Begich

by Brian Mooar Tuesday, January 6, 2009 WASHINGTON -- Former Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich claimed his seat in the United States Senate on Tuesday, taking the oath of office with the other freshmen and re-elected senators. From the swearing in with Vice President Dick Cheney to the moment he found the desk with his own name plate, Sen. Begich described the day as an amazing, emotional experience. After the ceremony he received a rousing welcome at a Capitol Hill reception.

by Channel 2 News staff Wednesday, June 9, 2010 ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Sen. Mark Begich met with President Obama's candidate for the U.S. Supreme Court Wednesday. Sen. Begich said he found Solicitor General Elena Kagan, well informed and interested in Alaska issues. They discussed second amendment rights, personal privacy rights, the Exxon Valdez oil spill and unique issues facing Alaska Native people, such as subsistence. Begich said in the coming weeks he will keep a close eye on what Kagan does.

Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska) promoted his new STEM education bill Monday. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and math -- fields that Begich says need more students in pursuit of college degrees.   Begich talked to the Alaska Society of Technology in Education (ASTE), which met in Anchorage, about reintroducing legislation that would create competitive grants to encourage states to develop more education programs in these professions.   "If you want people to be working in these fields with greater pay, you have to invest in education and there's no better place than science, technology, engineering and math.

by Ashton Goodell Monday, January 11, 2010 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Sen. Mark Begich talked legislative priorities Monday as lawmakers prepare to head back to the capital. Begich held a news conference Monday in Anchorage. He says the big focus will be on the energy bill and climate change this year. The president's budget is also expected to be a major topic in the coming months. Begich predicts the deficit will take center stage in that debate. And even though the discussion on healthcare is almost over, Begich expects some tweaking by lawmakers and more input from Alaskans.

By Becky Bohrer Associated Press Writer Wednesday, July 28, 2010 JUNEAU, Alaska -- Alaska's governor is opposing creation of a citizens' advisory council to weigh in on Arctic drilling proposals. Gov. Sean Parnell says the proposal approved by a U.S. Senate committee Tuesday is unnecessary and would merely create another level of review and oversight to oil and gas development off Alaska's coast. Parnell says there's a "rigorous" existing regulatory framework in place, and his office chided U.S. Sen. Mark Begich, an Alaska Democrat, for not consulting with Parnell or his staff before pushing the proposal.

by Channel 2 News staff Monday, May 24, 2010 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Sen. Mark Begich has launched a new Twitter page and updated his other social networking platforms. On the new Twitter account, Begich will share updates of meetings and hearings, senate votes, travels across Alaska and present Alaskans a way to keep in touch with his work. Begich also has YouTube, Facebook and Flickr sites.

U.S. Sen. Mark Begich held a press conference in Anchorage Tuesday to talk about the federal budget. At the conference he unveiled a new link on his website that allows the public to contact him with their ideas for budget cuts and how to reduce the deficit.  "We simply can't maintain our current course which continues to jeopardize our economic good health. We have to make tough choices, everybody will feel the pain," Begich said. Begich said unless the Republican controlled House of Representatives and Democrat controlled Senate can reach an agreement on the federal funding bill the government will shut down.

by Lori Tipton Saturday, May 29, 2010 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Sen. Mark Begich is back in Alaska for the Memorial Day congressional recess. Begich arrived in Anchorage Saturday to speak at the scholarship banquet for Brotherhood, Inc., an organization that supports young people achieving higher education. Begich says he wanted to give an update on what's being done in Washington, D.C. to address education reform. The senator plans to travel around the state, visiting several events over the next week.

by Channel 2 News staff Sunday, July 25, 2010 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Sen. Mark Begich is back in Alaska this weekend after a couple of busy weeks in Washington, D.C. At a Friday press conference, Begich said with Wall Street reform signed and unemployment benefits passed, U.S. Senate activity next week will focus on a small-business bill. Begich says he hopes the bill will pass because it would mean tax relief for small businesses totaling about $12 billion in savings, and he says it would be a big benefit for Alaskans.

Sen. Mark Begich held a news conference with a group of educators Monday morning aimed at reforming education. He says he has their blessings to introduce two bills that will give communities more flexibility to fix their schools. “I hear over and over again -- I was just in four different communities in rural Alaska these last four days, and I could almost universally mention (the) No Child Left Behind (Act) and I say, 'I'm not for it,' and the whole room erupts in applause because they've seen the impact,” Begich said.

On Wednesday, several representatives from around the state and nation met to discuss what challenges lay ahead in the Arctic in light of increased traffic there, as well as the economic benefits. Sen. Mark Begich, chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries and Coast Guard, held a field hearing on increased Arctic marine activity at the University of Alaska Anchorage. The hearing was also attended by representatives of the Interior Department, the Coast Guard and Shell Oil. The U.S. Committee on the Marine Transportation System says diminished sea ice in the Arctic is creating a growing potential for commercial shipping, but new standards and infrastructure are needed.

Alaskan U.S. Senators Mark Begich and Lisa Murkowski are asking the FDA for an extension on the public comment period for the FDA's Environmental Assessment (EA) of so-called "frankenfish". The fish in question are genetically modified, farm-raised salmon engineered by AquaBounty Technologies .  They are designed to reach marketable size considerably faster than natural salmon through manipulation of the fish's genes. The FDA's assessment resulted in a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)

Alaska's congressional delegation was united in its opposition Friday to a draft report from the federal Food and Drug Administration saying that the nation's health and environment wouldn't be significantly harmed by genetically modified salmon. The fish, introduced by Massachusetts biotechnology firm AquaBounty, are engineered to grow much larger than wild salmon -- but many Alaskans see them as a threat to both the market for and the existence of wild fish. Sen. Mark Begich said Friday that the FDA's draft environmental assessment was the first step toward the release of what he called “Frankenfish” into the environment, comparing such an act to the devastation wrought in the wild by invasive species.

Alaska's U.S. senators spoke up Wednesday on continuing negotiations between the White House and Republican House leaders to avert a "fiscal cliff" of automatic tax hikes and spending cuts, set to take effect Jan. 1 if the two sides don't make a deal this month. Sen. Lisa Murkowski addressed Alaskans' questions about the looming threat in a telephone media event Wednesday, drawing attention to the scheduled cessation of Bush-era tax cuts and a drastic reduction in federal spending.

The Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act Tuesday with a number of amendments affecting Alaska, including a one-year delay in the planned transfer of an F-16 fighter squadron from Eielson Air Force in Fairbanks to Anchorage. Sen. Lisa Murkowski's office announced the unanimous 99-0 vote, highlighting the latest attempt by Alaska's congressional delegation to derail the transfer of the 18th Aggressor Squadron to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. An amendment Murkowski submitted changes a deadline for the Air Force's new National Commission for the Structure of the Air Force from March 31, 2013 to March 31, 2014.

Democrat Senator Mark Begich held a Saturday town hall meeting in Anchorage discussing issues affecting Alaska Natives. The town hall was open to the public and about a hundred people showed up for the event at the Southcentral Foundation in the U-Med district. During the question and answer session, subsistence was a major topic, along with climate change, and the rising cost of food in rural Alaska. Funding for education, including language education for Alaska Native Children, and health care for Alaska Natives were also among the issues that were discussed.

Alaska's D.C.  Delegation, including Rep. Don Young and Senators Mark Begich and Lisa Murkowski, has voiced their concerns again over the proposal to move the F-16 squadron from Fairbanks to Anchorage with a letter to the Air Force's top brass at the Pentagon. In the letter, the delegation echoes the concerns that Governor Sean Parnell made earlier this month to the Air Force, since the military announced its plan to move forward with an Environmental Impact Statement. Parnell requested an extension of the public comment to 60 days and asked that multiple public scoping meetings be held and one public hearing be held in the affected communities near the bases in Anchorage and North Pole, including the Mat-Su Valley.

A small, but vocal crowd gathered Wednesday at St. Mary's Episcopal Church for a town hall meeting hosted by Senator Mark Begich. "I think he did a real good job answering every question," said Anchorage resident Regina Vinales. Vinales is concerned offshore drilling may hurt subsistence living.  Others brought up concerns ranging from student loan debt and how the Affordable Health Care Act affects small businesses. Immigration, like in many communities, is also an issue in Anchorage where Pastor Moyce Polanco said it can take up to 12 years for some people to get citizenship.

Sen. Mark Begich, D-Alaska, is calling on Gov. Sean Parnell, R-Alaska, to declare a fisheries disaster in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, where king salmon runs are some of the weakest on record.  In a letter to the governor, Begich said the crisis has been compounded by high energy prices and the rising costs of goods.  “The food security of Alaska's rural citizens is of the utmost importance and action is needed now,” Begich wrote....

Eielson Air Force Base in Fairbanks received a reprieve Tuesday afternoon, as Sen. Mark Begich's office announced an Air Force delay on a decision whether to move a squadron of F-16 fighter jets from the base to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage. In a Tuesday statement, Begich says he received a letter from Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz, who wrote that the Eielson delay comes after Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta told the Air Force to suspend all force structure adjustments until Congress completes action on defense budget bills.