Lisa Murkowski

Lisa Ann Murkowski, a Republican, has represented the state of Alaska in the United States Senate since 2002.

Health Care
Murkowski has been supporting the CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program) since 1997. It provides comprehensive health care coverage to low-income and uninsured children. CHIP was enacted in 1997 and originally allowed states to provide health coverage for families earning up to 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level. The bill passed today allows states to expand coverage to children from families earning up to 300 percent of the Federal Poverty Level. The reauthorization extends coverage for over 6 million children currently enrolled in the program and expands the program to include an additional 3.5 million eligible low-income children and children of the working poor. 

Iraq War
Murkowski voted for the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq in Oct. 2002.

In 2007 she has voted to pass a bill that appropriated $505.23 billion to the Department of Defense and related agencies in the following manner


 * $129.53 billion for operation and maintenance of the Department of Defense (Sec. 301)
 * $112.04 billion for military personnel (Sec. 421)
 * $85.73 billion for procurement( buying of needed equipment) (Sec. 101, 102, 103, 104)
 * $74.16 billion for research, development, test and evaluation (Sec. 201)
 * $2.23 billion for the Iraq Freedom Fund
 * $20.92 billion for the Defense Health Program (Sec. 303)

The bill also included points on prohibiting cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment of any individual in custody or physical control of the U.S. government, regardless of geographical location (Sec. 1061) as well as restrictions on the use of funds for certain purposes in Iraq, including forbidding establishment of U.S. military bases in Iraq and exercising U.S. control of oil in Iraq (Sec. 1419).

Abortion
Lisa Murkowski voted against the Unintended Pregnancy Amendment (03/17/2005) which was backed by Hillary Rodham Clinton, that if passed would provide increases in funding and access to family planning services, legislation that would require equitable prescription coverage for contraceptives under health plans as well as legislation that would create and expend teen pregnancy prevention programs and education programs concerning emergency contraceptives. She has supported Planned Parenthood only 18% of the time and NARAL Pro-Choice America 0% of the time in 2006. In the same year she has supported the National Right to Life Committee (which is not pro-choice) 50% of the time. See the bill

Environmental record
Voted yes on a piece of legislation that would establish supplies for biofuels to obtain energy security and transportation. It would also promote energy efficiency, cost effective and environmentally friendly public buildings, and establish provisions for energy diplomacy and security. 

For more information on environmental legislation, see the Energy and Environment Policy Portal

Ties to Stevens business associate
In late 2006, Bob Penney testified before a grand jury about his relationship with former Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK), uncovering a murky history of possible corruption. Penney had previously invited Stevens into a a real estate investment deal that made the Senator hundreds of thousands of dollars. Bob Penney also appeared to have connections to Murkowski, as around the time that he was making deals with Stevens, he was also selling Murkowski land.

Due to Alaska's loose records laws, it is unclear if Murkowski was given a special deal on the land, only that the market value of the 1.27 acre plot in the area she purchased was worth around $300,000 and that Murkowski purchased the riverfront plot in late December of last year with a mortgage of $136,000. It was also speculated that Penny could have gotten much more for the land.

When reached for a comment, Penney stated "There was not a campaign contribution... This was a land transaction."

Ryan Alexander, the director of Taxpayers for Common Sense commented, "It raises more than question, it raises concern... It puts [Murkowski] into that web of folks that has raised eyebrows."

In light of the questionable land deal, on July 26, 2007 Murkowski and her husband announced their decision to sell back the property to Penney for the purchase price of $179,400. She stated, “While Verne [her husband] and I intended to make this our family home and we paid a fair price for this land, no property is worth compromising the trust of the Alaska people.”

It was later revealed in early August 2007 that Murkowski had secured $6 million worth of earmarks since 2003 for a road project within a half-mile of the property, which could significantly increase the real estate's value. The remainder of the Alaska delegation, Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) and Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska), also contributed another $2 million in federal funding for the improvement, called the Keystone Drive Project. In order to help cover the costs at the state level, Murkowski's father, then-Governor of Alaska, Frank Murkowski, also contributed another $325,000 in state funds. Local residents began lobbying for the project in 2002, mainly claiming a desire to improve the road, which leads to the National Kenai Wildlife Refuge, due to the regular influx of tourists during the summer. Having successfully garnered federal funding, construction for the project was set to begin in 2008. Although touting the public interest, the residents behind the project failed to seek any of the funding for additional projects that would benefit the general public, such as parking lots. The road would not have been vital for Murkowski, had she kept the riverfront property, for example, in order to reach the main highway, but the project would easily have increased the site's property value.

Reparations for Japanese Latin Americans
Murkowski cosponsored The Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Latin Americans of Japanese Descent Act in the 110th Congress which would establish a commission that would determine the facts and circumstances involving the relocation, internment and deportation of Japanese Latin Americans.

Bio
Born May 22, 1957 in Ketchikan, Alaska, Murkowski earned a B.A. in Economics from Georgetown University in 1980, and a J.D. from Willamette University College of Law in 1985.

She was an attorney in Anchorage, Alaska from 1985 to 1998. She also served on the mayor's task force on the homeless from 1990 to 1991.

In 1998, she was elected to the Alaska House of Representatives and was elected the House Majority Leader for the 2003-2004 session. However, she resigned from the House in December 2002 because her father, then-Senator Frank Murkowski, was elected governor and appointed her to his U.S. Senate seat.

Murkowski was elected to a full six-year term against former Governor Tony Knowles in the 2004 election. Nepotism charges were an issue in the campaign, and it is likely that the circumstances of her appointment reduced her margin of victory, but were apparently insufficient to overcome the Republican majority of Alaska. Near the end of the campaign, senior senator Ted Stevens shot campaign ads for Murkowski and warned the public that if a Democrat replaced Murkowski they were likely to receive fewer federal dollars. In the end, Alaska's Republican majority prevailed, and Murkowski retained her position.

Murkowski is one of ten Republican Senators who refused to commit to Bill Frist's Nuclear option to end judicial filibusters. Though her voting record on abortion is mixed, Murkowski is one of a number of pro-choice Senate Republicans. However, she supports oil exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge while many of her fellow "Main Street" Republicans do not.

Money in politics
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Committees in the 110th Congress (2007-2008)

 * Senate Committee on Indian Affairs
 * Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
 * Subcommittee on Energy
 * Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests
 * Subcommittee on National Parks
 * Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
 * Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs
 * Subcommittee on European Affairs
 * Subcommittee on International Development and Foreign Assistance
 * Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
 * Subcommittee on Children and Families
 * Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety

Committee assignments in the 109th Congress (2005-2006)

 * Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
 * Subcommittee on Energy
 * Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests
 * Subcommittee on Water and Power - Chair
 * Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works
 * Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure
 * Subcommittee on Fisheries Wildlife and Water
 * Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
 * Subcommittee on African Affairs
 * Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs - Chair
 * Subcommittee on International Economic Policy Export and Trade Promotion
 * Subcommittee on European Affairs
 * Senate Committee on Indian Affairs

Coalitions and Caucuses

 * The Republican Main Street Partnership
 * The Republican Majority For Choice
 * Republicans For Choice
 * The Wish List a group of pro-choice female Republicans from both houses of Congress.

More Background Data

 * See how you compare to Lisa Murkowski

External

 * Official website
 * Campaign website

External articles

 * "CREW releases 'Beyond DeLay: The 22 Most Corrupt Members of Congress (and two to watch)'," Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, September 18, 2007.