Articles & Op-eds
KYUK: Y-K Delta Victims Shelters Relieved After Federal Funding Is Restored
by Greg Kim
Victim advocacy centers in the region are breathing a sigh of relief after President Joe Biden signed the VOCA Fix Act on July 22. The act will reverse severe federal funding cuts sustained by shelters and advocacy centers earlier this year. In April, the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta's two largest victim advocacy centers received news that they called devastating. Bethel's Tundra Women's Coalition and the Emmonak Women's Shelter learned that they would lose about a third of their federal funding from… Continue Reading
08.06.21
Homer News: ‘An investment in our country’
by Ashlyn O'Hara
Alaska stands to benefit from congressional efforts to bolster the nation's infrastructure, U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski told Alaska reporters during a remote press conference Thursday. The U.S. Senate voted last Wednesday to begin debate on the legislation, which includes $550 billion in new federal investment in infrastructure, including roads, ports, bridges, rail and broadband. Murkowski, a Republican, emphasized Thursday the bipartisan nature of the legislation now up for consideration by the… Continue Reading
08.05.21
OPINION: Maintaining the best military presence for Alaska and the world
by Senator Lisa Murkowski
Last weekend the Interior caught a glimpse of our military's airpower capabilities as Eielson Air Force Base hosted the Arctic Lightning Air Show. Alaskans had the opportunity to watch in awe as pilots and crews showcased the power, speed and agility of our country's incredible aircraft. It's always a sight that humbles me as an American. While airshows are stunning displays of military might, they are also visceral and visual reminders of what our military does and what our military needs to pr… Continue Reading
07.29.21
Anchorage Daily News: Murkowski touts money for Alaska projects in bipartisan infrastructure bill
by Alex DeMarban
A trillion-dollar bipartisan infrastructure proposal in Congress contains large amounts of funding to improve Alaska highways, water and wastewater systems, broadband services and other facilities, Sen. Lisa Murkowksi, R-Alaska, said on Thursday. Murkowski, part of a 10-member group of Republicans and Democrats who helped fashion the proposal, said it will especially support states like Alaska that have lagged behind in basic facilities. "We've really focused on ensuring that those parts… Continue Reading
07.29.21
Juneau Empire: Murkowski: Alaska’s needs addressed in infrastructure bill
by Peter Segall
Alaska will be well taken care of if a massive infrastructure bill currently being crafted in the U.S. Senate passes Congress, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, told reporters Thursday in a news conference with Alaskan media. A bill being negotiated by a bipartisan group of senators, Murkowski among them, and President Joe Biden was taken up by the Senate Wednesday and contains roughly $1 trillion in investments for the nation's infrastructure. In a phone call from Washington, Murkowski told repo… Continue Reading
07.28.21
Alaska Public Media: They have a deal: Murkowski, bipartisan senators’ group, get infrastructure bill to square 1
by Liz Ruskin
After weeks of negotiations, a trillion-dollar infrastructure bill is advancing in the U.S. Senate. Sen. Lisa Murkowski was part of a bipartisan group that reached the deal with the White House. She told reporters at the Capitol the bill will go a long way toward rebuilding America's lagging infrastructure "and helping in many parts of the country where infrastructure doesn't exist at all." The Senate voted 67-32 Wednesday to begin debate on the bill. Several more votes lie ahead. The bill ha… Continue Reading
07.13.21
Alaska Public Media: Sen. Murkowski and Sec. Granholm announce energy grants for Alaska Native communities
by Liz Ruskin
U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm on Tuesday announced 13 tribal energy grants, about half of which are going to Alaska Native communities. Granholm said the grants from the Office of Indian Energy will help meet President Biden's climate goals. In total, she said, they will fund some seven megawatts of clean power generation and battery storage. "That will power 1,300 tribal buildings and save these 13 communities a combined $1.8 million annually," she said. On a Zoom conference call … Continue Reading
07.09.21
Anchorage Daily News: Large cruise ships are returning to Southeast Alaska, ending a 21-month hiatus
by James Brooks
Southeast Alaska's tourism drought is ending. On Friday, the first large cruise ship in 21 months, Royal Caribbean International's Serenade of the Seas, tied up to Ketchikan's docks. The ship was a test voyage, intended to gauge the effectiveness of COVID-19 precautions. But others will follow later this month and they will keep arriving through October. Sitka will see its first ship mid-month. Juneau, the state's biggest cruise port, will welcome its first big arrival on July 23. … Continue Reading
06.12.21
OPINION: We must address gender-based violence and domestic violence in Alaska
by Senator Lisa Murkowski
The coronavirus pandemic has affected us all - from losing loved ones and feeling isolated to job loss and financial insecurity - devastating effects felt across America. Throughout the pandemic, we saw numerous shelter-at-home orders to help mitigate the spread of the disease. Sheltering at home, though, assumes that your home is a true shelter - a safe place. But imagine being told to "hunker down" in an environment that's far from safe. For many, sheltering in place meant increased cases of a… Continue Reading
05.06.21
Foreign Service Journal: Can the Arctic’s unique distinction as a zone of peace be maintained? “The Arctic Senator” explains what it will take.
by Lisa Murkowski
A battle-ready flotilla of 50 warships and 40 military aircraft cruised across the North Pacific. In its path was a small fleet of American fishermen. When the flotilla's course encroached on the U.S. fishing grounds, the flotilla aggressively directed the fishing fleet to leave the area. The fishermen, a resilient and experienced group-the "seen it all" type-were understandably shocked. Seeing no choice, they quickly fled the scene. After all, what could an unarmed collection of fishermen do in… Continue Reading
04.14.21
E&E News: Historic duo puts climate on Indian Affairs agenda
by Geof Koss and Emma Dumain
When control of the Senate remained up in the air for two months after last November's elections, Sens. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) made a pact about the Indian Affairs Committee, where they were both in line to serve as the two most senior members. "We chatted before it was clear who was going to win the Senate and agreed that whether she was chair or I was the chair, it was going to be a partnership," Schatz told E&E News in an interview last month. "And that rem… Continue Reading
04.14.21
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner: Murkowski calls for ‘full fleet’ of Coast Guard icebreakers
by Linda F. Hersey
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski is proposing to create a U.S. icebreaker fleet and increase military staffing in the Arctic, under a sweeping bipartisan bill to counter China's economic and geo-political interests in the region. The U.S. Coast Guard currently operates two aging icebreakers, including one near the end of its lifespan. "The Arctic is a national asset and should be treated as such. I have long been dedicated to helping our nation invest in the infrastructure and assets critical to suppo… Continue Reading
03.17.21
IRS Get My Payment
Find when and how the IRS sent your 2021 Economic Impact Payment with the Get My Payment tool.… Continue Reading
03.14.21
Feeding our communities, one grant at a time
by U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Mazie Hirono
The residents of America's noncontiguous states and territories - whether we live in the far north or on islands in the Caribbean Sea or Pacific Ocean - have a lot of things in common. Food insecurity should not be one of them. The truth is, too many families face food insecurity, and the ongoing pandemic has exacerbated this painful reality. The supply lines that bring food to our states and the territories are long and fragile. We don't grow enough food locally, food prices are high and one d… Continue Reading
03.13.21
OP-ED: Murkowski: Why I didn’t vote for the COVID-19 relief bill
by Lisa Murkowski
March 11 marked exactly one year since communities across the United States shut down in an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19. Those efforts were valiant and significant, but the virus still claimed the lives of hundreds of Alaskans and the economic impacts on our state have been profound. Travel bans and hunker-down orders essentially shut down Alaska's tourism industry overnight. Necessary safety restrictions and public health concerns decimated businesses across the state, including our … Continue Reading
02.28.21
Anchorage Daily News: Former Fairbanks lawmaker Hugh ‘Bud’ Fate dies at 91
by Tess Williams
On Thursday, former Republican Alaska State Representative Hugh "Bud" Fate of Fairbanks died at age 91. Fate, a dentist and U.S. Army veteran, represented the Fairbanks area from 2001-2004 in the state legislature. He also served as president to the University Board of Regents and state Board of Dental Examiners. Fate was an Army Corporal during the Korean War, and was tasked with mapping the Alaska-Canadian Highway during his service. "An outspoken advocate of education, Bud was instrumental … Continue Reading
02.28.21
Ketchikan Daily News: Murkowski talks PVSA, CDC cruise issues
by Danelle Kelly
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska joined a videoconference with representatives from the Alaska Travel Industry Association on Feb. 19 to talk about the challenges and possible solutions to reviving the tourist industry in Alaska in 2021. The largest percentage of tourists who visit Alaska arrive on large cruise ships. The 2021 Alaska cruise ship season continues to face obstacles to resumption of sailing during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Those obstacles include meeting requirements set by t… Continue Reading
02.28.21
Wall Street Journal: Congress Revives Push for Equal Rights Amendment
by Kristina Peterson
Almost 50 years after Congress passed the Equal Rights Amendment, the fight is intensifying over whether lawmakers can lift the decades-past deadline for states to ratify it and add it to the Constitution. Last month, a bipartisan group of lawmakers in both chambers introduced a resolution to eliminate the deadline for state ratification of the ERA, which would write into the Constitution that the federal and state governments can't deny or abridge equality of rights based on sex. The ERA has b… Continue Reading
02.26.21
OP-ED: Even during a pandemic, the iconic Iditarod continues
by Lisa Murkowski, Dan Sullivan, and Don Young
The Iditarod - the Last Great Race - captures the imagination and the hearts of many Alaskans, as well as people around the world. Teams of mushers and their dogs racing roughly 1,000 miles across the state of Alaska toward the finish line in Nome, in some of the harshest conditions and across some of the most difficult and rugged terrain on the planet. It is quintessentially Alaskan. There are other sled dog races around the world and throughout Alaska, but the Iditarod is the most renowned. N… Continue Reading
02.19.21
KHNS: Murkowski pays virtual visit to Haines as Biden approves major disaster declaration for Southeast Alaska
by Claire Stremple
Snow canceled U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski's in-person visit to Haines, but she met virtually with officials and Beach Road evacuees on Wednesday. Murkowski says she typically makes a few regional stops when she's in the state's capitol for the annual legislative address. This year she said there was no doubt Haines would be a destination. "The snow and the ice and the rain are not allowing for an in-person visit. So I'm particularly disappointed that I wasn't able to just be sitting down and l… Continue Reading
