Ben Nelson is the junior Democratic Senator from Nebraska. Nelson assumed office in January of 2001, filling a vacancy left by retiring Senator Bob Kerry.

On February 2, 2009, Nelson told FOX News that he had proposed the removal of "tens of billions" from the economic stimulus package. According to Nelson, Senators from both parties wanted to revise the bill to remove funding for programs that would not directly stimulate economic and employment growth. Nelson's declaration conflicted with reports from the Obama Administration that disagreements over the package concerned much smaller dollar amounts.FOX News: Key Democrat Says Lawmakers Should Strip 'Tens of Billions'... (February 2, 2009)

On August 1, 2008, Nelson and nine other senators, both Republican and Democratic, introduced an energy compromise plan that would allow for offshore drilling. The so-called "Gang of 10" hoped the proposal would help ease the nation's ongoing energy crisis.

• Committee Site: Democrats: E. Benjamin Nelson

• 1941, May 17: Born

• 1963: Earned Bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska

• 1965: Earned Master's degree from the University of Nebraska

• 1970: Earned his Juris Doctor from University of Nebraska

• 1990: Elected governor of Nebraska

• 1994: Re-elected governor of Nebraska

• 2001: Assumed U.S. Senate office

• 2006: Voted Survey USA's most popular Senator | Re-elected to the U.S. Senate

• 2007: One of two Senators who voted againt troop withdrawal from Iraq

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