The appropriations process provides an alternative way to impact public policy. Here is an example:
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Sen. Lisa Murkowski issued her strongest objection to date against the Pebble Mine project, a proposed mining site of copper, gold and molybdenum near the ecologically sensitive Bristol Bay, pledging to use the federal appropriations process to protect the region.
Speaking virtually at a convention of the Alaska Federation of Natives on Thursday, Murkowski, R-Alaska, chairwoman of the Senate Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, said she would use spending legislation to protect Bristol Bay, home to the world's biggest salmon run and one of its largest commercial fisheries. She is also chairwoman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
"I simply think that this is the wrong mine in the wrong place," Murkowski said. "We need longer-term protections for the region that can also provide enduring value for Alaskans."
Murkowski submitted language in the fiscal 2020 Interior-Environment spending bill that directed the Army Corps of Engineers to conduct a more rigorous environmental assessment of the project's risks. "I plan to build on my appropriations language from last year to make sure that the Bristol bay region remains protected," she said Thursday.
Pebble Mine has stalled since 2014, when the Environmental Protection Agency blocked the project, citing risks to fish in the region. The project has come under scrutiny and political pressure in recent weeks.
