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.
Sens. Murkowski and Coons Introduce Landmark Bipartisan Climate Resilience Legislation
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Chris Coons (D-Del.), and U.S. Representatives Scott Peters (D-Calif.) and María Salazar (R-Fla.) introduced the National Coordination on Adaptation and Resilience for Security Act (NCARS) to streamline the federal response to climate hazards that threaten human health and well-being, critical infrastructure, and natural environments. Increasingly severe weather events are a stark reminder that Alaska, which has more coastline than th… Continue Reading
11.11.23
Honoring Alaska’s Veterans: Murkowski Shares Veterans Day Message
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) released the following statement in honor of Veterans Day: “I'm Senator Lisa Murkowski, and I want to share my appreciation, and my thanks for all who have served our great nation. To Alaska’s veterans, and to all of our veterans: Thank you for your service. We honor you on this Veterans Day.” For a downloadable video of Sen. Murkowski, click here. Senator Murkowski honored Alaska WWII Veteran Harry Olivas for his service with several campaign medals d… Continue Reading
11.09.23
Federal Judge Rejects Lower 48 Legal Challenge to Alaska’s Willow Project
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan (both R-Alaska), and Representative Mary Peltola (D-Alaska), hailed a federal judge’s ruling today dismissing a legal challenge filed by Lower 48 environmental groups against ConocoPhillips’ Willow Project within the National Petroleum Reserve of Alaska (NPR-A). In September, Sen. Sullivan led an amicus brief with his Alaska congressional delegation colleagues to the court in support of Willow. The federal judge referenced arguments presen… Continue Reading
11.09.23
Murkowski Raises Concern Over Alarming Flow of Fentanyl into Alaska, Native Communities During Senate Hearings
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) raised the alarm over the rise of fentanyl flowing into communities across Alaska and Indian Country during Senate hearings on Capitol Hill yesterday. During a Senate Appropriations hearing with Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Senator Murkowski noted that the emergency at the southern border is exacerbating the opioid crisis impacting the entire country—and called for meaningful support for border security. Murk… Continue Reading
11.09.23
Schatz, Murkowski Lead Oversight Hearing On Fentanyl in native communities
- Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), vice chairman of the Committee, led an oversight hearing titled, “Fentanyl in Native Communities: Native Perspectives on Addressing the Growing Crisis.” “Fentanyl - a potent synthetic opioid - is contributing to a rapid rise in opioid-related deaths across the country, and Native communities are getting hit extra hard,” said Chairman Schatz. “We have to… Continue Reading
11.08.23
Senators Murkowski and Hassan Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Grow Addiction Care Workforce Through Student Loan Debt Relief Program
Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) introduced bipartisan legislation to reauthorize and double the Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program, which provides student loan repayment for health care workers who focus on addiction treatment and recovery in underserved areas. This program, which Senators Murkowski and Hassan helped create, is a key part of helping recruit a strong health care workforce of physicians, nurses, social workers, and mental h… Continue Reading
11.07.23
Murkowski Honors Alaska WWII Veteran for His Service
Click here or the image above to watch a video of Senator Murkowski presenting campaign medals to World War II veteran Harry Olivas. During the 10th anniversary mission of the Last Frontier Honor Flight, a group of 21 Alaska-based veterans and their chaperones traveled to Washington, DC to visit the national memorials which are dedicated in honor of the wartime service and sacrifice of our veterans. Among the group was World War II veteran Harry Olivas of Wasilla, Alaska. The now 97-year-old … Continue Reading
11.02.23
Alaska Delegation Seeks Comment Deadline Extension for Coastal Plain SEIS
Washington, DC - Alaska’s Congressional Delegation yesterday sent a letter to the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) requesting a 180-day extension to the current comment deadline for the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Program (the Program). While pointing out failures across the board related to this 1,430-page SEIS, U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan (both R-Alaska) and U.S. Representati… Continue Reading
11.01.23
Senate Passes Three Fiscal Year 24 Appropriations Bills
Washington, DC - Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), a senior Appropriator, today voted for a package of three annual funding bills that include a number of wins for Alaskans that she secured in the committee process. Themeasures passed by the Senate through a bipartisan vote of 82-15 are the FY 2024 bills for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies; Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies; and Transportation, Housing and Urban Deve… Continue Reading
11.01.23
***MEDIA ADVISORY*** Vice Chairman Murkowski Announces Upcoming Field Hearing in Alaska
***MEDIA ADVISORY*** Vice Chairman Murkowski Announces Upcoming Field Hearing in Alaska Washington, DC - The U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs announced a field hearing for next week in Bethel, Alaska. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Vice Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs (SCIA), will chair a Field Oversight Hearing titled, “The Impact of the Historic Salmon Declines on the Health and Well-Being of Alaska Native Communities along Arctic, Yukon, and Kuskokwim Rivers,”… Continue Reading
10.31.23
$72 Million Announced for Alaska Maritime Infrastructure Projects
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan (both R-Alaska) announced today that seven coastal communities in Alaska will receive more than $72 million in investments this year for critical maritime infrastructure. These grants, made possible by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), will benefit port, harbor, and dock improvement and development in communities across Alaska. The IIJA provided $2.25 billion in funds available over five years to the Port Infrastructure De… Continue Reading
10.30.23
Alaska and Hawai’i Congressional Delegations Introduce Bill to Expand Opportunities for Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiian in Agriculture
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan (both R-Alaska) and Representative Mary Sattler Peltola (D-Alaska) joined Representative Jill Tokuda (HI-02) and Senator Mazie Hirono (D-Hawai’i) in introducing the Parity for Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Students in Agriculture Act. U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai’i), and Representatives Ed Case (HI-02) are also original co-sponsors of the bill. The bill would reauthorize the Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Insti… Continue Reading
10.26.23
Schatz, Murkowski Lead Roundtable On Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Inflation Reduction Act Implementation In Native Communities
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), vice chairman of the Committee, led a roundtable discussion, titled “Implementing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act in Native Communities,” to hear directly from Tribal and Native organization leaders on Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act programs serving Native communities. “Native communities … Continue Reading
10.25.23
Arctic Caucus Co-Chairs Commend Implementation Plan for the High North Region
U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Angus King (I-Maine), co-chairs of the Congressional Arctic Caucus, released the following statements after the Biden Administration released its detailed Implementation Plan for the U.S. National Strategy for the Arctic Region (NSAR). The NSAR Implementation Plan builds upon past efforts to increase security, environmental protection, sustainable economic development and international governance in the High North. “I’ve led the effort to increase U.S… Continue Reading
10.25.23
Murkowski Announces $19.1 Million for Alaskans Facing High Energy Costs
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski today announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded Alaska $11.2 million in Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funding to help low-income households lower their energy bills this winter, and $7.9 million in LIHEAP funds to help Tribes in Alaska. LIHEAP is a congressionally funded program that provides financial assistance for heating costs for qualifying households. The program is administered at the state level by … Continue Reading
10.23.23
Alaska Delegation Seeks 80-Day Extension of Comment Period for BLM’s Proposed NPR-A Rule
Alaska’s Congressional Delegation today sent a letter to the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) requesting an 80-day extension to the current comment deadline for the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) proposed rule to impose sweeping restrictions across 13.1 million acres of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A). U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan (both R-Alaska) and U.S. Representative Mary Peltola (D-Alaska) requested the extension based on a range of substantive and proc… Continue Reading
10.18.23
Alaska Delegation Welcomes $206 Million DOE Grant Strengthening Alaska’s Electrical Grid Resilience
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan (both R-Alaska), and Representative Mary Sattler Peltola (D-Alaska), today welcomed a $206.5 million grant awarded to the Alaska Energy Authority (AEA) to build a High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) submarine cable between the Kenai Peninsula and Anchorage that will add redundancy to the Alaska Railbelt electrical grid system in the event of disruptive events. The federal funds for the grant were secured by the 2021 Infrastructure Investmen… Continue Reading
10.18.23
During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Murkowski, Duckworth Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Expand Medicare Coverage for Breast Cancer Patients and Survivors
Today, U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) re-introduced legislation to ensure breast cancer patients and survivors who have experienced a mastectomy are able to access custom breast prosthetics under Medicare. The Breast Cancer Patient Equity Act would provide coverage for custom fabricated breast prostheses—which, unlike other prosthetic devices, are not currently covered by Medicare—to the more than 100,000 women who undergo mastectomies annually. “Battling breast … Continue Reading
10.17.23
Schatz, Murkowski: More than $2 Million in New Federal Funding to Revitalize, Promote Native Languages
Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), vice chairman of the Committee, announced more than $2.2 million in new fiscal year 2023 grant funding from the U.S. Department of Education to implement the Native American Language Resource Center Act, legislation led by the Senators and enacted earlier this year. “Culturally-based instruction is critical to promoting and revitalizing Native languages,”… Continue Reading
10.13.23
Delegation Reacts to DOI’s Months-Late Draft Analysis for the Ambler Access Project
Anchorage, AK— U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan (both R-Alaska) and Representative Mary Sattler Peltola (D-Alaska) today released the following statements after the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) finally released its long-delayed draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the proposed Ambler Access Project (AAP). “This road is guaranteed under federal law and will facilitate access to crucial supplies of copper, cobalt, gallium, germanium, and other mineral… Continue Reading
