Begich claims credit for born-again bills pushed by Peltola in last Congress
Rep. Nick Begich the Third, who copied two bills from former Rep. Mary Peltola and introduced them as his own, celebrates in his office with cakes and cupcakes frosted with the number of the born-again bills, HR 42 and HR 43.
Rep. Nick Begich the Third didn’t tell Alaskans the full story when he praised himself for getting the House of Representatives to pass two bills on February 4.
The Begich bills were copied word for word from bills introduced by former Rep. Mary Peltola. They only moved through the House this quickly because of the work she did last year.
You’d never guess that from reading the glowing press release.
The hearings took place in November, before Begich took office, and the bills won unanimous backing from the Republican-controlled resources committee.
But they didn’t face a floor vote until they were born again as Begich bills in 2025, with all evidence of Peltola wiped from the record.
The bills were not, as the Alaska Beacon falsely claimed, “ideas” that were inherited from Peltola.
The news coverage inflated Begich’s role in what was clearly a PR stunt engineered by Republican leaders of Congress on two bills that faced no opposition.
On November 20, 2024, the House Resources committee approved Peltola’s H.R. 2687 by unanimous consent and forwarded it to the floor. It had earlier been approved by the Indian and Insular Affairs Committee.
Begich recycled Peltola’s bill as H.R. 42 and claimed it as his own.
Also at that November meeting, the resources committee approved Peltola’s H.R.6489 by unanimous consent.
Begich recycled that one as H.R. 43 and claimed it as his own.
The House approved the rebranded Begich bills, one by voice vote and one with a single no vote.
The resources chairman is Arkansas Rep. Bruce Westerman, who signed off on Peltola’s bills in November and commended Begich in February on the House floor: “I thank Mr. Begich for his work on an important issue for Alaska Natives,” Westerman said.
Begich said that Westerman took part in a “celebration” in Begich’s office for the two bills.
“H.R. 42 and H.R. 43 are the first pieces of legislation introduced by Congressman Begich and the first pieces of legislation to be passed by a freshman member in the 119th Congress,” Begich the Third boasted in his press release.
He also mentioned his grandfather, Rep. Nick Begich Sr., and the passage of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act in 1971.
“Congressman Begich continues that legacy with these bills that provide clarity to his grandfather’s landmark bill and reinforces that Alaskan Natives should decide how their land is used,” according to Nicholas the Third.
Begich posed for a photo in his office, beneath the obligatory bear hide, with cakes and cupcakes frosted with the bill numbers.
He thanked the Republican leaders in the House who helped arrange quick passage. His press release quoted Westerman as saying Begich is “proving himself a leader.”
Begich said the two measures were “common sense bills,” but he didn’t have the sense to mention Peltola.
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