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.

07.04.12

Murkowski Honors Purple Heart Veteran in July 4th Spotlight

WASHINGTON, D.C. - On Independence Day, Senator Lisa Murkowski is commemorating it by releasing her latest "Veteran Spotlight" featuring Alaskan veteran Benno Cleveland - a Fairbanks Army veteran who served in the Vietnam War. In his Veteran Spotlight interview, Benno talks about volunteering for the U.S. Army in 1968 under the Great Society Choice after running into trouble with the law in Fairbanks. He served two tours in Dong Tam, Vietnam, earning the Purple Heart before being discharged f… Continue Reading


07.04.12

Senator Murkowski Wishes Alaskans a Happy Fourth of July

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Lisa Murkowski today offered the following reflections on the Fourth of July: (Click image to watch statement) "Over 230 years ago, a collection of very brave and thoughtful men put their names and lives on the line to support a visionary idea, writing: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.… Continue Reading


07.03.12

Subsistence Whaling Extended with Vote in Panama

Alaska's Congressional delegation praised strong advocacy by the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission (AEWC) and the committed work of the U.S. delegation to the International Whaling Commission (IWC) for the renewal of the annual catch limit for subsistence whaling of bowhead whales for six more years. The annual catch limit of 336 whales over the six-year period was set to expire this year but was extended at the ongoing annual meeting of the IWC in Panama City, Panama. The catch limit passed thi… Continue Reading


06.29.12

Murkowski Works to Keep Emmonak Women’s Shelter Open

Senator Lisa Murkowski today expressed her deep gratitude to the Bureau of Indian Affairs for working with her to come to the aid of the Emmonak Women's Shelter, delivering $50,000 to compensate for a funding gap putting the center's operations in peril. The center -burdened with a work load of up to 500 women and children annually - was low on funds months before the next federal grant money would have been available in September. At Senator Murkowski's request, the center and the BIA have wo… Continue Reading


06.29.12

Murkowski Votes to Protect College Students from Rate Hike

Senator Lisa Murkowski today voted in favor of the Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2012, which - in addition to providing critical resources for key Alaska priorities and extending Secure Rural Schools and PILT programs - maintains the 3.4 percent interest rate on subsidized federal student loans, which was scheduled to double on July 1st. The bill passed 74-19 and Murkowski had the following statement after the vote: "I just had ten immensely motivated recent high school graduates wor… Continue Reading


06.29.12

Sen. Murkowski Comments on Secure Rural Schools, PILT Extensions

Sen. Lisa Murkowski today commented on the inclusion of a Senate-passed amendment in the final version of the transportation bill, which would extend the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act and Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) programs for one year. "I am happy to see that the conferees included the extensions to the Secure Rural Schools and PILT programs," Murkowski said. "Secure Rural Schools funds are critical to supporting the schools, as well as for road maintenance pr… Continue Reading


06.29.12

Murkowski, Begich Laud Passage of Pilot’s Bill of Rights

The U.S. Senate today unanimously passed the Pilot's Bill of Rights, legislation important to Alaska's aviation community. The Pilots Bill of Rights was championed by Sen. Mark Begich and Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK), and was cosponsored by Sen. Lisa Murkowski. "Flying is a way of life in Alaska. It's key to economy, jobs and tourism," Begich said. "With six times more pilots per capita than the re… Continue Reading


06.29.12

Murkowski Calls for White House Action on Looming Tsunami Debris

Senator Lisa Murkowski is advising President Barack Obama to act immediately to prevent additional damage to Alaska's shores from approaching debris resulting from the devastating March 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan. In a letter to the White House (attached), the Senator recommended taking preemptory actions by instructing several federal agencies to work together and halt any unnecessary harmful impacts, writing: "I have already seen the impacts of this debris in Alaska while touring c… Continue Reading


06.28.12

Murkowski Satisfied with Transportation Bill’s Progress for Alaska

Senator Lisa Murkowski today applauded the news that the Transportation Reauthorization Bill negotiated in a House-Senate conference will deliver critical funds to Alaska's unique infrastructure needs through rail, road and water transportation projects and maintenance - on top of the resources she was able to direct to Alaska through negotiations in the U.S. Senate. Murkowski also lauded the work of Congressman Don Young - particularly for his work benefitting the Alaska Railroad - who sat at … Continue Reading


06.28.12

Supreme Court Decision “A New Precedent for Governmental Overreach”

Moments after the United States Supreme Court ruled to uphold the health care reform bill - while identifying the mandate as a new tax on Americans - Senator Murkowski had the following response to the decision. "Today's news from the Supreme Court is troubling to me in that it sets a new precedent for governmental overreach into our health care choices, and a wide majority of Alaskans and Americans feel the same way. "Moving forward, we must repeal this bill and responsibly address health ca… Continue Reading


06.27.12

Murkowski Urges Colleagues to Alaskanize Mount McKinley, Talkeetna Ranger Station

Senator Lisa Murkowski today pushed for support of her bill that would officially restore the nation's tallest peak, Mount McKinley, to its traditional Interior Alaska Athabascan name: Denali. In a hearing of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources National Parks Subcommittee, she also advocated for her legislation that would rename the Talkeetna Ranger Station after the first man to summit Denali: Walter Harper. "My two bills both focus on probably the most storied and photographed geographic… Continue Reading


06.26.12

Murkowski Responds to Pentagon’s Decision Delaying Proposed F-16 Move

Senator Lisa Murkowski had the following response to the news surrounding the proposal to move the F-16 Aggressor Squadron from Eielson Air Force Base: "Along with many Alaskans, I am pleased to learn that the Pentagon is delaying the decision to move the F-16 Aggressors from Eielson Air Force Base to J-BER. But while today's announcement provides us with breathing room, we need to use this time and opportunity to make today's victory a permanent one for Alaska and the nation's defense. "On F… Continue Reading


06.26.12

Murkowski Votes to Outlaw Synthetic Drugs Nationwide

Senator Lisa Murkowski today voted for S.3187, the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act that contains several high-profile Alaska-related benefits - from making Alaska's tough policy against synthetic drugs the national standard to improving the issue of drug shortages in Alaska and across the country. The bill passed 92-4. "I'm pleased that my vote today takes the common-sense Alaskan policies against these synthetic drugs and raises the national standard to match our own," … Continue Reading


06.26.12

Murkowski Presses Attorney General On “Avalanche of Leaks”

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Lisa Murkowski joined 26 of her Republican colleagues in demanding Attorney General Eric Holder immediately appoint a special counsel to investigate the "avalanche of leaks" originating out of the White House regarding critical classified intelligence materials. The 27 Senators sent a letter today making their case, including references to then-Senators Barack Obama and Joe Biden requesting an independent counsel on two separate occasions during the Bush presidency fo… Continue Reading


06.22.12

Murkowski: Administration’s Consultation Policies Failing Tribes

Senator Lisa Murkowski today urged President Barack Obama to follow through on the federal government's commitments and fulfill the expectations surrounding tribal consultation - enumerating the core frustrations and federal agency shortfalls she is hearing from many of Alaska's 229 federally recognized Tribes. In her letter to the White House (attached), she stresses that the requirements of notice and meaningful consultation with Alaska's Tribes appear to be being violated by numerous federal… Continue Reading


06.21.12

Murkowski Opposes Farm Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Lisa Murkowski today voted against the $969 billion 2012 Farm Bill, saying it contains far too many subsidies and is not the cost-saving bill that it is being portrayed as. She shared her reasoning after the vote: "In 2008, I voted against the five-year Farm Bill because it was too bloated and gave unnecessary handouts to farmers across the country. That bill averaged $61 billion a year. This one averages nearly $97 billion a year. There are new subsidies for map… Continue Reading


06.21.12

Murkowski Introduces Bill to Assist Southeast Alaska’s Economy

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today introduced legislation to permit road access to two proposed multi-mineral mines on southeast Prince of Wales Island in Southeast Alaska. The Niblack Mining Area Road Authorization Act would authorize a road across 18 miles of inventoried roadless lands. "With unemployment as much as 12 percent higher than the national average, Southeast Alaska is in dire need of new job opportunities," Murkowski said. "These mines will provide stabl… Continue Reading


06.20.12

Murkowski: Whaling Defines Alaska Natives As a People

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Lisa Murkowski today spoke at a Capitol Hill event hosted by the Ocean Caucus Foundation to educate embassy officials from many countries active in the International Whaling Commission on the importance and role of subsistence whaling in Alaska. As the Senate considered over 70 amendments to the Farm Bill, Murkowski shared with the attendees that in Alaska, a harvest critical to northern coastal communities comes not from our land but our water, saying: "The whale h… Continue Reading


06.20.12

Murkowski Lauds Title IX on 40th Anniversary

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Lisa Murkowski today joined 35 Senate colleagues in saluting Title IX - the law that leveled the educational playing field for women and girls - as it nears its 40th Anniversary this weekend. Murkowski co-sponsored the bipartisan resolution which passed unanimously moments ago. The resolution (S. Res. 500) touts the law and its accomplishments, spotlighting that: "Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in the administration of any education program … Continue Reading


06.20.12

Senator Murkowski: EPA's New Rules Carry Crippling Costs, Few Benefits

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today spoke on the floor about her opposition to the Environmental Protection Agency's new rule governing power plant emissions - the Mercury and Air Toxic Standards rule. The Senate is set to vote today on a measure by Sen. James Inhofe, R-Oklahoma, to block the Utility MACT Rule. (Click for full video of floor speech) "The EPA is proceeding with an unprecedented litany of new rules whose benefits are murky but whose costs are very real a… Continue Reading

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