President Donald Trump called out Alaskan Sen. Lisa Murkowski by name on Twitter Wednesday after she voted against the latest Republican efforts to repeal Obamacare and his administration might be threatening to take federal funds away from states if senators don’t back his plan to repeal and replace the Obama-era healthcare law.
Murkowski was one of just two Republicans, along with Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, to break party lines and vote against a motion to proceed on a repeal of the Affordable Care Act. The pair were also among nine Republican senators who on Tuesday voted against the Better Care Reconciliation Act which aimed to replace parts of Obamacare.
Hours later, Trump had some choice words for Murkowsi.
“Senator @lisamurkowski of the Great State of Alaska really let the Republicans, and our country, down yesterday. Too bad,” he tweeted.
Senator @lisamurkowski of the Great State of Alaska really let the Republicans, and our country, down yesterday. Too bad!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2017
In an on-camera interview with Huffington Post following the Trump’s Twitter attack, Murkowski said she wasn’t phased by the president’s words.
“In fairness, I’m not one who follows the tweets that handily — I know that many are, but I’ve got to focus on my job. I’ve got to focus on what I came here to do,” he said.
But the administration might have taken things a bit farther than simply calling out rogue senators: Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke called Murkowski and fellow Alaskan Sen. Dan Sullivan after Tuesday’s health care vote to let them know her position had threatened some of their state-specific projects ― particularly those pertaining to energy, the Alaska Dispatch News reported.
According to Sullivan, Zinke had a “troubling message” on the other end of the line.
“I’m not going to go into the details, but I fear that the strong economic growth, pro-energy, pro-mining, pro-jobs and personnel from Alaska who are part of those policies are going to stop,” Sullivan told the Alaska Dispatch.
Road projects, drilling expansions, and even the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge Zinke could reportedly be on the line.
Murkowski has not yet confirmed the allegations.