Murkowski Morning Meeting For Thursday, January 22, 2015

What DC is Reading

• New York Times: Day After President’s Speech, Some Doubts Linger Over Nation’s Recovery
• The Hill: 30 Hour Full-Time Definition in Health Care Bill Cutting Workers Hours
• Politico: Senate Will Shatter Last Year’s Amendment Total in First Month

U.S. Senate Events

Health Care Law Translating to Lost Wages, Cut Hours

Alaskan Impact: For small businesses who want to grow and the Alaskans they want to employ, the “30 hours is full time” provision of the Affordable Care Act is starting to mean cut hours and lost wages. Senator Murkowski has been hearing from Alaskans—ranging from restaurant owners to school district superintendents—who want “full time” to be restored back to the traditional 40 hours a week. Murkowski recently co-sponsored the bipartisan Forty Hours is Full Time Act and today the Senate HELP Committee heard first hand from those affected by the ACA’s definition of full time.

(Click image to watch video.)

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME): “What is the impact of the law’s definition of full time work on public school students?”

(Click image to watch video.)

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN): “The 30 hour definition of full time is doing more to reduce wages than increasing the number of employees with insurance.”

5:30a.m. AKST

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing

Topic: “Examining Job-Based Health Insurance and Defining Full-Time Work.”

Witnesses:

• Betsy Webb, Superintendent, Bangor School Department
• Andrew Puzder, CEO of CKE Restaurants
• Doug Holtz-Eakin, Former Director, Congressional Budget Office
• Joe Fugere, Founder, Tutta Bella Pizzeria

Watch the entire hearing by clicking here.

U.S. House Events

Repairing the VA and Public Trust

Alaskan Impact: For some Alaskan veterans, trying to work through the VA system is like trying to find a way through a maze with no exit. Alaskan veterans have had to wait over a year to receive their benefits after filing a claim with the VA, an unacceptable timetable. Last Summer, Senator Murkowski called for an investigation into the operation of the Alaska VA system, to see if employees were making up false appointments to create the illusion of speedier service. Today the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee checked in to see if the situation has improved and if not, what needs to be done next.

10:00 am

House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Hearing

Topic: “Veterans’ Dilemma: Navigating the Appeals System for Veterans Claims.”

Witnesses:

• Beth McCoy, Deputy Under Secretary for Field Operations, Veterans Benefits Administration , U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
• Ronald S. Burke, Jr., Director, Appeals Management Center, Veterans Benefits Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
• Laura H. Eskenazi, Executive-in-Charge and Vice Chairman, Board of Veterans’ Appeals, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
• Gerald T. Manar, Deputy Director, National Veterans Service, Veterans of Foreign Wars