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 Marks One Year Without “The Dean”
One year ago today, the Congressman for All Alaska, Don Young, passed away. The late Congressman, who served the 49th state for 49 years and enacted at least 87 bills into federal law, became the 45th Dean of the House of Representatives and remains the longest-serving Republican in the history of Congress. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) released the following statement on the one-year anniversary of his passing. "It's been a year now since we lost Don Young. As I reflect upon his life i… Continue Reading
03.16.23
Murkowski: Willow Project Reapproval “Significant for Alaska”
Following the Biden administration's decision to reapprove ConocoPhillips' Willow Project in Alaska's National Petroleum Reserve (NPR-A), Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) spoke on the Senate Floor to mark the significant announcement. Click here for a video of Senator Murkowski speaking on the Senate Floor marking the reapproval of the Willow Project. EXCERPTS: · [The Willow Project] is significant for Alaska. From a job perspective, this is going to create about 2,500 … Continue Reading
03.16.23
Murkowski, King Lead Legislation to Codify Position of Ambassador-At-Large for the Arctic Region
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators and Arctic Caucus Co-Chairs Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), a senior member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, and Angus King (I-ME) introduced bipartisan legislation to codify the position of Ambassador-At-Large for the Arctic Region at the U.S. Department of State. "Before the State Department announced last year that they would create the position of Arctic Ambassador, the United States was the only Arctic nation without a dedicated regional representative at … Continue Reading
03.13.23
Delegation: Willow Reapproval is Monumental for Alaska
U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan (both R-Alaska) and Representative Mary Peltola (D-Alaska) today welcomed the Biden administration's decision to reapprove ConocoPhillips' Willow Project within Alaska's National Petroleum Reserve (NPRA). After litigation, a court remand, years of supplemental environmental analysis, and a united statewide push in strong support, the administration's final Record of Decision reapproves an economically viable three-pad project. "We finally did it, Wi… Continue Reading
03.09.23
Alaska Delegation Urges Court to Drop Deceptive Lawsuit Threatening Southeast Alaska Troll Fishermen
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski (both R-Alaska), and Representative Mary Sattler Peltola (D-Alaska), filed an amicus brief with the U.S. District Court in Seattle, Washington this week supporting Southeast Alaska troll fishermen in a case that threatens to shut down their small boat troll fishery on the pretense that their salmon harvest is a primary contributor to the population decline of Southern resident killer whales hundreds of miles away in Puget Sound. The lawsui… Continue Reading
03.09.23
ICYMI: Widespread Support for the Willow Project from North Slope Mayors, Education Leaders, and Laborers
Washington, DC - The Willow Project on Alaska's North Slope has garnered widespread support from North Slope leaders, Alaska's higher education system, the State of Alaska, national labor unions, and more. Op-Ed: Murkowski, Sullivan, Peltola Urging Biden To Re-Approve the Willow Project In an Op-Ed published in CNN by U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, (R-AK), and U.S. Representative Mary Peltola (D-AK), the Alaska Congressional Delegation highlight the Willow Project's broad su… Continue Reading
03.09.23
Schatz, Murkowski: Senate Confirms Patrice Kunesh As Administration For Native Americans Commissioner
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, released the following statements on Patrice Kunesh's confirmation as the Commissioner of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS') Administration for Native Americans (ANA). The ANA was established to promote self-sufficiency and cultural preservation for Native Americans through training, technical ass… Continue Reading
03.09.23
Alaska Delegation Demands Secretary Haaland Rescind Unlawful NPS Hunting Order
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), and Representative Mary Sattler Peltola (D-Alaska), sent a letter to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland last week urging her to withdraw the National Park Service's (NPS) proposed rule, released in January, with new restrictions on hunting and trapping in National Preserves in Alaska. The Alaska congressional delegation argues that the rule, put forward without any consultation with the State of Alaska, is unsupported by scientific… Continue Reading
03.09.23
Murkowski, Hassan, Marshall, Rosen Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Provide Patients with Transparent and Safe Access to Treatments
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), along with 14 of their colleagues, introduced the Safe Step Act of 2023, a bill that places reasonable limits on the use of "step therapy," and works to improve access to safer and more transparent treatments for patients. Step therapy, also known as "fail first," occurs when a patient is required to try and fail on a lower cost drug before they are allowed to access the drug … Continue Reading
03.08.23
Schatz, Murkowski Lead Oversight Hearing On Native Communities’ Priorities
WASHINGTON - 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, "Oversight Hearing on Native Communities' Priorities for the 118th Congress." "Because we can only do our best work when we hear directly from the Native communities that we serve, today we kick off the 118th Congress by putting Native communities' priorities directly in the sp… Continue Reading
03.08.23
Murkowski Announces Staff Hires, Promotions
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) today announced new staff members in her Washington, DC and Juneau, Alaska offices. "We have a lot of work ahead in this new Congress, and I'm pleased to announce several great additions to my team. These individuals will fill key roles and work hard on behalf of Alaskans as we advance our state's interests," said Senator Murkowski. Matt Robinson, born and raised in Fairbanks, joins the DC office as Legislative Assistant for fisheries and oc… Continue Reading
03.07.23
Senators Urge Administration to Rally Support for U.S. LNG Exports to Allies
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), and John Kennedy (R-La.) today sent a letter to U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel urging the Biden administration to publicly support the export of abundant U.S. natural gas to America's allies in Europe and Asia, particularly Japan, which has prioritized energy security in its term leading the G7. The s… Continue Reading
03.07.23
Senators Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Get Public Employees Full Social Security Benefits
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) joined Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Susan Collins (R-ME) in reintroducing bipartisan legislation that would ensure public sector workers and their families can receive full Social Security benefits after two previous statutes reduced them. The Senators' bill, the Social Security Fairness Act, would repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO) from the Social Security Act. "These Ohioans worked their w… Continue Reading
03.06.23
Murkowski Helps Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Extend Federal Support for Local Fire Departments
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Susan Collins (R-ME), Tom Carper (D-DE), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced bipartisan legislation to extend federal programs that help support local fire departments across the country. The bill would reauthorize the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program, the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG… Continue Reading
03.03.23
Murkowski Slams Interior for Deliberately Cutting Cook Inlet Gas Production
Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) today issued the following statement after reviewing an internal memo on Cook Inlet Lease Sale 258 that the Department of the Interior briefly posted online before quickly removing from public view. The memo, which was obtained by the office of Senator Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia), outlines the administration's efforts to undermine recent federal law and reduce natural gas production in Cook Inlet, Alaska. "This is a stunning document, and it details how the a… Continue Reading
03.03.23
Alaska Delegation Issues Statement on White House Meeting
U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan (both R-Alaska) and U.S. Representative Mary Peltola (D-Alaska)-the three members of Alaska's congressional delegation-today released the following statement after meeting with President Joe Biden and top members of his team to urge the reapproval of Alaska's Willow Project. "We met with the President and his senior advisors in the Oval Office for more than an hour yesterday afternoon. The conversation was honest and respectful, and we appreciated t… Continue Reading
03.02.23
ICYMI: Alaska Native and Union Leaders Join Delegation to Urge Re-Approval of Willow Project
Yesterday, Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Representative Mary Peltola (D-Alaska) participated in an event outside the U.S. Capitol calling on the Biden administration to re-approve the Willow Project on Alaska's North Slope. The delegation was joined by Alaska State Representative Josiah Patkotak (I-Utqia?vik); Nagruk Harcharek, President of Voice of the Arctic Iñupiat; Joelle Hall, President of AFL-CIO Alaska; Doreen Leavitt, Director of Natural Resources for th… Continue Reading
03.01.23
ICYMI: Alaskans are United in Support of the Willow Project
ICYMI: Alaskans are United in Support of the Willow Project WASHINGTON, DC - As the Biden administration prepares to issue its final decision on ConocoPhillips' Willow Project, a crucial energy initiative on Alaska's North Slope, Alaskans are showing unity in their strong backing of the meticulously-planned, socially-just, and environmentally-sound project. Willow will bolster Alaska's economy, strengthen national and energy security, and support communities on the North Slope and across the… Continue Reading
02.28.23
Cardin, Murkowski Testify at Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday on their resolution (S.J.Res. 4) to remove the arbitrary deadline for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment and to recognize that 38 states have ratified the amendment. Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), chaired the hearing, which was the first in the Senate on the ERA since 1984. S.J.Res. 4 is a bicameral, bipartisan joint resolution to affirm the ratification of … Continue Reading
02.27.23
Alaska Legislature Passes Unanimous Resolution Supporting Willow Project
U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan (both R-Alaska), and Representative Mary Sattler Peltola (D-Alaska), today thanked members of the Alaska House and the Alaska Senate for passing a unanimous resolution supporting the pending Willow Project on Alaska's North Slope, and urging the White House to approve the economically-viable "Alternative E" project scope recommended by career Department of the Interior (DOI) staff and scientists. DOI issued the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact… Continue Reading