Video Clips

Quoted moments from Alaska public meetings, hearings, and press conferences.

Lisa Murkowski

“what I would like is your commitment to work with this committee as well as those of us on the Interior Appropriations Committee and our tribal leaders to really figure out how we are addressing the many issues that are in front of us with contract support costs and 105L.”

Senate Indian Affairs (Murkowski): Hearings to examine the nomination of Mark Cruz, of Oregon, to be Director of the Indian Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services. · Jun 24, 2026

Lisa Murkowski

“through what we've been able to do with self-determination, self-governance, in working through our Alaska Tribal Health Compacts, it's really quite remarkable. And I think that Secretary Kennedy saw that in his visit last summer when he came. Not only are we building infrastructure that meets the need, but we are in a place where our ability to deliver care is probably some of the best example that you will see in Indian Country, and some would argue that in rural areas, how we have done it through our compacting is the promise and the model for that.”

Senate Indian Affairs (Murkowski): Hearings to examine the nomination of Mark Cruz, of Oregon, to be Director of the Indian Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services. · Jun 24, 2026

Mark Cruz

“Self-governance really excites me, and strong supporter. So, I've been very clear with the advocates when asked, and, you know, the secretary is on the record, both publicly and in congressional testimony, being generally supportive of the concept of self-governance going— expanding beyond Indian Health Service. The challenges is our authority, and that's going to take a congressional fix.”

Senate Indian Affairs (Murkowski): Hearings to examine the nomination of Mark Cruz, of Oregon, to be Director of the Indian Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services. · Jun 24, 2026

Mark Cruz

“For more than a year, I have served as senior advisor to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. I thank the Secretary for creating this position in response to tribal leaders' requests and for entrusting me with that role.”

Senate Indian Affairs (Murkowski): Hearings to examine the nomination of Mark Cruz, of Oregon, to be Director of the Indian Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services. · Jun 24, 2026

Lisa Murkowski

“you said tribal consultation is a process, not an event. Think about that, how important it is, because so much of the time around here tribal consultation is just kind of a check-the-box exercise. We meet for one meeting and boom, we move on to something else.”

Senate Indian Affairs (Murkowski): Hearings to examine the nomination of Mark Cruz, of Oregon, to be Director of the Indian Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services. · Jun 24, 2026

Mark Cruz

“I want to make sure that those remaining projects get on a path towards completion. So whether it's environmental review, permitting, I want to understand that. If it's design-build, I want to understand that.”

Senate Indian Affairs (Murkowski): Hearings to examine the nomination of Mark Cruz, of Oregon, to be Director of the Indian Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services. · Jun 24, 2026

Mark Cruz

“what we did was within the authorities that we have at HHS, we created a $1 billion NEF commitment. So that was a strong step by the secretary to recognize and acknowledge that problem.”

Senate Indian Affairs (Murkowski): Hearings to examine the nomination of Mark Cruz, of Oregon, to be Director of the Indian Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services. · Jun 24, 2026

Mark Cruz

“putting that '93 construction list on a glide path to completion, um, is just one of the passion projects of mine.”

Senate Indian Affairs (Murkowski): Hearings to examine the nomination of Mark Cruz, of Oregon, to be Director of the Indian Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services. · Jun 24, 2026

Mark Cruz

“The latest estimate I received to get those 8 projects done was $8 billion. My annual appropriation in that line item is just under $200 million. Doing quick math, it's going to take us about 40 years to get those 8 projects done. That's unacceptable.”

Senate Indian Affairs (Murkowski): Hearings to examine the nomination of Mark Cruz, of Oregon, to be Director of the Indian Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services. · Jun 24, 2026

Brian Schatz

“do, do we have your commitment to be responsive personally if any member of the Indian Affairs Committee has any question? Will you call them back within a reasonable timeframe? Yes, Vice Chairman.”

Senate Indian Affairs (Murkowski): Hearings to examine the nomination of Mark Cruz, of Oregon, to be Director of the Indian Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services. · Jun 24, 2026

Mark Cruz

“if confirmed, I would have— I would be dual-hatting, but I would essentially be preserving that close relationship with the Secretary. And as we manage within the departments, that is just a critical relationship to have because we do hear about a number of issues from tribal leaders and tribal health departments and our urban partners about issues that are occurring in different operating divisions.”

Senate Indian Affairs (Murkowski): Hearings to examine the nomination of Mark Cruz, of Oregon, to be Director of the Indian Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services. · Jun 24, 2026

James Cockrell

“Their dedication did depend— did not depend on jurisdiction, badge, department, or uniform. They serve one mission: to protect the people of this great state of Alaska. And today we stand united, honor that service. And it's just as important to recognize the families of the fallen here today. Please know that you have my deepest sympathies.”

Alaska State Troopers: 2026 Alaska Police Memorial Day Ceremony · Jun 24, 2026

Michael Heyman

“Within the struggle, the individual ended up firing a weapon that went through his hip. The bullet passed through the individual's hip and wounded the officer in the knee.”

Alaska State Troopers: 2026 Alaska Police Memorial Day Ceremony · Jun 24, 2026

James Cockrell

“State agencies, local departments, tribal partners, BPSOs, and federal colleagues are separate organizations, but we are one community. The sacrifice of the fallen reminds us that we share a common mission and that we must stand together to achieve it.”

Alaska State Troopers: 2026 Alaska Police Memorial Day Ceremony · Jun 24, 2026

James Cockrell

“we pause today to honor the 69 law enforcement officers who gave their lives in the service of others. Their names have been etched into the memorial. These are not just names carved into stone. They are our family, our friends, and each with a story, each with a legacy.”

Alaska State Troopers: 2026 Alaska Police Memorial Day Ceremony · Jun 24, 2026

Michael Heyman

“Sometimes those incidents escalate to violence, sometimes to extreme violence where officers are even shot in the process.”

Alaska State Troopers: 2026 Alaska Police Memorial Day Ceremony · Jun 24, 2026

Michael Heyman

“nearly 130 years have passed since the first law enforcement officer in Alaska was killed. September 1st, 1897, Deputy U.S. Marshal William C. Watts with the U.S. Marshal Service was the first. But no matter how many years have passed, 130 or 3 and a half since our latest tragedy, we remember these brave Alaskans and the sacrifices they have made to this community.”

Alaska State Troopers: 2026 Alaska Police Memorial Day Ceremony · Jun 24, 2026

Michael Heyman

“It is now to a point where local media outlets are not even reporting on these incidents. And just this morning, I learned about an incident in Oregon for instance, where a federal building had been breached. In the process, there was an assault on federal law enforcement officers.”

Alaska State Troopers: 2026 Alaska Police Memorial Day Ceremony · Jun 24, 2026

Michael Heyman

“We had one case recently that passed through the federal system where local law enforcement were responding to a felony possession case. Felon is not supposed to possess firearm on the streets of Alaska. Something that we deal with pretty much on a daily basis in the federal system. Officers arrived and attempted to disarm that individual.”

Alaska State Troopers: 2026 Alaska Police Memorial Day Ceremony · Jun 24, 2026

Michael Heyman

“it's a sign of the commonality of the violence that's occurring on our law enforcement. Now, some law enforcement in this audience, especially the, the uniformed ones, are probably shrugging their shoulders thinking, 'That's just another day,' because they wake up in anticipation that something like that could happen every single day. Well, to the rest of us, that is remarkable.”

Alaska State Troopers: 2026 Alaska Police Memorial Day Ceremony · Jun 24, 2026

Michael Heyman

“I went back to my office, excuse me, and I actively searched for some information about that assault, something that had occurred right after the incident. And there was but a blip of information from the local media outlets, something that I didn't hear about until this morning that happened in January of this year. Yet actual shootouts and violent altercations between citizens and law enforcement have become standard fare. And while we are distanced from the rest of the country, we're not immune to some of these same problems that are affecting the lower 48. My office has seen several instances and are regularly receiving information with respect to resisting arrest.”

Alaska State Troopers: 2026 Alaska Police Memorial Day Ceremony · Jun 24, 2026

Michael Heyman

“in recent history, we've seen a troubling surge in violence against law enforcement across our country. Norms have changed. It's becoming commonplace and often encouraged.”

Alaska State Troopers: 2026 Alaska Police Memorial Day Ceremony · Jun 24, 2026

Michael Heyman

“for the agencies with a more conspicuous presence, like the APD, FBI, troopers, to the more covert agencies that typically remain out of the spotlight, U.S. Marshals Service, IRS Criminal Investigations, and many more, that quietly protect and serve. We thank you for your commitment to Alaska.”

Alaska State Troopers: 2026 Alaska Police Memorial Day Ceremony · Jun 24, 2026

Michael Heyman

“on this Day of Remembrance, and reflection to the current law enforcement officers and their families, to our fallen brothers and sisters and their families. Your sacrifice does not go unnoticed.”

Alaska State Troopers: 2026 Alaska Police Memorial Day Ceremony · Jun 24, 2026

Jennifer Gray

“What authority does the Division of Elections have to remove a candidate from the ballot? And has that authority been exercised consistently? Those questions matter because public confidence in elections depends on more than accurate vote counting. It depends on the public's confidence that the rules are applied equally to everyone.”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260622-1300 · Jun 22, 2026

Jennifer Gray

“The Division rejected the complaint and allowed Representative Eastman to remain on the ballot. In the ensuing litigation, the Division consistently maintained that Alaska law and regulation, quote, carve out a narrow role for the Division to evaluate candidates' eligibility to be on the ballot, primarily concerned with a candidate meet the requirements for citizenship, age, and residency.”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260622-1300 · Jun 22, 2026

Thomas Amodio

“Even the division's own regulations do not address good motives versus bad motives or that type of thing. I think it would be a very difficult sliding, slippery slope to navigate.”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260622-1300 · Jun 22, 2026

Thomas Amodio

“that was addressed in the Halfma case. Where he's never been to Alaska and all he has to do is show up one day before he's elected and he's a qualified candidate under federal law. That's my understanding. And even though he's imprisoned back, I thought it was New Jersey, but New York, makes no difference.”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260622-1300 · Jun 22, 2026

Thomas Amodio

“no, I don't, I don't believe, uh, that that would be, uh, that, that authority is, uh, in our, uh, in the state law.”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260622-1300 · Jun 22, 2026

Thomas Amodio

“all you have to do is be an inhabitant of Alaska when you are actually elected. So, you could literally come up here on Election Day That's my understanding. And that's the position that the Division of Elections took in the case that you were talking about. And the Supreme Court agreed in the sense that the Supreme Court said, yeah, this is not for the Division of Elections to investigate and decide. They absolutely can and must rely on the declaration of candidacy filed by a candidate, and that's it”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260622-1300 · Jun 22, 2026

Jennifer Gray

“the Division maintained that it lacked the authority to independently question a candidate's stated intent regarding future residency and argued against removing him from the ballot. The Division wrote in its briefing to the court that, quote, In his declaration of candidacy, Mr. Haffner certified to the Division that he would meet the residency requirement. However unlikely that may be in his case, the Division must treat him the same way it would treat any other qualified candidate who affirms an intention to meet the residency requirement by Election Day.”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260622-1300 · Jun 22, 2026

Thomas Amodio

“The declaration of candidacy is essentially sacrosanct. If you say, "I can be— meet those qualifications," and obviously you are the right, you know, got to be significant to be applicable age.”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260622-1300 · Jun 22, 2026

Thomas Amodio

“My understanding with the federal is that if you meet the age requirement under federal law, you don't have to be a resident of Alaska for a day. You know what I mean? It's not— it's the way the federal law is worded. It's inhabitant, not resident.”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260622-1300 · Jun 22, 2026

Thomas Amodio

“None that I'm aware of. There's nothing that says your motives have to be clean and, you know, above board. You could be running for the— because you want a paycheck. You could be running because you disagree on an issue with others.”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260622-1300 · Jun 22, 2026

Thomas Amodio

“in my view, the Division's decision to exclude the second Dan Sullivan because his name is inconsistent with what the division has always done before and the positions it's taken in terms of, you know, it's up to the voters to decide, not, not the division.”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260622-1300 · Jun 22, 2026

Thomas Amodio

“when I was involved with the Haffner case and I saw the case law generally out there for federal office, I was shocked that you could, I could run for a, a House of Representatives in Texas today by filing whatever Texas requires. And according to the case law and ultimately what was decided in that case, all I have to do is show up in Texas on the day of the election or the day before, and I'm an inhabitant of Texas.”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260622-1300 · Jun 22, 2026

Jennifer Gray

“Legislative Counsel Andrew Dunmire issued a memorandum concluding that the division likely lacked legal authority to remove Mr. Sullivan from the ballot because the United States Constitution sets forth the qualifications for serving in the U.S. Senate, and a requirement that a candidate be filed in good faith is not among them.”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260622-1300 · Jun 22, 2026

Thomas Amodio

“They've got their playbook. They stick to it in terms of counting votes. And, you know, they follow the law. It's— they do a terrific, commendable job.”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260622-1300 · Jun 22, 2026

Jennifer Gray

“If the Division lacked the authority to investigate one candidate's good faith in claiming residency, what gives it authority to investigate another candidate's motives for filing? If the Division could not independently determine a candidate's future intent to reside in Alaska in 2024, how can it independently determine a candidate's subjective intent to seek office in 2026?”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260622-1300 · Jun 22, 2026

Jennifer Gray

“Chair Carrick has agreed to excuse Lieutenant Governor Dahlstrom and Director Beecher from appearing today on the condition that they produce requested documents by July 20th and appear before this joint committee on July 22nd, 2026. The Lieutenant Governor has agreed to those conditions, and for that we are very grateful.”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260622-1300 · Jun 22, 2026

Ashley Carrick

“my biggest concern here is that if quote unquote good faith, as was stated in the memo from the Division of Elections, becomes an additional implicit standard for candidacy, Alaska will have added more than just an additional requirement. We will have functionally added a subjective standard for qualification to run for office determined by what is currently an apolitical body, which is an extremely strong contrast to the simple objective federal and state standards that are in place today.”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260622-1300 · Jun 22, 2026

Linn McCabe

“Director Beecher is saying he just can't be on the ballot. She is not making a judgment on whether or not Daniel J. Sullivan from Petersburg qualified to be a senator. She's making a judgment on whether or not, in her opinion, based on the AC 25-212, is he qualified to be on the ballot. Thornton didn't eliminate the state's ability to do that, did it?”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260622-1300 · Jun 22, 2026

Thomas Amodio

“I've not seen— I've not seen that before in my 30-plus, 35 years of practice before APOC, the Division of Elections. And let me just say real quickly, I admire the Division of Elections. I've seen them recounts. They are hardworking. They're terrific.”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260622-1300 · Jun 22, 2026

Jennifer Gray

“for the first time in recent memory, the division appears to have moved beyond evaluating objective qualifications and into the realm of evaluating intent. It did not merely ask whether a candidate met the constitutional requirements for office. It asked whether the candidate's motives were genuine.”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260622-1300 · Jun 22, 2026

Thomas Amodio

“This decision by the division has surprised me somewhat, but, you know, I'm, like I say, I don't represent the division, so it's, I'm not involved with them. But, um, yeah, so in my experience, that's, uh, um, uh, they, they haven't inquired into, I've never seen an inquiry into that area before, what the motives of the candidate are for running.”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260622-1300 · Jun 22, 2026

Thomas Amodio

“the Division has always taken the position it is not their job, it is not their duty— in cases I have been involved in, let me, let me, you know, put that caveat in there.”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260622-1300 · Jun 22, 2026

Hollis French

“If a prisoner with no ties to the state of Alaska in New York State can be put on the ballot for federal office in the state of Alaska, I think the Division of Elections is sort of foreclosed from then on from, from engaging in what they've engaged in this case. I'll rely on my experience as a prosecutor and tell you it is extremely difficult, if not almost impossible, to prove someone's motive.”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260622-1300 · Jun 22, 2026

Thomas Amodio

“I have not encountered that before. I don't know what the motive of Mr. Haffner, a convicted felon in New Jersey, is for running for office in Alaska, but I would certainly suggest it would not be of the utmost high-mindedness. Type of motive, and where would you draw the line as far as a good motive versus an inferior motive or an unacceptable motive? Anyway, that's— I don't believe our laws allow that investigation.”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260622-1300 · Jun 22, 2026

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