KTUU: Alaska's senators respond to final unveiling of health care bill
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- With Democrats reportedly holding the 60 votes necessary to pass it, Alaska's senators chimed in on Saturday's final unveiling of the U.S. Senate health care package.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski is opposed to the bill and says it will not benefit Alaska, while Sen. Mark Begich believes the package will cut costs for Alaskans and strengthen Medicare.
The Christmas deadline is becoming another topic of debate, as some disagree with the rush.
"These are very complicated and obviously lengthy proposals," Murkowski said. "And what is happening is, we are conducting our business in the dead of night, in the wee hours of the morning."
"We are hopeful the Republicans will not just drag it on for the sake of dragging it on," Begich said. "That when the first vote comes and they see that there were a solid majority, that it's time to move on and let people go back and celebrate Christmas and the holidays with their family, and not just play politics as usual here."
This is the third weekend in a row the Senate has been in session.
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Source: By Channel 2 News Staff. Originally broadcast by KTUU on December 19, 2009
