Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska has stated she feels “cheated” after supporting a recent major Republican tax and spending bill, only to see the administration take actions that she says undermine key concessions she secured for her state.
Despite publicly describing the legislation as a “mess,” “unfinished,” and “not good enough” for the American public, Murkowski cast a decisive vote in its favor. Her support was contingent on several special provisions for Alaska, including what she believed was an agreement to protect tax credits for wind and solar projects for a 12-month period.
However, in an interview with the Anchorage Daily News, Murkowski expressed her frustration. “I feel cheated,” she said. “I feel like we made a deal and then hours later, a deal was made to somebody else.”
The senator’s remarks came after the administration issued new directives that threaten the viability of renewable energy projects. Shortly after the bill passed, an executive order was signed that could rewrite federal rules to limit the tax credits Murkowski sought to protect. Additionally, the Interior Department issued a directive requiring that the Secretary personally approve even routine activities for wind and solar projects on federal lands, a move critics fear will create significant delays or halt development altogether.
Murkowski told the newspaper that the White House’s policy “just pulls the rug out from underneath the deal” she had negotiated.
This outcome stands in contrast to a situation eight years ago when Murkowski resisted party pressure and similar state-specific incentives, ultimately voting against a Republican effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act. This time, after securing what she thought were firm commitments, her vote helped pass the contentious bill, but the concessions appear to be in jeopardy. It remains unclear what, if any, action the senator will take in response.
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