Opinions

Begich's voting record has too many holes

As the owners of a hunting lodge, my family and I work seven days a week to feed horses, haul fuel and keep our business in working order. My neighbors do the same. That's one of the reasons I'm so disappointed with Sen. Mark Begich -- it seems he's lost the work ethic that Alaskans know sets us apart from the Lower 48.

I knew I needed to speak out when I found out he'd missed more votes than 80 percent of the Senate last year. Sure enough, his attendance is even worse this year. So far this summer, Begich has missed more votes than 95 of 100 senators. We sent him to Washington to work for Alaskans and I, for one, expect him to show up for us -- to vote on the issues that matter to us. It's not partisan, it's about showing up to represent Alaskans.

At first I figured there must be a mistake, so I kept digging, but it was as bad as I worried. Begich has missed numerous votes on issues important to our way of life. For example, he didn't vote on the Bipartisan Sportsmen's Act of 2014, which protects recreational hunting, fishing and shooting. The bill was ultimately defeated. Ditto for a vote earlier this year on unemployment benefits. While senators from across the country were lining up to vote, Begich was fundraising in Hawaii.

And the list goes on. He missed votes last year and again this year on the farm bill, which provides funding for Alaska fisheries and wildlife. He even failed to register an opinion on national defense spending, billions of dollars that directly impact thousands of Alaska jobs.

The Senate only votes little more than 100 days a year. Is it too much for Alaskans to expect him to show up to work that often?

Steve Perrins is the owner of Rainy Pass Lodge, the oldest hunting lodge in Alaska. He is also a star on "R5 Sons Alaska," a reality TV show that chronicles the Perrins family running a lodge in the wilderness with their five sons.

The views expressed here are the writer's own and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email commentary(at)alaskadispatch.com.

Steve Perrins

Steve Perrins is the owner of Rainy Pass Lodge, the oldest hunting lodge in Alaska. He is also a star on "R5 Sons Alaska," a reality TV show that chronicles the Perrins family running a lodge in the wilderness with their five sons.

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