Press Releases
Media Requests: Members of the media can contact the press office by emailing Joseph_Plesha@murkowski.senate.gov or by calling 206-302-8317 and asking for the press office.
Murkowski Announces Second Session Summer Interns
Senator Lisa Murkowski today announced the names of her second session summer interns who will work in her Washington, D.C. office in July. These recent high school members of the "Class of 2015" will get personal insight into the operations of a U.S. Senate office by shadowing Murkowski throughout the day, helping with day-to-day clerical and administrative tasks, and assisting staff with research projects. "The first session of interns were energetic, engaged and informed, so this next group … Continue Reading
06.29.15
Sen. Murkowski Welcomes Supreme Court Decision on EPA Rule
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today welcomed the United States Supreme Court decision on the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) failure to consider the costs of compliance when making rules for electric utilities. "The sweeping powers asserted by the EPA at issue in today's opinion could cost billions of dollars and impose unreasonably high costs on American families and businesses without making them any safer," Murkowski said. "It is heartening to hear that the court has reined in … Continue Reading
06.26.15
Murkowski Presses Administration About Double Standard on Alaska Native Treatment in Health Care Law
Senator Lisa Murkowski is reaching out to the Secretary of Health and Human Services to resolve the problem of how "Indian" is defined within the Affordable Care Act. Many Alaska Natives are presently blocked from securing the protections and exemptions afforded to them under the law. The narrow current definition is inconsistent with the existing one for Alaska Natives under several federal health programs, because many young Alaska Natives are not shareholders in ANCSA corporations that stop… Continue Reading
06.26.15
Murkowski Responds to Supreme Court Marriage Equality Ruling
Senator Lisa Murkowski today responded to the decision from the United States Supreme Court that the U.S. Constitution bars states from denying marriage licenses to same-sex couples, saying: "I support marriage equality, and believe today's ruling is the right one as it reinforces limited government and promotes family values. The decision keeps governments out of the most private and personal aspects of peoples' lives, supports adults' decisions to make lifetime commitments to one another, and… Continue Reading
06.25.15
Murkowski Blasts “WOTUS” Rule on Senate Floor
In a speech on the U.S. Senate floor, Senator Lisa Murkowski today outlined the wide range of threats to Alaska posed by the Environmental Protection Agency's new "Waters of the United States" (WOTUS) rule, which significantly expands the EPA's ability to regulate more of Alaska's land and water. The rule includes provisions that give EPA control over areas within 4,000 feet of a jurisdictional "water"- using a dubious methodology that fails to take into account the on-the-ground reality for s… Continue Reading
06.25.15
Murkowski Bill to Improve Rural Health Passes Senate
Senator Lisa Murkowski today was proud to see S.230, her legislation providing a land transfer of 23 acres in Bethel, pass the United States Senate unanimously. This bill would not only allow the Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corporation (YKHC) to build a new primary care facility for the region, but also allow them to renovate the current facility and maximize the range of care provided. "I thank my Senate colleagues for recognizing the importance of boosting healthcare in rural Alaska and I commend … Continue Reading
06.25.15
Murkowski: Supreme Court Ruling Doesn’t Change “Broken Promises” of Health Care Law
Senator Lisa Murkowski today responded to the 6-3 decision from the United States Supreme Court in King vs Burwell, which upholds federal subsidies in the Affordable Care Act, saying: "From day one, the political document called the Affordable Care Act has been a steady stream of mistakes, glitches and broken promises. The fact that the law survived this legal challenge doesn't change the basic reality that Alaskans continue to face the highest health cost care in the country. Since passage o… Continue Reading
06.25.15
Murkowski: “We Are Losing Our Children” to Alaska Native Suicide
Senator Lisa Murkowski today stressed the need for youth-oriented solutions and approaches to fighting the epidemic of Alaska Native youth suicide. In a hearing of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, Murkowski noted recent successes in dealing with the problem by a heightened awareness campaign in certain areas. She challenged the Acting Director of the Indian Health Service to bring more young people and young attitudes into the program development phase, in order to customize a message t… Continue Reading
06.24.15
Murkowski Votes to Strengthen Alaska Export Trade, Boost Small and Medium-Sized Businesses
Senator Lisa Murkowski today voted for H.R.2146, the vehicle for Trade Promotion Authority, and explained her reasoning with Alaskans afterwards: "When Alaskans discuss economic partners - being separated from the contiguous 48 - more often than not we're talking about exports with partners abroad. International trade supports 90,000 Alaskan jobs, roughly 70 percent of which are part of our small- and medium sized-business community, from fishermen to natural resource developers. "Trade Promo… Continue Reading
06.23.15
Sen. Murkowski: Iran Deal Will Disadvantage U.S. Energy
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today advanced her efforts to lift the current ban on most U.S. crude oil exports by releasing a report making the case that sanctions on Iranian oil should not be lifted without also lifting the current ban on U.S. crude oil exports. The report, Cross-Currents: Iranian Oil and the U.S. Export Ban, connects the dots between Obama Administration statements to support this argument. "We are letting Iran export its oil to markets that we prevent our own compani… Continue Reading
06.19.15
Murkowski Protects Military From Commissary Price Hike, Interior Sportsmen through Defense Bill
Senator Lisa Murkowski cast her vote in support of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which lays out the Pentagon's priorities and agenda for the upcoming year. The bill also incorporates her amendment (attached) that promotes better communication between military installations and sportsmen who utilize military lands during periods in which they are not needed for military activities, in light of the recent Fort Wainwright and Fort Greely hunting grounds calendar dispute. Proposed… Continue Reading
06.18.15
Appropriations Committee Passes Murkowski Interior Spending Bill Reflecting Alaskan Concerns
Senator Lisa Murkowski, Chairman of the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommitee, today cast her vote in support of the 2016 Interior appropriations bill - which sets an agenda more in accord with Alaska's priorities - and was passed out of the Senate Appropriations Committee. The legislation now heads to the Senate floor for a final vote. The bill, the first of its kind in six years, covers a broad range of issues and initiatives of critical importance to Alaska i… Continue Reading
06.18.15
Murkowski Promotes U.S. Coast Guard Assets through Appropriations Work
Senator Lisa Murkowski today successfully worked with her Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee colleagues to finalize a 2016 spending bill that will help the United States Coast Guard protect and monitor Alaska's waters. The Department of Homeland Security budget, which passed out of the Appropriations Committee and now heads to the Senate floor, includes funds for an additional national security cutter, better navigational aids on the water, and promotes a higher presence in th… Continue Reading
06.17.15
Murkowski Introduces NATIVE Act to Empower Native Communities, Boost Tourism
Senator Murkowski is an original co-sponsor of the Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience (NATIVE) Act, bipartisan legislation that would enhance and integrate native tourism, empower native communities, and expand unique cultural tourism opportunities in the United States. The NATIVE Act would require federal agencies with tourism assets and responsibilities to include tribes and native organizations in national tourism efforts and strategic planning. It would also provide N… Continue Reading
06.17.15
Murkowski, Alexander, Fischer Introducing Legislation to Strengthen Protections for Pregnant Women
Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Congressman Tim Walberg (R-MI) today introduced bicameral legislation to clarify the intent of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) of 1978 to strengthen protections for pregnant women in the workplace. The legislation provides much-needed protections highlighted by a recent Supreme Court decision, Young v. United Parcel Service, Inc., where the Justices upheld the discrimination protections in the PDA but noted that they could be strengthened. The bill is al… Continue Reading
06.16.15
Murkowski’s Interior Chairmanship Improves Wildfire Protections, Challenges Federal Overreach, Honors Trust Responsibilities, Promotes Resource Development and Access, Prioritizes the Arctic
Senator Lisa Murkowski today released the 2016 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for consideration by the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee. The Subcommittee approved the bill, which will be considered by the full Appropriations Committee on Thursday. The bill, the first of its kind in six years, covers a broad range of issues and initiatives of critical importance to Alaska including substantial funding for wildfire protections, blocking the EPA's controversial … Continue Reading
06.16.15
Murkowski’s Interior Work Boosts Alaska Wildfire Prevention, Suppression
Senator Lisa Murkowski today released the 2016 Interior spending bill that reins in federal overreach at agencies like the EPA, promotes responsible public lands management and contains several provisions that directly address Alaska's needs. As Chairman of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, Murkowski leveraged her position on the subcommittee to improve the capabilities and capacity for the nation's wildland firefighters. "Wildfires consistently pose … Continue Reading
06.16.15
Murkowski Assures Native Care Funding, Alaska Native Care Jobs, Rural Justice Through Interior Spending Bill
Senator Lisa Murkowski today utilized her position as Chairman on the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee to ensure that Alaska's Native health care providers will have fully funded contract support costs for the second year in a row. The forward-looking bill also separates the resources relied upon for contract support costs (CSCs) from other programs to avoid the prospect of funds being redistributed to other agencies. Murkowski also redesigned how funding … Continue Reading
06.16.15
Murkowski Blocks “Waters of the U.S.” Rule Through Interior Bill
Senator Lisa Murkowski, Chairman of the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, today utilized that position to block the Environmental Protection Agency's "Waters of the United States" (WOTUS) rule for the next fiscal year in legislation approved by the Subcommittee. The WOTUS rule, formally announced in May, greatly expands the amount of area in Alaska that will require federal permits for development. The rule includes provisions that give EPA control over ar… Continue Reading
06.16.15
Murkowski Fights to Transfer King Cove Road Land to State of Alaska in Interior Bill
Senator Lisa Murkowski today continued her efforts to protect the health and safety of the people of King Cove, Alaska by advancing a land transfer needed to provide local residents with reliable access to medical care in emergency situations. The legislation, drafted by Murkowski and approved today by the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, would direct an equal-value land transfer to allow the construction of a short, one-lane, non-commercial use… Continue Reading
