News: Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) wants to succeed retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) atop the powerful Defense Appropriations subcommittee.
It would be a seismic shift for Murkowski, who has led Republicans on the Interior-EPA subcommittee on Appropriations dating all the way back to 2011. Energy and natural resources-related issues are also of enormous importance for The Last Frontier.
“Look at my state. We have a pretty significant military presence, rightly so, because of our geography — proudly so,” Murkowski said in an interview last week where she publicly expressed interest in the defense post for the first time. “These are important issues, not only for the entire country, but also immediately for Alaska.”
Murkowski conceded there are many variables that could affect where she ultimately ends up. Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) faces a competitive reelection bid. A loss by Collins could offer Murkowski a chance to chair the full committee. Murkowski is third in seniority behind McConnell and Collins.
Taking over the defense panel would come at a consequential time for Murkowski, Alaska and the country. President Donald Trump has called for a massive $1.5 trillion budget for the Pentagon, a total that would represent an effective 50% increase from current levels and has divided Republicans on the Hill. That push for more funding is certain to continue in the next Congress.
Murkowski, a moderate Republican unafraid to break with her party, has used an old-school playbook to consistently rack up power in Washington. Murkowski previously chaired the full Energy and Natural Resources Committee while also relying on her senior Appropriations role to steer hundreds of millions of dollars to Alaska.
So wielding a gavel with potentially $1 trillion-plus at play — or even chairing the full Appropriations Committee — would be an opportunity to dole out even more federal money to Alaska, similar to what the late Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) did. Murkowski is up for reelection in 2028 for a seat she’s held since 2002. Murkowski succeeded her father, Sen. Frank Murkowski (R-Alaska) in the Senate.
Frustration with communication. In her current role atop the Interior-EPA panel, Murkowski said she was frustrated by Trump’s announcement that he’s shutting down the Kennedy Center for two years starting this summer. Murkowski said she found out about the decision in the media.
“All it would have taken is a heads up saying: We’ve done a further review and analysis,” she said. “But they don’t do that.”
Appropriations cardinals, including Murkowski, have expressed surprise at the Kennedy Center closure and raised questions about Trump’s plans to build a 250-foot arch near Arlington National Cemetery.
Does Trump issue a directive and administration officials then must backfill ways to justify it to Congress?
“That’s a lot of what it feels like we’re dealing with,” Murkowski said. “And I don’t know it to be true, but that’s what I’m guessing.”
