Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) said she is likely to support a resolution of disapproval over President Trump’s declaration of a national emergency to secure more money for a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, the Anchorage Daily News reports.
McConnell Says No One Can Beat Murkowski
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) defended Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) in an AP interview in the face of criticism from President Trump saying she “certainly” would recover after voting against Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court.
Said McConnell: “Well, she’s certainly going to recover… She’s about as strong as you could possibly be in Alaska. Nobody’s gonna beat her. I’m proud she’s in the Republican conference.”
Alaska GOP Weighs Actions Against Murkowski
“Alaska Republican party leaders plan to consider whether to reprimand Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) for opposing Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation,” the AP reports.
“The party has asked Murkowski to provide any information she might want its state central committee to consider.”
Trump Says Murkowski ‘Will Never Recover’
President Trump predicted that Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) “will never recover” politically for her vote against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh as he celebrated his nominee’s ascension following an extraordinarily brutal confirmation process, the Washington Post reports.
He added: “I think the people from Alaska will never forgive her for what she did.”
For members: How Murkowski Could Decide Control of the Senate
Murkowski Will Be Marked ‘Present’ on Kavanaugh
NBC News: “More than a 1,000 miles from Washington, wedding bells in Montana on Saturday will cause one Republican senator to change how her vote on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is tallied.”
“Sen. Lisa Murkowski said Friday she ultimately will be marked as ‘present’ rather than a ‘no’ when the Senate is expected to confirm Kavanaugh to the nation’s highest court. She will be using the ‘pair between senators’ procedure so that Republican Sen. Steve Daines can walk his daughter down the aisle on her wedding day.”
Said Murkowski: “It will not change the outcome of the vote. But I do hope that it reminds us that we can take very small, very small steps to be gracious with one another. And maybe those small, gracious steps can lead to more.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“Hey Lisa Murkowski, I can see 2022 from my house…”
— Sarah Palin, on Twitter.
How Murkowski Could Decide Control of the Senate
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Bonus Quote of the Day
“I am taking everything into account. I think the president’s comments yesterday mocking Dr. Ford were wholly inappropriate and in my view unacceptable.”
— Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), quoted by The Hill, when asked how President Trump’s mockery of Christine Blasey Ford would impact her vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.
Murkowski Warns GOP to Take Allegations Seriously
“Republican Party leaders may be insisting that they will install Judge Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court, but Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) is offering a blunt warning of her own: Do not prejudge sexual assault allegations against the nominee that will be aired at an extraordinary public hearing on Thursday,” the New York Times reports.
Said Murkowski: “We are now in a place where it’s not about whether or not Judge Kavanaugh is qualified. It is about whether or not a woman who has been a victim at some point in her life is to be believed.”
All Eyes on Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski
James Hohmann: “No Democrats will vote for Kavanaugh at this point. That means that he’d go down if two of the 51 Republican senators defect.”
“The two senators considered likeliest to flip are the moderate women from Maine and Alaska, who have remained officially undecided and are both supportive of abortion rights. Each is holding their cards close to the vest. Remember, it was Collins and Murkowski who teamed up with John McCain to block the repeal of Obamacare last year. Because Roy Moore lost the special election in Alabama last December, the GOP now has one fewer seat than it did then.”
“If just one GOP senator defected, Vice President Pence would break the tie. But that’s a political headache for Republicans, too, because members like Nevada’s Dean Heller in 2018 and Cory Gardner in 2020 would inevitably face attack ads that accuse them of casting the deciding vote to put an accused sexual predator on the high court.”
“Also keep an eye on Jeff Flake. Retiring this year, the Arizona Republican is thinking a lot about his legacy. Is this a vote he wants to define it?”
Murkowski Supports Repealing Obamacare Mandate
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) says she supports GOP efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate, Politico reports.
Said Murkowski: “I have always supported the freedom to choose. I believe that the federal government should not force anyone to buy something they do not wish to buy, in order to avoid being taxed.”
“Murkowski’s renewed support for repealing the mandate — after repeatedly opposing her party’s Obamacare repeal bills this year — may be a boon for Senate Republicans’ tax legislation, which includes mandate repeal and is expected to be taken up on the Senate floor next week.”
Trump Has Effectively Lost His Senate Majority
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Why Murkowski’s Vote Probably Can’t Be Bought
A GOP operative explains to HuffPost why Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) probably can’t be convinced to vote for the Graham-Cassidy health care bill by letting Alaska keep Obamacare while it’s repealed for nearly every other state.
Said the operative: “So Lisa Murkowski votes for this bill, she gets to keep the benefits of the Affordable Care Act in Alaska. She votes against the bill, she keeps them as well. Why would she go for that? The only cost is political in terms of a high profile flip-flop that results in irritating all the constituents who aren’t already angry.”
Republicans Attempt to Buy Murkowski’s Vote
A Republican Senate aide told Independent Journal Review that Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) are attempting to buy Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s (R-AK) support through new changes to their controversial Obamacare repeal proposal before an expected vote next week.
“This draft includes 3 separate provisions benefiting Alaska.”
Most interesting: Alaska and Hawaii would “continue to receive Obamacare’s premium tax credits” despite them getting repealed in the rest of the country.
Let’s Not Forget Murkowski
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Trump Threatens Alaska Over Murkowski’s Vote
President Trump “isn’t going to just let Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s (R-AK) no vote on Tuesday’s health care motion go,” the Alaska Dispatch News reports.
“Early Wednesday, Trump took to Twitter to express displeasure with Murkowski’s vote. By that afternoon, each of Alaska’s two Republican senators had received a phone call from Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke letting them know the vote had put Alaska’s future with the administration in jeopardy.”
David Nather: “If true — White House and Interior Department spokespeople didn’t respond to the paper’s requests for comment — it would be an unusually blunt retaliation for a senator’s vote. And it raises questions about whether other GOP senators will get the same treatment.”
Murkowski Unfazed by Trump Criticism
After President Trump tweeted that Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) “really let the Republicans, and our country, down” by voting against the motion to proceed on health care legislation, the Alaska senator told NBC News, “I am in a position where I’m not looking to reelection until 2022.”
She added: “And quite honestly, I don’t think it’s wise to be operating on a daily basis thinking about what a statement or a response that causes you to be fearful of your electoral prospects.”
Murkowski Calls Health Care Meeting ‘Icky’
When reporters asked Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) how a Republican caucus meeting went the Alaska senator waited for an elevator to arrive, she responded, “Icky,” quickly noting that was not “very senatorial,” the Alaska Dispatch News reports.
When asked if any progress was made “on issues that are important to you” for the health care bill, she paused and said, “No.”
Politico says Murkowski ripped GOP leaders’ attempt to scale back Medicaid spending in their new bill.
