Support Continues to Grow; Surpasses 5,000 Alaska Donors

As the Republican primary gets more contentious, enthusiasm for Mark Begich continues to grow with 700 new Alaska donors just this quarter and over 5,000 Alaskans donating overall to his campaign this cycle, more Alaskans than all Republican candidates combined.

In the second quarter Begich raised over $1.25 million for his campaign, bringing his total to almost $8 million this election cycle.

· Over 5000 Alaska donors this campaign cycle, surpassing 2008 figure by nearly 1000 Alaskans

· Over 700 new Alaska donors this quarter

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Extreme Personhood Legislation Forces Decisions for Alaska Women

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 07/10/2023

ANCHORAGE — U.S. Senate candidate Mead Treadwell continues to play doctor for Alaska women by calling personhood - an issue that could give state control over women’s bodies - the “next big debate in this country.” Treadwell is adamant about supporting personhood measures which could deem certain forms of birth control murder and outlaw abortion even in the most extreme cases of assault or incest.

Personhood initiatives enthusiastically backed by Treadwell are so extreme that many scenarios a mother’s life and health would not be considered over that of her pregnancy.

“Mead Treadwell is playing doctor if he believes his own personal politics and extreme agenda trump the reproductive rights and in several cases the lives of Alaska women,” said Susanne Fleek-Green, Campaign Manager for Alaskans for Begich.

Passing personhood legislation could allow the government to potentially sue even if a woman has a miscarriage.

The American Congress Of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have said that “personhood” legislation would abolish regular forms of birth control used by thousands of Alaska women like the IUD and every day birth control pill.

He recently reiterated his support for “personhood” measures at the KTUU forum.

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Vets Show Support for Begich

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 07/09/2023

Desperate for Support in Rural Alaska

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 07/09/2023

ANCHORAGE — Dan Sullivan visited Galena for the first time since his attacks on Alaska Native tribal sovereignty as the Attorney General fighting Alaska tribes in the Kaltag case. Sullivan’s history of prosecuting rural Alaska is in startling contrast to Mark Begich’s record of fighting for federal relief for rural Alaska communities who suffered severe flood damage.

Sullivan’s visit is his first since Galena suffered widespread damage that displaced families and left the village underwater.

“Mark Begich fought for real results for Galena and continues to fight to improve health care, broadband, infrastructure and education across rural Alaska. Dan Sullivan’s appearance in Galena to ask for votes only reminds rural Alaska of his efforts to sue Alaska Native villages and end subsistence rights,” said Max Croes.

Begich visited Galena last summer to meet face to face with Alaskans to discuss their needs and concerns in the wake of devastating flooding.

Sullivan last visited Galena during his prosecution of the Kaltag court case as attorney general.

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Takes Away Individual Rights for Sake of a Corporation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 07/08/2023

ANCHORAGE — Mark Begich is taking a strong stand against the Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby ruling which takes health care decisions away from Alaska women and allows bosses to make reproductive health care decisions for their employees.

“Mark Begich is the only candidate in this race standing up for the rights and privacy of Alaska women and opposing government overreach directly into their reproductive decisions. Mead Treadwell, Dan Sullivan and Joe Miller all believe a woman’s boss or the government should make health care decisions for them,” said Susanne Fleek-Green, Campaign Manager for Alaskans for Begich.

Today on “Talk of Alaska” U.S. Senate candidate Dan Sullivan doubled down on his approach to women’s health care and reiterated his anti-choice platform. Sullivan has also indicated his support for the Hobby Lobby decision.

Read the full article here:

Begich weighs in on Hobby Lobby, Iraq

Democratic Senator gives insight into his work with Obama

Posted: July 4, 2023 - 12:14am

Alaska’s democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Begich is not one to hold back strong opinions, and he is adamant about his opposition to the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling in the Burwell v. Hobby Lobby case

The senator running for re-election this fall said the landmark ruling paves the way for more challenges that go deeper than the Hobby Lobby case.

“It opens up the whole debate on reproductive rights and choice,” Begich said, later adding, “As a woman or man that’s concerned about reproductive rights you should be concerned with this ruling.”

The court ruled 5-4 in favor of Hobby Lobby stores which sought a religious exemption from the Affordable Care Act mandate to provide coverage for four of 20 types of contraceptives. Hobby Lobby argued that the four methods, which included two types of “morning-after pills” and intrauterine devices, constituted an abortion because they believe life begins when the egg is first fertilized. Scientists are divided on the issue.

Still, for Begich, the ruling takes away some individual rights for the sake of a corporation.

“I can only say this as a man, but as a woman to have your boss tell you what kind of birth control you can have, I think is a big problem,” Begich said. “It takes away women’s reproductive rights that have been fought for for decades.

“Women’s health care is once again going to be under attack as time goes on,” he added.

He said work is already underway on legislation that will “fix this problem” and protect women from those kinds of rights being taken away by a court ruling.

“In this case, what we want to do is make sure that right is preserved,” Begich said. “How we can do that legislatively — we’re not sure yet.”

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Senate Candidate Changes Residency Story Once Again

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 07/08/2023

ANCHORAGE — On Alaska Public Radio’s “Talk of Alaska” U.S. Senate candidate Dan Sullivan attempted to airbrush a new layer on the ever-changing story of his residency. Sullivan told an Alaskan that he checked a box on his 2009 non-resident fishing license application asking if he was “domiciled” in Alaska or not.

Dan Sullivan’s fishing license application very clearly directed him to identify his Alaska “Residency,” which he left blank. The application makes no reference of being “domiciled” outside of Alaska while being a resident.

A current online fishing application requires an individual to identify their residency in the first field:

“Alaskans can’t trust Dan Sullivan’s ever-changing story and the claims he has made in the last five years to have been a non-resident, 1 year resident, 2 year resident, 10 year resident and 17 year resident of Alaska. It doesn’t add up,” Susanne Fleek-Green.

At the time of his non-resident fishing application, Sullivan owned a million dollar Maryland home identified as his “principal residence” while voting in Alaska.

Sullivan’s entire story conflicts with his recent claim to have been a continuous 17 year resident of Alaska made when he filed to run for the U.S. Senate listing residency in Alaska since 8/1/1997.

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Holds Over 25 Events from Barrow to Juneau Treadwell, Miller, Sullivan Combine for Less than 10

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 07/07/2023

ANCHORAGE — Hundreds of Alaskans got the chance to show their support and share their thoughts with Senator Mark Begich as he traveled a few thousand miles across Alaska - holding over 25 events with veterans, Alaska Native leaders and supporters. Begich’s opponents combined for less than 10 events.

Since Sunday June 29th, Begich has visited the following communities: Homer, Kenai, Soldotna, Cooper Landing, Seward, Indian, Anchorage, Juneau, Fairbanks and Barrow.

Dan Sullivan, Mead Treadwell and Joe Miller limited their exposure to Alaskans in the last week by appearing at only a few parades and fundraisers.

“Mark Begich will go anywhere in Alaska to listen to the ideas and concerns of Alaskans. Begich knows that Alaskans expect to know their elected officials and campaigns are decided by Alaskans, not Outside attack ads,” said Max Croes, Communications Director for Alaskans for Begich.

MARK BEGICH EVENTS Sunday, June 29 - Sunday, July 6:

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Ad Features Fairbanks Mayor Eberhart, North Star Borough Mayor Hopkins, and Former Fairbanks North Star Borough Mayor Whitaker

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 7/1/2024

A new ad airing today highlights Mark Begich’s bipartisan support from local leaders across the state, including Fairbanks Mayor John Eberhart, Fairbanks North Star Borough Mayor Luke Hopkins, and former Republican North Star Borough Mayor Jim Whitaker.

Eberhart, Hopkins and Whitaker tout Begich’s leadership in keeping the F16s at Eielson Air Force Base - saving 3,000 jobs - Begich’s successful push against the EPA to protect Alaska’s coal fired power plants from over regulation and his firm opposition to a carbon tax.

Transcript of the ad is below:

John Eberhart: I’m Fairbanks Mayor John Eberhart …

Luke Hopkins: I’m Fairbanks Borough Mayor Luke Hopkins …

Jim Whitaker: And I’m former Mayor Jim Whitaker – and I’m also a Republican.

All: And we’re all voting for Mark Begich.

Hopkins: Mark took on the EPA and kept our coal-fired power plant open.

Whitaker: It’s why we know he’s against a carbon tax.

Eberhart: And he fought to keep our squadron of F-16s at Eielson.

Whitaker: That saved three thousand jobs.

Whitaker: Mark Begich has proven to us he has clout.

Eberhart: Alaska can’t afford to lose that.

Begich: I’m Mark Begich and I approve this message.

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Begich Produces Results in Bringing Care Closer To Home

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 06/30/2014

ANCHORAGE - Senator Mark Begich’s central role in facilitating an agreement between tribal health care facilities and the VA is being noted by Military.com.

Begich’s proposal for the Alaska Hero’s Health Card was taken up by the VA and helped significantly reduce wait times across the state. A proposal similar to Begich’s Alaska fix passed the Senate as a solution for a national fix to VA wait times.

Begich sits on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee and is one of a select group of Senators negotiating on a Conference Committee to pass legislation curbing unacceptable wait times at the VA..

Read the full article below:

Military.com: Senator: Alaska Key to VA Healthcare Fix

Military.com Jun 26, 2023 | by Bryant Jordan

The future of veterans’ health care across the U.S. may be getting its trial run up in Alaska, a state one-fifth the size of the lower 48 and with more veterans per capita than any other state.

Alaskan veterans, many of whom live in remote areas, are increasingly getting health care at hospitals and clinics operated by the Indian Health Service.

“We now have [26] agreements with tribal providers,” Sen. Mark Begich, D-Alaska, told Senate and House lawmakers on Wednesday. “Each is a unique agreement that saves veterans from traveling thousands of miles [for care].”

Begich, one of a number of lawmakers working on a compromise bill intended to speed up health care delivery to the nation’s veterans, is championing the Alaska system as a national model.

The lawmakers are working on legislation against a backdrop of scandal at the VA, where investigators have confirmed systemic abuses of appointment scheduling, including in Phoenix, Arizona, where 35 veterans on a secret wait list died before getting to see a doctor.

Among provision in legislation drafted by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., is one to expand the pool of providers available to veterans by enabling them to access Indian Health Service, or IHS, facilities.

Under the arrangement, non-Native American veterans could get care in the facilities and the VA would reimburse the costs.

“The Alaska experience was absolutely a factor for including [that] language” in the bill, Sanders spokesman Mike Briggs told Military.com on Thursday.

Begich told lawmakers in conference committee that when the idea of utilizing IHS care was first raised some veterans service organizations were leery, but that’s no longer the case.

Gerry Glover, a state veterans’ service officer for the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Alaska, called the arrangement “a great step in the right direction.”

“It’s been a slow process over the last couple of years to get information out there [on the agreements] but veterans are now starting to get into some of the rural native health care facilities,” he told Military.com.

Begich spokesman Josh Stewart said more than 200 village and tribal health programs are included in the agreements to serve veterans.

“We have 26 total agreements, which cover the geographical area of the entire state to include the Aleutian Chain,” he said. “Currently there is no specific clinic that is not covered by these agreements. The whole state is covered.”

According to the VA, 62 veterans took advantage of IHS healthcare when agreements began taking effect in 2012. In 2013 the number had jumped to 279. As of June 6, 2014, the figure was 273.

As tough a time as the VA has had serving the population in the lower 48 states, Alaska has had even more challenges.

“Eighty percent of the communities are not accessible by roads,” Begich said on Wednesday.

Additionally, there is no dedicated VA hospital in Alaska. The VA Healthcare System is a joint venture with the Defense Department operating on Elmendorf Air Force Base, Anchorage. There are also three community-based outpatient clinics, including on Fort Wainwright.

For an area the size of Alaska, that’s not a great many resources.

That means travel and expense for a veteran who can only get his health care needs met at a VA facility.

In 2011, when Begich was trying to find new ways to get health care to veterans, he told reporters in the state of one veteran who had to spend $2,000 to travel from his home village to Anchorage for care.

It was then he came up with another idea that has found its way into the McCain-Sanders bill. Begich called it the “Alaska Hero’s Card” when he put it into a bill in 2011. It would allow the state’s veterans to go to community providers for their care.

The Sanders-McCain bill has a provision for a “Choice Card,” that would allow the veteran user to seek care at non-VA hospitals or clinics under certain conditions.

Begich’s “hero card” went nowhere. But it was out of talks with the VA on the access to care issue that then-VA Secretary Eric Shinseki was won over to the idea of the VA reimbursing ISH facilities for serving veterans, according to Begich spokesman Josh Stewart.

Begich had wanted a legislative solution, but when that failed came up with an administrative one, he said.

Should the Senate bill pass with the “Choice Card” intact, however, Begich will finally see the act approved by Congress.

During the conference committee meeting, Begich was bullish on offering the Alaska system as a model.

“If it can work in Alaska it can work anywhere in the country,” he said.

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Decision Lets Employers Impose Personal Views on Women’s Health Care Decisions, Access to Birth Control

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 06/30/2014

Today’s Supreme Court ruling reminds Alaska women that Dan Sullivan, Mead Treadwell, and Joe Miller believe employers and the government should invade a woman’s privacy and make health care decisions for them.

The Supreme Court ruled in favor of a lawsuit brought in part by the chain Hobby Lobby. As a result, employers can take away employee access to contraception and reproductive health care services, potentially costing Alaska women hundreds of dollars more per year.

“As if today’s Supreme Court decision weren’t already bad enough for Alaska women, GOP candidates Dan Sullivan, Joe Miller and Mead Treadwell support this gross violation of privacy. Alaska women are taking note of their anti-family, anti-woman agenda,” said Susanne Fleek-Green, Campaign Manager for Alaskans for Begich.

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