Energy

In the 106th Congress, Bingaman became the ranking Democrat on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. He and then-chairman Frank Murkowski (R-Alaska) worked closely on everything from forest preservation to rural electrification projects, and Bingaman's nonpartisan tactics served him well. One hundred forty-seven of the committee's bills were enacted--the highest of any Senate committee.

In May of 2001, when then-Sen. Jim Jeffords (Vt.) left the GOP to become an independent, Senate control went to the Democrats, and Bingaman took over as chairman. Just a few months later, he was crafting national energy policy.

Created in response to President George W. Bush's and Vice President Richard B. Cheney's energy recommendations, the Energy Policy Act of 2002 differed from Bush's recommendations by suggesting drilling in the Gulf of Mexico rather than the Alaskan Wildlife Refuge, by focusing on clean coal (many of New Mexico's research labs study coal technology). and by focusing more efforts on renewable fuels.

When the 108th Congress convened in January 2003, Bingaman relinquished his chairmanship to then-Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.), until the Democrats regained control of the Senate in 2006. In 2007, he and then-Republican Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) introduced a cap-and-trade bill that didn't pass committee.

Education

Bingaman says his interest in education stems from his parents, who were both teachers. He served as only one of two Senators on the National Education Goals Panel,supports more funding for advanced placement programs, and typically votes for education grants and other related funding. He sponsored bills to pay for technology education and discourage dropouts, a perennial problem in New Mexico.

Border Issues

New Mexico shares a border with Mexico and Bingaman has spent much of his career focusing on border issues. Bingaman voted for the immigration reform bill of 2006 that passed the Senate but did not become law; he voted against the building of a 700-mile fence along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Health-Care Reform

During the 2009-2010 health reform fight, Bingaman was the only Democrat to sit on both Senate committees with jurisdiction over health care: the Finance Committee and the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee.

Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) asked Bingaman to join his "Gang of Six," a group of Finance member from both sides of the aisle who sat down to try to hash out a deal on health-care reform in the summer of 2009. Joining Baucus and Bingaman were Republican Sens. Charles E. Grassley (Iowa), Mike Enzi (Wyo.) and Olympia J. Snowe (Maine) and Democrat Kent Conrad (N.D.).

Baucus' bill, released in September, included Conrad's proposal for non-profit health insurance cooperatives, an idea more palatable to Republicans that the administration's preference for a publicly-run health insurance option.

Bingaman was tasked with negotiating amendments to the bill before its debut, which made him key to how the bill would fare in mark-up.

Insiders said Bingaman was in favor of a public option, but willing to compromise.

After more than a year of legislative wrangling, the House passed the Senate version of health-care reform on March 21, 2010, clearing the way for the Senate to approve a package of amendments insisted on by the lower chamber with a simple majority (using a process known as reconciliation).

The $940 billion bill required most Americans to carry health insurance and required that insurance companies cover them, regardless of pre-existing conditions. It established a national insurance exchange allowing Americans to compare and purchase insurance plans. To pay for reforms, the bill increased taxes on well-off Medicare recipients and taxed premium insurance plans. By the end of the bill's 10-year roll-out, 32 million uninsured Americans would have health coverage and the deficit will be $138 billion lower, the Congressional Budget Office estimated.

Show less