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.

10.30.13

Murkowski: “We Can and Must Do Better for Our Native Youth”

WASHINGTON, DC - On the heels of her Alaska Federation of Natives speech urging a better future for Alaska Natives, Senator Lisa Murkowski today joined her colleague Senator Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota in introducing a plan to find solutions to the many challenges facing Native American children throughout Indian Country. The joint effort from the two legislators is named the Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children, to commemorate the legacies of the former Chair… Continue Reading


10.29.13

Murkowski Backs Effort to Reel in Government Surveillance

Senator Lisa Murkowski today announced her co-sponsorship of the USA FREEDOM Act - a bill designed to curb efforts by the federal government to gain access to millions of Americans' phone records, while also requiring greater oversight, transparency and accountability of domestic surveillance authorities. The bipartisan legislation - backed by both the National Rifle Association and the American Civil Liberties Union - would curb potential privacy abuses and protect every American's basic civil… Continue Reading


10.25.13

Murkowski Effort Aids Alaskan Aviators’ Safety Fight Against Red Tape

WASHINGTON, DC - Before the Senate concluded its work prior to the current state work period, Senator Lisa Murkowski was proud to see the U.S. Senate unanimously pass the bipartisan Small Aircraft Revitalization Act that she co-sponsored in May to give the the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) a deadline to provide baseline, defined safety standards so that Alaska's aviators can upgrade their aircrafts and avoid many unnecessary risks. Presently, the FAA's archaic Part 23 certification proce… Continue Reading


10.24.13

Murkowski, Young Welcome Changes to Enforcement of Marine Mammal Protection Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Rep. Don Young (both R-Alaska) today announced that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has agreed to issue new guidance on what constitutes "significantly altered" sea otter pelts under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which will provide greater clarity and certainty to Alaska Natives artisans. Murkowski: "I am pleased that as a result of our continued persistence on this issue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has decided to reverse cou… Continue Reading


10.21.13

Murkowski: Stuart Creek 2 Fire Investigation Yields Answers, Changes

WASHINGTON, DC - Senator Lisa Murkowski today received the results of the United States Army Alaska's (USARAK) investigation into the 85,000 acre Stuart Creek 2 fire in the Yukon Training Area earlier this summer, with the official findings confirming suspicions that artillery training caused the fire despite high fire danger warnings at the time - and not lighting, recreation or other human involvement suggested at the time. The report - made available to the Senator and the public after Murko… Continue Reading


10.17.13

Murkowski Holding “D.C. Debrief” Press Conference Friday

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Lisa Murkowski will hold a press conference with the Anchorage press corps on Friday morning, where she will outline her thoughts on the recent federal government shutdown - including her key work developing the U.S. Senate's bipartisan compromise - and the work still ahead in Washington, D.C. Advancing the theme from Congress this week that women Senators played the core role in carving out a solution to the federal government shutdown and risk of default, Murkows… Continue Reading


10.16.13

Murkowski Votes to Fund Government, Avoid Default

WASHINGTON, DC - Senator Lisa Murkowski today voted in support of a bill that will fund the federal government, require heightened accountability from the health care reform law and avoid a default on the national debt. Over the past two weeks, Senator Murkowski collaborated with her colleagues Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) in advancing a solution that eventually drew the support of 11 additional Senators - an equal number of Republicans and Democrats. Many elements of … Continue Reading


10.14.13

Murkowski: Health Care Exchanges “Not Working As Advertised”

WASHINGTON, DC - In response to wide-spread reports of problems with the Affordable Care Act's healthcare.gov website, Senator Murkowski has asked the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide information regarding the Alaska exchange. In a letter to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Murkowski writes: "This system that cost more than $400 million, took three years to build, and was billed as a one-stop shop for individuals seeking health insurance is not working as advertised. "In its … Continue Reading


10.10.13

Alaska Delegation: Shutdown Proves Need to Forward Fund Indian Health Service

WASHINGTON, DC - Senators Lisa Murkowski and Mark Begich today announced the introduction of a Senate bill that would deliver advanced appropriations to the Indian Health Service - creating funding certainties for a year ahead so that health care providers can best deliver medical services to our Nation's first Americans - similar to the Department of Veterans Affairs system where Congress sets funding levels in advance, to more properly fulfill the trust responsibility to America's first people… Continue Reading


10.10.13

Sen. Murkowski: Administration’s Shutdown Strategy a Failure

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) today issued the following comment on the Department of the Interior's announcement that it would allow some national parks to open if states pay for the operating costs: "While I am pleased that visitors will once again be able to enjoy some of our national parks, it's clear that the administration's strategy to make the shutdown as painful as possible was an overreach that did not generate the expected reaction from the public. The admini… Continue Reading


10.09.13

Murkowski, Young Urge Commerce Secretary to Use Flexibility to Help Open Alaska Crab Fisheries

The Bristol Bay red king crab fishery in Alaska is scheduled to open next Tuesday, October 15th, but before crab fishing boats are allowed to fish, they must be issued quota permits by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) - which the Departmentof Commerce has shuttered for issuing permits until the government is funded. In response to this problem, Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Congressman Don Young (R-AK) and House Natural Resources Chairman Doc Hastings (R-WA) today wrote Secretary o… Continue Reading


10.08.13

Murkowski: “Break This Impasse,” Fund the Government

WASHINGTON, DC -Senator Lisa Murkowski today took to the floor of the Senate and expressed Alaskans' frustrations with the everyday impacts of the current government shutdown, endorsing her colleague Senator Susan Collins' (R-ME) proposal to fund the federal government for six months while repealing the medical device tax on pacemakers, joint replacements, defibrillators and other items from the Affordable Care Act - a move that already has bipartisan support in Congress. Also, the proposal wo… Continue Reading


10.02.13

Murkowski, Begich, Young: F-16's Will Stay in Fairbanks

Delegation Receives Official Word from Air Force After a two-year fight against an ill-conceived proposal to relocate the F-16s from Eielson Air Force Base in Fairbanks to Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson (J-BER) , "warm" the base and cut thousands of jobs, Alaska's congressional delegation today received official word that the Air Force has scrapped the proposal. During a conference call with the Alaska delegation Air Force senior leaders reported the strategic assessment of Eielson, conduct… Continue Reading


10.01.13

Sen. Murkowski Express Support for Transboundary Agreement

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today expressed support for approving the Transboundary Agreement between the United States and Mexico during a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on legislation to approve the agreement and provide the Secretary of Interior authority to implement it. (Click picture for video.) "I view this agreement as an important step toward greater North American energy security," Murkowski said. "The Congressional Research Service… Continue Reading


10.01.13

Murkowski Comments on Shutdown, Health Care Law

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Lisa Murkowski today shared her thoughts with Alaskans about ongoing Congressional efforts to fund the federal government and minimize the reach and impacts of the health care law: "As bad as I believe this health care law is for our nation, shutting down the government means lost paychecks for gas, rent and grocery money for thousands of Alaskans who work for the federal government and vital services for our veterans, seniors, children and disabled. My opposition to… Continue Reading


09.27.13

“It’s Important to Me to Still Have Their Backs”

WASHINGTON, DC -Senator Lisa Murkowski is releasing her 16th Veteran Spotlight installment today featuring Wasilla resident Tina Trosper. Trosper served in the Army from 2005 to 2010 and was deployed to Baghdad, Iraq as an Aviation Specialist and radio transmit operator. Since serving, Trosper has devoted herself to helping Alaskan soldiers transition back into the civilian workforce - after having dealt with war both on the front and as the spouse of a deployed soldier. Tina Trosper was born… Continue Reading


09.27.13

Murkowski Greatly Encouraged by Meeting with Acting Air Force Secretary

WASHINGTON, DC - Senator Lisa Murkowski met with Acting Air Force Secretary Eric Fanning about the global short and long-term goals of the United States Air Force, while making sure to zoom in on the proposed transfer of the F-16 Aggressor Squadron from Eielson Air Force Base to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. Fanning gave Murkowski several indications during the meeting that there was a growing sentiment within the Air Force that the move is flawed. "I was encouraged to hear the progress an… Continue Reading


09.27.13

Murkowski Opposes Funding for Health Care Law

WASHINGTON, DC - Senator Lisa Murkowski today voted against the Democratic bill that funds the Affordable Care Act and shared her reason for the vote afterwards: "Alaskans are speaking loudly and clearly about what they don't like in this bad health care law: the 2nd highest premiums in the nation for Alaskans, jobs lost, hours cut and the hit our economy will take. While we have an obligation to fund the government and keep it working, we also have an obligation to listen clearly to our consti… Continue Reading


09.26.13

Murkowski: Helium Bill Passage Extends Secure Rural Schools Funding

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) today applauded final congressional approval of the Responsible Helium Administration and Stewardship Act, which she co-authored and made sure included $16 million for Southeast, Alaska, under the Secure Rural Schools program. The bill is now on its way to President Obama for signing. Murkowski negotiated the final deal to close the federal helium reserve with Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) and Rep. Doc Hastings, (R-Wash.), the chairmen of the S… Continue Reading


09.26.13

Senator Murkowski Secures Funding for Legacy Well Cleanup

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) today applauded final congressional approval of the Responsible Helium Administration and Stewardship Act, which she co-authored and made sure included $50 million for the cleanup of abandoned oil and gas wells drilled by the federal government in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. The bill is now on its way to President Obama for signing. Murkowski negotiated the final deal to close the federal helium reserve with Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore… Continue Reading

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