Murkowski wears ‘Hulk’ earrings to honor Ted Stevens amid tax vote

Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R) honored late Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) on Tuesday as the House and Senate vote on historic tax-reform legislation that includes a provision that would open up Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Reserve (ANWR) to oil drilling.

Murkowski wore earrings depicting “The Incredible Hulk,” a hero from the Marvel franchise, to the Senate in honor of Stevens, who died in a plane crash in 2010. Stevens, who left the Senate in 2009 and was known for wearing a tie depicting the Hulk on the Senate floor, was a longtime supporter of drilling in ANWR.

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The earrings were pointed out on Twitter by Ashley Killough of CNN, who noted that Murkowski has “never worn them until today.”

Sen. Murkowski is wearing Hulk earrings today in honor of the late Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska, who wore a Hulk tie when he would try to get ANWR passed. She’s never worn them until today, when the Senate will likely get it passed through tax reform. pic.twitter.com/OMwhHctQiw

— Ashley Killough (@KilloughCNN) December 19, 2017

The final version of the tax bill, which the Senate will vote on Tuesday night, includes a provision allowing two sales of drilling rights in the coastal plain of the wildlife refuge.

Murkowski’s drilling provisions in the bill are estimated to bring in $2.2 billion in fees during the first 10 years entirely from bids, as oil production is unlikely to begin in that time frame.

The House, which passed a version of the tax bill Tuesday, is expected to re-vote Wednesday on a final version after some provisions in the bill were deemed to not meet the Senate’s Byrd rule. Republicans hope to have the bill on President Trump’s desk by the end of the year.