it's murkowski 6 that's the physician's assistants. hatch 9, hatch 21 as modified. i ask unanimous consent that there's three amendments be adopted. >> is there objection? without objection, no. i thank senator enzi. with the agreement on that, those amendments will be agreed to. >> i need to go to nc 4 and 6 on administrative simplification. i want to say to my good friend from wyoming that in consultation with the white house on this because what nc 6 does is want to strike the word operations procedures in the administrative simplification, there is concern that if weism lement -- well, senator, you want to explain what the 4 and 6 are and then -- rather than me explaining what it is and what it is about it. >> thank you. yes, we certainly agree that we need to simplify the administration of health care and that that will make a huge difference, so i actually filed three amendments on this section. number five strikes a section because i didn't think it would work the way the authors intended, but i use number six to modify it so that i didn't need to do number f

that's murkowski 3, 4, 5, 60 and 61. we are ready to accept one affected trauma programs, this was agreed to also by senator murray. thank you, senator murray. senator roberts, you have an amendment, hhs, you consider unique characteristics of rural hospitals and low volume hospitals when establishing reporting progress on hospital readmissions. again, i think that adds a great insight and dimension that my original framework was backing. i thank you for that. i'm happy to accept that. >> what number was that? >> that's roberts number two. we accept murkowski three, four and five related to indian health, 60 and 61 also on indian health, roberts number two on unique characteristics. they're telling me how i should talk. i'm 72 years old. i did pretty good so far. roberts number two as modified. we're going to take the rural and low volume hospitals. so we've got those done. so that's two, four, six, eight, ten, we have cleared 11 amendments and we're going to be looking at a couple of others during the break related to h

murkowski number six is the physician's assistants, hatch number nine, had 21 as modified. i ask unanimous consent of the three amendments be adopted. >> is their objection? without objection i thank senator enzi for the agreement. those amendments will be agreed to. >> i need to go to enzi number four and number six on administrative simplification. i am going to say to my good friend from wyoming that in consultation with the white house, because what enzi number six does is one to strike the word operations procedures in the administrative simplification. there is concern that if we implement well, first of all, senator enzi, you might explain what number four and number six or and then rather than me explaining what it is and what the flashing yellow lights or about it. >> thank you. yes, we certainly agree that we need to simplify the administration of health care and that will make a huge difference so i actually filed three amendments on this section. number five strikes the section because i didn't think of what work the way the authors intended but i use number six

>> was also agreed to. >> on both ends in number four, mickle skeet-- >> no, murkowski. >> lisa murkowski. user first name. >> lisa. >> your irish, you ought to know how to save these names. senator lisa murkowski the amendment, number 38 and amendment number 34 as modified. without objection, they are adopted. further amendments at this time? >> i have to return to one area that we have talked about and that is with enzi amendment number seven. >> enzi amendment number seven. >> it is a very small piece but i think a very important piece on the again, compared the effectiveness research. this amendment would prevent the government from developing quality adjusted life year, called crowley in the united kingdom, which there measures or other government for millis to assess whether patients deserve treatment, and the united kingdom uses it to determine if the patient should receive treatment and the formula often leads to the elderly and disabled being denied care. so, this would prohibit again the word prohibit to develop certain types of formal methods like the united kingdom uses to den

murkowski: thank you, madam chairwoman. before i begin, i'd ask unanimous consent that three individuals from my staff -- catit, kimberly, be allowed to be on the floor during the debate on this appropriations bill. the presiding officer: without objection. ms. murkowski: madam president, i rise this afternoon in support of the legislative branch appropriations bill for fiscal year 2010. the chairman of the subcommittee, senator nelson, and i have worked collaboratively in this process of putting the bill together. i thank him for that. i think we had some real substance in our hearings and spent the time, energy, the focus that we needed to on these matters regarding this particular appropriations. when combined with the house items, the bill before us totals $4.7 billion, and while this is an increase of 5% over the current year, the bill that we reported out of the committee represented less than a 3% increase over fy2009, as the chairman has said. in fact, 2.4%. and i would argue that those who say we need to keep our a

senator murkowski. senator roberts? >> the senator is recorded. senator, would you like to be voted as aye? >> chairman kennedy? >> no by proxy. >> 14 ayes -- or no, 11 ayes, 14 noes. >> the amendment is not agreed to. senator murray? >> mr. chairman, we are now ready to accept murkowski number 23 as modified. ask unanimous consent it be accepted. >> any objections to senator murkowski number 23 as modified? without objection, the amendment is agreed to. next up? >> mr. chairman, we have a meeting. >> do you have a meeting. maybe it's just as wise at this juncture. my view would be as i said earlier, i know our republican friends have a meeting to attend. >> if i could ask, i know the republicans are going to leave, how many more amendments we expect on this? >> i have no idea where we are -- four? judd, do you have any further ones on this one? this section? >> on this title? >> so we have four -- >> we have four more. we will come back. i will aim to reconvene at 5:30 but ask the senators to keep me informed, if the meeting goes longer, let me k

senator lisa murkowski. >> good afternoon. i am barry, an executive director, and it is my pleasure to welcome you. it is our pleasure to have senator lisa murkowski. this is on the record, as are all of our briefings. she is only the six the center of alaska -- the sixth center of alaska. she joined the senate in 2002 -- the six senatth senator of alas. she is a member of the senate appropriations committee, and she is on the senate indian affairs committee. we all understand how busy she is competent to release these days, so we appreciate your taking time out of your schedule to be with us -- we understand how busy she is these days, so we appreciate your taking time and rescheduled to be with us. >> i think timing wise -- taking time out of your schedule to be with us. >> i think timing wise, this is good. this has been a part of my life for the past three months as we have order to advance an energy bill. i was at a gathering a few days back, and somebody commented that the energy bill coming out of the senate energy comm

we did change that in one of the murkowski amendments adopted prior to going to the vote, so both the loan will start out the same as the stafford loan but what we are trying to do here is to encourage people to go into these professions and put high enough interest rate they will just get the loan and leave. but on the other side of it, make sure the loan isn't so high they say forget it and never take the risk to go into this. so mr. chairman, i do want you to know we have been working with several members on both sides of the kennedy and to have an amendment i hope will be agreed on after we deal with this amendment when senator schakowsky returns it modifies the original proposal so that we do keep 18% interest rate for the first six years to keep people in the program and then reduce overtime so that we make sure people are also afraid to go into these, they do see some kind of willingness to be flexible. but that we don't create such that no one goes into the professions. i think it is a really great modification and i want to thank senter schakowsky and her staff for working ha

. >> senator murkowski will replace john thiewn as vice chairman. from earlier today, it's just under ten minutes. good afternoon. i want to introduce you to senator john thune and senator mckowski taking over the chair. we are pleased to welcome them to the chair. senator thune was previously chair. we have made the changes and we are happy to call on them for comment and we'll take questions if there are any. john, why don't you lead off? >> thank you. i want to thank my colleagues for giving me the opportunity to continue as party chair. i think they have given us a lot of opportunity to work with, whether proposing the largest tax increase in american history, spending it at unprecedenced levels, adding an energy tax, nationalizing america with the healthcare system, calling for more unionization. there are so many things out there that i think create opportunity for us to point out the distinctions between our vision of the future and ours. i look forward to not just challenging democrats on the things we think they are doing wrong, but also ad

>> i'll take a voice vote. >> all oez in favor of the murkowski amendment say aye. those opposed say no. nos appear to have it. it sounds to me that this one here, did i hear some common language, though, that -- >> possibly with -- >> is there any common ground? just a misunderstanding? >> i don't agree with the chronic disease. >> and i think that we would be willing

next, the panel's top republican, senator lisa murk s murkowski , shares her thoughts with reporters. this is just over an hour. >> good afternoon, i am barry worthington, executive director of the united states energy association that it is my pleasure to welcome to our newsmakers series, senator lisa murkows murkowski. this is all on the record, as all of our briefings are. she is the senior senator from alaska, only the sixth senator from alaska and the first born in the state. she was elected to three terms before joining the united states senate in 2002. she is with us today because she is the ranking republican on the senate energy and natural resources committee, she is also a member of the senate appropriations committee, health education, labor and pension committee and the senate indian affairs committee. we know and understand how busy she is, particularly these days. we appreciate you taking time from your schedule to be with us. we normally ask our guests to speak for 15 or 20 minutes or however long she prefers and open up for questions and try to be done in an hour. >>

let's go back to what you were just talking about with the murkowski amendment. let's put that money there where we're going to make a -- and let's pay for prevention when they encounter that, all right? let's pay for prevention. the let's since medicare and medicaid and insurance companies, all three bureaucrats, don't like any of them, they won't pay you to sit down and talk with the patient about what they need to change in their life. they won't reimburse you for that. so let's put the money where it's going to make a difference rather than jut put the money in physical infrastructure where there's no guarantee. it may. but ujs we know, unless we incentivize through economic means, we're not going to get large participation in that. so that's the end of my sh peel. >> well, again, there are different sections to this title. one of them is the community transformation grants. again, we have to remember when we're talking about prevention and wellness, it's not just clinically based. senator coburn thinks i think because of his training more about the clinical

center murkowski andy tie line prevention i think, and i said it is not because we work together on it. obviously we have some ownership of anything you work hard on but i really do. i said this whole process months ago that this is really the guts of healthcare reform. what we are going to do one quality, and it and what we are going to do one prevention. and if we are just going to have a small prevention that is sort of an appendage, like an appendix, that is there but nobody really knows what it is for nweze sort of just give flowery words do it. would that be wonderful if everybody was healthy and all of that. that is so we are going to do them were not going to have healthcare reform. we will have something. we will jiggle how to pay the bills. we will pay the bills a bit differently and we will have some different coverage out there and we will have some co-op or not, what. we will have some structure, but we are still going to be pouring money down a rat hole. we are going to be pouring money for patching, fixing in mending. so, unless and until we get a grip on prevention and

invitation of senator mark begich who wants to show me and a group of senators and also senator murkowski has been gracious enough to say that she will join us in this. we're going to see ground zero for global warming in alaska. i know greenland where i went is -- you can see thetic melt. you can sit and actually see thetic break off if thes off frt icebergs and watch them go to sea. so the scientists have proven it and we know it's absolutely true. so when senator inhofe comes down here and he flies in the face of science, those of us who have been working on this -- and i see one of our great leaders not only, i say this in the senate, but, frankly, in the country, and even in the world community, john kerry, who has joined us. just for his information i will speak for about another continue manipulates and i'll be so happy to sit and hear him because he's got such an important vision on this. but here is the good news. the good news is that this is an enormous opportunity to move our country forward. and again i could quote thomas freidman who did an extraordinary job of writing books

. >> with that, please thank the end o join me in thanking senatr murkowski. >> for information we expect to have senator bingaman in the next week or so. if you are not getting our e-mail announcements correctly, please make sure i get your business card so you can be included on the list. thank you all for coming. >> good questions. thank you. >> the market on the energy bill takes place today at 10:15 eastern time. >> we will go live now to the u.s. senate where members opened the day with an hour of

thune will be policy chair and senator murkowski will replace him as senator conference by share. the announcement came at a news conference in the capital. >> good afternoon, a one to introduce you to our two newly elected officials. we're pleased to welcome them to the team. they were already there in a sense. senator tune was vice chair and she was by my department at the leadership table. we have now made these changes and doned i'm happy to call on m for questions. >> thank you, leader. i want to thank my colleagues for giving me the opportunity to serve as policy committee chair. i am very much looking forward to continue working with the leadership team as we shape an agenda that i think will move america forward and serve as a counter to some of the agenda items we think will be detrimental. i think they have given us a lot of opportunity to work, whether proposing the largest tax increase, spending at unprecedented levels, putting on a new energy tax, nationalizing one sixth of the economy with health care system, taking ownership interest in now over 500 companies. there

. -- murkowski talks about the energy bill being marked up in committee. on "washington journal" tomorrow, we will discuss the supplemental spending bill. and with the former director of the national institutes of health, and she joins us at 9:00 eastern to discuss health care. after that, our guest is the un bureau chief of the "the new york times." he has written a new book called "at hezbollah wishes you a happy birthday." a couple of live events to tell you about our companion network, c-span3. the house financial services subcommittee holds a hearing on an subcommittee oversight. they will look for ways to keep insurance companies from pursuing policies that might hurt the financial system. later, nominations are considered for the federal communications commission. that is at 2:30 eastern. >> how is c-span funded? >> i have no clue. >> may be some government grants. >> advertising for products. >> public money i am sure. >> my taxes? >> how c-span funded? 30 years ago, america's cable companies created c-span as a public service. no government mandat

. >> senator murkowski, do you expect to -- i know you mentioned you've got some problems with the legislation, obviously, but you also mentioned the things -- are there things you expect to vote for coming out of committee? >> i knew that was going to be your first question and, of course, you always want to leave your options open just in case the sky should fall tomorrow. in looking at what we have outstanding, there are a couple of provisions in the oil section that i will tell you right now that cause me great trouble. these are amendments from a democratic colleague that would put limitations, further limitations, on oil production. i'm very concerned about them. i'm very hopeful that either they won't be brought up or that they will fail. i have said repeatedly that in order for me to weigh this out and find a positive balance, the domestic production piece has got to be meaningful. and as it is now, i'm okay with it. it could be -- it could be much stronger, i recognize that. my concern is that we may be in a situation tomorrow where with a couple of amendments, you could for all inten

[roll call] [roll call] [roll call] [roll call] [roll call] [roll call] >> [inaudible] murkowski is no and mikulski is yes. i voted no and the recent vote is aye. can i told you this goes back to when her dad was your. we get each other's mail, we get each other's e-mail. when her dad was here i was invited so much to the reagan white house. [laughter] thanking me and wanting to share their appreciation i just want us to be careful. >> the amendment is open for -- bill is open for further amendment. >> colburn amendment number 12. >> colburn amendment number 12, please. [inaudible] >> let me explain to you i look at health care i.t. and there's no question we we need it and it's quite a help. the bill wasn't allowed on till 2011. why is that? there's no interoperable standard that's completed. we all want interoperable standard. if you want to save lives and cut costs to mauro you will vote for this amendment. let me explain why. under the into a kickback a hospital in a big city is prohibited from using their computer software giving that to the providers would it be radiologists or f

president, i wanted to compliment my colleague, senator bingaman and senator murkowski and the republican and democratic colleagues on this committee. we've worked on this for, now, some months and it has taken some while to get to this point but today, finally, at long, long last, we passed this legislation and we will have it open the floor of the senate at some point in the future when the majority leader sees fit to bring it to the floor of the senate and we will have further debate here about points of it but it is exactly what we ought to be discussing. how do you make america more secure? how do you make america less dependent on foreign oil and things over which we have no control or very little control? develop an energy program here at home that makes a lot of sense. that does a lot of everything and does it very, very well. i think that is what we have continue this morning in the energy and natural resources committee. now, mr. president, i want to talk about one other issue today. that issue is something that has been announced by the president this afternoon, just after lunc

current levels which would result in a reduction actually of $101 million below the level that senator murkowski and i have proposed in the bill that we're considering. the fy 2010 bill reflects, as i've mentioned and said, only a 2.4% increase over fy 2009 spending levels when you take g.a.o. stimulus funding into account. when we started drafting this bill, the budget request we received sought a 15% increase over fy 2009. from the outset, the ranking member and i have been committed to holding this bill to the lowest possible funding level and to lead by example in being good stewards of the taxpayers' money. my intention was to hold this bill at the rate of inflation if we could. and it frankly pained me to even go as far as 2.4% over current year. but the reality is that there are expenses in the legislative branch that we're responsible for. as a former governor, i'm used to hearing individuals assert the desire to make budget cuts without actually offering any specifics. so i'm used to what we're seeing here tonight. so i will just say to my colleague that if he has specific suggestions a