Last week was busy at Congress. Alaska’s congressional delegation split and merged in surprising ways.
Alaska Public Media Washington Correspondent Liz Ruskin talked about it to Alaska News Nightly host Casey Grove.
Listen:
This transcript has been lightly edited to improve clarity.
Casey GroveLiz: One of the most important votes in the Senate this Week was to protect same-sex marital rights. Both Alaska senators voted in favor, but for very different reasons. Could you please explain?
Liz Ruskin This bill was first pursued by lawmakers in earnest after Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court. It took away the federal right of abortion. Justice Clarence Thomas suggested that the case guaranteeing gay marriage might need to be reexamined. This bill would require states to accept marriage licenses from other states as valid, even if they are for the same-sex couple.
As expected, Sen. Lisa Murkowski voted in favor. For many years, she has been a strong advocate for marriage equality. It was a surprise that Sen. Dan Sullivan voted for it.
Casey GroveDid he ask you about it?
Liz Ruskin : I tried. He didn’t stop in the hallways to speak to reporters and just walked right past me. He didn’t respond to my attempts to reach him by phone. His office issued a statement. It was very interesting, as he stated that he did not want to protect same-sex marriage. His statement stated that he supported the bill because it, for the first-time, allows churches and religious non profit organizations to not be required to provide services or goods to facilitate or celebrate same-sex marriages. According to Sullivan’s statement, the senator passed the bill “more about promoting and expanding religious freedom protections than it is about same-sex marital status.”
Casey GroveSo, it seems like Sen. Sullivan supports this bill because it allows churches to not respect same-sex marital relationships.
Liz Ruskin Yes. He said that he believes the state should decide who can be married.
Casey Grove But he voted in favor of the bill. It now heads to the House for passage. Are you able to predict how Rep. Mary Peltola votes?
Liz Ruskin Although I haven’t seen her make a statement on the bill specifically, equal rights for LGBTQ Alaskans is something she supported.
Casey Grove And speaking of Congresswoman Peltola: She kind of went against her colleagues this week with the bill to impose labor contracts on railroad workers.
Liz Ruskin: Right. To avoid a costly strike, she voted against the bill that Congress passed. I spoke to her shortly after the vote, and she stated that she could not support a bill without adequate sick leave for railroad employees. Here is what she said.
Rep. Rep.
Liz RuskinShe stated that some rail workers are in dangerous jobs and must be the best. Casey was also holding her Theraflu box in the halls.
Casey Grove: Because she’s sick?
Liz RuskinShe claims that she, her campaign team, and her family became super sick on the 9th of November, the day following the election. Some flu-like illness. She’s now only dealing with some minor symptoms. She says that she doesn’t need to be sick at the moment.
Casey Grove Both chambers passed the railroad bill. We heard representatives from both parties speak about how crucial it was for the nation’s economy to avoid a strike. Many Democrats wanted to be pro Union, but they didn’t. Will Peltola be punished for speaking out against party leaders?
Liz Ruskin : I asked her. Although she acknowledged that there was some disappointment, she also said that leadership understood that members have to do what is right. If it was a close vote, and they really needed her, it might have been different. Peltola stated that it was a protest vote.
Casey Grove How did the senators vote for that railroad strike bill
Liz Ruskin: Sen. Murkowski voted in favor. Although she stated that a strike would be too destructive, she also said she sympathized with workers who need sick leave. Senator Sullivan voted no. He said that the Senate didn’t have enough time to review it. Here is a portion of what he said from the Senate floor.
Sen. Sen. These are crucial. Without the necessary deliberations. Without hearings before Congress to obtain the knowledge and expertise needed to make informed decisions.
Casey Grove So on this bill, we have Peltola & Sullivan voting no for different reasons.
Liz, by the way, I believe that Peltola was in high demand when she first traveled to D.C. in September to be sworn-in. Her office claimed that they received about 100 media requests per day. Are they still in high demand?
Liz Ruskin: Sure seems like it. She was interviewed by Meet The Press Now on NBC’s streaming network to discuss the railroad bill. Then she was on CNN representing the new House Democrats. Josh Wilson, her spokesman, said that the invitations for national shows aren’t as overwhelming as they used to be, but that they are still receiving more requests than they can handle.
