Murkowski Morning Meeting For Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Note to Readers: Today marks 7 months since Interior Secretary Sally Jewell rejected a life-saving road on King Cove, because the one lane, emergency-use, gravel, non-commercial would cut through a wildlife refuge. During her trip to the southern border, Senator Lisa Murkowski was stunned to find out that Customs and Border Protection officers frequently are not allowed to get close enough to the border because of a wildlife refuge as well. Click here to watch Senator Murkowski share her frustration in the Energy Committee.

What DC is Reading

• National Journal: Murkowski: Wilderness Protection Worsens Border Crisis
• Politico: Health Care Law Still Legally, Politically Fragile
• Washington Post: Competing Border Security Plans in the Works

U.S. Senate Events

Looking Out For Hungry Children

Alaskan Impact: Many Alaskan schoolchildren don’t know where their next meal is coming from, particularly during the summer. Even when school is in session, students are not necessarily receiving the nutrition they need. Today the Senate Agriculture Committee discussed how to ensure that American students are being fed healthy food, even when school is out.

5:30a.m. AKDT

Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee Hearing

Topic: “Meeting the Challenges of Feeding America’s School Children.”

Witnesses:

• Betti Wiggins, executive director of the Office of Food Services, Detroit Public School
• Scott Clements, director of the Office of Healthy Schools and Child Nutrition, Mississippi Department of Education
• Julia Bauscher, president-elect of the School Nutrition Association and director of School and Community Nutrition Services, Jefferson County Public Schools
• Katie Wilson, executive director of the National Food Service Management Institute, University of Mississippi
• Phil Muir, president and CEO of Muir Copper Canyon Farms, Salt Lake City

(Click to view excerpt.)
Senator Thune (R-ND): We must make sure we’re respecting cultural differences in food options.

Watch the entire hearing by clicking here.

Assisting Disaster Victims

Alaskan Impact: In the last few years, multiple Alaskan communities have been hit with devastating floods. Galena is still recovering after over 90% of its buildings were damaged or destroyed last summer when heavy flooding washed away homes and roads. Senator Murkowski wants to make sure that residents affected by these disasters are able to return to normal life as soon as possible. Today the Senate Appropriations Committee discussed how to make the federal flood insurance program both sustainable and efficient.

10:30a.m. AKDT

Senate Appropriations Committee, Homeland Security Subcommittee Hearing

Topic: “Insuring our Future: Building a Flood Insurance Program We Can Live With, Grow With, and Prosper With.”

Witnesses:

• Craig Fugate, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency
• Chad Berginnis, Executive Director, Association of State Floodplain Managers
• Patricia Templeton-Jones, Property Casualty Insurers Association of America; Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Wright National Flood Insurance Company
• Donna Smith, Chairman, National Association of Realtors Flood Insurance Taskforce; Broker in Charge, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, C. Dan Joyner Realtors

Watch the hearing by clicking here.

U.S. House Events

Arctic Interests in Alaska

Alaskan Impact: Alaskans know America is an Arctic nation, but it’s clear that the U.S. needs to invest in the region: maritime commerce, natural resources development, Coast Guard search and rescue, and icebreakers. Progress has been made with the nomination of Admiral Papp as the United States’ first Special Representative to the Arctic, but we still have a long way to go. Today the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee reviewed what needs to happen for the U.S. to become a strong international player in the Arctic region.

6:30a.m. AKDT

House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee Hearing

Topic: “Implementing U.S. Policy in the Arctic.”

Witnesses:

• Vice Admiral Peter V. Neffenger, Vice Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard
• Rear Admiral Jonathan White, Oceanographer and Navigator of the Navy; Director, Space and Maritime Domain Awareness, U.S. Navy
• Ambassador David Balton, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oceans and Fisheries, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, Department of State
• Captain Dave Westerholm, USCG Ret., Director, Office of Response and Restoration, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration
• Dr. Kelly Falkner, Division Director, Polar Programs, Geosciences Directorate, National Science Foundation
• Ed Fogels, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Natural Resources, State of Alaska

Watch the hearing by clicking here.