Category: Lisa Murkowski

Opening Arctic for Drilling Is Trump Priority, Key Senator Says an hour ago

Senator Lisa Murkowski said President Donald Trump is interested in opening up new coastal waters for oil and gas drilling and reversing Obama-era policies that restrict energy development in Alaska. Both Trump and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke are weighing ways to expand opportunities to drill in Arctic waters though the changes could take years to accomplish administratively, Murkowski said in an interview on the sidelines of the CERAWeek conference in Houston.  “It’s fair to say we are looking at how we might be able to — how the administration might be able to — allow for opportunities within this important area, offshore Alaska,” Murkowski said.

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No, not Jeff Sessions. Sessions was asked whether representatives of the Trump campaign had been in contact with Russian officials on behalf of the campaign, and Sessions said he didn’t know anything about that.

Chorus of conservatives slam the Republican ‘Obamacare’ repeal

A growing list of conservative groups and lawmakers balked on Tuesday at House Republicans’ plan to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, condemning the replacement health care bill “Obamacare 2.0.” , a Republican health care bill that maintains some of the most popular provisions of the 2010 Affordable Care Act and was revealed on Monday. . “The overwhelming response from our activists is, ‘This is not what we meant or expected when we voted for Congress to repeal Obamacare.

GOP Senators Cry Foul Over Medicaid Expansion Repeal

The House Republican plan to phase out the Obamacare Medicaid expansion by 2020 may be a nonstarter for some Senate Republicans-and could potentially threaten the larger repeal-and-replace process. Shortly before House lawmakers revealed a revamped version of their Obamacare repeal-and-replace bill Monday evening, four Republican senators sent a letter to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell saying they would not support an earlier draft from Feb. 10 that repeals Medicaid expansion because it “does not meet the test of stability for individuals currently enrolled in the program.”

U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, speaks to the Anchorage Chamber…

U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, speaks to the Alaska Chamber during a roundtable discussion about the Affordable Care Act on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2017, at the Petroleum Club Anchorage. Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan met with state business leaders in Anchorage on Wednesday to discuss the embattled Affordable Care Act, as protesters rallied outside with calls to keep the health care law intact.

US senators propose bill to improve volcano monitoring

JUNEAU, Alaska>> U.S. senators in Alaska, Washington and Hawaii have proposed legislation intended to improve volcano monitoring efforts and early warning capabilities. The measure would put the Alaska, Cascades and Hawaiian volcano observatories into a connected system and create a 24-hour Volcano Watch Office to provide ongoing situational awareness of active volcanoes in the U.S. and its territories.

Conservatives worry budget bill will keep Planned Parenthood funded

Conservative lawmakers who are already worried that the Republican Party isn’t moving fast enough on Obamacare repeal are growing agitated about something else: that a provision to defund Planned Parenthood will get left out on the chopping block. GOP Rep. Jim Jordan, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, has publicly called on party leaders to take an immediate vote on a 2015 budget reconciliation bill that rolled back large chunks of the Affordable Care Act and stripped federal funding for Planned Parenthood .

DeVos ekes out confirmation win as Pence casts historic vote

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos smiles during a swearing-in ceremony in the Vice President’s Ceremonial Office in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building of the White House on Feb. 7, in Washington, D.C. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos smiles during a swearing-in ceremony in the Vice President’s Ceremonial Office in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building of the White House on Feb. 7, in Washington, D.C. WASHINGTON – Charter school advocate Betsy DeVos won confirmation as U.S. Education secretary Tuesday by the slimmest of margins, pushed to approval by the historic tie-breaking vote of Vice President Mike Pence.

DeVos hangs in balance before tight Senate vote

President Donald Trump’s selection for education secretary, billionaire mega-donor Betsy DeVos, appears to be his most embattled Cabinet pick, but Senate Republicans have largely held tight in their support. Senate GOP leaders are confident they can squeak DeVos through the Senate with the support of 50 Republican senators Tuesday afternoon, plus a historic tie-breaking vote from Vice President Mike Pence.

DeVos moves closer to confirmation as education secretary

Betsy DeVos moved closer toward confirmation as education secretary Friday after clearing a major hurdle in the Senate, even as Democrats and labour unions fervently sought another Republican vote against her. Tensions flew on the Senate floor during an early-morning session, with a senior Republican saying DeVos will make an “excellent” secretary and a top Democrat calling her “one of the worst nominees.”

Senate Pulls 6:30 am Vote to Rebuke Dems and Advance Betsy DeVos

Educations Secretary nominee Betsy DeVos will be receiving a full Senate vote and is likely to be confirmed after Republicans advanced her nomination in a 6:30 am vote on Friday. Senators convened at the unusual, early hour – 6:30 a.m. ET – because of Democratic stalling tactics that reflect their unhappiness with Trump’s cabinet picks and the overall confirmation process.

ED Nominee DeVos Faces Evenly Split Senate as Two GOP Lawmakers Defect

Betsy DeVos, President Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of the Department of Education , could be the most controversial pick for that post in American history. After her confirmation hearing and narrow approval Tuesday before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions , two Republican senators – Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska – said they would vote against DeVos when the vote goes before the full Senate.

VP Pence may have to break tie to get deVos confirmed

Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins each came out Wednesday against Betsy de Vos, President Trump’s pick to head the Education Department The billionaire GOP megadonor has been a major supporter of private school education vouchers and flubbed questions at her confirmation hearing The GOP opponents are not filibustering the nomination, which would allow it to go forward on a simple majority vote Vice President Mike Pence may need to cast the deciding vote in order to confirm the nomination of Betsy deVos, President Trump’s pick to run the Education Department.

DeVos nomination on thin ice with 2 GOP senators opposed

Education Secretary-designate Betsy DeVos testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington on Jan. 17 at her confirmation hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. WASHINGTON>> Donald Trump’s nomination of school choice activist Betsy DeVos as education secretary is on thin ice after two Republican senators vowed to vote against her.

GOP Senate pair rule out voting for DeVos, putting nomination in jeopardy

Donald Trump’s nomination of school choice advocate Betsy DeVos as education secretary appeared in jeopardy Wednesday with two Republican senators saying they will vote against her. Amid fierce criticism from Democrats and teachers unions, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska announced their opposition to DeVos due to her lack of experience in the nation’s public schools.

Alaska congressional delegation avoids criticizing refugee ban

Sen. Lisa Murkowski issued a statement on President Donald Trump’s controversial refugee ban that avoids both endorsement and criticism. Meanwhile, Sen. Dan Sullivan said he supports the president’s order, and Rep. Don Young issued a supportive statement but did not make an outright declaration of support for Trump’s action.

Republicans step up push for Arctic drilling in wildlife refuge

Buoyed by Donald Trump’s election, Republicans are pushing to allow oil exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, an area in northern Alaska that’s been a political battleground for drillers and conservationists for decades. This month, two Alaska Republicans introduced legislation to allow development of as many as 2,000 acres in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Murkowski holds firm: Ethics review first, then hearing

No Cabinet nominee of President-elect Donald Trump’s will get a confirmation hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee without having a completed review by the Office of Government Ethics, a spokeswoman for Sen. Lisa Murkowski, the Alaska Republican who leads the committee, said.

Republicans face early stumbling blocks on Obamacare repeal

Republicans are unanimous in their desire to “repeal and replace” President Barack Obama’s signature health care law — but they are already flirting with not having the 50 votes needed to pass the bill in the Senate. Republicans have 52 seats in the Senate, meaning they can only afford to lose three members of their caucus before they cannot pass legislation without Democratic votes.