Murkowski Morning Meeting For Thursday, June 5, 2014

Note to readers: Concerned by the unfolding facts surrounding the administration releasing high-ranking Taliban officials for Bowe Bergdahl’s release, Senator Murkowski shared her thoughts on KFQD radio with Dave Stieren yesterday. If you were unable to listen, you can hear it by clicking here.

What DC is Reading

· Associated Press: Two Million Americans’ Health Care at Risk with System Flaws

· NBC: Bipartisan Backlash in Senate over Bergdahl Deal

· Politico: “Born in the USA” and Ronald Reagan’s Politics

U.S. Senate Events:

Bolstering Alaska’s Nautical Needs

Alaskan Impact: Alaska’s fishing industry, Arctic future, tsunami debris issues and safety officer protection are all pressing concerns for our state. Our capacity to deal with these priorities was improved by Senator Murkowski when she successfully placed a number of provisions into the 2015 funding bill for the Commerce, Justice and Science budget. Earlier this week, that bill that passed that subcommittee without incident, and today the entire Appropriations Committee discussed and approved it.

6:00am AKDT

Senate Appropriations Committee

Topic: “2015 Commerce, Justice and Science Funding Bill”

To listen to Senator Murkowski’s remarks about the importance of the bill to Alaska, click here.

Protecting our Privacy

Alaskan Impact: Alaskans are incredibly wary of the NSA surveillance tactics that scanned our phone calls and Internet records – all in the name of national security. With revelation continuing to be made public – most recently of facial recognition software ‘harvesting’ law-abiding Americans pictures – the Senate Judiciary Committee is re-evaluating privacy protections like the “USA Freedom Act” that Senator Murkowski co-sponsored to strengthen our civil liberties.

10:30am AKDT

Senate Intelligence Committee

Topic: “Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Reforms” and H.R.3361 the “USA FREEDOM Act.”

Witnesses:

• Deputy Attorney General James Cole;
• National Security Agency Deputy Director Richard Ledgett;
• FBI Deputy Director Mark Giuliano;
• Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence Stephanie O’Sullivan

To watch the hearing LIVE, click here.