Murkowski Morning Meeting For Tuesday, July 7, 2015

What DC is Reading

• New York Times: Health Insurance Companies Seek Big Rate Increases for 2016
• Washington Post: U.S. Lack of Response To Iran’s Cheating Is A Worrying Omen
• Roll Call: Senate Republicans Seek to Continue Positive Momentum

U.S. Senate Events

ISIS Update

Alaskan Impact: With thousands of military families and supportive communities in the state, Alaskans are mindful of conflicts worldwide. President Obama yesterday said the fight against ISIS is a “long-term campaign,” but has yet to outline a strategy to defeat it. Senator Murkowski has been skeptical of the administration’s evolving strategy since the violent Islamists began overtaking the Middle East. Today the Senate Armed Services Committee received an update from top military officials on the next steps to halt the spread of ISIS in the Middle East.

5:30a.m. AKST

Senate Armed Services Committee Hearing

Topic: “Counter-ISIS Strategy.”

Witnesses:

• Ashton Carter, Secretary of Defense
• General Martin Dempsey, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff

(Click image to watch video.)
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) to Secretary Carter: Is Iraq defendable?

Watch the hearing entire hearing by clicking here.

Dealing with the Nation’s Southern Border

Alaskan Impact: Almost one year ago, Senator Murkowski visited McAllen, TX to see firsthand the humanitarian crisis caused by 57,000 unaccompanied children travelling to the US-Mexico border from Central America. The White House’s response was to request $3.7 billion to address the situation, without looking into the primary causes of the crisis. Today the Senate Homeland Security Committee received an update on the situation after one year.

6:00a.m. AKST

Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Hearing

Topic: “The 2014 Humanitarian Crisis at Our Border: A Review of the Government’s Response to Unaccompanied Minors One Year Later.”

Witnesses:

• Juan Osuna, Director, Justice Department’s Executive Office of Immigration Review
• Mark Greenberg, Acting Assistant Secretary, Administration for Children and Families in the Health and Human Services Department
• Philip Miller, Assistant Director of Field Operations, Enforcement and Removal Operations of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the Homeland Security Department
• Joseph Langlois, Associate Director for Refugee, Asylum, and International Operations, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services at the Homeland Security Department

Watch the entire hearing by clicking here.

U.S. House Events

Federal Mismanagement of National Forests

Alaskan Impact: Federal mismanagement of our national forests has had devastating impacts—wildfires, insects, the spread of disease. Annual timber cut has dropped by more than 80%, resulting in the loss of tens of thousands of timber jobs, closed schools, and local government budget shortfalls. Senator Murkowski strongly believes the management of our national forests needs reform to address the crises faced by our forested communities—especially in Southeast Alaska. Today the House Rules Committee marked up the “Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2015” to improve forest management activities.

1:00p.m. AKST

House Rules Committee Hearing

Topic: H.R.2647, the “Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2015.”