Murkowski Morning Meeting For Thursday, March 13, 2014

What DC is Reading

• The Hill — “Health Care Premiums Will Rise in 2015, Says Cabinet Secretary”
• Washington Post “Key Lawmaker Pushes End to Data Sweeping”

U.S. Senate Events

Fighting Frankenfish

Alaskan Impact: The Food and Drug Administration is poised to approve Frankenfish as the world’s first genetically altered animal protein. Here in Alaska, where world-class seafood is a vital part of our economy, the move could put the entire wild fishing industry at risk. Senator Murkowski has been fighting Frankenfish for years, even sponsoring a measure to label genetically modified salmon so consumers can be fully informed. Today, she questioned FDA officials about its safety.

6:00 am AKDT

Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Hearing

Topic: “Protecting the Public Health: Examining FDA’s Initiatives and Priorities.”

Witness:

• Margaret Hamburg, M.D. , Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration

(Senator Murkowski questions FDA Director Hamburg about Frankenfish – Click to watch)

Watch the entire hearing Here: help.senate.gov

Roads to the Future

Alaskan Impact: Roads in Alaska are hard to build, hard to access, and when in remote areas, hard to come by. Steps have been made to develop more roads in rural areas through the “Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21^st Century Act” (MAP-21), but there is still work to be done. Today, President of Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes Edward Thomas testified before the Senate about the need for better connectivity in Alaska.

6:00 am AKDT

Senate Indian Affairs Committee Hearing

Topic: “Tribal Transportation: Pathways to Infrastructure and Economic Development in Indian Country.”

Witnesses:

• Michael Black, director of the Interior Department’s Bureau of Indian Affairs;
• Bob Sparrow, director of the Federal Highway Administration’s Tribal Transportation Program;
• Edward Thomas, president of the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, Juneau, Alaska, testify

Watch the Hearing Here: indian.senate.gov

U.S. House Events

New Season, New Businesses

Alaskan Impact: Small businesses in much of Alaska are thriving as break up approaches and a robust tourism season is about to begin. New businesses are also popping up across our state as snow melts away. Meanwhile, some are looking to a stronger manufacturing industry that would be less susceptible to the changing seasons. Today the House heard about ways to boost and enable small business manufacturing across the nation.

9:00 am AKDT

House Small Business Committee Hearing- Economic Growth, Tax and Capital Access Subcommittee

Topic: “Made in the U.S.A.: Small Business and a New Domestic Manufacturing Renaissance.”

• Shirley Mills, director of the Boston Company, Boston, Mass.;
• Robert Hitt, secretary of the South Carolina Department of Commerce, Columbia, S.C.;
• Kevin Harberts, president/CEO of Kryton Engineered Metals Inc., Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and
• Mei Xu, CEO and owner of Chesapeake Bay Candle, Bethesda, Md., testify

Watch the hearing here: smallbusiness.house.gov