they figured with my name, that's close enough to be a hispanic you nofmente he's got two f's and a z in his name, throw him out there. you laugh but i'm telling you. i was under the impression maybe i was invited because i was an up and coming republican, and it turns out they were just looking for a way to save money on alcohol, invite the mormons. >> senator from idaho isn't here, is he? >> just making sure. >> watch the entire congressional dinner tonight at 8: 20 p.m. eastern here on c-span. >> in his weekly address president obama talks about sequestration and tax policy. then senator lisa murkowski from alaska delivers the

republican address. she enters her plan for an energy policy for the u.s.. >> hi everybody. over the last few years, democrats and republicans have come together and cut our deficit by more than $2.5 trillion through a balanced mix of cuts and tax for the wealthiest americans. that is more than both parties say we need to stabilize our debt. i believe e we can finish the job the same way we started it, with a balanced cut of spending cuts and tax reform. and the majority of the american people agree, both democrats and republicans. my preference and the preference of many members of congress is to do that in a balanced way by making sensible changes to entitlement programs and reforming our tax code. as we speak, both the house and senate are working toward

budget proposals i hope will lay out this balanced path going forward. wut that takes time and right now, if congress doesn't act by march 1 a series of harmful doubts spending also known as the sequester are scheduled to take effect. and the result could be a huge blow to middle class families and our economy as a whole. if it goes forward thousands of workers are likely to be laid off, firefighters and food specttors could find themselves out of work leaving ourselves vulnerable. programs like head started would be cut and research into cancer andals himers could be scaled back. small businesses could be prevented from getting the resources they need to keep their doors open. people on disability could wait

longer on their benefits. all economic progress could be put at risk. then there is the impact on our military readiness. already they have delayed an aircraft carrier that was supposed to deplay to the gulf. changes like this effect our ability to respond threats in an unstable part of the world. and we'll be forced to make more tough decisions in the week ahead if congress files act. the good news is there is another option. two months ago we faced a similar deadline and instead of making deep cuts that would have cost jobs and slowed down our recovery, democrats and republicans came together and made responsible cuts and manageable changes to our tax code that will bring down our deficit. this time congress should pass a similar set of balanced cuts and close tax loopholes until they can replace the sequester with a smarter long term

solution. right now, most members of congress don't think it's a good idea to put thousands of jobs at risk and do unnecessary damage oh our economy. yet the current republican plan puts the burden on seniors and middle class families. they would rather ask more from the vast majority of americans than close even a single tax loophole that benefits the wealthy. over the last few years, we've 345ed good progress toward reducing our deficit in a balanced way. there is no reason we can't keep chipping away at this problem. there is no reason middle class should suffer because washington couldn't eliminate hey few tax loopholes or government programs that just don't work. at a time when economists and business leaders across our nation say our economy is poised for progress, we shouldn't allow self-inflicted wound to put that progress in jeopardy.

so my message to congress is let's keep working together to solve this problem and give our workers and businesses the support they need to grow and thrive. thanks and have a great week enled. >> hi, i'm senator lisa murkowski in the state of alaska. i everybody is as the lead republican on the energy resources committee. i want to discuss the tremendous opportunities that await us in those areas. energy has been a source of anxiety for our nation since the 1970's and thanks to new technologies, an era of rsscarsty is giving way to one of abundens. we now have a 90 years supply of natural gas, enough oil to eliminate imports for decades and a broad range of options for efficiency. there may never have been a time when america has had more potential for energy production or better ability to use our

energy wisely. but of course, we recognize all is not well. energy production on public lands owned by the federal government either stayed plat flat or fell in recent years. america's energy infrastructure has aged. the price of oil is high and the need for reliable energy has never been more urge gent. projects are too often hand strom with burden some regulations. our energy has improved in some respects but we can demand better. to take full advantage of our energy opportunities and to face up to our energy challenges, this week i released a report entitled energy 2020, a vision for america's energy future. it's based on a simple insight, energy is good. energy provides the basis of modern society and allows to us

live comfortable and productive lives. ate louse us to produce food and communicate. as we found out at the power outage at the super bowl it's also important to professional football. energy is not a necessary evil, energy is good. that is why nits our interest to make it abundnt. affordable, diverse clean and secure. i believe there is a consensus around these five objectives and our chalsleng to align federal policy with them. to accomplish them, my blueprint offers 200 recommendation. these span the spectrum of resource and reforms from the immediate approval of the keystone pipeline to a trust fund for energy research that is paid for with the revenues from new production. every recommend decation my blueprint is associated with a clear goal for 2020.

we can end our dependence oh on opec oil. we can make renewable energy more competitive, build on our efficiency gains and re-establish the supply chain for critical minerals. we can ensure that research and not endless regulation is the force behind neck logical invasion. through sensible regulatory reforms, we can prevent the misuse of environmental laws and allow projects to proceed and all the while maintaining the highest environmental standards in the world. the ideas in my blueprint would create new jobs, generate new revenues and slash our dependence on foreign energy. they were sure up our economy. they would help us minimize the impact of energy development and e deuce the emissions blamed for climate change. it is true my blueprint does not rely on new regulations to

achieve these goals and doesn't drive up taxes or energy prices. it doesn't limit choice or lavish subsidies. now there are some who don't believe that those options represent the best or perhaps the only path forward but that's wrong. there is a resource that must be protected, left untapped and undecushed and that's you, the american taxpayer. it's fair to say that not every member of congress will support every propose until my blueprint and that's why i describe it as a conversation starteder. it's intended to provoke a new and a better discussion about energy, to recognize how bright our future can be and to provide a prudent alternative to the heavy handed approaches coming from the administration and the e.p.a. we can do better. we can renew and reimagine our energy policies. now that we have a