End of Congress roundup
Hello and Happy Thursday!
I hope your holiday season is commencing with as much joy and as little stress as possible. It really is difficult to believe that 2022 is nearly over. With 2023 — and the start of a new Congress — fast approaching, I wanted to take a break from my holiday-induced newsletter hiatus for some quick updates on the Alaska Congressional Delegation's recent moves and votes in Congress.
Election season, we hardly knew ye.
As you know, election season is over; the incessant TV, radio, and web ads have gone quiet, and your email inbox is probably feeling some relief from fundraising emails. Alaska's two highest-profile congressional elections have been called. Senator Lisa Murkowski and Congresswoman Mary Peltola have been re-elected to the U.S. Senate and U.S. House, respectively. Alaska has now conducted four elections under the new ranked-choice system, working out the kinks and streamlining the process along the way. While Murkowski and Peltola didn't hit the required 50% in the first ranked-choice tabulations (though Peltola came very close at 48.7% in the first round), they clinched victory in round two when voters' second-choice options were reallocated among the remaining candidates. They will return to D.C. in January, joining Senator Dan Sullivan as Alaska's Congressional Delegation for the 118th Congress (January 3, 2023, to January 3, 2025).
As a former Alaska Delegation staffer, one of the most frequent situations I'd encounter was constituents being unaware of a vote or statement that Congressman Young had made despite it being available on his website.
So, allow me to plug the official congressional websites of Alaska's Delegation. Don’t forget to bookmark these!
Click here for Senator Lisa Murkowski's website.
Click here for Senator Dan Sullivan's website.
Click here for Representative Mary Peltola's website.
The Alaska Delegation votes aye...I mean..."I do."
This morning, Representative Mary Peltola joined her House Democratic colleagues and 39 House Republicans to pass the Respect for Marriage Act, legislation to codify federal recognition and protections for same-sex and interracial marriage. The bill, which repeals the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, was supported in the Senate by both Senators Murkowski and Sullivan. It marks Congress' first successful legislative action in response to June's Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, in which Justice Thomas issued a concurring opinion stating that the Supreme Court should revisit other landmark cases — including Obergefell v. Hodges.
The version voted on by the House today contained the Senate's religious liberty protections that were not in the original bill. The changes include explicit language clarifying that non-profit religious organizations will not be required to "provide any services, facilities, or goods for the solemnization or celebration of a marriage" and a provision preventing the federal government from recognizing polygamy.
Both Murkowski and Sullivan supported the bill, but they did so for different reasons.
While voting to advance the bill, Murkowski highlighted her support for marriage equality, stating, "I have long supported marriage equality and believe all lawful marriages deserve respect. I thank my colleagues who improved the bill's protections for religious liberty and continued prohibitions on polygamy, allowing it to move forward this week. All Americans deserve dignity, respect, and equal protection under the law."
To Sullivan, the bill was about protecting religious liberty, "Although I disagreed with Obergefell, I said then I would respect the Court's decision and also continue to fight for, respect, and defend the religious liberty of all Americans. Even with a Republican president and Republican majorities in the House and Senate, we were unable to codify any substantive religious liberty protections into law—until today," Sullivan said.
Finally, Representative Peltola's statement following the bill’s passage framed the vote through the lens of freedom, one of the themes of her "fish, family, and freedom" campaign slogan.
"Enacting this important legislation is a major victory for freedom, privacy, dignity, and equality,” said Peltola. “The federal government should never stand in the way of someone marrying the person they love. I'm proud to have supported this bill which will strengthen the rights of millions of Americans."
The bill now heads to President Biden's desk for his signature.
House passes bill to make Sullivan's POWER Act permanent.
Earlier this month, the House, led by Congresswoman Peltola, passed a bill to make the Pro Bono Work to Empower and Represent (POWER) Act permanent. The POWER Act, bipartisan legislation created by Senator Dan Sullivan and Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), combats domestic violence nationwide by requiring all federal district courts to host an annual summit encouraging lawyers to offer their legal services to survivors on a pro bono basis. Additionally, the POWER Act requires an event to be held specifically in areas with Alaska Native and Native American populations. It was first enacted in 2018, and authorized for a period of four years. The permanent authorization passed the Senate in August and will now head to President Biden's desk for signature. According to a joint press release from Sullivan and Shaheen, the POWER Act has resulted in 248 pro bono legal summits across the nation, reaching more than 61,000 attorneys.
Senator Sullivan released a statement following the House vote:
"Many lawyers are more than willing to donate their time and expertise to help vulnerable survivors navigate the complex legal system. The key is letting attorneys know about the significant need that exists and how they can help. This was the motivation behind my 2018 POWER Act—a continuation at the national level of our efforts in Alaska with the Choose Respect initiative. In the years since the POWER Act became law, we've amassed an army of thousands of lawyers who are lifting women and children out of horrible situations."
Murkowski announces new funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The federal government continues rolling out funding to Alaska from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This week, Senator Lisa Murkowski, a key negotiator of the bill, announced new grants to restore habitats, bolster climate resilience, and protect Alaska's ecosystems. The grant list can be found here, in the Senator's recurring grant roundup news release. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, officially titled the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, was enacted in November 2021, and was supported by both Senators Murkowski and Sullivan, in addition to the late Congressman Don Young.
"Due to grants made available through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, record funding has been awarded to projects – including five in Alaska – which will help communities build climate resilience and improve vast tracts of coastal habitats. I look forward to seeing the positive impact this funding will have on Kotlik, Point Hope, and Chilkat Indian Village as well as through the good work of the Alaska Wildlife Alliance and the Alaska Conservation Foundation."
Social Media Corner
Congresswoman Mary Peltola is leaving the office formerly occupied by Congressman Don Young. But before she did, she shared one final meeting with Senator Murkowski in the room Congressman Young worked from for years. Alaskans visiting Capitol Hill can find her new office in the Cannon Building, room 153.
Senator Murkowski and Congresswoman Peltola attended the 2022 White House Congressional Ball.
Senator Dan Sullivan spoke with nationally syndicated radio host Hugh Hewitt about the Willow Project.
Senator Murkowski welcomed Bennet Lane, an Alaskan leader from the Job Corps Center in Palmer, who was visiting DC for a leadership summit.
