John Ensign Quotations

We know what we did was right and fine and within ethics rules, and we wanted a stamp of approval from the Ethics Committee.

We want to make sure those people who were affected by these catastrophic storms get the aid they need, ... but that we make some sacrifices elsewhere so we don't pass this enormous bill on to our children.

His voting record until 1997 is one of supporting the repository, and he voted to make Nevada the sole repository site for waste. Nevadans deserve more than efforts to scare and mislead them.

He was acting as an advocate at the time, that's a different role than as a judge,

I respect him. I disagree with him on a lot of issues, and we fight for what we believe in on our various issues. But we never attack each other personally, we give each other space when we disagree, and it works out very, very well.

Our staff over the next couple months will be looking at the Healthy Forests Initiative to figure out how we can do this,

We as a Congress, need to get a better handle on the money being spent. We have an obligation to those affected by the hurricane as well as to those Americans we are asking to help pay the costs of relief.

We as a Congress, need to get a better handle on the money being spent,

Why should the American taxpayer not be paid back if the taxpayer in France, if the taxpayer in Germany, if the taxpayer in Russia -- countries that were not willing to support us when we were doing what was right in the world -- why should those taxpayers be paid back and not the taxpayers of America?

Without the president leading the way to try to show specifics to bring us a package (of spending cuts) forward, I don't know that we'll have a chance of success,

We all have a commitment to this and we need to keep our eye on the ball,

The time has come to put an end to the practice of slaughtering horses in America,

There were many proposals that violated environmental laws. Things the president was trying to do to speed up the process. Yucca Mountain is in trouble by itself. The good thing about this legislation is that they don't have any fast track authority to move it through the congress.

That's past history. Southwest Airlines won that argument in the courts.

I don't think he can beat Rick. But it's everyone's right to run.

You know the bark is worse than the bite in D.C.

In 1950, American families sent 1 of 50 of their hard earned dollars to Washington: Today it is 1 in 4.

The Appropriations Committee in the Senate is out of control, out of control on spending.

Until we can fully grasp the extent of corruption and fraud involved in the administration of the Oil-for-Food program, and until the United Nations decides to cooperate in the investigation, no American taxpayer dollars should go to the United Nations.

Why can't DFW compete like San Francisco does with Oakland, like Miami does with Fort Lauderdale, and like Chicago O'Hare does with Midway?

The possibility of endangering Nevadans will never happen under my watch. I will do everything I can to protect the safety and welfare of our citizens.

It is irresponsible to set an arbitrary cap on how much therapy a Medicare beneficiary can receive. It ignores the health needs of our senior population - especially the oldest and sickest.

Senator Kerry voted to undermine the troops in the field, and that is not only inexcusable, it is reprehensible.

Seeking of the truth should be not only part of the Justice Department and part of our judicial system, but also should be... a goal of reporters today.

For America's economic future to remain prosperous, we must encourage pro-growth policies so that we continue to be the leader in innovation and entrepreneurship.

Human beings crave freedom at their core.

I can honestly say that being a United States Senator has been the honor of my life.

I loved being in the Senate. That was a wonderful experience.

If you double count some votes, that makes other votes disenfranchised.

If you find someone who agrees with you 80 percent of the time that is your friend not your enemy.

In 1998 Harry Reid and I had a very close race. It was less than a tenth of a percentage point. We had a reasonable recount. There were a lot of things that I could have pursued at the time, but I just felt that at the time that I should have, you know, conceded the race.

The more generous the benefit, the easier you make it to stay on unemployment insurance, and the less incentive there is for people to actually go out and do what it takes to get a job.

Think about how much it costs to incarcerate someone. Do we want them just sitting in prison, lifting weights, becoming violent and thinking about the next crime? Or do we want them having a little purpose in life and learning a skill?

In Las Vegas, people know that the odds are stacked against them. On Wall Street, they manipulate the odds while you are playing the game.

The election in Iraq clearly demonstrates that Iraqi people are like people everywhere. They desire to create a future in an environment that is safe and allows them to reach their full potential as human beings, whatever that potential may be.

Often times, the more power and prestige a person achieves, the more arrogant a person can become.

Too many members of Congress are too involved in grabbing what they can for their states or districts without enough emphasis on overall fiscal restraint for the sake of the nation as a whole. We need a new era of fiscal sanity. I am not willing to subject my children and grandchildren to the level of debt that Congress has created.

Medical liability reform is not a Republican or Democrat issue or even a doctor versus lawyer issue. It is a patient issue.

The act of voting by ordinary Iraqis in the face of extreme danger confirms President Bush's belief that people around the globe, when given a chance, will choose liberty and democracy over enslavement and tyranny.

There's too many people that paint with a broad brush that we're all corrupt, we're all amoral. … And having these kinds of things happen, whether it's a Republican or Democratic senator — we certainly have had plenty of Democratic scandals in the past — we need people who are in office who will hold themselves to a little higher standard.

The people of Iraq realize that a stable, successful, democratic Iraq can only come about if average Iraqis are willing to sacrifice to build it.

I believe that voting is the first act of building a community as well as building a country.