John Ensign facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Ensign
Official portrait, 2007
United States Senator from Nevada
In office January 3, 2001 – May 3, 2011
Preceded by	Richard Bryan
Succeeded by	Dean Heller
Chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee
In office January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2009
Preceded by	Elizabeth Dole
Succeeded by	John Cornyn
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Nevada's 1st district
In office January 3, 1995 – January 3, 1999
Preceded by	James Bilbray
Succeeded by	Shelley Berkley
Personal details
Born	(1958-03-25) March 25, 1958 (age 67) Roseville, California, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Darlene Sciaretta ​ ​ (m. 1987; div. 2019)​
Children	3
Education	Oregon State University (BS) Colorado State University (DVM)
Signature

John Eric Ensign (born March 25, 1958) is an American veterinarian and a former politician. He served as a United States Senator for Nevada from 2001 until he resigned in 2011. His resignation happened during a review by the Senate Ethics Committee regarding his conduct.

Before becoming a Senator, he was a member of the Republican Party. He represented Nevada's 1st congressional district in the House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999. After leaving the Senate, Ensign went back to Nevada and continued his work as a veterinarian.

Early Life and Education

John Ensign was born in 1958 in Roseville, California. When he was four, his parents separated, and he moved to Nevada with his mother. His mother later married Michael S. Ensign, who worked in the gaming industry. Michael adopted John, and John considers him his "real father."

Ensign attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Oregon State University in 1981. In 1985, he received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Colorado State University. Soon after, he started working as a veterinarian. He became a successful business owner, opening a 24-hour animal hospital in Las Vegas. He owned two animal hospitals before he entered politics.

Ensign often mentioned his family background during his political campaigns. He shared that he is part Filipino. In 1997, he was honored by Filipino leaders with the Order of the Knights of Rizal. After leaving the U.S. Senate in 2011, Ensign returned to Las Vegas. He reopened his veterinary practice, Boca Park Animal Hospital.

Political Career

Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives

In 1994, John Ensign won the Republican nomination for Nevada's 1st congressional district. This district is located in Las Vegas. He was running against James Bilbray, who had served four terms. Ensign won the election by a small number of votes. He was reelected in 1996.

Serving in the U.S. Senate

In 1998, Ensign ran for a Senate seat but lost to the Democratic leader, Harry Reid, by a very small margin.

Ensign won a Senate seat on his second try in 2000. He defeated his opponent, Ed Bernstein, by a significant margin. He was reelected in 2006, defeating businessman Jack Carter.

Ensign and Reid, despite their close race in 1998, worked well together on issues important to Nevada.

In April 2009, Ensign was considering running for president in 2012. However, news about his personal life changed these plans. He resigned as chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee on June 17, 2009, due to a Senate Ethics Committee review. On July 14, 2009, Ensign announced he still planned to run for re-election in 2012, even though his public support had recently gone down.

Leading the National Republican Senatorial Committee

Ensign was chosen to be the Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC). His job was to help Republicans win more seats in the U.S. Senate in the 2008 elections. In those elections, Democrats gained 8 seats.

Rules for Fundraising Reports

In September 2007, it was found that Ensign had used a special Senate rule called a "secret hold." This rule allowed him to stop a bill from being voted on. The bill would have required senators to file their fundraising reports online. Ensign wanted a vote on his own proposal first, which aimed to make groups that contact the Senate Ethics Committee reveal their donors.

2006 Re-election Campaign

Ensign ran against Jack Carter, the son of former President Jimmy Carter, in the November 2006 general election. Ensign won the election on November 7, 2006, with about 55% of the votes.

Resignation from the Senate

On March 7, 2011, while a Senate Ethics Committee investigation was ongoing, Ensign announced he would not seek re-election in 2012. He stated he wanted to protect his family from a difficult campaign. On April 21, 2011, Ensign announced his resignation from office, effective May 3. He said he did not want to subject his family or the Senate to further investigations. The Committee sent its findings to the Department of Justice for review.

Ensign was the first U.S. Senator from Nevada to resign, except for Alan Bible, who resigned just before his term ended.

Senate Committee Assignments

During his time in the Senate, John Ensign served on several important committees:

• Committee on the Budget
• Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation
  • Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security
  • Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet (as a Ranking Member)
• Committee on Finance
  • Subcommittee on Health Care
• Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

Political Views

Health Decisions for Young People

Ensign supported laws that would require parents to be involved in health decisions for minors. In 2003, he wrote a bill called the Child Custody Protection Act. This bill aimed to prevent young people from traveling across state lines to avoid laws about parental involvement in health choices.

Animal Welfare

As a veterinarian, Ensign was a strong supporter of animal welfare. He worked with groups like the Humane Society of the United States. He helped lead the effort for the Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act. This law made it a serious crime to transport animals across state lines for fighting, such as dog fighting or cockfighting.

Military Service Policy

On December 18, 2010, Ensign voted to allow gay and lesbian people to serve openly in the armed forces. This was part of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010.

Property Rights

Ensign was a leading voice against a Supreme Court ruling called Kelo v. New London. This ruling said that local governments could use eminent domain (taking private property for public use) not just for public projects, but also for projects that have a public purpose, even if a private company benefits. Ensign introduced a bill to limit the effects of this ruling.

Government Spending

The group Citizens Against Government Waste gave Ensign a high rating for his conservative views on spending. In 2005, Ensign suggested creating a commission to find government programs that were unnecessary or wasteful. He wanted Congress to vote on whether to eliminate these programs.

Health Care Reform

Ensign was against President Barack Obama's health care reform laws. He voted against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in December 2009 and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010.

Marriage

In 2004, Ensign spoke in the Senate in favor of a proposed amendment to the Constitution. This amendment would have prevented states from recognizing same-sex marriage. He stated that marriage is a very important part of society.

Prison Reform

In 2011, Ensign proposed a law that would require prisoners in low-security facilities to work 50 hours per week.

Veterans' Benefits

In April 2008, Ensign voted against a measure to expand federal benefits to Filipino veterans who fought with the U.S. during World War II. He believed benefits should be for veterans in the United States. The measure still passed Congress.

Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq

Ensign voted to allow the President to use the military to prevent terrorism. This led to the invasion of Afghanistan and the removal of the Taliban. He also supported using the military in Iraq to protect U.S. security. He supported the counterinsurgency policy in Iraq in 2007 and was against taking troops out of Iraq in 2007 and 2008.

Personal Life

During college, John Ensign became a born-again Christian. He and his former wife, Darlene, were active in a religious group called Promise Keepers. They have three children. In 2019, they divorced after 31 years of marriage.

Ensign is a member of the Pentecostal International Church of the Foursquare Gospel. While he was a Senator, he was the only Pentecostal in the Senate. He lived at the C Street Center, a religious house in Washington, D.C. He moved out of the C Street house in November 2009.

When he is in Las Vegas, he attends a Foursquare church. He is also part of a religious and political group called The Fellowship.

Senate Ethics Review

Between 2007 and 2008, Senator Ensign was involved in a personal matter with a woman who worked for a political group supporting his campaigns. Her husband, Doug Hampton, was a close friend of Ensign and worked in his Washington, D.C. office.

After this personal matter became public, along with Ensign's efforts to keep it private, investigations began. These investigations were conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Election Commission, and the Senate. The Senate Ethics Committee looked into various claims, including a payment from Ensign's parents and Ensign's help in finding work for Doug Hampton.

On March 7, 2011, Ensign announced he would not run for re-election the following year. He said he wanted to protect his family from the consequences of his past actions. In late April 2011, Ensign announced he would resign as Senator on May 3. In May 2011, the Senate Ethics Committee sent its report to the Department of Justice for further review. The Department of Justice found some evidence of potential issues but decided not to pursue charges against Ensign.

In 2019, John Ensign and his wife divorced after 31 years of marriage.

Electoral History

*Write-in and minor candidate notes: In 2000, Independent American candidate Ernie Berghof received 2,540 votes; Citizens First candidate Bill Grutzmacher received 1,579 votes; No Vote Cast received 457 votes; and Over Vote received 69 votes.

** Nevada law since 1975 allows dissatisfied voters to vote for "None of These Candidates."

See also

In Spanish: John Ensign para niños

• List of federal political scandals in the United States
• List of Asian Americans and Pacific Islands Americans in the United States Congress
• List of United States senators expelled or censured