Murkowski Morning Meeting for Tuesday, June 19, 2012

U.S. Senate Events

The January 1, 2013 Financial Cliff

Alaskan Impact: When 2013 begins, over 50 current tax breaks are scheduled to disappear as budget cuts begin – unless Congress acts. As the economy struggles and the price of energy rises, this double whammy will hit every American and impede the nation’s recovery. Today the Senate Finance Committee examined the hard choices ahead and the need for Congressional action. The witnesses were the authors of a study Senator Murkowski shared with Alaska during her economic town halls last fall.

6:00am AKDT
Senate Finance Committee Hearing
Topic: “Confronting the Looming Fiscal Crisis”
Testimony from:

• Former Senate Budget Committee Chairman Sen. Pete Domenici R-N.M.
• Former White House Budget Director Alice Rivlin

Senator Pete Domenici: “These are not normal times…” in American fiscal policy.
Watch the entire hearing online: http://bit.ly/MaBHXs

House of Representatives Events

Costs of the Endangered Species Act

Alaskan Impact: While the goal of the Endangered Species Act is to conserve species, it’s increasingly used by special interest groups to block economic development vital to Alaska’s economy. The House Natural Resources Committee examined the cost to taxpayers of environmental groups taking the federal government to court under the ESA– adding up to $21 million in 2011 all on the taxpayers dime.

6:00am AKDT
House Natural Resources Committee Hearing
Topic: “Impacts of Endangered Species Act Litigation”
Testimony from:

• Senator Jeff Sessions, R-AL
• Rep. Cynthia Lummis, R-WY
• Jerry Patterson, Commissioner, Texas General Land Office

WATCH the hearing online: http://bit.ly/M7Fwwj

Off the Hill Events

Safety in Alaska’s Skies

Alaskan Impact: More than any other state, Alaskans know how vital flying is to day-to-day life – Alaska has six times the national average of pilots, and sixteen times the average rate of airplane ownership. Today the National Transportation Safety Board hosted a fourm on how to prevent fatalities and injuries for the more than 8,000 pilots and their passengers in Alaska’s skies.

4:30am AKDT
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Forum
Topic: “General Aviation Safety”

Watch the recorded event online: http://1.usa.gov/MJrdgf