Senate Report Card: Lisa Murkowski R-AK

Senator Lisa Murkowski is the junior Republican United States Senator from the state of Alaska. Senator Murkowski assumed office in 2002. She was preceded by her father. She is the first Senator to have been born in Alaska. She is also the first woman to be elected to Congress from Alaska.

Senator Murkowski serves on the Indian Affairs, Foreign Relations, Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and the Energy and Natural Resources Committees.
Murkowski is known as a fairly moderate member of the Senate. She refused to commit to the nuclear option to end judicial filibusters proposed by Republican colleagues. She has mixed votes regarding abortion, though she is a pro-choice Republican. She supports oil exploration in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. She has claimed that recent technological developments have reduced the environmental risks of oil drilling. She is in favor of health care reform. She a supportor of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act.

Murkowski, who was the former chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power, has been criticized for her environmental record citing her votes against efforts to bolster energy security and lower energy-related environmental impacts which would make the Army Corps of Engineers more accountable for the environmental and economic impacts of their projects for oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. She has supported increased offshore oil and gas drilling.

Senator Murkowski rejected President Bush's efforts at immigration reform, she favors restricted access across the border before any efforts at true immigration reform can be achieved.

She supported the Energy Policy Act which provides an energy blueprint that increases domestic production of energy from nonrenewable and renewable sources and promotes efficiency, conservation, and new energy technologies. She introduced the REFRESH Act. The bill provides investments in renewable energy, requires reform to the Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards and looks for ways to make the U.S. commercial vehicle fleet more efficient.

Senator Lisa Murkowski has twice voted against troop redeployments from Iraq. She voted against restrictions for deployments that would limit the length of tours of duty and allow more time inbetween tours of duty for soldiers. She cited that it merely ties the hands of commanders in Iraq. She is in favor of adjusting strategy sooner rather than wait for the September report from General Petraeus regarding the successes or failures of the troop surge. She believes that the Bush Administration must be currently considering a plan B.

Senator Murkowski is up for reelection in 2011.