She looks and she sounds as sweet as your grandmother but Sen. Lisa Murkowski is a bare-knuckled legislative brawler. Twice in 2017, the Alaska Republican stared down Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. And she won, torpedoing two attempts at overhauling Obamacare.
Rather than go toe-to-toe again with Murkowski over tax reform, the current masters of the Senate have opted for a softer touch. They’ve decided to bribe her, more or less. McConnell, R-Ky., and company have included a provision in the 2018 budget bill that would create an avenue for opening the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge to drilling.
When the Senate Budget Committee put together the budget, which will serve as the must-pass vehicle for tax reform, they included two sets of reconciliation instructions. The first set of directions instructs the Senate Finance Committee to develop the tax legislation no later than Nov. 13. The second set directs the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to reduce the deficit by at least $1 billion in the next decade. And that panel, coincidently chaired by Murkowski, is more than happy to comply.
Republicans and Democrats have quibbled for years over ANWR, that stretch of 20-million frozen acres in northeastern Alaska full of wildlife and full of oil. Murkowski wants it open. Reconciliation, which allows the Senate to pass legislation by simple majority, gives her a free hand to make that happen.
“This provides an excellent opportunity for our committee to raise $1 billion in federal revenues while creating jobs and strengthening our nation’s long-term energy security,” a charmed Murkowski said in a statement. “I am confident that our committee is prepared to meet the instruction in this resolution.”
Between the lines, the message is obvious: Give me ANWR and tax reform doesn’t need to blow up.
The move also has the added benefit of quenching the Republican thirst for domestic fossil fuels. And that’s good politics. Drill, baby, drill is still a powerful message among conservatives even after the bottom fell out of a barrel of oil thanks to natural gas fracking.
But more importantly, it reinforces bad behavior. Republicans have promised for almost a decade to repeal Obamacare. Murkowski even voted for a rollback of the law in 2015. But after spiking the bill, after going back on her word, she got off easy. What will she get in return? A legacy piece of legislation that previous Alaskan legislators tried hard to pass but never managed.
When asked why Murkowski got the parliamentary carrot instead of the partisan stick, McConnell’s office didn’t comment. Neither did Budget Committee Chairman Mike Enzi, R-Wyo. All one Senate source would say is “that was the decision that was made,” as if the ANWR instructions magically made their way into the package on their own.
But behind the scenes, what happened is clear. Murkowski made a statement with healthcare. As a result, she’ll get what she wants with tax reform. Apparently, a little bullying goes a long way in the Senate.
Philip Wegmann is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
