Senate Service

Michael B. Enzi was sworn in as Wyoming's 20th United States Senator on January 7, 1997. Since that time he has cast votes and worked on some of the most pivotal and historic issues of our time including resolutions authorizing the use of military force in the Middle East, the impeachment of a President, dramatic overhaul of the Medicare system, innovative educational reform and legislation connected to September 11, 2001, the date of the most brutal terrorist attack on American soil.

At the start of the 109th in 2005 Congress Enzi became the ninth Wyoming senator to ascend to the rank of chairman on one of the 16 standing Senate committees. Enzi has been a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, since his arrival in the senate in 1997. In his role as Chairman, Enzi led the Senate in its efforts to help ensure that everyone, no matter their age, can receive a quality education. Enzi worked to help provide Americans access to affordable, quality health care while protecting workers and providing them training to get the best jobs. Enzi also worked to oversee the biggest revision to pension laws in 30 years to strengthen funding rules to secure the retirements of millions of Americans. Enzi’s committee also led the way to making the first revision to mine safety laws in 28 years by promoting the use of new technologies to improve mine safety and save lives. During his time as chairman of the HELP Committee 37 bills were reported out of the committee, 23 bills passed the Senate, 352 nominations were reported favorably and 15 laws came through the committee that were signed by President Bush.

In the final hours of the 109th Congress Enzi was instrumental in passage of legislation that will provide a projected $1.6 billion to Wyoming over the next 15 years from the Abandoned Mine Land fund.

Enzi has been a quiet leader moving the U.S. forward in its battle against AIDS on the world front. He continues efforts to open Cuba up to travel, trade and most importantly new ideas.

Enzi helped author the reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act which creates a streamlined job training and employment system vital to employers and workers. He formed the Rural Education Caucus and strives to ensure the unique challenges small population schools face are not overlooked in federal education legislation. He was one of only two Congressional representatives to the U.N. General Assembly in the 108th Congress. He has authored innovative legislation that would reinvent our medical justice system.

Enzi is the Senate's only accountant by profession and he serves with distinction on the Senate Banking Committee. It does not bear his name, but there is a large part of Enzi in the Sarbanes-Oxley bill, bipartisan legislation that continues to have a greater impact on corporate behavior and financial reporting than any legislation of the recent past. There are provisions in the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act authored by Enzi regarding financial literacy and identity theft that will have a profound positive effect on many Americans.

His addition to the Senate Budget Committee has contributed to a more punctual and fiscally responsible federal spending blueprint the past few years and he continues to press for a balanced federal budget and payment of our national debt.

Enzi has stood beside the independent ranchers and farmers of our nation during times of drought, disease, foreign competition, industry concentration and predator infestation, sponsoring bills taking on captive supply problems, country of origin labeling and endangered species reform.

A former small business owner and member of the Senate Small Business Committee, Enzi has remained a strong advocate of small businesses by promoting or preventing legislation depending on its effect on small businesses in the same manner he advocates for rural interests. Small businesses and individual entrepreneurs and inventors have benefitted from special conferences organized by Enzi.

Enzi values our public lands. He advocates both access and responsible utilization and consideration of the local perspective in natural resource management decisions.

Pre-Senate Service and Family

Enzi was born on February 1, 1944 to Elmer and Dorothy Enzi in Bremerton, Washington while Elmer was serving our country in the naval shipyards during World War II. Enzi and his family moved to Thermopolis, Wyoming shortly after his birth where he attended elementary school. He graduated from Sheridan High School in 1962. He continued his education in Washington, D.C. at George Washington University. After completing his accounting degree in 1966, he went on to the University of Denver where he earned a Master's Degree in Retail Marketing in 1968. Enzi is a Rapport Leadership Institute Master Grad.

After marrying Diana (Buckley) in 1969, Enzi and his wife moved to Gillette, Wyoming where they started their own small business, NZ Shoes, with stores later in Sheridan, Wyoming and Miles City, Montana. Gillette has been his home ever since. He served as president of the Wyoming Jaycees (1973-1974). At age 30 he was elected to the first of his two four-year terms as Mayor of Gillette, providing leadership as the city more than doubled in size. He served on the Department of Interior Coal Advisory Committee (1976- 1979), traveling to Washington, D.C. to give advice on coal leasing and other coal issues. He has served his county and state as a State Representative, elected three times beginning in 1987 and a State Senator (1991-1996). Enzi also served his country as a staff sergeant in the Wyoming Air National Guard (1967-1973), and he is now cofounder and chairman of the U.S. Air Force Caucus for the U.S. Senate. He was president of the Wyoming Association of Municipalities (1980-1982), a member of the Energy Council Executive Committee (1989-1993, 1994-1996), a commissioner of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (1995-1996) and served on the Education Commission of the States (1989-1993). He was a member of the founding board of directors of First Wyoming Bank of Gillette (1978-1988) and an employee of a small business, Dunbar Well Service (1985-1997), where he worked as accounting manager and computer programmer. He was a director of the Black Hills Corporation (1992-1996), a New York Stock Exchange Company. Enzi was a spokesperson for WyBett, an organization which successfully opposed gambling in Wyoming. Mike is a champion of small business and community service.

Enzi has two daughters and one son. Amy holds her master's degree in Education from the University of Wyoming, is a certified school principal, an instructional facilitator and teaches in Cheyenne. Emily graduated from the University of Wyoming with a degree in communication and works at the Cheyenne Regional Medical Center as a Service Excellence Specialist. Her husband, Michael McGrady, graduated from UW law school and is now a law clerk for Judge O’Brien. Enzi’s son Brad, a graduate of the University of Wyoming, is the Wyoming vice president of government affairs for North American Power Company. Brad and his wife, Danielle, a consultant, are the proud parents of the Enzis grandchildren Trey and Lilly Grace.

Enzi's wife Diana has a bachelor's degree from the University of Wyoming as well as a master's degree in adult education. Diana is part of Senate Spouses, former President of the Congressional Club and past President of the International Club and a volunteer for several organizations. Diana is also working hard to save lives. In partnership with the Marshall Legacy Institute she is working to provide countries infested with land mines with specially trained landmine detecting dogs and handlers to find and eliminate the mines. Diana started the CHAMPS or CHildren Against the Mine Problem program. School children across Wyoming gave a quarter and helped raise enough money to send a dog, aptly named "Wyoming", to Sri Lanka. Diana hopes schoolchildren in other states will follow suit.

Enzi is an elder in the Presbyterian Church and taught the high school Sunday school class for more than 10 years. Enzi's love for Wyoming grew as he became an Eagle Scout. He has been honored as a Distinguished Eagle by Scouts and Significant Sig by Sigma Chi Fraternity. He is an avid hunter, fly fisherman, bicyclist, and reader. He now co-chairs the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus. He and his son Brad built their own canoe as a family project. He was a youth soccer coach for 10 years.