Latest news with #NickBegichIII
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Begich joins U.S. House Republicans in voting to claw back public broadcasting money
Rep. Nick Begich III, R-Alaska, speaks to the Alaska Legislature on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. At background are Senate President Gary Stevens, R-Kodiak (left) and Speaker of the House Bryce Edgmon, I-Dillingham (right). (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon) Rep. Nick Begich, R-Alaska, joined congressional Republicans in a 214-212 vote Thursday to claw back $1.1 billion in previously approved federal funding for public broadcasting, including tens of millions of dollars intended for radio and TV stations in Alaska. The clawback, formally known as a rescission vote, was requested by President Donald Trump and does not take effect unless also approved by the U.S. Senate within 45 days. The rescission would be enormously significant for Alaska's public broadcasters, particularly those in rural Alaska. High Country News has reported that many of Alaska's rural public radio stations are heavily dependent upon funding from the federal government. A rescission would be even more significant than a budget cut, because it would instantly affect funding that has already been approved and included in local budgets. If Congress were to cut budgets going forward, stations might have at least some time to adapt. Stations on St. Paul Island, in Unalakleet, Sand Point and Talkeetna are among those that receive more than 70% of their funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the federally funded agency targeted by Thursday's vote. Stations in Sitka, Ketchikan, Petersburg and Haines are among those that receive at least a third of their support from the CPB. At KUCB-FM in Unalaska, the station would instantly lose nearly half of its funding and would have to eliminate original programming. The same would take place at KYUK-FM in Bethel, which stands to lose almost 70% of its revenue. On June 6, Alaska Public Media published a listing of knock-on effects, including the loss of the only local reporters in many rural parts of the state. Even in the state's urban centers, the funding loss would have devastating effects. KNBA-FM in Anchorage could have to stop production of National Native News and Native America Calling, two nationally syndicated programs that broadcast Alaska Native and American Indian news. In Juneau, the loss of funding would affect Gavel Alaska, the public broadcasts that cover legislative hearings in the state Capitol and elsewhere. Begich, in a written statement, said the rescissions package is 'a necessary step for restoring fiscal responsibility in our nation.' During his election campaign last year, Alaska's lone member of the U.S. House of Representatives said reducing the national deficit was a priority. He recently voted for a bill that increases the national debt by an estimated $2.4 trillion. In Thursday's statement, Begich said that 'while rural communities have in the past been indirectly supported through state-sponsored media, we must acknowledge how far we have come in terms of connectivity since the birth of radio more than 120 years ago. Alaskan residents have embraced today's pervasive cellular, satellite, and wireline technologies, connecting rural communities to critical information and resources in rich and compelling ways. Importantly, however, emergency management funding from these budgets that is directed to rural communities has been preserved.' In addition to the impact on public broadcasters, the rescissions package eliminates billions of dollars in foreign aid. 'This rescissions package primarily targets ideologically-shaped foreign spending at USAID. Under both the Obama and Biden Administrations, USAID funding was misused to promote political and socially left policies abroad. This package helps refocus our support in ways that are consistent with America's core values, rather than promote the agendas of international bureaucracies and ideological NGOs,' Begich wrote. 'America has been built on principles of freedom of expression, self-determination, sovereignty, personal responsibility, and limited government. This package supports those values by rescinding $9.4 billion from programs that do not reflect the will of the taxpaying public,' his statement said. A poll commissioned by PBS earlier this year found that 65% of the public believes the public broadcaster is either adequately funded or underfunded. In the Senate, a simple majority vote will be needed to approve the rescissions package. Republicans occupy 53 seats in that chamber and Vice President J.D. Vance would cast any tiebreaking vote, meaning that four Republicans would have to oppose the funding reduction for it to fail. U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, has said she supports funding public broadcasting. U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, while critical of NPR, has supported public broadcasting, particularly in rural Alaska. Trump has said that the rescissions request is the first of several that the White House budget office plans to submit. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Fox News
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
AK lawmakers claim ‘victory' as feds begin reversal of ‘illegal' Biden rule restricting AK oil and gas
Alaska's congressional delegation praised President Donald Trump and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum for starting the process of rescinding a Biden-era rule that restricted oil and gas exploration in the resource-rich National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska. Sen. Dan Sullivan said Burgum announced the move at a town hall in Utqiagvik (formerly Barrow) at the northern tip of the vast state, where local natives applauded because they "understand better than anyone" why responsible oil production is key to their communities' livelihood. Sullivan called the Biden-era rule "illegal" and said it turned vast swaths of an area originally intended for domestic energy production into "de facto wilderness." "Responsible resource development has transformed the lives of the Iñupiat people, supporting the construction of clinics, gymnasiums, water infrastructure—basic amenities most Americans take for granted," Sullivan said. Burgum said his agency determined the 2024 rule exceeded the federal government's bounds under a 1976 petroleum reserve law and also creates "unnecessary barriers to responsible energy development in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska." "Congress was clear: the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska was set aside to support America's energy security through responsible development," he said, adding the prior rule "prioritized obstruction over production." Rep. Nick Begich III called the decision a "major victory" and said that he will work with Trump to ensure responsible resource development. "This is a victory not only for those who support responsible development, but also those who believe in the rule of law," added Sen. Lisa Murkowski. "The 2024 management rule clearly violated the law, establishing restrictions and a presumption against development as part of the last administration's effort to turn the North Slope into one giant tract of federal wilderness," she continued. "Repealing the rule will not weaken our world-class environmental standards, but it will enable Alaska to produce more energy as Congress intended. The result will be good jobs for Alaskans, more affordable energy for America, and significant new revenues for government." In January, Gov. Mike Dunleavy told Fox News Digital that a final, congressionally-mandated sale of land for development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) was set up to fail – characterizing it as a parting shot by the last administration toward the Last Frontier. "These leases should be executed in good faith along the established historical processes. And obviously, the Biden administration in the past four years has just been brutal on Alaska," he said at the time, envisioning that the Trump administration would do just as Burgum announced this week. At the time, Murkowski also said that a now-former Interior official "openly admitted" during a working group that the process with which the restrictions were set upon ANWR was done in a way to intentionally circumvent the Congressional Review Act. That law was what allowed other Senate Republicans to undo several Biden-era EPA actions last month with a simple floor vote.
Fox News
03-06-2025
- Business
- Fox News
AK lawmakers claim ‘victory' as feds begin reversal of ‘illegal' Biden rule restricting ANWR oil and gas
Alaska's congressional delegation praised President Donald Trump and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum for starting the process of rescinding a Biden-era rule that restricted oil and gas exploration in the resource-rich Section 1002 of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). Sen. Dan Sullivan said Burgum announced the move at a town hall in Utqiagvik (formerly Barrow) at the northern tip of the vast state, where local natives applauded because they "understand better than anyone" why responsible oil production is key to their communities' livelihood. Sullivan called the Biden-era rule "illegal" and said it turned vast swaths of an area originally intended for domestic energy production into "de facto wilderness." "Responsible resource development has transformed the lives of the Iñupiat people, supporting the construction of clinics, gymnasiums, water infrastructure—basic amenities most Americans take for granted," Sullivan said. Burgum said his agency determined the 2024 rule exceeded the federal government's bounds under a 1976 petroleum reserve law and also creates "unnecessary barriers to responsible energy development in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska." "Congress was clear: the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska was set aside to support America's energy security through responsible development," he said, adding the prior rule "prioritized obstruction over production." Rep. Nick Begich III called the decision a "major victory" and said that he will work with Trump to ensure responsible resource development. "This is a victory not only for those who support responsible development, but also those who believe in the rule of law," added Sen. Lisa Murkowski. "The 2024 management rule clearly violated the law, establishing restrictions and a presumption against development as part of the last administration's effort to turn the North Slope into one giant tract of federal wilderness," she continued. "Repealing the rule will not weaken our world-class environmental standards, but it will enable Alaska to produce more energy as Congress intended. The result will be good jobs for Alaskans, more affordable energy for America, and significant new revenues for government." In January, Gov. Mike Dunleavy told Fox News Digital that a final, congressionally-mandated sale of land for development in ANWR was set up to fail – characterizing it as a parting shot by the last administration toward the Last Frontier. "These leases should be executed in good faith along the established historical processes. And obviously, the Biden administration in the past four years has just been brutal on Alaska," he said at the time, envisioning that the Trump administration would do just as Burgum announced this week. At the time, Murkowski also said that a now-former Interior official "openly admitted" during a working group that the process with which the restrictions were set upon ANWR was done in a way to intentionally circumvent the Congressional Review Act. That law was what allowed other Senate Republicans to undo several Biden-era EPA actions last month with a simple floor vote.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Alaskans say Medicaid cuts considered by US House could be 'catastrophic'
Feb. 26—Alaska lawmakers say a budget resolution passed by the U.S. House of Representatives late Tuesday could lead to funding cuts that would gut Medicaid programs used by a third of Alaskans — or exacerbate Alaska's fiscal crisis by forcing the state to step in and cover the cost of programs that underpin the state's health care system. The budget resolution — which passed in a 217-215 vote — was supported by Alaska's sole U.S. House member, Republican Rep. Nick Begich III, who did not comment on the resolution's potential impacts on Medicaid or the state's health care system. In a social media post, Begich celebrated the resolution, saying the budget reconciliation process "will prioritize unlocking Alaska's potential for our nation and will support America's working families." Begich did not answer questions sent to his office about the reconciliation process's impact on Alaska's health care. His spokesperson Silver Prout did not respond to multiple interview requests. But state lawmakers wasted no time in sounding the alarm over potential impacts to Alaska. In both the House and Senate, legislators said that the $880 billion in cuts laid out in the budget resolution could translate to a loss of $1 billion in federal funding for Alaska's Medicaid program. "It is not an exaggeration to say that these cuts would cut a lot of people and push them into medical bankruptcy," said Rep. Genevieve Mina, an Anchorage Democrat. "It will really destroy our own state budget, and it will cause a collapse in our health care system." Rep. Andy Josephson, an Anchorage Democrat who oversees the operating budget in the House, said that Alaska's Medicaid budget is roughly $2.6 billion, of which $700 million comes from the state, and the remainder comes from the federal government. Josephson said he believed that cuts, if they go forward as laid out in the budget resolution, would ultimately reduce the federal Medicaid spending in Alaska by $1.15 billion, causing at least 60,000 Alaskans to lose coverage. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Republicans are "not going to touch" Medicaid funding. But Medicaid spending was a likely target in coming discussions on cuts needed to afford Trump-backed tax cuts that are set to amount to $4.5 trillion. Within Medicaid spending, one option would be to lower the 90% share that the federal government is required to pay to states that enroll in Medicaid expansion. In Alaska, participants who are enrolled in Medicaid expansion number between 70,000 and 80,000 Alaskans, according to Jared Kosin, president of the Alaska Hospital and Healthcare Association. The federal government pays more than $700 million of the state's annual Medicaid expansion cost, Kosin added. If the federal government's share of spending is reduced, the state could be faced with a choice: shoulder the extra spending to preserve Medicaid coverage, or cut coverage. "This is a question: How much do all Alaskans sacrifice to provide effective government services to support our social and economic network in this state?" said Senate Majority Leader Cathy Giessel, an Anchorage Republican. But a spokesperson for Alaska Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan said Wednesday that "it's premature to make any kind of blanket statements on what will happen to Medicaid so early in the process." "These budget negotiations are just getting started," Sullivan spokesperson Amanda Coyne said in an email. Sullivan last week introduced an amendment to the Senate budget resolution that declared an intent to work on "strengthening and improving Medicaid for the most vulnerable populations." Democrats voted against the amendment after U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, said the phrase referring to the "most vulnerable" was "code for kicking Americans with Medicaid coverage off their health insurance if they're not sick enough, not poor enough, or not disabled enough." In a statement, a spokesperson for Alaska Republican U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski said her office is "working to gauge" the impacts of proposals circulating in the House that would impact Medicaid funding. "Healthcare costs in Alaska are already too high and Medicaid is a lifeline for so many in the state," said Murkowski spokesperson Joe Plesha in a written statement. "Sen. Murkowski has been an outspoken defender of Medicaid, and is working to ensure that her colleagues understand what's at stake when Medicaid is targeted for significant cuts." During a presentation to the Legislature last week, Begich said he supported implementation of a work requirement for Medicaid. The requirement would eliminate coverage for Medicaid recipients who fail to work or volunteer for a minimum of 80 hours per month, he said. Begich did not explain how the requirement would be enforced, particularly given the share of Alaskans who live in rural subsistence-based communities. "I think it's important for people that are able-bodied to contribute. I think that's what we should expect, I think that's what the taxpayers expect," said Begich. "When we do that, when we reinstitute those kinds of rules, it actually makes these programs more solvent for the people who need them most." Begich also blamed the high cost of Medicaid on undocumented immigrants, repeating claims made by Trump. Immigrants without legal status are not eligible to enroll in federally funded coverage, including Medicaid. Kosin, with the Alaska Hospital and Healthcare Association, said that eliminating Medicaid coverage for Alaskans who do not meet a work requirement would do nothing to reduce the cost of health care in Alaska. "All that does is it increases uncompensated care, because people — regardless of whether they have coverage or not — when they need health care services, they're going to be more reluctant to go get them, but there always comes a point where you can no longer wait," said Kosin. "They're going to go where you go when you have no other options, and that's an emergency room." "So we're essentially going to be diverting large masses of people to go use hospital emergency departments — the most expensive care setting — as their primary mode of health care," said Kosin. Rep. Zack Fields, an Anchorage Democrat, said that if the budget reconciliation moves forward, "it is hard to overstate the impact on Alaska." "Do people in Anchorage think homelessness is bad now? Try cutting off behavioral health care, which is Medicaid-funded. The impact of severe untreated mental illness and homelessness is hard to imagine," said Fields. Majority members in both the House and Senate recognized the magnitude of using state funds to cover a cut in federal funding, but seemed reluctant to consider the alternative — shrinking the state's Medicaid program. "We need to pull up our fiscal bootstraps and figure out how we're going to fill that gap if, in fact, the federal government pulls back," said Giessel. Among those who stand to be impacted by cuts to Medicaid funding is Essie Frank, a Fairbanks resident who has worked as a caregiver for more than 30 years. Frank, her daughter and her mother all rely on Medicaid for health care. Her mother is a breast cancer survivor who is suffering from kidney failure. Her daughter, an 18-year-old, has a rare stomach disease. "If these cuts go through, that means death for my daughter and death for my mother," said Frank. Frank said her caregiving clients rely on her for daily routines. The agency that employs Frank is reimbursed through Medicaid — which means cuts to the program could translate to cuts to the services her clients rely on, and income loss for Frank, she said. "Not only would people lose jobs — people would lose lives," she said. Frank traveled earlier this month to Washington, D.C., to speak with Alaska's congressional delegation about the importance of Medicaid. There, she said she was well received by Begich. "He assured that he 100% backed us on fighting to not have any cuts to Medicaid," said Frank. Now, she said she feels betrayed by his vote. Senate President Gary Stevens, a Kodiak Republican, said Tuesday that he was "waiting for the other shoe to drop." "So often it seems like things come out of D.C. recently to shock us and just to get our attention and some backing off then occurs," he said. Kosin said the magnitude of cuts under discussion has prompted Alaska health care providers to ramp up their federal advocacy. "What we're laying out, which are very real possibilities, are so catastrophic on their face, that you only have to yell it so loud," said Kosin. "I think we need to come together and work on solutions and identify the things we can live with and accept, and the things that we, frankly, just can't."
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Begich's message to Alaskans amid Trump firings: Hold tight
Rep. Nick Begich III, R-Alaska, speaks to the Alaska Legislature on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. At background are Senate President Gary Stevens, R-Kodiak (left) and Speaker of the House Bryce Edgmon, I-Dillingham (right). (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon) Rep. Nick Begich III, R-Alaska, said in a series of speeches this week that he will not seek to stop President Donald Trump's wave of federal agency firings but will try to roll some of them back through the federal budget process. Speaking to the Alaska Municipal League, Alaska Legislature and Juneau Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday and Thursday in Juneau, Alaska's lone member of Congress said he is unaware of the full scale of the Trump administration's actions and asked that Alaskans send him information about cuts and frozen programs. 'If you've got a grant program or a lending program or another government program that you're concerned about that you believe fits within the core scope of the federal government, please reach out to our office. We want to know the details so that we can represent you with the appropriate agency and have those conversations,' Begich said. 'If you know someone who's been laid off … that you believe has a core government function, and they would like to provide the details to justify that, we'd be happy to take a look at it and make that case. The process for government reductions in spending is not going to be a perfect one, and I'm not here to represent to you that it will be, but we want to make sure that Alaska's interests are protected.' Begich traveled to Juneau this week to deliver his first speech to the Alaska Legislature since being elected to office in November. In the process, he discussed Alaska's economic potential, including energy development, fisheries and his recent bills supporting Alaska Native communities. 'Let us work for you. Work with our office. We want to be advocates for you,' he said. 'Since taking office, I've been focused on cutting through the noise and making sure Alaska gets results.' During his electoral campaign, Begich emphasized the threat posed by the federal debt and said he would seek to reduce federal spending. Since taking office, he has generally praised the actions of the 'Department of Governmental Efficiency,' an arm of the White House – not a federal department – managed by billionaire Elon Musk. Democratic attorneys general have said Musk has been given virtually unchecked power. Begich views it differently. 'Elon Musk may be running that effort, but everything that gets done has to be approved and signed off by the President,' Begich said in response to a question asking about the group's leadership. Asked by a Juneau Chamber about the DOGE-directed firings of local residents, Begich responded that he believes DOGE is finding waste and abuse, and gave examples of million-dollar appropriations for international democracy-building and education efforts. 'There's a lot of waste in government. There's a lot of things that need to be cut,' he said, explaining that he believes that government debt poses a large threat to young Americans. Asked at the Juneau Chamber about the federal balance of powers and whether he believes Congress should act to stop DOGE's work, he said that he doesn't think so. 'I recognize there's going to be challenges in the courts about the extent to which the executive branch has authority in order to cut some of these programs, but that's the jurisdiction of the courts,' he said, suggesting that prior presidents have taken similar actions. Some Democratic members of the Alaska Legislature who heard Begich's remarks on DOGE said they were completely dissatisfied with his position. 'It's reckless, it's capricious, and it's sort of arbitrary, and it's certainly not surgical, and he's sort of backing this,' said Rep. Andy Josephson, D-Anchorage. 'And sure he makes a good argument about the national debt and all the rest. I get that there's some serious concerns there. But this is not going to go well.' 'Don Young and I had our disagreements, but I'll say this: there's no way he would have tolerated this sloppy, corrupt DOGE b—s—,' said Sen. Forrest Dunbar, D-Anchorage, on social media after Begich's remarks. 'And they're doing it explicitly to partially finance (most of it will be in debt) an upper-income tax cut for people like Nick Begich III. No wonder he's part of their caucus. Putting Alaska last,' Dunbar said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
