murkowski i will share it with -- mrs. murkowski: i appreciate your indulgence. i, again, speak on behalf of not only john maker as a -- john baker as a great athlete, but his canine athletes. when the mushers lead out of the start in -- in willow, they leave with about 16 dogs on the team. and these are -- are remarkable animals who love nothing more than to be on the trail and to be mushing. and his team demonstrated a -- a resolve and a commitment and just a dedication to -- to not only their musher, mr. baker, but just to what the whole sport of dog mushing is -- is all about. for those who follow the ey iditarod trail, you know this is not for the -- for the weak. this is -- this is over exceptionally rugged terrain, oftentimes in exceptionally rugged circumstances where you have arctic winds howling down off of the coast, blizzards that provide for -- for whiteouts, going down passes that -- that cause encounters that flip you over and break sleds an break bones. -- and break bones. it is not for the timid. but alaska brings out some exceptional individuals

the statement from senator alisa murkowski from alaska -- look at the areas of alaska -- planned our it might be the only family planning provider there. senator murkowski was very eloquent and talking about the need to make sure that women's health care that we don't lose the access that women currently have and that would be the result of this. >> what is the strategy on the hill for winning this? will the members to vote against this be facing up? >> we are educating folks around the country about how people voted on repealing family planning and going after planned parenthood. it is an issue because uniformly, in all the independent polling we have seen "the wall street journal" paul was quite specific, there is overwhelming support for planned parenthood and family planning in this country. folks who oppose this basic health care service, i don't think it is good politics for them. more than 60% of women of child- bearing age strong the opposed repealing family planning access and america. in the senate, we have been working with all the senators to educate them about the vital

senator murkowski. >> mr. borchardt, you mentioned the task force and the 90-day review that you will be undertaking here. so much of what we needed to learn, of course, we are not able to know at this point in time because we cannot safely go into the facility. do we have any idea how long we are looking at to get these units cool down so that we can enter the area, examined the reactors, look at the spent fuel? what do you anticipate? >> i cannot even hazard a guess on how long that will be. the reason we are approaching the nanny-gate lessons learned immediately is that we do not one -- to wait 90-state lessons learned is that we do not want to wait to evaluate. there are things we need to evaluate immediately and that is why we are beginning that review. >> just as a possible addition to that, the department has provided information to the government of japan on radiation capabilities available in the country. asia and is being readied -- a shipment is being readied -- i do not know if that has left yet, b

and so, the effect on members of the take a look what happened to lisa murkowski and robert bennett and mike castle on the republican side just to serve it is your first name. you don't want to antagonize these groups or you may not keep your seat that. democrats have a similar problem, but it was more pronounced than the republican side this last time. at the very discipline you factor in terms of the ability to tackle these issues and take to vote at this point. third, called the new media with the growth of the internet now with the blogs. you have msnbc and fox. if you ever watched on the same net effect to different planet. they are also have a major influence on voter opinions and nonpolitical opinions. for republican members etr fox gave to democrats, msnbc talking to your base. and finally, i had read about more to talk about with republican gains this last time are not a result of people turning back to republicans. this was just the voters trying to put some balance back in the government. so it balanced government, divided government. this is the norm. almost two thirds of th

senator murkowski. >> mr. borchardt, you mentioned the task force and the 90 day review that you will be undertaking here. so much of what we need to learn of course we are not able to know at this point in time because we cannot safely go into the facility. do we have any idea how long we are looking at to get the units cooled down so that in fact we can enter the area, examined the reactors, cut the fuel? what do you anticipate? >> i can't even hazard a guess on how long that will be but the reason we are approaching with a 90 day lessons learned immediately is because we didn't want to wait for whenever that was. we think there's things we can evaluate and should evaluate immediately and that's why we are beginning their review. >> dr. lyons? >> senator murkowski as a possible addition to that, the department has provided information to the government of japan on the capabilities available in the country. a shipment is being ready and i don't know if it has left yet but there will be mediation robotics avai

murkowski: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alaska. ms. murkowski: mr.resident, thank you. and to the chairman of the small business subcommittee and the ranking member, thank you for your work on this legislation. senator landrieu, you've spoken about the necessity, particularly in this environment today as we're coming out of a recession, the need to ensure that we have that conducive environment for our small businesses to thrive. it's not just about incentives and opportunities. it really is that -- that business environment, and one of the things that i think that is important for us as policymakers to look at is those things that are put in place that perhaps smother our businesses, whether it's through regulation or the costs, the permitting, but also those things create uncertainty, and that is what i'd like to speak to for just a few minutes this afternoon. the minority leader has put forth an amendment just several hours ago that would put a stop to the e.p.a.'s command and control climate regulations. this is an amendment that i'm rising today

murkowski: thank you, madam president. last week i spoke on five of the steps that we need to take to increase domestic oil production, and today i'd like to take a few moments to speak more broadly about our nation's energy policies as a whole, what the proper goals for sawch a policy should be -- such a policy should be and the false choice between increased domestic production and reduced oil consumption. energy policy has repeatedly been brought up as an area where this congress and this president can find common ground, knowing that something actually needs to be done, however, is no guarantee that is will be done. but the truth of it is, most of us know that we can improve in the area of energy. and with oil prices at above $100 a barrel, the price at the pump heading towards $4 a gallon, we need to develop a coherent national energy policy to find that common ground. that need has taken on even greater urgency. so -- so what makes for good energy policy and how can we ensure that agreement is finally reached on mean

murkowski: thank you, madam president. clearly, some very, very serious subjects that are being discussed today. i applaud my colleague from kentucky for bringing up the tough stuff. we cannot escape our reality, and our reality is, as he says, it is in the entitlements that we will -- we will finally grapple with the insurmountable debt that we are faced with as a nation. some very, very difficult issues in front of us with equally difficult solutions. so as we stand and present them, try to talk to one another, this is a critical time for us to be having these discussions, to talk about all the things that need to be on the table. well, one of the things that is being discussed around family dinner tables in the evening is what is happening in this country as it relates to the price of oil and how that translates more personally to american families who every time they go to fill up the car or the minivan or whatever it is that they're driving, it is costing them more and more. every time you pick up a newspaper, every t

i recall last june the senator from alaska, senator murkowski, proposed doing that on these very rules affecting co-2. we did not get a majority vote so it didn't happen. maybe in the new congress such an attempt would get a majority vote. and if we can't apply that congressional veto again to those rules, then that brings about the mcconnell amendment that i'm speaking about to take away the authority of e.p.a. to do it. but perhaps we can use the congressional veto on a lot of other issues yet that regulators are regulating maybe against the will of the people. and i hope we will. but there's one that senator paul has suggested that i ask unanimous consent to be added as a cosponsor to amendment 231. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. grassley: that would be the -- he uses the acronym, r-e-i-n-s. it's called the regulation from the executive in need of scrutiny. and basically what it does -- and i applaud senator paul for his amendment, and i will surely vote for it -- and that is that we delegate authority to agencies in the executive branch of government to write regulat

and so the effect on members as you take a look at what happened to lisa murkowski and robert bennett and mike castle in their primaries on the republican side just to start with is your frozen. you don't want to antagonize these groups or you may not get your seat back. the democrats have a similar problem that was more pronounced on the republican side this last time. that's a very disciplined factor in terms of their ability to tackle these issues and take off the votes at this point and thereby cut the new media with the growth of the internet now with the blogs. we have msnbc and fox if you've ever watched them on the same might it's like two different planets. they are also a major influence on the voter opinions and political opinions, the republican members you get your foxx, democrats, msnbc, talking to the base. and finally, i would add we have a lot more to talk about. the republican gains the last time more the result of people turning back. this was just the voters trying to put some balance back in the government suite of balanced government, divided government, this is

then the senate addressed with the ranking energy committee member lisa murkowski. she addresses the need for energy alternatives to reduce demand >> march is women's history month, a time not only to celebrate the progress we have made, but the women who made that progress possible. one woman who comes to mind is eleanor roosevelt. in 1961, the former first lady was unhappy about the lack of women in government. she marched up to president kennedy and handed him a three- page list of women who were qualified to serve in his administration. this led the president to select your as a commission to look at the state of women in america, the unfairness that routinely faced in their lives. the report a released spurred action across the country. it helped galvanize a movement led by women that would help make our society a more equal place. in almost 50 years since the roosevelt commission published its findings, there have been few more efforts by the government and the decades that followed. that is what last week week issued a new comprehensive report on the status o

the arctic national wildlife refuge is murkowski's solution."ot of stories point out that is something that would not kick in right away. it would take years to tap that reserve and to tap other areas in alaska. what do you think about right now? let's hear from wally in florida field i think we lost him. john on the line for democrats. caller: i'm going to make a couple comments. please do not cut me off. host: get to your point and we will see what we can do. caller: this is caused by multinational corporations with this so-called -- how you say it -- they are sitting here. it is speculation. these leaders are trying to deal with countries that do not have any laws. we are a nation of laws and we are taking our rights away so we can deal with others who are doing stuff to the poor in africa and saudi arabia and everything else. when people wake up that governments are trying to milk the life of the people so they can get control of the masses and then when these people take control, we will really be in trouble. we've talked about republicans

senator murkowski points out that u.s. oil reserves at just three sources in alaska -- just three sources in alaska -- could replace crude oil imports from the persian gulf for nearly 65 years. three sources in alaska currently shut down could replace crude oil imports from the persian gulf for 65 years. yet all three are off limits due to decisions made by or continued by this administration. behind all these actions is a complete disconnect. at a time when gas prices are climbing higher and higher, pinching pocketbooks and threatening an economic recovery, democrats in washington would rather ignore the fact that americans will remain dependent on fossil fuel for decades to come. but we shouldn't be surprised by it. two months before the president was elected, the man he ended up choosing as his energy secretary told a reporter how he'd go about reducing america's dependence on oil. somehow, he said, we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels in europe. and if that was the strategy, secretary

i thank him for his work, along with the great work that senators murkowski and barrasso have done in educating the american people about these issues. at a time when americans are looking for answers on the economy, this amendment is as good as it gets from washington. by voting for it, we would be saying no to more regulations and red tape, and we would be saying yes to american job creators and to the jobs they want to create. i would urge my colleagues in both parties to support it. the presiding officer: under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved. under the previous order, the senate will be in a period of morning business for one hour, with senators permitted to speak therein for up to ten minutes each, with the time equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees, with the majority controlling the first half and the republicans controlling the final half. mr. mcconnell: i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: quorum call: quorum call: quorum call: mr. schumer: madam president?

. >> this is lisa murkowski. our hearts and prayers are with the people of japan in the wake of friday's terrible earthquake and tsunami. the memories of the devastating 1964 quakers to with this. we're just beginning to complement -- comprehend the magnitude of this quake. we share the president's support to help recovery and we commend the actions he has taken so far. this tragedy as well as the upheaval in the middle east and north africa serve as stark reminders of how intertwined at our world economy is, how world events beyond our control can affect all of us. it makes it all the more important that we control those things we can. i want to speak with you today about one of the threats that we are experiencing personally -- rising energy prices. i want to share some of the steps the republicans are ready to take right now, steps that will protect america from international conflict, create thousands of new jobs, reduce our budget deficit, and help bring energy prices back down to earth. nationwide, prices h

senator murkowski and i hosted a senatewide briefing on tuesday afternoon with three top oil industry analysts. we had dr. richard knewel, head of the energy information administration, mr. bob mcal inly, part of the bush administration's white house team on energy markets, and mr mr. frank rostro, who is the head of the energy and natural security program with the center for strategic and international studies. and they gave us their. mr. whitehouse: whit-- andthey bangalore and they gave us their insiects as to what is - bing ay gave us their insights as to what is caution the rise in gasoline prices at the pump. let me go through four charts here to try to summarize what they told us that he briefing. i think it is very useful information for my colleagues and for anyone else who's interested in the subject. this first chart is labeled "gasoline prices reflect the cost of crude oil." a fundamental truth which they all subscribe to is that the primary driver of the price of gasoline at the pump is in fact the price of crude oil on world markets. this chart demonstrates that. if it s

friend and luckily they were working on their homework and the interview she is doing with senator murkowski which ensure will be devastating to senator herber rakowski, but i wanted to ask you a few questions on this, the recent wall street journal article examined 50 web sites popular with teens and children to see what tracking tools installed on a test computer. as a group used over 4,000 copies and other pieces of tracking technology that is actually 30% more than four found in a similar analysis of adult website which is rather disturbing. i think that there was more of these being used on told friends web sites. can you describe your agencies experience in dealing with tracking of children and teens online and what do you think needs to be done? >> there's no doubt there is an extraordinary amount of monetizing team information. as you know, door bader i believe is a very responsible 15-year-old and i know from my children they spend a lot of time on-line, and so one of the recommendations in our report discusses sort of the need for a kind of enhanced consensus for children. but of c

friend and luckily they were working on their homework and the interview she is doing with senator murkowskiwhich ensure will be devastating to senator herber rakowski, but i wanted to ask you a few questions on this, the recent wall street journal article examined 50 web sites popular with teens and children to see what tracking tools installed on a test computer. as a group used over 4,000 copies and other pieces of tracking technology that is actually 30% more than four found in a similar analysis of adult website which is rather disturbing. i think that there was more of these being used on told friends web sites. can you describe your agencies experience in dealing with tracking of children and teens online and what do you think needs to be done? >> there's no doubt there is an extraordinary amount of monetizing team information. as you know, door bader i believe is a very responsible 15-year-old and i know from my children they spend a lot of time on-line, and so one of the recommendations in our report discusses sort of the need for a kind of enhanced consensus for children. but of co

last year senator murkowski and i did this before all of the campaign-style speeches about cutting began. it was clear she didn't bring a political agenda to the table, and i hope she knows that i didn't either. and this year in working with senator hoeven and also a former governor, as i am, who is now ranking member on the subcommittee, i have every reason to believe that he also will be serious and fair, as we reduce spending in next year's budget. cutting the spending for congress for our offices, committees, and staff, our buildings, our police, our efforts on this hill is an effort to lead by example. our committee's bipartisan example can serve as an example for how the other 11 spend bills are handled. our message to paraphrase harry truman is, "the buck shrinks here." soon we'll vote on the two spending bills. one is -- has done nothing to attract republicans. the other has done nothing to attract democrats. in the end, you have bills that will divide. they do not unite congress. for the reasons i've given, i will vote against both. then what's next? we will, washington needs to

and so the effect on members as you take a look at what happened to lisa murkowski and robert bennett and mike castle in ther primaries on the republican side just to start with is your frozen. you don't want to antagonize these groups or you may not get your seat back. the democrats have a similar problem that was more pronounced on the republican side this last time. that's a very disciplined factor in terms of their ability to tackle these issues and take off the votes at this point and thereby cut the new media with the growth of the internet now with the blogs. we have msnbc and fox if you've ever watched them on the same might it's like two differet planets. they are also a major influence on the voter opinions and political opinions, the republican members you get your foxx, democrats, msnbc, talking to the base. and finally, i would add we have a lot more to talk about. the republican gains the last time more the result of people turning back. this was just the voters trying to put some balance back in the government suite of balanced government, divided government, this is th

senator murkowski has pointed out that her state has oil in excess of 65 years of oil imports. as alaska's governor wrote in a recent "wall street journal" op-ed, if americans wonder what our economic achilles' heel is they need look no further than the permits that allows for exploration an production. the federal government estimates that alaska's outercontinental shelf holds 132 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. we could be drilling now in the arctic ocean off the coast of alaska if the environmental protection agency would speed things up and issue an air permit. developing these resources would not only generate vast new supplies but translate to a lot of good jobs. in fact, a new study by the northern economics and university of alaska anchorage's institute of social and economic research shows that developing oil and gas in the buford and alaska's outer continental shelf would create 55, 700 jobs. an estimated $63 billion would be paid to employees in alaska. and another $82 billion would be paid to employees in the rest of the united states. as the report notes, and i