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.

01.21.15

Murkowski on State of the Union Speech: “That’s Not Cooperation”

Senator Lisa Murkowski tonight responded to President Obama's State of the Union address, in which he spoke of cooperation and working with Congress, while at the same time threatening to veto any Congressional initiatives he disagrees with: (Click image to watch Senator Murkowski's response.) "Tonight the President had an opportunity to say, 'Let's work together in the last two years of my administration, let's look to the fact that we have a Republican Congress and a Democratic Executive, … Continue Reading


01.20.15

Murkowski Chosen to Lead Two Committees Important to Alaska

Senator Lisa Murkowski has been named chairman of both the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and the Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee. Murkowski, who served for six years as the senior Republican member on both panels, was unanimously selected by her Republican Senate colleagues to be chairman. "I am deeply honored to be entrusted with the gavels of two panels that are of critical importance to Alaska," Murkowski said. "Energy production has been the brightest s… Continue Reading


01.19.15

Senator Murkowski Shares Thoughts on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Senator Lisa Murkowski shared her thoughts on what would have been Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s 86thbirthday: (Click image to view Senator Murkowski's message.) "As we salute the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. this week, it is important to reflect upon the importance of his teachings. "He poignantly stated: 'Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.' That is a message that I know Alaskans take to heart, creating vibrant and important statewide con… Continue Reading


01.15.15

Senators Murkowski, Sullivan Re-Activating Southeast Office Network

Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan today announced that their Ketchikan and Juneau offices will be reopening soon, with the two coordinating their efforts to share a full-time staffer in each location to keep costs down. "Alaskans deserve to have their views heard and their needs responded to, but they also deserve to know that we are responsibly spending their tax dollars to do so," said the Senators. "From social security to the U.S. Postal Service to the issues on the floor of the Sen… Continue Reading


01.15.15

Murkowski “Aghast” That Stevens Prosecutors Will Not Be Disciplined

Senator Lisa Murkowski today responded to the news that the Justice Department attorneys responsible for withholding evidence in the federal trial against longtime Alaska Senator Ted Stevens had their charges cleared because the Department of Justice "violated its own rules" in doing so: "I am aghast that the Merit Systems Protection Board is overturning the meager punishments for the two Justice Department prosecutors who committed serious ethical lapses in the Ted Stevens case - which led to … Continue Reading


01.14.15

Murkowski Backs Effort to Take Budgets off “Autopilot”, Meaning Fiscal Certainty and Fewer Federal Budget Unknowns

Senator Lisa Murkowski is joining two dozen of her U.S. Senate colleagues in co-sponsoring S.150, the Biennial Budgeting and Appropriations Act - an effort to set funding levels at two year increments instead of the current standard of twelve months. Such a move would create more certainty for government agencies to set longer term agendas. "The federal government has an oversized presence in Alaska, so leaving these agencies in the dark about their funding levels until the eleventh hour stalls… Continue Reading


01.13.15

Murkowski Works to Get Veterans Hired, Help Alaskan Businesses Deal With Employer Mandate

Senator Lisa Murkowski joined a number of her Senate colleagues as an original co-sponsor of The Hire More Heroes Act - a bill incentivizing companies to hire more American veterans by exempting potential employees already receiving health coverage through Tricare or the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs VA from being counted toward the 50 employee threshold for the Affordable Care Act's employer mandate. "This legislation does two things: it avoids unnecessary redundancy for small business o… Continue Reading


01.13.15

Alaska Delegation Announces Approval of $12.9M for Fishery Disaster Relief

Senators Lisa Murkowski, Dan Sullivan and Congressman Don Young today announced that the second round of payments totaling $12.9 million for Alaskans seeking relief for federally-recognized fishery disasters has been approved by NOAA and will be available for Alaskans impacted by the low salmon runs in 2012. The Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, working closely with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Alaska Department of Fish & Game, developed a "sp… Continue Reading


01.12.15

Murkowski Co-Sponsors Bipartisan Fight Against Health Care Bill’s “Lost Wage Incentive”

Senator Lisa Murkowski has joined Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Joe Donnelly (D-IN) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) to re-introduce the bipartisan Forty Hours is Full Time Act, which matches full-time employee status within the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to the conventional 40 hour workweek. Employees who work thirty hours or more a week are considered "full-time employees" for purposes of the ACA, which has caused some employers to cut workers' hours or hire employees at 29 hours per week or less due to… Continue Reading


01.09.15

Chairman Murkowski Speaks in Support of Congressional Approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, spoke on Senate floor today in strong support of legislation to advance construction of the Keystone XL pipeline and focused on rebutting some of the inaccurate claims made by opponents of the project. Click Picture to View the Video "This is a simple bill. It approves the long-delayed cross-border permit needed to construct the Keystone XL pipeline. It does so while protecting private property rights, allowing Nebraska to find the best possible route for t… Continue Reading


01.09.15

Murkowski Welcomes New Staff Members to Capitol Hill Office

Senator Lisa Murkowski today announced a number of new hires to her personal office staff in Washington, D.C. The new hires include Ephraim Froehlich, Garrett Boyle, Phillip Dodd, and U.S. Air Force Major Taona Enriquez; they fill vacancies created by recent departures among her staff. The senator also announced that she is promoting her Legislative Director Kate Williams to become her Deputy Chief of Staff. "These men and women bring experience and Alaskan perspectives to the office as we begi… Continue Reading


01.08.15

Sen. Murkowski Advances Keystone XL Legislation

- U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, the new chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, today voted to approve legislation that would authorize the Keystone XL pipeline to cross the United States-Canadian border. Click here to view the video "We have an opportunity to build on our reputation as an energy superpower that respects its neighbors, trades with its allies, and builds necessary infrastructure such as the Keystone XL pipeline. I believe Congress is ready … Continue Reading


12.16.14

Murkowski Votes For Tax Certainty for Alaskans

Senator Murkowski today joined 75 of her colleagues in passing H.R. 5771, the Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2014, a one-year bill to extend over 50 now-expired individual, business, and energy-related tax code provisions for this calendar year. Though she supported this measure to protect Alaskans from an unwelcome tax hike in their 2014 returns, Murkowski believes the bill only underscores the need for comprehensive tax reform in the next Congress. The bill also includes the Achieving a Bette… Continue Reading


12.16.14

Sen. Murkowski Responds to Withdrawal of North Aleutian Basin from Five-Year Leasing Plan

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today issued the following statement on President Obama's decision to withdraw Alaska's North Aleutian Basin from potential oil and natural gas activity. "Given the lack of interest by industry and the public divide over allowing oil and gas exploration in this area, I am not objecting to this decision at this time," Murkowski said. "I think we all recognize that these are some of our state's richest fishing waters. What I do not understand is why this decis… Continue Reading


12.13.14

Murkowski Lauds Alaskan Priorities in 2015 Funding Bill

Several provisions championed by Senator Lisa Murkowski are included the federal spending bill that passed the Senate today and heads to the President's desk. The bill to fund the federal government operations for Fiscal Year 2015 - with the exception of the Department of Homeland Security, which is funded through March - includes vital items related to the Arctic, military rural infrastructure, transportation, energy, education, and veteran support. "This bill is not perfect, but it is the pr… Continue Reading


12.13.14

2015 Budget Spotlights Murkowski Interior Approps Leadership

Today, Senator Lisa Murkowski voted in favor of the Fiscal Year 2015 spending bill that included the Interior Department budget and agenda she helped craft with Congressional Leadership addressing many core Alaska needs; having passed both Congressional chambers, the budget bill now heads to the President's desk. With the Department of the Interior managing a majority of Alaska's lands, forests and waters - in addition to providing oversight of many services and programs for Alaska Natives and … Continue Reading


12.12.14

Defense Bill Containing Key Alaska Benefits Passes Senate

Senator Lisa Murkowski today proudly cast her vote for the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that funds America's military for the upcoming year and contains a wide array of key Alaskan priorities she worked with Congressional leadership to advance. The NDAA passed the Senate 89-11 and will head to the President's desk for a signature. "The provisions in the NDAA for Alaska show the importance of our state to the nation's defense - both current and long-term," said Murkowski. "I'm ple… Continue Reading


12.12.14

Murkowski, Young Assure VAWA Amendment Repeal

Senator Lisa Murkowski and Congressman Don Young today teamed up to make sure that Section 910 of the Violence Against Women Act was repealed, an effort co-sponsored by Senators Murkowski and Mark Begich and passed through the U.S. Senate earlier this week. (Legislation attached) Through numerous conversations with their House and Senate colleagues, the two Alaska lawmakers succeeded in having the provision removed from the law. In the final days of the 113th Congress, Representative Young work… Continue Reading


12.11.14

Murkowski: Justice Department Accountability Remains “Unacceptable”

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) today released a study assessing how the Department of Justice is addressing instances of prosecutorial misconduct. The study, conducted at the request of Senator Lisa Murkowski, found a lack of progress, oversight and follow through by the Department to address misconduct, which a recent study found still prevalent in cases nationwide - and that several of the accused agents continue to be assigned new cases despite their track record. Notably, the s… Continue Reading


12.11.14

Sen. Murkowski Highlights Lands Package’s Importance to the West

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today spoke on the floor of the U.S. Senate about the importance of Title 30 - a package of public lands bills - within the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2015. Murkowski highlighted the title's importance to federal oil and gas permitting, grazing, mining, and other economic and community development opportunities in western states. (Click for video of Sen. Murkowski's floor speech) "After months of negotiations, we have agre… Continue Reading

Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84 Page 85 Page 86 Page 87 Page 88 Page 89 Page 90 Page 91 Page 92 Page 93 Page 94 Page 95 Page 96 Page 97 Page 98 Page 99 Page 100 Page 101 Page 102 Page 103 Page 104 Page 105 Page 106 Page 107 Page 108 Page 109 Page 110 Page 111 Page 112 Page 113 Page 114 Page 115 Page 116 Page 117 Page 118 Page 119 Page 120 Page 121 Page 122 Page 123 Page 124 Page 125 Page 126 Page 127 Page 128 Page 129 Page 130 Page 131 Page 132 Page 133 Page 134 Page 135 Page 136 Page 137 Page 138 Page 139 Page 140 Page 141 Page 142 Page 143 Page 144 Page 145 Page 146 Page 147 Page 148 Page 149 Page 150 Page 151 Page 152 Page 153 Page 154 Page 155 Page 156 Page 157 Page 158 Page 159 Page 160 Page 161 Page 162 Page 163 Page 164 Page 165 Page 166 Page 167 Page 168 Page 169 Page 170 Page 171 Page 172 Page 173 Page 174 Page 175 Page 176 Page 177 Page 178 Page 179 Page 180 Page 181 Page 182 Page 183 Page 184 Page 185 Page 186 Page 187 Page 188 Page 189 Page 190 Page 191 Page 192 Page 193 Page 194 Page 195 Page 196 Page 197 Page 198 Page 199 Page 200 Page 201 Page 202 Page 203 Page 204 Page 205 Page 206 Page 207 Page 208 Page 209 Page 210 Page 211 Page 212 Page 213 Page 214 Page 215 Page 216 Page 217 Page 218 Page 219 Page 220 Page 221 Page 222 Page 223 Page 224 Page 225 Page 226 Page 227 Page 228 Page 229 Page 230
Showing page   of 230