January 18, 2011 Senator Begich Newsletter

A Time to Reflect and Remember

At Sunday’s citywide celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King in Anchorage, Sen. Begich shared the stage with many of the city’s top cultural performance groups including the Polynesian Dancers.

On the heels of the tragedy in Tucson, it is nice to be back home in Alaska joining in celebrations honoring the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and reflecting on where we are as a nation. I have spent the past few days at a variety of events honoring Dr. King, but also reconnecting with friends at the Covenant House Fire & Ice Ball as well as the Alaska SeaLife Center Marine Gala. All of these activities remind me how fortunate I am to come from the great state of Alaska and to work for Alaskans in the U.S. Senate.

As I said Sunday in my comments to the citywide Martin Luther King celebration in Anchorage, his dream of civil rights and his approach to thoughtful dialogue, forceful debate and even civil disobedience are needed now more than ever in our country. As our nation continues to heal and mourn the tragic shootings in Tucson, we are reminded of the terrible legacy of violence in this country toward our leaders. I believe the hard and necessary work we need to do now is take a close look at how we engage in political discourse and reassess how we can disagree yet still move forward. I will continue to meet regularly with Alaskans all around our state and attend as many public events as possible. My style and approach to public service will remain the same as we all work towards Dr. King’s dream of respect and non-violence.

My thoughts and prayers continue to be with Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, the other victims of the Arizona tragedy and their families.

Sincerely,

Senator Mark Begich

Happy 25th Anniversary to Thread-Alaska

It was a “Winter Wonderland” celebration Saturday afternoon at the Hotel Captain Cook as Sen. Begich joined hundreds for the 25th Anniversary of Thread-Alaska.

Begich Requests Commerce Committee Hearing on TAPS

Citing the vital importance of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) to domestic energy production, Sen. Begich is requesting that the Senate Commerce Committee host a hearing on issues relating to TAPS in March or April of this year. In a letter to Commerce Committee Chairman Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), Begich identified the national economic importance of TAPS, which currently carries approximately 15% of domestically produced oil, and the need to examine how reduced throughput and decreased funds for maintenance and operations will impact the 33-year-old line. “We all have a stake in how this key piece of national infrastructure will fare with reduced throughput and the need for increased funds for maintenance and operations,” Begich said. Begich met yesterday with Alyeska Pipeline Co. President Tom Barrett where the senator was briefed on the recent shutdown of the pipeline and the status of response and repair. The meeting included company engineers who detailed the events of the past ten days and the eventual restart of the pipeline.

Coming Together for the State of the Union

Calling for the U.S. Senate and House to move past unproductive political rhetoric and partisanship, Sen. Begich joined a letter urging Democrats and Republicans to sit together during the President’s upcoming State of the Union address. The letter, authored by Sen. Mark Udall (D – Colorado), asks Democrats and Republicans to break a tradition of sitting on opposite sides of the House chamber during the President’s annual address. Sen. Begich has asked Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Rep. Don Young to sit with him during the address as a united Alaska delegation. The letter reads: “Perhaps by sitting with each other for one night we will begin to rekindle that common spark that brought us here from 50 different states and widely diverging backgrounds to serve the public good.”

Visiting VFW #9978

Sen. Begich joined the fun Friday night at VFW #9978 for a fundraiser raising money for the MLK Memorial and Alaska Pride after-school programs.

Begich to Markey: "ANWR Will Not be Locked Up"

When Massachusetts Congressman Ed Markey reintroduced a bill to prohibit oil and gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Sen. Begich reminded Alaskans that the bill is a shortsighted idea Markey introduces every year. “This annual piece of legislation to lock up one of America’s most promising oil and gas reserves is as predictable as New Year’s resolutions. But it has no more merit today than it did the first time it was introduced,” Begich said in a statement. “The vast majority of ANWR is already off limits to development, but Congress specifically set aside 1.5 million acres along the coastal plain for oil and gas exploration. It has enormous potential and should be part of a national energy policy that will bring economic and national security to our country.

Begich Applauds Signing of Post-9/11 Veterans Education Law

Sen. Begich praised the signing recently of new legislation aimed at streamlining and expanding educational opportunities for veterans who have served on active duty since Sept. 11, 2001. Begich, a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs and Armed Services Committees, was a co-sponsor of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Improvements Act of 2010, signed into law by President Obama today. The bill streamlines, simplifies and otherwise makes more equitable the program for veterans who have served since 9/11. It expands the number of eligible veterans by including a group of National Guard/Reserves veterans who were mistakenly left off of the original legislation passed in 2008. The law also increases educational opportunities by paying benefits for on-the-job and vocational training, and brings an additional $1,000 book allowance to services members. The new law applies to more than 1,400 veterans in Alaska.

Alaska's View From The Hill

Denouncing the tragic shooting that took place in Tucson, Arizona Sen. Begich joined KTVA’s Matt Felling to ask Alaskans and Americans to stand together against violent acts aimed at shaking the principles of our democracy. Sen. Begich confirmed that he will continue to meet with Alaskans as frequently as possible at home and in Washington D.C. The two also discussed Sen. Begich’s opposition to legislation which would prevent any resource development in ANWR and the recent announcement that additional troops will aid U.S. efforts to eliminate Al Qaeda’s presence in Afghanistan.