Murkowski Morning Meeting For Thursday, July 16, 2015

Note to readers: Interesting development out of Ohio this morning with the state capital’s newspaper penning an editorial agreeing that Alaska’s highest peak should officially be named ‘Denali.’ Senator Murkowski’s continued advocacy and legislative efforts and a recent Daily Show segment are building momentum on this issue, and today’s editorial potentially marks an inflection point towards restoring the official name.

What DC is Reading

• ESPN.com: Steve Gleason Act Scores Victory For ALS Patients On Capitol Hill
• Washington Post Op-Ed: Obama’s News Conference Was A Case For American Weakness
• Wall Street Journal (Paywall): NSA Chief Expects More Cyberattacks Like OPM Hack

U.S. Senate Events

Fighting Off Frankenfish

Alaskan Impact: Alaskans take great pride in our sustainable fisheries, and many in the state (including Senator Murkowski) consider genetically engineered salmon, or “Frankenfish,” to be dangerously ‘messing with Mother Nature.’ Today the Senate Appropriations Committee considered the 2016 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration Appropriations bill and Senator Murkowski successfully added an amendment to the spending bill requiring the labeling of genetically engineered salmon to inform consumers and protect Alaska’s fisheries.

6:30a.m. AKDT

Senate Appropriations Committee Hearing

Topic: Full Committee Markup of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for FY2016.

(Click image to listen to audio.)
Listen to the entire hearing by clicking here.

More Glitches in HealthCare.gov

Alaskan Impact: Reports recently surfaced that fake applicants were able to obtain health insurance on HealthCare.gov using fabricated documents or missing information; this is just the latest in a long string of mishaps with the Affordable Care Act. This inability to detect fraud adds to Senator Murkowski concerns over the sustainability and security of the exchanges set up under the ACA. Today the Senate Finance Committee heard from the Government Accountability Office, the agency that conducted the undercover operation to test the security of the federal health exchange.

6:00a.m. AKDT

Senate Finance Committee Hearing

Topic: “Reviewing HealthCare.gov Controls.”

Witness:

• Seto Bagdoyan, Director Of Audit Services, Forensic and Investigative Services, Government Accountability Office

Watch the hearing by clicking here.