murkowski: ok. i just want to make sure that i have an accurate understanding of your description of what is happening on the ground in the tongass right now. the timber sale program within the tongass includes old-growth and young growth. it's the 2016 plan was adopted, the forest service has not even come close to meeting the annual volume target. the volume offered is only approximately 66% of the target, but the key figure, which is the volume sold, is only 31% of the target. and this statistic continues to go downhill if you look at the old-growth volume. that's only 22% of the target. my assessment is that the forest service continues to struggle with its efforts to identify, design, and sell economic timber sales within the tongass. what appears clear is that the new forest plan, the conservation overlays between the tongass 77 and nature conservancy priority areas, and the loss of those areas with the roadless exemption, these have all come together to contribute to a shrinking land base tha

the measure needed 67 votes several republicans who voted in favor of the override senator collins murkowski, paul and young. here is the debate from earlier today. >> i cast my vote in support of the resolution we will be voting on. this body with the american people wish to end direct military support of the saudi lead coalition campaign in yeme yemen. i'm disappointed not surprise they issued a veto with the campaign of devastating consequences and every time we have a vote on the resolution the numbers get worse but let us be clear more than 15 million on the brink of starvation and those that are suffering from the largest cholera epidemic in the world. even the coalition countries themselves do the man-made conflict. and with iran to watch attacks into the civilian centers targeting the campaign to threaten humanitarian access. the political process that emerged and to be sure the houthis present a serious challenge. [applause] . >> thank you tonight we are joined by nearly 200 members of the board of trustees from across the united states as well as distinguished guests from across th

the republicans voting in favor senators calling, murkowski, paul and jan now we look at the debate on the resolution prior to the vote. that brings us to the boat we will have today whether or not to override president trump veto of theip bipartisan legislationo lend support for saudi arabia's action in the catastrophic war in yemen. i see a colleague from connecticut on the floor and i want to thank him for his leadership in this area and i urge the senate together to stand up for american values and long-term interest and vote today to overturn the veto but there it is the conduct of the war in yemen, the grisly murder of american residents "washington post" columnist or the imprisonment of u.s. citizens or the violation of enbasic human rights, the united states must evaluate and reshape the relationship with saudi arabia. the crown prince has recklessly directed a brutal war in yemen for five years. it is one of the greatest disasters facing humanity and even after waging this war, the result has been they are more entrenched and more militarily sophisticated today than they were

the republicans voting in favor senators calling, murkowski, paul and jan now we look at the debate on the resolution prior to the vote. that brings us to the boat we will have today whether or not to override president trump veto of theip bipartisan legislationo lend support for saudi arabia's action in the catastrophic war in

treatment, and i want to thank senator braun for working with me on this effort as well as senator murkowski for joining this effort because both democrats and republicans agree that prescription drug costs are too high in this country. so let's work together to bring relief to american families. i strongly believe that if both parties look past the partisan debate in washington, we can find common ground on solutions that work for the american people, and i stand ready to work with any of my colleagues in the senate on solutions that help lower costs and expand health care coverage for our constituents. i yield back. a senator: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from kansas -- from iowa. mr. grassley: i want to address my colleagues with three different subjects. the first one is very, very short. but things that are being talked about right now, particularly in the other body. many in the media seem very, very unhappy with the results of the mueller report, or might be embarrassed that the world knows that they sold a bunch of snake oil for the past two years. talking two

we recently learned full payments for 2018 that senator murkowski and i would include the fire cap authorization we are hit with a sequester i asked my staff to look into it at the budget office told us you were correcting that decision in the counties will receive full payments can you would tell me when you expect those to be issued quick. >> thank you. you are correct there were different interpretations of the sequestration should be applied. that has been corrected we distributed those funds to the states earlier this week and they should be hitting the actual states by the end of this week. it has been executed. >> the check is in the mail. and you have been through this a lot but the money is very important for education, law enforcement and we need to make sure that they know they will be getting them. as i stated unfocused to ensure the fire cap last beyond the current two-year authorization so we need the forest service to be judicious we need your help to show this is to retain the authority. to keep a watchful eye on spending to give your budget director the tools they need to track

senator cardin and lisa murkowski are sponsoring the bill to remove the deadline of the senate.an collins just signed on. we're working on republican bipartisan issue. amy: we will continue to follow this, carol jenkins con jessica neuwirth, copresidents of the era coalition/fund for women's equality. jessica neuwirth also author of "equal means equal: why the time for an equal rights amendment is now." that does it for our broadcast. [captioning g made possiblble by

but that's why each year i come together with senators collins and murkowski to lead a bipartisan charge to repeal the global gag rule and to bolster resources for international family planning. hopefully we will be able to pass that again this year. now in light of all these dangerous efforts to erode protections for women's health, we need to stand together here in congress. we need to join forces with women across the country and around the world. we need to say enough is enough. women should be able to access health insurance for reproductive services, for family planning services, just as men can access health insurance for all the services they need. so thank you, mr. president. i yield the floor. mr. murphy: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from connecticut. mr. murphy: thank you, mr. president. mr. president, senator romney and i had the privilege over the easter recess to visit our troops and our diplomats in iraq. they are serving us well. they are putting their lives on the line, as we partner with the iraqis to make sure that isis does not reconstitute itself

that mitch mcconnell and members of the leadership told the white house we cannot get lowe is a murkowskijoanie ernst, susan collins on the ballot next year in maine, we won't get their votes given all that he's written about, but this is inside inside politics. steve moore the club for growth, a conservative group that runs ads against establishment republican candidates that are mitch mcconnell's friends. there's no goodwill for him to go to steve moore and say i need you to take one for the team. >> for people like joanie ernst who are constantly getting questioned back home by liberal activists, why don't you stand up to trump for what he's done or said he's done towards women, this is their chance to do that. it's a smaller version of it, but it's their chance to sort of stand up, particularly on this issue, and it makes it an easy no vote. >> we should note really quickly senator mike lee of utah invited steve moore to come to the republican lunch on capitol hill and wanted him to defend the people from people who said do not nominate this guy because we won't be able to back him an

however, we as senators, like susan collins and lisa murkowski and governors on different sides of thatperez, the head of the dnc has said, if you are pro-life, you cannot be a democrat. we will not support you. >> okay, moving on to tariffs, as you know, there are some people who voted for president trump who are farmers and who say that his tariffs now are hurting them. here, i'll just play for you, one ohio farmer who explains the effect that it's had on him. listen. >> we're in a free fall out here in agriculture. we've seen 30% decrease in prices of soybeans. the geopolitical turmoil that the president has thrown into the mix over the last year, the markets just don't have anywhere to go. >> worry about losing those voters? >> i think the president has done the right thing in standing up to china. i think it's been too long that our country has allowed china to impose $500 billion in tariffs on our country or allow $500 billion trade deficit with our country and not allowed our products into their country. on top of stealing intellectual property. chuck schumer agrees with the pres

how about we share senator lisa murkowski's birthday gift to herself. glad the senator had some fun. we begin with some serious business. the speaker of the house just moments ago telling reporters why she thinks the president is so mad. speaker pelosi calling president trump a master of distraction. she says his west wing temper tantrum yesterday yet another distraction in her view meant to dare democrats to cross the line on impeachment. >> the house democratic caucus is not on a path to impeachment, and that's where he wants us to be. >> that last sentence is pelosi's big message this morning. we're not on the path. her argument, one she made to her top deputies this morning. the president wants impeachment she believes so pelosi is saying democrats need to stick with the plan and keep investigating, but pelosi's keep calm an carry on message comes even as the speaker argues the president in her view has committed crimes worthy of will impeachment. >> the president's behavior in terms of his obstruction of justice, the things that he is doing is very

just recently, senator murkowski from alaska introduced legislation in securing an alternative supplyposing funding for recycling of these batteries. and so, we do see the u.s. aning steps to ensure alternative supply, which is desperately needed today. am curious as to your visit, what. xi's did that tell you reading between the lines? robert: i am not an expert on u.s.-china relations, if that is true what folks are speculating, this is the reason why there is such a going concern for u.s. oems and different companies that use lithium ion batteries. they don't want to be caught up in these trade tensions. they don't want their supply of material to be bound by the geopolitical issues of the day. and so, we are in conversations with them about how to collect their spent batteries and provide a recycling solution so they can close the loop on these materials and may be decrease their dependence on my material materials and foreign materials that will ensure their projections for production in the future. paul: thank you for joining us today. now forget our interactive tv function, tv

the republicans voting in favor, senators collins, danes, lee, murkowski, and young. here is some of the debate on the yemen resolution. sen. mcconne:

the republicans voting in favor, senators collins, danes, lee, murkowski, and young. here is some of the debate on the yemen resolution. sen. mcconnell: and march the senate narrowly passed a resolution that would have misused the war powers act and hampered u.s. efforts in bringing yemen to a close. fortunately, the president vetoed it and so to date members will have a second chance to send the right message regarding america's commitments to our partners in the region. humanitarian and to eradicating al qaeda appeared i would urge my colleagues to vote to uphold the president's veto. the resolution before us starts from false premises. we are not parties to the civil war in yemen. we are no longer providing air to air refueling. more important, the resolution would make it more difficult to prevent the loss of innocent lives. this resolution would require u.s. advisors to cease training and intelligence sharing operations that help pilots avoid civilian casualties. it would dry up u.s. noncombat support to the weekend u.n. recognized government in yemen. the resolu

murkowski: good morning, everybody. the committee will come to