Senator Murkowski Tells Legislature Federal Spending Will Drop

Sequester or not, Alaska will see less federal money

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By Bill McAllister
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Story Created: Feb 21, 2013 at 4:55 PM AKDT

Story Updated: Feb 21, 2013 at 6:05 PM AKDT

ANCHORAGE - Whether the so-called budget “sequestration” happens next week or not, Alaska can expect to see cutbacks in federal spending.

That was the message delivered by U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski in her annual address today to a joint session of the Legislature in Juneau.

Without a new deficit-reduction deal by March 1, existing law calls for $1.5 trillion in spending cuts over 10 years, including about $85 billion this year.

The result is expected to be massive job losses in the federal government.

Murkowski told state lawmakers that they need to brace for less federal money because of the political state-of-play in Washington, D.C.

"Despite the seriousness of our nation's challenges and what we're facing, I think it's fair to say that Americans have witnessed an atmosphere of perhaps unprecedented dysfunction and partisanship in Congress that has compromised our ability to govern."

Murkowski noted that Alaska has the third highest number of federal employees and a Native population that relies on significant federal assistance.

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Robo said on Saturday, Feb 23 at 10:23 AM

Too bad we sent Lisa back to the senate -- should of elected the "crazy" other guy. Many of us realized she was part of the problem with government, but didn't have a very good choice for change. Both parties have failed the people -- maybe now is the time for creating a party that will represent the "citizen" and not the power brokers.

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