Shelley Berkley for Congress

America must become energy independent. As a nation, we must develop a long-term energy plan to wean the country from its over-reliance on foreign oil and harness renewable energy sources available here in the United States. Continued energy dependence jeopardizes our national security and leaves our economy vulnerable.

Since arriving in Congress, Shelley Berkley has made access to quality health care a signature issue. As the representative of the fastest growing seniors’ population in the country, lowering the cost of prescription drugs and including prescription drugs under Medicare are top priorities for Shelley. Additionally, Congresswoman Berkley has been at the forefront of the fight to protect the integrity of the doctor-patient relationship -- an issue that has become a foremost concern at a time when health insurers are increasingly seeking to influence medical decisions and treatment options.

Shelley Berkley was raised in a working class family. Her father, a long-time waiter and Culinary Local 226 member at the former Sands Hotel, earned enough from his job to support a family of four and send two daughters to college. Shelley herself later worked as a union cocktail waitress and keno runner in order to put herself through law school. At every stage of her career, Shelley Berkley has fought for the rights of workers, and believes strongly in the benefits of organized labor.

As the Representative of the fastest growing seniors population in the country, Congresswoman Berkley is fighting to preserve Social Security and Medicare. The costs of prescription drugs are skyrocketing. One of her top priorities is lowering the cost of prescription drugs and including prescription drugs under Medicare. Representative Berkley opposed the Administration’s Medicare prescription drug plan because it privatizes Medicare, does nothing to lower prescription drugs costs, limits seniors’ choices and provides billions of taxpayer dollars in giveaways to HMOs and pharmaceutical companies.