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.

11.19.13

Murkowski Urges Detailed Arctic Agenda At State Department

WASHINGTON, DC - Senator Lisa Murkowski today visited the State Department for a face-to-face meeting with Secretary John Kerry, where she continued her work with international global leaders to pave a path towards an effective Arctic strategy for the United States. During the meeting, Senator Murkowski raised the issue of defining the United States' action plan in anticipation of the United States assuming the Chairmanship of the Arctic Council in May 2015, with Murkowski expressing a desire f… Continue Reading


11.15.13

Murkowski: Customs and Border Patrol Decision Makes Fairbanks a Year-Round Destination

WASHINGTON, DC - Senator Lisa Murkowski today responded to the news that United States Customs and Border Protection is permanently creating three new customs positions slots at Fairbanks International Airport - not only permitting the Dawson City to Fairbanks summer flights initially denied, but opening up new possibilities for the Golden Heart City to attract more visitors year-round: "When Customs and Border Protection (CBP) initially decided to deny additional summer flights to transport 19… Continue Reading


11.15.13

Murkowski Bill Would Arm Soldiers With Information on Strain, Stress

WASHINGTON, DC - As the United States Senate prepares to debate the National Defense Authorization Act - authorizing military pay, benefits and some policy initiatives - next week, Senator Lisa Murkowski is prioritizing our men and women in uniform by introducing S.1703, the Military Mental Health Improvement Act. This bill would clearly and comprehensively communicate exactly how their mental health records can be accessed or used throughout their career to service members when they enter the … Continue Reading


11.14.13

Murkowski “Incredulous” at Indian Health Service’s Failure to Fully Fund Native Health Clinic Contracts

WASHINGTON, DC - Senator Lisa Murkowski today had a candid exchange with the Director of the Indian Health Service over the Obama administration's continuing refusal to fully fund the contract support costs for tribal health care providers nationwide, saying she is "incredulous that we are still living through this" fight. Contract support costs are the operational costs of tribes to manage tribal health programs -including personal management systems, liability insurance, and facility support c… Continue Reading


11.14.13

Murkowski Responds to Obama Health Care Reversal

Senator Lisa Murkowski shared the following response to President Barack Obama's news that he will allow exchanges to restore cancelled insurance plans for a year: "President Obama's so-called 'fix' today amounts to little more than a punt in several directions. He punted health care cancellations for another year, but didn't resolve any other issues with the law. He punted the discretion to deliver on this 'keep your health care' promise to health commissioners across the country. He punted o… Continue Reading


11.13.13

Murkowski Doubles Fishery Failure Relief Support on Capitol Hill

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In her continuing efforts to secure federal relief funds for Alaskan communities along the Yukon and Kuskokwim Rivers - as well as Cook Inlet - damaged by low salmon runs in 2012, Senator Lisa Murkowski today more than doubled the number of lawmakers on both sides of Capitol Hill advocating for resources for fisheries that have experienced their own "fish droughts" over the past two years. Murkowski already established strong bipartisan backing from 15 of her Senate colleague… Continue Reading


11.13.13

Flawed Eielson F-16 Proposal Suggests Sequestration Driving Military Strategy

Senator Questions Strategy When Making Cuts - "What is the Target Here?" Lower 48 Mayor Agrees With Need for Discretion When Seeking Savings WASHINGTON, DC - Senator Lisa Murkowski today seized an opportunity during a Capitol Hill hearing to continue pressing for agencies to have discretion when making mandatory, across-the-board sequestration cuts - using the example of the recently-scuttled proposal to transfer F-16 aircraft from Eielson AFB to Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson. Calling it an… Continue Reading


11.12.13

Alaska Delegation Pushes for Equal Treatment for Indian Health Service and VA

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Alaska's Congressional Delegation is advocating that Congress use the same approach it does with the Veterans Administration and fund the Indian Health Service one year in advance, to avoid the recurring and needless uncertainty faced by Alaska Native health care providers and those of providers for all indigenous people. Given the fact that the IHS has received its funding on time only once in the last fifteen years, the delegation wrote a letter pressing House and Senate Bu… Continue Reading


11.10.13

Senator Murkowski Shares Veterans Day Message with Alaskans

Washington, D.C.- Senator Lisa Murkowski offered the following statement in observance of Veterans Day: "This Veteran's Day, I'd like to thank all of the veterans who have served our country when called upon. The decision to enter into any military service is not one to be taken lightly, nor is it an easy burden to bear. Standing up to serve is something to be commended, something to be respected - and something to be honored by all of us who breathe easier and live freely because of those wh… Continue Reading


11.08.13

“I Hope the Lord Took all of Our Men Up There for Defending the Freedoms of Our People”

WASHINGTON, DC - As the United States commemorates Veterans Day weekend, Senator Lisa Murkowski is releasing her 18th Veteran Spotlight interview, focusing on the service of Kenai resident Herb Stettler who served in the U.S. Army and did a 13 month tour during the Korean War. Stettler is an active member of the Kenai Peninsula veteran community, supporting fellow veterans and honoring veteran sacrifice at local events and ceremonies - and has fostered a special bond with his neighbors for year… Continue Reading


11.08.13

Murkowski: Health Care Law’s Full-Time Definition is “Out of Step,” Risking Work Hour Cuts

WASHINGTON, D.C. - With the health care law's employer mandate causing cuts to work hours nationwide, Senator Lisa Murkowski and a bipartisan group of Senators is urging the Budget Conference Committee to take up the Forty Hours is Full Time Act (S. 1188) she co-sponsored earlier this year. This bill aims to redefine the use of "full-time" employee in the health care law since the law presently considers that a "full-time employee" works a mere 30 hours, which could lead to dramatic decreases in… Continue Reading


11.07.13

Murkowski Votes to Protect Alaskans From Discrimination

WASHINGTON, DC - Senator Lisa Murkowski today cast her vote in support of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), a bill that protects Alaskans from discrimination. Murkowski also supported an amendment to the bill protecting religious freedom in implementation of the law. Moments ago, the legislation passed the Senate by a count of 64-32. On the floor of the Senate, Murkowski expressed the view that employees should be judged solely on the basis of ability or skill: (Murkowski mak… Continue Reading


11.06.13

Murkowski: “Words Aren’t Solving the Problem” of Military Sexual Assault

WASHINGTON, D.C.-Senator Lisa Murkowski today joined a bipartisan coalition of her colleagues to kick off a final two week push to create an independent, objective and non-biased military justice system - through the Military Justice Improvement Act - as the Senate is expected to debate the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) before Thanksgiving. The legislation that Murkowski co-sponsored in May would eliminate many obstacles that numerous victims of military sexual assault have des… Continue Reading


11.06.13

Murkowski Backs “If You Like Your Health Plan, You Can Keep It” Act

WASHINGTON, D.C.-Senator Lisa Murkowski today announced her co-sponsorship of S.1617, the If You Like Your Health Plan You Can Keep It Act of 2013, amid rising reports of thousands of Alaskans' inability to continue on with their current health care plan as President Obama had promised during the campaign to pass the legislation. "'Keep your health care plan if you like it' was one of the key claims that President Obama used to force this flawed law through Congress, and now over 5,000 Alaskans… Continue Reading


11.05.13

Murkowski: Health Care Cost Increases Aren’t Statistics, They Are Alaskans

WASHINGTON, D.C.-On the heels of her Committee Hearing exchange with the CMS Administrator earlier, Senator Lisa Murkowski today took the stories of everyday Alaskans with her to the floor of the United States Senate, in order to have more time to fully share their concerns and frustrations at the rollout of the health care exchanges in Alaska - both in terms of technical glitches and sticker shock at the dramatic rise in premiums. At the opening of her speech, Senator Murkowski recounted the q… Continue Reading


11.05.13

Murkowski: “Who’s On The Hook” For Health Care Law Failures?

WASHINGTON, D.C.-Senator Lisa Murkowski today grilled the Administrator for the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services over myriad failures and problems being experienced with Alaska's health care exchange in a hearing of the U.S. Senate Committee for Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. Murkowski's frustrations focused on: Enroll Alaska, the state's health care exchange center, indefinitely suspending operations until fixes can be made to its subsidy calculator. Only three Alaskans su… Continue Reading


11.01.13

Murkowski Responds to Resignation of Alaska Salmon Adversary

WASHINGTON, D.C.-Senator Lisa Murkowski today responded to the news that Kerry Coughlin, Regional Director for the controversial Marine Stewardship Council, resigned amid an ongoing battle over its claims that Alaska wild salmon is not sustainable: "These have been a rough couple of years of dealing with MSC from an Alaskan perspective. I can only hope that new leadership may bring a more reasoned approach and added scientific rigor to their work. This is an organization that began its work in… Continue Reading


11.01.13

Murkowski Shares Fairbanks Four Concerns with Attorney General Eric Holder

WASHINGTON, D.C.-Senator Lisa Murkowski today contacted United States Attorney General Eric Holder to bring the Alaska review of the Fairbanks Four case to his attention, as the Alaska Department of Law began its investigation. In a letter (attached) to Holder, Murkowski updated the Attorney General of the grave concerns of many Alaskans that the four Alaska Natives found guilty of the October 10th, 1997 homicide may not be responsible for the death. Her letter concludes: "On October 8, 2013… Continue Reading


10.31.13

Galena Efforts, Investigation Will Be A Learning Experience for FEMA

WASHINGTON, D.C.-Senator Lisa Murkowski met with senior officials from the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General to discuss the findings of their recent site visit to Anchorage, Galena and Fairbanks to observe the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) response to this spring's ice jam and flood in Galena. At Senator Murkowski's request, Charles K. Edwards, Acting Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security visited Galena on Monday, September 9, 2013 i… Continue Reading


10.30.13

“Marines Do This for the Marines to Their Left & the Marines to Their Right”

WASHINGTON, DC - Senator Lisa Murkowski is today releasing her 17th Veteran Spotlight installment today, featuring Soldotna resident Colonel John Pollock, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1985 to 2010. Since serving, Pollock has been on the cutting edge of military intelligence gathering in Afghanistan and has devoted himself to helping young veterans make the most of their military benefits at Kenai Peninsula College. During his Veteran Spotlight interview, Pollock recalls being in Qu… 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
Showing page   of 226