02.14.13

Murkowski Pushes Senate Panel on “Enormously Disruptive” Alaskan Impacts of Sequestration

WASHINGTON, DC - With $85 billion in across-the-board federal cuts set to begin on March 1st, Senator Lisa Murkowski today pressed administration officials about the rationale being used and attempted to get hard specifics about where those cuts will be made. In a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Committee - one which Murkowski had asked the Committee Chairs to hold - Murkowski used the opportunity to prod the witnesses to give more details or explain their process. Senator Murkowski opene… Continue Reading

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02.14.13

Murkowski Statement on Hagel Vote

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Lisa Murkowski today released the following statement after she voted to end debate and proceed to a final vote on Secretary of Defense nominee Chuck Hagel: "I recognize that many of my Republican colleagues have unanswered questions about Chuck Hagel and I understand their reasoning for not advancing this to a 'yes or no' vote. Given the fact he was moved out of committee just two days ago - and on a party line vote - I don't believe it was unreasonable … Continue Reading

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02.13.13

Murkowski Welcomes Extension of Frankenfish Comment Period

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Lisa Murkowski today welcomed a Food and Drug Administration decision to extend the 60-day comment period on genetically engineered salmon through April 26th - ensuring that the concerns of countless Alaskans and hundreds of fish, consumer, environmental and religious groups will have a full chance to be heard. Murkowski, long an opponent of "Jurassic Park"-style DNA splicing of 'Frankenfish," has worked with a Coastal Coalition of Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic Ocean S… Continue Reading

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02.13.13

Murkowski: State of the Union Speech a Disappointment

WASHINGTON, DC - Senator Lisa Murkowski tonight responded to President Obama's State of the Union address in a thorough critique she shared with Alaskans, where she discussed the President's numerous suggestions and initiatives. (Senator Murkowski comments on State of the Union Address) Senator Murkowski on the President's lack of economic focus: (:28 -1:00) "I was disappointed. I have stated that the number one issue for us as a Congress and as a nation is to get our fiscal affairs in or… Continue Reading

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02.13.13

Sen. Murkowski Comments on President’s Energy Security Trust

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today commented on the Energy Security Trust that President Obama proposed in last night's State of the Union: "There is an idea I may agree with in the president's State of the Union address - an Energy Security Trust. I proposed this idea in my Energy 20/20 blueprint that I released last week. Under my Advanced Energy Trust Fund proposal, new production on previously-closed federal lands could provide a substantial source of new revenue … Continue Reading

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02.12.13

Sen. Murkowski Comments on Executive Order on Cybersecurity

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today released the following statement in response to President Obama's executive order on cybersecurity: "I understand that the executive order emphasizes a partnership with the owners and operators of critical infrastructure to improve cybersecurity protections. That's good but the details will define where we are headed. "Because information technology is changing at such a quick pace and cyber threats are also evolving at breakneck sp… Continue Reading

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02.12.13

Violence Against Women Act Bill Passes Senate

WASHINGTON, DC - Senator Lisa Murkowski today voted in support of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) reauthorization bill that she co-sponsored, adding that the legislation is now at a critical juncture as it heads to the House of Representatives. The bill resoundingly passed on a bipartisan basis, 78-22. The bill reauthorizes the landmark Violence Against Women Act which was enacted nearly two decades ago, strengthens and improves existing programs that assist victims and survivors of dome… Continue Reading

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02.12.13

Murkowski Keeps Top Republican Position on Interior Appropriations Subcommittee

WASHINGTON, DC - Senator Lisa Murkowski today announced that she is retaining her Ranking Member status on the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee - where she will have a critical seat at the negotiating table to set the funding priorities for an enormous range of Alaskan-related policy areas. In her position of Ranking Member, she will work directly with both Senate and House Chairmen, as well as the Administration to craft each year's final bill. The Subcommittee holds responsibility for th… Continue Reading

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02.12.13

Sen. Murkowski: America’s Abundance of Natural Gas Holds Great Economic Promise

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today stressed the importance of a thoughtful approach to dealing with issues affecting natural gas during a Senate Energy and Natural Resources hearing on the topic. (Click photo for full video of the opening statement.) "Without a doubt, the new technology that we're seeing has enabled a natural gas boom that has changed our energy landscape and the outlook for our economy," Murkowski said. "Natural gas is now an abundant, affordable, … Continue Reading

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02.12.13

Sen. Murkowski Calls on White House, Interior to Approve King Cove Access Road

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today sent letters to President Obama and Vice President Biden urging them to reverse a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decision opposing a land exchange that would provide emergency road access for the people of King Cove, Alaska. "I could not feel more strongly that the Fish and Wildlife Service's recent decision was wrong, and that if allowed to stand it would have grave consequences for the people of King Cove," Murkowski wrote in the le… Continue Reading

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02.11.13

Murkowski Urges Senate Action on Violence Against Women Bill

WASHINGTON, DC - Senator Lisa Murkowski took to the United States Senate floor for the second time in two consecutive Senate workdays, urging her colleagues to pass the important Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) reauthorization bill that will continue support efforts and programs nationwide to combat and police domestic violence. Last Thursday, Murkowski opened her remarks focused on the Interior Department's controversial Izembek decision by asking her colleagues to advance the important VAW… Continue Reading

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02.08.13

With Murkowski Seeking Answers, Senate Appropriations Committee Schedules Sequestration Hearing

WASHINGTON, DC - A week after Senator Lisa Murkowski urged the heads of the Senate Appropriations Committee to get clarity on the looming threat of sequestration and undefined across-the-board federal cuts, a hearing today was scheduled for next Thursday where Cabinet officials will present their spending plans. With $85 billion in indiscriminate cuts to many federal agencies set to begin on March 1st, there has been little solid information shared by the administration on how these cuts will b… Continue Reading

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02.08.13

Murkowski Urges Secretary of State Kerry to Maintain American Leadership, Momentum in Arctic

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Lisa Murkowski today reached out to new Secretary of State John Kerry, asking him to prioritize America's Arctic engagement as his predecessor did, with Murkowski becoming the first U.S. Senator to participate in the Arctic Parliamentarians' conference in 2011 with former Secretary of State Clinton - making a high-profile national commitment to Arctic issues. In a letter to the Department of State (attached), Senator Murkowski calls upon expanded U.S. leadership in a … Continue Reading

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02.07.13

Murkowski Co-Sponsors Frankenfish, Pirate Fishing Fights

WASHINGTON, DC - Senator Lisa Murkowski today joined two Senate colleagues in introducing a number of bills that would protect Alaska's fishing industry from foreign and domestic threats in the form of illegal fishing and Genetically Engineered Fish, including GE salmon known as "Frankenfish." "We have scientists splicing fish DNA with an antifreeze-like chemical compound and considering feeding that to Americans," said Murkowski. "That kind of idea didn't work out so well in 'Jurassic Park' … Continue Reading

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02.07.13

Murkowski to Interior: Respect the Lives of Alaskans First

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today delivered a speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate demanding that the Secretary of the Interior put the health and safety of Alaskans above the inconvenience of migrating birds when deciding whether a land exchange, involving the Izembek National Refuge, that would grant the residents of King Cove limited road access to emergency medical care was in the public interest. Click to watch video clip of Sen. Murkowski's floor speech on t… Continue Reading

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02.06.13

Murkowski on USPS Saturday Service Cancellation

WASHINGTON, DC - Senator Lisa Murkowski today responded to the United States Postal Service's decision to stop delivering to street addresses all mail but packages on Saturdays as the financially-challenged service tries to cut costs: "Last year the United States Postal Service lost 16 billion dollars, with more and more Americans relying on e-mail, texting and online billpay - so the time has come to reevaluate how they do things. Even the Social Security Administration, which began phasing … Continue Reading

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02.06.13

Murkowski Introducing “Alaska Wellness Package”

WASHINGTON, D.C. - On the same day she spoke to the National Rural Health Association Conference, Senator Lisa Murkowski announced she will introduce four separate pieces of health care legislation tomorrow designed to improve Alaskans' and Americans' quality of life. Two of the bills would address national issues with an acutely Alaska component: improved access to quality care for Medicare recipients and better diagnosis and care for those with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. The second pa… Continue Reading

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02.06.13

Sen. Murkowski Comments on Interior Secretary Nomination

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today commented on the nomination of Sally Jewell to be Secretary of the Interior. Jewel is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI). "So many of the decisions made by the Interior Secretary have a profound impact on Alaska, and other Western states," Murkowski said. "The livelihoods of Americans living and working in the West rely on maintaining a real balance between conservation and economic opportunity… Continue Reading

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02.01.13

Murkowski Celebrates Ten Years of Going Red in the Fight Against Cardiovascular Disease

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Lisa Murkowski today offered the following statement in celebration of the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women Day. (Click HERE to watch video message) "Hi this is Lisa Murkowski. I am proudly wearing red today to celebrate the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women Day. Today marks ten passionate years of "Going Red", and I'm honored to participate in this continued fight against cardiovascular disease." "Heart disease, stroke, and other cardio… Continue Reading

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02.01.13

With Sequestration Looming in a Month, Murkowski Demanding Clarity From Administration

WASHINGTON, DC - Senator Lisa Murkowski today urged the heads of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee to hold a hearing as soon as possible to get hard, precise numbers from the Administration about the $85 billion in across-the-board spending cuts to many federal agencies set to begin on March 1st. With the federal government accounting for one-third of Alaska's economy, these cuts have significant meaning for every region and every industry in the state - and no specifics have been announ… Continue Reading