Murkowski Morning Meeting For Thursday, April 16, 2015

What DC is Reading

• New York Times: Congress’s Role in Iran Nuclear Deal Shows Limits of Obama’s Power
• Wall Street Journal: How Lois Lerner Got a Pass (Paywall)
• Washington Post: Hillary Clinton Brings Populist Message to Big Money Donors

U.S. Senate Events

Alaska’s “Extraordinary” Energy Infrastructure

Alaskan Impact: The Trans-Alaska Pipeline is an “extraordinary piece of energy infrastructure,” but Alaskans are all too aware its throughput is on the decline. At today’s Energy Committee hearing, Senator Murkowski spoke on this urgent problem and also made it clear that lifting current U.S. sanctions on Iran without lifting the domestic ban on crude oil exports would hurt domestic energy production. The Energy Information Administration’s 2015 Annual Energy Outlook released Tuesday provided a launching point for this discussion.

6:00a.m. AKST

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Hearing

Topic: “Energy Information Administration’s Annual Energy Outlook for 2015.”

Witness:

• Adam Sieminski, Administrator, U.S. Energy Information Administration

Watch the entire hearing by clicking here.

(Click image to watch video.)

Senator Murkowski: The pipeline is “extraordinary” but must be utilized and leveraged.

Empowering Alaskan Homeowners

Alaskan Impact: Many Alaskans are seeking understandable and less burdensome pathways to obtaining mortgage credit, particularly since our housing costs comprise such a significant portion of our monthly costs. It is important to create opportunities, not barriers, to home ownership, and obtaining mortgage credit is the first step. The Consumer Finance Protection Bureau has acknowledged they need to improve their work for rural applicants, and today the Senate Banking Committee evaluated how the mortgage process can be more useful and reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens.

6:00a.m. AKST

Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee Hearing

Topic: “Regulatory Burdens to Obtaining Mortgage Credit.”

Witnesses:

• Tom Woods, President, National Association of Home Builders
• Chris Polychron, Executive Broker, National Association of Realtors
• J. David Motley, Mortgage Bankers Association

(Click image to watch video.)

Senator Dean Heller (R-NV): How can we improve the rural mortgage process?

Watch the entire hearing by clicking here.