The committee led by Sen. Lisa Murkowski abruptly postponed a vote on six Trump administration nominees the same day a Cabinet secretary reportedly threatened revenge against the Alaska Republican over her healthcare vote.
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee publicized the postponement of the vote, which included three Department of the Interior nominees, shortly after 3 p.m. on Wednesday, The Hill reported.
Murkowski and Sen. Dan Sullivan got phone calls Wednesday from Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, who delivered a “troubling message,” according to Sullivan.
“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 News.
“I tried to push back on behalf of all Alaskans,” he added. “We’re facing some difficult times and there’s a lot of enthusiasm for the policies that Secretary Zinke and the president have been talking about with regard to our economy. But the message was pretty clear.”
Murkowski and Sen. Susan Collins of Maine were the only two Republican senators to vote no on a procedural motion to proceed with repealing ObamaCare.
Trump wasted no time calling out Murkowski on Twitter.
“Senator @lisamurkowski of the Great State of Alaska really let the Republicans, and our country, down yesterday. Too bad!” he wrote Wednesday.
But Murkowski defended her vote.
“You know, I am comfortable with the decision that I made yesterday in working to advance Alaska’s interests and working today to do the same,” she told ABC News. “I don’t really follow Twitter that much.”
Murkowski’s staff did not return requests for comment on whether the developments are linked, and the committee has not said why the meeting was postponed.