Lisa Murkowski

Ms. MURKOWSKI

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, at this time I ask unanimous consent that the following amendments be called up en bloc and reported by number in the following order: amendment No. 2968, for Senator Shaheen; amendment No. 2963, for Senator Murkowski; amendment No. 3017, for Senator Barrasso; amendment No. 2982, for Senator Markey; amendment No. 3021, for Senator Crapo; and amendment No. 2965, for Senator Schatz.

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, we are at the end of the day after having turned to the Energy Policy Modernization Act. We have had some Members come to the floor to speak to the significance and the importance of finally, after almost 8 years now, updating and modernizing our energy infrastructure, our energy supply, our energy efficiency and accountability within the energy space. I know that we are going to be continuing to work to address not only much of what is contained within the bill but also amendments from colleagues. We have solicited and have received a fair number of amendments today. The ranking member and I are processing these and looking, again, not only to set up a unanimous consent agreement here this evening, but I will take this opportunity to remind colleagues that if you have amendments that you wish to be brought up, please file them, and please come to the floor to speak to them. We will hopefully have a full opportunity tomorrow to do just that, but we do intend to work aggressively to get through this very important, very bipartisan measure. Amendments Nos. 2968, 2963, 3017, 2982, 3021, and 2965 En Bloc to Amendment No. 2953

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, Senators should be aware that we may add additional rollcall votes on amendments to both stacks of votes tomorrow, as the ranking member has said. It would certainly be our intent that we work to process as much as we can during the time that we have.

Ms. MURKOWSKI

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to call up Cassidy amendment No. 2954.

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I know we are waiting for other colleagues to come to the floor to speak to the Energy bill itself or perhaps to offer amendments. I certainly would encourage that, as we are trying to get the process going with the Energy Policy Modernization Act. Before my colleague from West Virginia leaves the floor, I want to thank him for his leadership on this issue. We have had conversations. I traveled to West Virginia at his invitation to view how West Virginia deals with its energy issues. They have a little bit of everything there in West Virginia, and I was able to see that. One of the sad stories I learned, though, is what we were seeing in his State as it relates to opioid abuse--OxyContin and meth at that time. Our States share some similarities in that there are very rural characteristics in both West Virginia and Alaska. Even though we are far removed from most of the other States in this country, we are not immune or insulated from what we are seeing with this epidemic of opioid abuse brought on initially by access to prescription drugs and now being replaced in a horrible way with heroin that is impacting our kids, young people, and folks who are ages that would surprise many. It is deeply troubling. When you use words like ``epidemic'' or ``pandemic,'' those are very strong words, but I think that is what we are seeing in this country, and it is reaching from one end of the country to the other. I want to acknowledge my colleague for the issues he has raised.

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, my colleague from West Virginia is always welcome to come back and learn more. On the issue of Dr. Califf, let it be known that I, too, have concerns about his nomination, and it has nothing to do with opioids. It has everything to do with fish, and basically what we have referred to as a fake fish, a genetically engineered fish. All this Senator is looking for is an assurance from the FDA that if they are going to put this genetically engineered product out there for human consumption then there should be an appropriate labeling. I do not think that is too much to ask. I have asked for that, and the difficulty is getting folks within the FDA to have a full and important conversation about the import of that. So it is a different issue from what the Senator from West Virginia has discussed, but I think it goes to the issue of needing to have some communication within the FDA. The FDA is an agency that has considerable authorities, and we in the Congress need to know that we can have a good level of dialogue and discussion going back and forth. I think we have seen a real lack or shortfall, and until I get certain assurances from the FDA as well, I am not planning on removing the hold that I currently have on this nominee, and we will be working with other colleagues on this. My friend, the Senator from Colorado, has arrived to the floor, and I know he wishes to speak on the Energy Policy Modernization Act. The Senator from Colorado has been a great Member of the U.S. Senate since he came. He was a leader on energy issues when he was over at the House, and he has continued that in a very constructive and robust way. We can talk about energy matters that come from producing States like ours, but a recognition that Senator Gardner's approach is not just that he comes from a fossil-fuel producing State; he is also looking to make sure that we move to a clean energy future. He is also very conscious and considerate about what we do with conservation. His leadership has been greatly appreciated.

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, at this time, I call up amendment No. 2953.

Ms. MURKOWSKI. I thank my colleague. Amendment No. 2953 (Purpose: In the nature of a substitute)

Ms. MURKOWSKI

Ms. MURKOWSKI. I thank Senator Roberts. I look forward to working with him as well. And he is right. The wildfire problem is not just a budgeting problem--it is also a management problem. Reforming the way we manage our forests is absolutely crucial. Healthy, resilient forests are fire-resistant forests; yet despite knowing the value of fuel reduction treatments in mitigating wildfire risks, increasing firefighter safety, and protecting and restoring the health of our forests, active management is still often met with a series of discouraging and near insurmountable obstacles. High upfront costs, long planning horizons, and regulatory requirements--including what seem like unending environmental reviews-- are impeding our ability to implement treatments at the pace and scale these wildfires are occurring. We must also work with our State agencies, local communities, and the public to increase community preparedness and install fuel breaks to break up fuel connectivity to keep fires small. As you can see here, the chairmen of the committees with jurisdiction over the wildfire budgeting and forest management issues are ready to roll up our sleeves in 2016. We are going to work through regular order, in a transparent and collaborative manner, to come up with a legislative solution. We look forward to the input of our colleagues, who also care deeply about these issues. My plan is to dedicate whatever time we have in February after this bill clears the floor--and the entire month of March--to producing this legislative product. I appreciate Members' willingness to work with us and believe we are on a good track to find real solutions to our wildfire challenges.

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Last session, I came to the floor to speak about the significant wildfire provisions we included in the Omnibus appropriations bill, why Congress could not accept a flawed proposal supported by this administration and a handful of Senators, and to outline a path forward on this important issue in 2016. As we begin consideration of the energy bill, I have come to the floor to add further definition to that path forward. As many of you know, wildfire budgeting and forest management overlap jurisdictionally with several other Committees so I want to thank my colleagues, Senators Enzi and Roberts, for joining me here. In my view, the time has come to find real solutions to the challenges we face in each of these areas. This crisis has gone on for long enough. It has grown worse and worse. Our lands are burning. Communities are being devastated. And it is time for Congress to act. I want to start first with wildfire budgeting. For some time now, Members of this Chamber have been talking past each other. Before we can come up with a solution, we have to at least agree on the problem we are trying to solve. We have all been saying that we want to solve the problem of ``fire borrowing''--the unsustainable practice of borrowing from non-fire government programs so that fire response activities can continue when wildfire suppression accounts are depleted. One way to fix the problem of ``fire borrowing'' is to continue to fully fund the predicable costs of wildfire suppression, the 10-year rolling average, while allowing access to additional funds through a limited cap adjustment when the agencies run out of suppression funds, for the emergency and unpredictable costs of wildfire suppression. Another issue relating to wildfire budgeting is the percentage of the Forest Service's discretionary budget spent on wildfire. The Forest Service has said that it now spends nearly half of its discretionary budget on wildfire. Some of our colleagues and this administration have conflated the fire borrowing problem with this budgeting issue. They have sought to shift anticipated wildfire suppression costs off-budget to limit how much of the Forest Service's discretionary budget is spent on fire with the goal of ``freeing up'' dollars for other programs under the discretionary cap. Cap adjustments and budgeting generally are within your committee's jurisdiction. I say to Senator Enzi. Have I properly characterized the wildfire budgeting issues we are wrestling with?

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to enter into a colloquy with the chairman of the Budget Committee, Senator Enzi of Wyoming, and the chairman of the Agriculture Committee, Senator Roberts of Kansas.

Ms. MURKOWSKI

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it stand adjourned under the previous order.

Ms. MURKOWSKI

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 9:45 a.m., Thursday, January 28; that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, and the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day; finally, that following leaders remarks, the Senate resume consideration of S. 2012.

Ms. MURKOWSKI

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Ms. MURKOWSKI

Ms. MURKOWSKI. The accolades go both ways, Madam President.

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Madam President, with that little update on the weather--and again, a recognition of the hardy souls who kind of like winter--I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 11 a.m., Wednesday, January 27; that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, and the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day; further, that following leader remarks, the Senate begin consideration of S. 2012; finally, that the Senate recess from 12:30 p.m. until 2:15 p.m. to allow for the weekly conference meetings. Program Before we conclude, I do want to let Members know that we are very serious about moving quickly and aggressively on the Energy Policy Modernization Act when we take it up tomorrow. Given that we have a very shortened workweek and a lot to do, I am going to ask colleagues to engage with us. Senator Cantwell and I have both been here all weekend working on this. I am not carrying this binder around because I want to keep my muscles in shape for the next shoveling. I am carrying it around because we have good stuff within this Energy Policy Modernization Act that we want to get moved through. It is going to require a great level of cooperation, but we are going to be ready to hit the ground running and try to move quickly through this very, very important legislation.

Ms. MURKOWSKI

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for today with respect to the consideration of S. 2012 and the nomination in executive session be modified for tomorrow's session as follows: consideration of S. 2012 be for debate only until 2:15 p.m.; and that at 5:15 p.m. the Senate proceed to executive session to consider calendar No. 306 as under the previous order.

Ms. MURKOWSKI

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Madam President, I understand there is a bill at the desk that is due for a second reading.

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Madam President, in order to place the bill on the calendar under the provisions of rule XIV, I object to further proceedings.

Ms. MURKOWSKI

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Madam President, before I complete the following closeout here, I want to make a comment this morning. What we have just done is move consideration of the energy bill--the Energy Policy Modernization Act--from today to tomorrow. It is a little bit unusual, but given what we have seen here, not only in Washington, DC, but all around the East Coast with the weather, the blizzard of 2016, it is understandable that we would allow for a period of time for our colleagues to return to the U.S. Senate. I think it is more than an understatement to say that it has been challenging to travel, challenging to move. I think it is worth noting, however, that the Acting President pro tempore, the Senator from Maine, and myself, the Senator from Alaska--both kind of the bookends of the country, arctic States, if you will; certainly Alaska is, and Maine is right up there--are here braving the elements. I might also note for a little historical perspective that as we convene this morning, and you look around the Chamber, the Acting President pro tempore is female, our Parliamentarian and all of our clerks are female, our floor managers are female, and all of our pages are female. This was not orchestrated in any way, shape or form. We came in this morning, looked around and thought: something is different this morning--different in a good way, I might add. But something is genuinely different, and I think it is genuinely fabulous. Perhaps it speaks to the hardiness of women who put on their boots and put on their hat and get out and slog through the mess that is out there. I don't know about you all, but I spent a good portion of my weekend shoveling. I feel stronger today, but I am ready to be back at work where it is a little less rigorous. It has been an interesting weekend with, again, the extent of the blizzard. I have been asked numerous times: Well, this must just be a normal day for you in Alaska. We haven't had the snow that we would like back home. In fact, we got as much snowfall here in the D.C. metropolitan area as Anchorage, my hometown, has had accumulated over the course of this season. We have been feeling a little left out of the weather events. I was looking at Facebook over the weekend. There is one post out there that I thought was pretty Alaskan. It said: ``Not to be outdone in winter, #Alaska sees East Coast blizzard and raises it with major #earthquake.'' We had a little bit of excitement back home with a 7.1 earthquake. But the good news for us throughout the State is that while it certainly got everyone's attention at 1 o'clock in the morning, it did not cause significant damage. We are thankful for that. We are also thankful that as we are digging out of the snowstorms here and throughout the East, people are making it through. But our thoughts and our prayers are for those who have suffered as a consequence of this weather-related tragedy in many, many cases.

Ms. MURKOWSKI

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, this week Alaska's faith communities are mourning the loss of Archbishop Emeritus Francis T. Hurley who passed on January 10, 2 days shy of his 89th birthday. Archbishop Hurley will be buried this weekend. Archbishop Hurley was ordained a priest of the San Francisco Archdiocese in 1951. He came to Alaska in 1970 as the auxiliary bishop of Juneau and was elevated to archbishop of the Archdiocese of Anchorage in 1976. He served a quarter century in that role until 2001. Archbishop Hurley remained active in the life of Alaska's Catholics until his death. He had a remarkable career that stretched 45 years. Many come to Alaska from other places and leave a few years later because they failed to take Alaska on its terms. If there is one thing to be said about Archbishop Hurley it is that he understood what it took to be successful in our remote environment. He not only understood what it took to succeed in Alaska. He fully embraced it. He thrived on it. No roads connect the island communities for which the auxiliary bishop of Juneau was responsible. Bishop Hurley might have stayed in Juneau and waited for his 4,000 parishioners to come to him. Instead he chose the road Alaskans would take. He learned to fly so that he could bring the church to the people, and he piloted the diocesan plane for more than 5,000 hours over the course of his career. During his relatively brief tenure in Juneau, Archbishop Hurley created Trays on Sleighs, an Alaska centric interpretation of the senior feeding program known as Meals on Wheels. He is responsible for three of the most important social service facilities in Anchorage; Covenant House, which serves homeless youth; the Brother Francis Shelter, which serves homeless men; and Clare House, an emergency shelter for women with children and expectant mothers. All of these facilities exist today because Archbishop Hurley took the initiative to get them built. Near and dear to the archbishop's heart was the ``Joy Community,'' which helped Catholics with developmental disabilities prepare to receive the sacraments. And these are just a few of many legacies he has left around the State. He also founded two Catholic newspapers: the Inside Passage in Juneau and the Catholic Anchor in Anchorage. You might say that this is all part of a day's work for a Catholic bishop. But understand that Alaska is a very young State and lacks the infrastructure of more established provinces. What Archbishop Hurley did is identify the gaps in the social safety net and move forward with a single-minded determination to fill them. Archbishop Hurley's contributions were international in scope. In December 1990, he traveled with Father Michael Shields to Magadan--a city in the Russian far east. In a theater, they offered Christmas mass--the first public mass in the city's history. Three hundred people attended. In the following 3 weeks, signatures were gathered to register a new church, and on January 4, 1991, the Church of the Nativity of Jesus was founded. Across the years, Archbishop Hurley traveled there nine times and, on January 14, 2001, celebrated the parish's 10th anniversary. As you can see, Archbishop Hurley's contributions were quite substantial. Yet he was much more than what he did. Archbishop Hurley was beloved for whom he was. He was a charming man with a tremendous sense of humor and a knack for remembering names. He was an engaging conversationalist. At times, it seemed like he was everywhere; at baptisms, at funerals, engaged in the political life of the community, tending to the needs of the homeless and the troubled. From the moment he came to Alaska, Archbishop Hurley was a man in motion, and even in retirement, he never slowed down. Archbishop Hurley, respected by people of all faiths, was truly a central figure in the spiritual lives of Alaskans for nearly a half century. Every time I pass one of the churches that were built on his watch or the social services facilities he inspired, I will smile and reflect on how blessed I was to know him.

Ms. MURKOWSKI

Ms. MURKOWSKI. I want to thank the senior Senator from Arizona for his question. I am familiar with the enabling act's requirements that funds are held in trust for certain beneficiaries, including K-12 public schools, and that distributions are made from Arizona's permanent land endowment trust fund. The 1910 Arizona Enabling Act specified the level of education- funding distributions that must be made from the State land trust fund. In 1999, Congress amended the 1910 act, eliminating the distribution requirement and providing that such distributions be made as provided for in the Arizona Constitution, specifically article 10, section 7. Thus, as I understand it, so long as changes to the education-funding distributions are accomplished by amendments to article 10, section 7 of the Arizona Constitution, and the funds are used for the beneficiaries of the enabling act, the changes to funding distribution amounts from the State land trust are proper.