FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 09/24/2014
ANCHORAGE — Alaskans know there are major ideological differences between Senator Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan.
Sullivan has a well documented record of failures as attorney general and his legacy still haunts the state. Here are 5 questions Dan Sullivan hopes Alaskans won’t ask him about Senator Lisa Murkowski’s beliefs:
Do you share Senator Murkowski’s strong support of Alaska Native subsistence rights?
Do you support the Violence Against Women Act and believe the “Alaska exception” should be removed?
Do you share Senator Murkowski’s views on choice and women’s reproductive health care?
Do you disagree with Senator Murkowski’s support for collective bargaining rights?
Have you always opposed GE salmon and believed in labeling GMO foods?
Subsistence Rights for Alaska Native people:
Lisa Murkowski is a strong supporter of subsistence rights for Alaska Native people.
Begich And Murkowski Hosted Field Hearing On Subsistence Concerns At The Alaska Federation Of Natives Convention. Reported the Fairbanks News-Miner in October 2013, “Sen. Mark Begich and Sen. Lisa Murkowski hosted a field hearing of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee on Saturday, hearing testimony at the Alaska Federation of Natives convention about subsistence concerns. Begich called the field hearing to discuss ‘rural food security,’ which the Democrat said centered around the ability of Alaska Natives to practice a traditional subsistence lifestyle.” [Fairbanks News-Miner, 10/27/13]
As attorney general, Dan Sullivan sued Athabascan elder Katie John over her rights.
In 2010, Sullivan Filed Alaska’s Appeal To 9th U.S. Circuit Court Regarding Katie John Case. “The question arose from Monday’s U.S. Supreme Court handling of the Katie John case, the latest in the long-running conflict between subsistence rights and states’ rights. The justices decided not to hear the state’s appeal of an earlier court ruling that approved Interior Department rules enforcing federal subsistence fishing and hunting rights for rural Alaskans along state-owned rivers. ‘If elected and the state of Alaska asks you to introduce legislation that would reverse the Supreme Court decision, what would you do?’ moderator Sarah Lukin asked Treadwell and Sullivan. A third prominent Republican in the race, Joe Miller of Fairbanks, was invited to the forum but didn’t respond, she said afterwards… Sullivan, who in 2010 as Alaska attorney general filed the state’s appeal to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, didn’t address what he would do as senator but said ‘subsistence is not going to be won in the courtroom.’” [Anchorage Daily News, 4/1/14]
Violence Against Women Act:
Lisa Murkowski voted for reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.
Murkowski Demanded Swift Approval Of The Violence Against Women Act Politico reported, “Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) joined several Democratic women senators on the chamber floor Thursday to demand swift approval of the Violence Against Women Act, giving a boost of bipartisanship to an issue that threatens to create a partisan rift as soon as next week.”Something else that we all care about is — is the violence, the assaults that women often endure, their sisters, their daughters, their neighbors, their friends,” she said. “And the Violence Against Women Act is an important commitment to victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse, that they are not alone.” [Politico, 3/15/12]
Dan Sullivan refuses to give his position on the legislation or the “Alaska exception.”
Sullivan Gave “Bumbling” Answer About Whether He’d Oppose VAWA, Claimed He’d Have To “Look At The Whole Act.” “Neither of the two lead candidates in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate in Alaska would say whether they would have voted for or support reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. Both former Attorney General Dan Sullivan and Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell, in interviews with MSNBC’s Kasie Hunt, gave rather bumbling answers in response to questions about how they would vote on the Violence Against Women Act if they were in the Senate. ‘You know I’ll look at it, I know there were some provisions that had some controversy but I’m going to be very focused on those issues the way I was as attorney general here,’ Sullivan said. ‘But you’re not sure one way or the other that you would have voted for it and whether you’ll vote to reauthorize it,’ Hunt quickly interjected.” [Talking Points Memo, 8/13/14]
Women’s Reproductive Health Care:
Lisa Murkowski supports Roe V. Wade.
Murkowski Voted For A ‘Sense Of The Senate’ That Supported Roe V. Wade. The Anchorage Daily News reported, “[Senator Murkowski] has long said abortion decisions are between a woman and her doctor, and in her first appointed Senate term, she voted for a nonbinding “sense of the Senate” that supported Roe v. Wade. [Anchorage Daily News, 8/26/10]
Dan Sullivan wants to overturn Roe v. Wade and said his opposition to abortion is a “core conviction.”
Sullivan Said He Supported Overturning Roe v. Wade. Sullivan answered yes to the question “Do you support overturning the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1973 ruling in Roe v. Wade, which asserted the existence of a federal constitutional right to abortion?” [Alaska Family Action Sent Candidate Survey, 6/24/14]
Worker Rights:
Lisa Murkowski supports collective bargaining rights.
Murkowski Supports Collective Bargaining Rights. “The Senate is moving closer to passing legislation that would require states to grant public-safety employees, including police, firefighters and emergency medical workers, the right to collectively bargain over hours and wages… The other Republican co-sponsors in the Senate are Scott Brown of Massachusetts, Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine, and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.” [Wall Street Journal, 6/17/10]
Dan Sullivan supports Right to Work Laws.
Sullivan Supported Right To Work Laws. During a July 2014 interview on the Fagan and Biegel Show, Dan Sullivan said, “FAGAN: Right to work legislation that we’ve been wanting to hear from you on, you have 60 seconds. In concept should an individual be forced to pay union dues to have a job? SULLIVAN: No. and personally I am supportive of right to work.” [Audio, Sullivan on Fagan & Biegel Show, 07/11/14]
Frankenfish:
Lisa Murkowski has fought every step of the way against genetically modified salmon or “Frankenfish.”
Murkowski Cosponsored An Amendment Requiring Labeling Of GMO Foods. The Juneau Empire reported, “If genetically modified salmon is approved by the federal government, it may be labeled as such. The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee last week passed the bipartisan Murkowski-Begich amendment requiring that consumers be advised of what they are buying. During testimony, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) questioned if the so-called “Frankenfish” can even be called a real salmon.” [Juneau Empire, 6/6/14]
While at the State Department, Dan Sullivan pushed or genetically modified organisms.
Sullivan Pushed Genetically Modified Organisms While At State Department. Reported the Alaska Dispatch News in June 2014, “Other initiatives Sullivan worked on that are detailed in Wikileaks cables included pushing foreign nations to protect and embrace U.S. products. He lobbied for recognition of intellectual property rights in Brazil, argued against Norwegian taxes on light trucks that hurt American exports, and pitched the value of biotechnology — including genetically modified organisms — to the French government.” [Alaska Dispatch News, 6/29/14]
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