A U.S. senator from Alaska who is leading the fight to block federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions is also Congress’ top recipient of campaign contributions from the nation’s electric utilities, according to a new report. U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a Republican who holds a key position on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, received $157,000 from the electric utilities industry last year, the highest among U.S. lawmakers, according to data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics. Since 2005, she has received more than $244,000 from the industry. The Washington Post has reported that a lobbyist for two major utility companies helped Murkowski craft a 2009 
amendment that would have blocked the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from regulating carbon dioxide as a pollutant under the Clean Air Act. While that amendment was shelved, Murkowski says she will soon propose a similar one. Should Congress fail to pass a carbon cap-and-trade bill, the EPA has announced that it intends to regulate carbon emissions using its administrative authority. Critics say that utility company support has clearly influenced Murkowski’s actions. “I don’t believe you can buy a senator for $50,000, but you can certainly rent one,” said Frank O’Donnell, president of the advocacy group Clean Air Watch.
Lisa Murkowski