Lisa Murkowski

I’ve heard loud and clear from small businesses in Alaska: tariffs are forcing prices to rise and making it difficult to plan long-term.

The legislation was not good enough for the American public.

The bill was not ready for the president’s desk

I feel like we made a deal and then hours later, a deal was made to somebody else.

Do I feel like the administration was not being up-front with us? Yes.

Their response to today’s earthquake is a perfect example of the incredible public service these stations provide.

I don’t accept that. I’m going to be voting no.

We’re lawmakers. We should be legislating. What we’re getting now is a direction from the White House and being told, ‘This is the priority. We want you to execute on it. We’ll be back with you with another round,’

We are lawmakers. We should be legislating.

I hope you feel the urgency that I’m trying to express on behalf of the people in rural Alaska and I think in many parts of rural America where this is their lifeline.

I know why it is that I do the things that I do.

Legislating, for me, is not transactional. I need to believe in the decisions I make.

While we have worked to improve the present bill for Alaska, it is not good enough for the rest of our nation—and we all know it.

It is the people of Alaska that I worry about the most, especially when it comes to the potential loss of social safety net programs—Medicaid coverage and SNAP benefits—that our most vulnerable populations rely on.

This was one of the hardest votes

My political philosophy is simple. I work for these people.

I know that in many parts of the country, there are Americans who are not going to be advantaged by this bill.

What’s good for Alaska is not necessarily good for the country; this bill is not good for many Americans in the country.

I needed to make sure that Alaska’s interests were represented.

When I saw the direction this was going, you can either say, ‘I don’t like it,’ and not try to help my state, or you can roll up your sleeves.

I will continue to do that and I will make no excuses for doing that.

I advocated for my state’s interests.

We do not have a perfect bill by any stretch of the imagination. My hope is that the House is going to look at this and recognize that we’re not there yet.

My sincere hope is that this is not the final product.

[L]et’s not kid ourselves. ... While we have worked to improve the present bill for Alaska, it is not good enough for the rest of our nation — and we all know it.