Berkley is also strongly opposed to the building of a nuclear waste repository in Yucca Mountain, Nevada.

Interest Groups

As a 6th term congresswoman Berkley has been endorsed by a number of interest groups. The themes of some groups endorsing Berkley include education, environmental protections, and gender equality in politics. Berkley has received endorsements from groups such as The National Education Association, The Sierra Club and The National Women’s Political Caucus. Many of these interest groups play a big role in giving politicians such as Berkley political cues as to what voters are thinking.

Berkely has been given various scores from a variety of interest groups. These groups include topics ranging from abortion issues, agriculture, criminal issues, animal rights, budget and taxes and foreign aid. The NARAL Pro-Choice America-Position has given Berkely a 100% (2010) on the issue while the National Right to Life Committee has given Berkley a 0% rating (2010).

The American Farm Bureau Federation has given Berkley 33% (2010) the topic of agriculture, while one the other hand The National Farm Workers Union has proudly given Berkley a 100% (2010). Other interest groups Berkley has received High ratings from Citizens United for Rehabilitation of Errants, and ppDefenders of Wildlife Fund]]. Groups that Berkley has received poor ratings from include the National Taxpayers union and Peace Action.

Energy policy

On June 26, 2009, Berkley voted for the American Clean Energy and Security Act, which would have implemented a cap-and-trade system similar to the regulations proposed by the Reagan administration in the 1980s, then known as "emissions trading".

Health care

Berkley voted for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010.

Internet gambling

Berkley is known as one of the supporters of the drive to regulate online gambling. She was one of the few congressional members to oppose Bill Frist's addition of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006, to the unrelated SAFE Port Act.^{[citation needed]}

Iraq war

On October 10, 2002, Berkley was among the 81 House Democrats who voted in favor of authorizing the invasion of Iraq.

Wall Street bailout

On October 3, 2008, Berkley voted for the controversial Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, which created the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) that bailed out Wall Street banks.

Ethics criticism

In 1996 and 1997, while working as a government affairs adviser for Las Vegas Sands, during the construction of The Venetian casino and resort in Las Vegas, at the behest of her employer, Berkley advised about options available to the employer with two Clark County Commissioners and two Clark County judges to secure their approval for the new hotel.

Berkley also suggested to her employer, the option of hiring an uncle of County Commissioner Erin Kenny and to grant a daiquiri concession to commission chairwoman Yvonne Atkinson Gates. Berkley also recommended making campaign contributions to two judges because they "tend to help those who helped them."

On September 19, 2011, the ethics watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) released their annual Most Corrupt Members of Congress report. The report listed Berkley in the "Dishonorable Mention" category.

Committee assignments

• Committee on Ways and Means
  • Subcommittee on Social Security
  • Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures

2012 U.S. Senate election

Main article: United States Senate election in Nevada, 2012

Berkley announced that she will run for the United States Senate in April 2011 to succeed John Ensign, who resigned amidst an ethics scandal.

Personal life

In March 1999, Berkley married Dr. Lawrence Lehrner, a practicing nephrologist in Las Vegas. Both Berkley and Lehrner have two children from prior marriages.

External links

• U.S. Representative Shelley Berkley official U.S. House site
• Shelley Berkley for Senate official campaign site
• Shelley Berkley (D-NV) | CREW's Most Corrupt Members of Congress
• Biography at WhoRunsGov.com at The Washington Post
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
• Congressional profile at GovTrack
• Congressional profile at OpenCongress
• Issue positions and quotes at On The Issues
• Financial information at OpenSecrets.org
• Staff salaries, trips and personal finance at LegiStorm.com
• Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
• Campaign contributions at the National Institute for Money in State Politics
• Appearances on C-SPAN programs
• Works by or about Shelley Berkley in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
• Profile at SourceWatch
• Kira Wissman, Internet Gambling Bill Would Not Prohibit Online Poker Says Congresswoman gambling911.com, October 9, 2006

United States House of Representatives
Preceded by John Ensign	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Nevada's 1st congressional district 1999–present	Incumbent
United States order of precedence
Preceded by Tammy Baldwin D-Wisconsin	United States Representatives by seniority 147th	Succeeded by Judy Biggert R-Illinois