ms. murkowski: i would absolutely agree. as you point out, it's alaska, oregon, new hampshire, delaware, that are in this situation and basically if this situation were to pass, it's a message to those within these states that it doesn't make any difference what your state laws are with regards to a state's sales tax. it doesn't make any difference. because we've made this directive back here that there's going to be uniform application out here. i have a tough time with that. i think our states may be somewhat similarly situated in the sense that there's a real sense of states' rights, state sovereignty, i believe your motto is "live free or die." we feel pretty independent up north as well. and i do feel that this is -- this is a real hard push against states' rights, and their ability to impose local taxes within their state boundaries. so i am very concerned about the direction that we have taken. madam president, i note that, again, the states without sales tax and use taxes like these five states that my colleague and

ms. murkowski: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senior senator from alaska is recognized. ms. murkowski: thank you, mr. president. i follow my colleague from oregon, the chairman of the energy committee, here in discussing the qualifications of the nominee for the secretary of the interior, sally jewell. i think we recognize as westerners that this is an appointment, this is a position that has great significance, great meaning to our states, so we pay attention to these nominees. we pay attention to who is secretary of the interior. mr. president, i've taken the position that our responsibility, our constitutional responsibility for advice and consent should begin with very thoughtful questions on our part. and then absent any seriously disqualifying factors, we should conclude with the confirmation of the president's nominees. our obligations to get answers to our questions is always a serious one, and i think the duty weighs most heavily when the interest of our constituents are directly at stake. and i mention the impact that the department of interior has, particularly on