Murkowski Morning Meeting for Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Murkowski Morning Meeting
The DC Daybook with Alaska in Mind
Tuesday, December 6, 2011

U.S. Senate – Events

Watching Justice in Action

Alaskan Impact: Alaskans are accustomed to watching AlaskaLegislature.TV and gaining a better sense of our how our laws are created. Alaska’s courtrooms allow cameras to convey information to citizens about the rule of law in our state. But the nation’s highest court has never allowed cameras, even for the landmark Bush vs. Gore case. And now that the Supreme Court plans to hear arguments in the healthcare reform debate, there is a movement for the high court to allow proceedings to be televised – a recent poll put Americans at 51%-27% in support of cameras. Today the Judiciary Committee heard testimony about the “Cameras in the Courtroom Act.”

6:00am AKST
Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing
Topic: “Televising the Supreme Court”
Testimony from:

• Former Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pa.
• Tom Goldstein, partner at Goldstein & Russell, P.C.
• Mark Cady, chief justice of the Iowa Supreme Court

Questioning/Hearing: http://bit.ly/uuYOqX

House of Representatives – Events

Endangered Species – Cost Vs Benefit

Alaskan Impact: Alaskans are very familiar with the role outside interests play in our state, when it comes to legal battles over our natural resources. Nearly the entire Alaskan coastline has been designated or the designation is pending as critical habitat. In order to reform how the ESA is implemented Congress needs to take a long look at the Equal Access to Justice Act and decide whether these special interest groups should be rewarded for their overly litigious practices, or if a suggested compromise will work.

6:00am AKST
House Natural Resources Committee Hearing
Topic: “Endangered Species Act”
Testimony from:

• Dan Ashe, director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• Eric Schwaab, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
• John Leshy, professor at the UC-Hastings College of the Law

Questioning/Hearing: http://bit.ly/tSBPJ4

Off the Hill – Events

Bridging the Trade Gap between Alaska and Asia

Alaskan Impact: Alaska’s top three trade partners are Japan, China and Korea. (The fourth is Canada) Last month, President Obama unveiled an outline for a Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement with nine Asian nations – including progress on a regional free-trade deal that could pay off with U.S. jobs. Today the American Enterprise Institute discussed policy challenges to negotiating the trade agreement.

6:00am AKST
American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research – Discussion
Topic: “Foreign Affairs”
Participants:

• Gary Horlick of the law offices of Gary Horlick
• Philip Levy of AEI
• Tami Overby of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Webcast: http://bit.ly/s14c5O

For more information on what’s happening in Washington, D.C. or to find out Senator Murkowski’s view on these issues – contact the Communications Office at 202-224-9301.
www.murkowski.senate.gov