Articles & Op-eds
ADN: The last earthquake shook Alaska hard. Let’s make sure we’re even better prepared for the next one.
by U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski
The recent magnitude 7.0 earthquake was a deeply unsettling experience for many Alaskans. Roads collapsed, homes were damaged, and several schools will be shut for extended periods. While we remain grateful that no one was seriously injured or killed, this event - and the now more than 5,000 aftershocks that have followed - are stark reminders of the destructive forces of nature that are present in our state. A question that many Alaskans have asked is, "What comes next?" We're no strangers… Continue Reading
12.18.18
Maui Now: Bill to Expand AMBER Alert Advances in US Senate
Maile Amber Alert. Maui Now. The US Senate unanimously passed legislation authored by US Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai'i) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) that will expand the AMBER Alert system to include all US territories. The national AMBER Alert network distributes alerts on highway billboards, TVs, radio, and cellular phones to mobilize the public when a child is missing or abducted. It has helped rescue more than 900 children to date. "AMBER Alerts have helped save hundreds of children. … Continue Reading
12.18.18
Chugiak Star: In Chugiak-Eagle River, earthquake recovery will be a long-term effort
by Matt Tunseth
As the New Year approaches, it's becoming clear to Chugiak-Eagle River residents the ramifications from the Nov. 30 earthquake will be felt for months and years to come. Two special community meetings were held in Eagle River in the past week to help disseminate information about earthquake recovery efforts and allow residents to share their stories. The first, on Friday, featured Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHS&EM) incident command… Continue Reading
12.17.18
Juneau Empire: Sitka woman testifies in DC about missing, murdered Alaska Native women
by Alex McCarthy
When she got to the names of the victims, Patricia Alexander's voice began to break. Alexander, the co-chair of the Central Council Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska's (CCTHITA) Violence Against Women Task Force, was testifying before the U.S. Senate Commitee on Indian Affairs in Washington, D.C. The committee was holding a hearing specifically about missing and murdered American Indian and Alaska Native women. Alexander, who was one of three women testifying, first thanked the senator… Continue Reading
12.16.18
Arctic Sounder: Savanna's Act passes U.S. Senate
by Shady Grove Oliver
A bill calling for more law enforcement focus on cases of missing and murdered indigenous women has passed the U.S. Senate. Savanna's Act is named for 22-year-old Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind, of the Spirit Lake Nation, who was murdered in North Dakota in 2017. The act passed unanimously on Dec. 6 and has now moved to the U.S. House of Representatives for consideration. "This legislation combats the epidemic of murdered and missing Native women and girls by improving the federal government's re… Continue Reading
12.16.18
Cordova Times: Earthquake hazards reduction legislation becomes law
by Margaret Bauman
Bipartisan federal legislation that modernizes safety programs to help states like Alaska prepare for and respond to earthquakes has been signed into law as the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Reauthorization Act. President Donald Trump signed the measure into law on Dec. 11. "Not even two weeks ago, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck just a few miles north of Anchorage, and there have now been close to 4,000 aftershocks," said Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, who introduced the bil… Continue Reading
12.15.18
Bristol Bay Times: $23 million grant set aside for Emmonak dock
U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski, Dan Sullivan, and Rep. Don Young, all R-Alaska, announced a $23.1 million U.S. Department of Transportation grant for Emmonak, to construct a permanent dock and barge/landing craft ramp and to renovate approximately 3.5 miles of high-use service roads. The grant is through the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) program, previously known as TIGER grants, which provides support for capital projects that generate economic development and improve… Continue Reading
12.15.18
KTUU: Murkowski, Dunleavy respond to Zinke resignation announcement
by Beth Verge
Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke is set to depart his position in the administration at the end of the year, according to a tweet sent by President Donald Trump early Saturday. The president chose Zinke in December 2016 to serve in the cabinet-level position and said in a followup tweet that the White House would announce a replacement next week. Meanwhile, Sen. Lisa Murkowski said shortly after that she is disappointed Zinke will no longer continue his role within the Department of the In… Continue Reading
12.14.18
KTVA: Murkowski discusses quake recovery, federal aid
by Chris Klint
Alaska's senior U.S. senator visited the state Friday on a wide-ranging trip, addressing topics from federal assistance after the state's recent 7.0 earthquake to the prospects of a possible government shutdown over a pending appropriations bill. Lisa Murkowski spoke with reporters at the Hotel Captain Cook in Anchorage. She said federal assistance has been proceeding well ever since rapid action from the executive branch on the day of the Nov. 30 quake. "We were on the phone with the Secretar… Continue Reading
12.14.18
KTVA: Alaskan gives Senate testimony on missing, murdered women
by Jennifer Summers
An Alaska Native testified Thursday in front of a U.S. Senate Committee addressing missing and murdered American Indian and Alaska Native women. Alaska's senior senator, Lisa Murkowski, was among those who heard testimony from Patricia Alexander, a representative of the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska. "While violence against Native women occurs at higher rates than any other ethnic group in the United States, it is at its worst in Alaska, Alexander said. "A fu… Continue Reading
12.06.18
Alaska Public Media: Murkowski: Disaster aid for Alaska likely to be linked to relief for California wildfires
by Liz Ruskin
The federal government has kicked in the first $5 million to help Alaska deal with the immediate effects of the earthquake. But the big money will have to come from Congress. Sen. Lisa Murkowski said disaster funds for Alaska will likely be included in a bill with aid for the victims of the California wildfires. "What we've been told is we'll have that opportunity when the wildfires are addressed in January," she told reporters at the U.S. Capitol. Congress is working on a disaster spending b… Continue Reading
12.05.18
KTUU: Murkowski, Sullivan say federal aid is on the way
by Richard Mauer
Alaska's two U.S. Senators toured the areas hit hardest by Friday's 7.0 Cook Inlet Earthquake and said federal relief was on the way. Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, both Republicans, said a supplemental funding bill for the Alaska quake and California wildfire disasters would likely come before Congress in January. The U.S. Transportation Department has already authorized $5 million for emergency road repairs. The time between now and January gives Alaskans the chance to develop an ac… Continue Reading
12.04.18
High Country News: Congress sends bill bolstering earthquake program to Trump
by Emily Benson
At 8:29 a.m. on Nov. 30, part of the rock slab underneath the Pacific Ocean 7 miles north of Anchorage, Alaska, shifted, causing a magnitude 7 earthquake. As Anchorage was preparing for the day, the quake ripped apart roads, shattered windows and ruptured water and gas lines in and around the city. While officials are still assessing the damage, the biggest impacts appear to be to infrastructure - there were no reports of deaths caused by the quake. The response to such an event is extensive an… Continue Reading
12.03.18
Cordova Times: Coast Guard Authorization Act heads to White House
by Margaret Bauman
The Coast Guard Reauthorization Act, which passed the U.S. Senate earlier this month, was approved by unanimous consent in the U.S. House of Representatives on Nov. 27, and now goes to the White House, where President Trump is expected to sign it by year's end. The bill, which is identical to one passed by the Senate on Nov. 14, includes the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act, which provides a permanent exemption for commercial vessels, including fishing vessels, under 75 feet from the need to obt… Continue Reading
11.30.18
Op-Ed: Taking Care of Our Military
by Lisa Murkowski
This month we gathered to honor our nation's heroes, those who have worn the uniform to protect our nation and defend our freedom. While Veteran's Day is a great opportunity to thank those who have served, that "thanks" cannot be limited to just one day. We should always remember to voice that gratefulness we have for the freedoms and liberties our military has secured for us and continues to protect. That's why we must do all we can to support those who have served -past and present. And this … Continue Reading
11.30.18
Fox News: Alaska earthquake claimed no lives, officials say, but infrastructure damage is another story
by Paulina Dedaj and Greg Norman
A 7.0 magnitude earthquake rocked the state of Alaska on Friday morning, churning up roads and sending office workers running to the streets in scenes locals described as pure "anarchy." The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake was centered about five miles north of Anchorage, Alaska's largest city. Republican Rep. Donald Young said at a press conference Friday evening that an initial assessment found that the earthquake was not deadly. "We're quite pleased to report that there's been no… Continue Reading
11.30.18
Arctic Sounder: Alaska ranks fourth for missing and murdered indigenous women
by Shady Grove Oliver
As Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) noted on the Senate floor last year, Canada has invested more than $42 million in investigating the missing and murdered indigenous women and girls from its so-called Highway of Tears in British Columbia. "How much have we invested here?" she asked during a press conference on Nov. 14. "About zero," she said, looking around the room. "About zero is what we're told. We have more than a duty to act on this." Murkowski recently co-sponsored legislation calling o… Continue Reading
11.30.18
Anchorage Press: Alaska Delegation speaks out on Friday earthquake
U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski, Dan Sullivan, and Rep. Don Young, all R-Alaska, today issued the following statements after receiving a briefing from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Brock Long on the 7.0 earthquake which struck near Anchorage, Alaska Friday morning, causing extensive damage to infrastructure, such as roads and bridges. "It's been mere hours since this devastating earthquake took place in Alaska, but the delegation is very engaged with the situation. We are i… Continue Reading
11.28.18
KTVA: Murkowski, Feinstein bill to modernize earthquake safety will be signed into law
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill that will update national earthquake preparedness programs. Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski joined Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat, to introduce the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Reauthorization Act, which was unanimously passed by the Senate in September, according to a Tuesday news release. "I'm pleased that this important bill will soon be signed into law," Murkowski said in the release. "Alaskans face daily thr… Continue Reading
11.27.18
Arctic Today: New U.S. legislation speeds up the possibility of a Nome port
by Melody Schreiber
Last month, new U.S. federal legislation breathed new life into the possibility of a port in Nome. The Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2018, part of a larger bill on water infrastructure, was signed into law on October 23. The legislation seeks to improve water infrastructure throughout the United States. The bill calls for expedited completion of several feasibility reports, including a "project for navigation" in Nome - the expansion of its existing port into a deep-draft port. If … Continue Reading
