01.27.11

Murkowski Urges America’s Native Peoples to Fight for Share of Federal Dollars

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In the face of fresh efforts to reduce federal spending, U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today said that America's Native peoples must be prepared to fight hard for federal dollars that go towards the Indian Health Service and other federal Indian programs which have suffered from chronic underfunding. "In an era in which the federal spending pie is shrinking, competition for a slice of the pie will be fierce," Murkowski said. "But our resolve to fight for the funding le… Continue Reading

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01.27.11

Murkowski Announces Committee Assignments for the 112th Congress

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, will continue to represent Alaska on the same Senate committees that she served on in the last Congress: Energy and Natural Resources; Appropriations; Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP); and Indian Affairs. Senate Republican leadership informed caucus members today of their committee assignments for the 112th Congress. "These are four of the most critical committees in the United States Senate, particularly as their responsibil… Continue Reading

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01.26.11

Murkowski Comments on the Future of Arctic Exploration

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today released the following comments regarding the future of oil and gas development in the Arctic following a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Commission's final report: "The United States is an Arctic nation because of Alaska. We cannot ignore the fact that Russia will drill in the Chukchi Sea in coming years and that Canada is already exploring the Beaufort Sea. Alaska cannot be f… Continue Reading

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01.21.11

Murkowski Announces State Office Leadership Transition

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today announced that her State Director, Kevin Sweeney, will be leaving the official office to pursue other opportunities. In addition to serving as state director, Sweeney most recently managed the senator's write-in campaign, and he will remain as an advisor and representative to the Lisa Murkowski for U.S. Senate Campaign. Sweeney, who has worked for Murkowski since 2005, will continue to serve as state director for the next several wee… Continue Reading

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01.14.11

Murkowski Teams with Sen. Mark Udall to Promote Congressional Bipartisanship

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Mark Udall, D-Colorado, are co-leading an effort to forge more bipartisanship by calling on members of Congress to sit together - rather than in party blocs - during President Obama's upcoming State of the Union address. "Congressional reaction to the President's State of the Union address has increasingly come to symbolize the sharp partisan divide in Congress," Murkowski said. "But this is also about respect for an institution tha… Continue Reading

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01.09.11

Murkowski Comments on TAPS Shutdown

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, released the following statement on the Trans Alaska Pipeline System's temporary shutdown on Saturday after an oil leak was discovered in a transit line at Pump Station 1. Sen. Murkowski spoke with Admiral Tom Barrett, CEO of Alyeska Pipeline Co., yesterday soon after the spill was discovered. "While I am relieved, for the moment, that the leak appears to be contained and has not resulted in a release into the environment, I remain concer… Continue Reading

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01.08.11

Murkowski Condemns Attack in Tucson

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, released the following statement on the attack in Tucson today at a constituent event hosted by U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona: "I join all Alaskans in condemning this horrific attack on Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords at a constituent event today in Tucson. I mourn those who lost their lives in this senseless and tragic act of violence, and my thoughts and heartfelt prayers go out to Congresswoman Giffords, the other victims and … Continue Reading

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12.22.10

Murkowski Supports 9/11 Compensation Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today voted for the James Zadroga 9/11 Act that would provide health monitoring, treatment and compensation to police, firefighters, emergency medical personnel and other responders who were involved in the response to the events of September 11, 2001. Murkowski issued the following statement after the bill was unanimously passed by the Senate: "Next September marks the 10th anniversary of the tragic events of September 11, 2001. In the yea… Continue Reading

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12.21.10

Murkowski to Support New START

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, announced today that she will vote to approve ratification of a nuclear arms treaty with Russia, known as New START: "After much study and discussion, I have decided to support ratification of the New START treaty, viewing it as a modest step forward in our efforts to reduce the risk of nuclear war. For the United States, it maintains our strategic or long range nuclear weapons capability, while also allowing the U.S. to return to on-the-gr… Continue Reading

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12.21.10

Murkowski Questions EPA’s Use of Special Designation to Derail Development

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, is asking Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson to explain her agency's use of a controversial environmental designation to object to projects approved by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Murkowski raised her concerns to Jackson in a letter Dec. 20. "The EPA recently used a little-known administrative provision to stop two important economic development projects in Alaska without public input, consultation or notice,"… Continue Reading

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12.18.10

Murkowski Supports DREAM Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today voted to end debate and move to a final vote on the DREAM Act, but the motion failed by a vote of 55 to 41. She released the following statement after the vote: "I support the goal of the DREAM Act which is to enable children who were brought to the United States by their parents to earn citizenship through service in the Armed Forces or pursuit of higher education. I do not believe that children are to blame for the decision of their… Continue Reading

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12.18.10

Murkowski Votes to End Debate on Repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, released the following statement today after voting to end debate and move to consideration of a bill that would repeal the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. A final vote on the measure will likely occur on Monday, and Murkowski will vote for the measure. "I am pleased that the Senate voted today to end debate on the President's proposal to repeal the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy and allow gay and lesbian service members to serve op… Continue Reading

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12.17.10

Murkowski: New Tax Law Beneficial to Alaska Native Settlement Trusts

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The bipartisan tax package that President Obama signed into law today includes a provision authored by U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, that will extend for two years the existing tax treatment for Alaska Native settlement trusts. Extension of the tax treatment helps settlement trusts to maximize the benefits provided to Alaska Natives by reducing the tax and administrative burden. Under the law, a settlement trust pays taxes at the lowest individual rate on income - whe… Continue Reading

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12.16.10

Murkowski Seeks Answers from FAA Administrator on Air Shipments of Oxygen in Alaska

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, spoke with the head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) this week about her ongoing concerns regarding regulations for shipping oxygen by air. Federal safety measures instituted following the 1996 ValuJet crash in Florida require that hazardous material canisters shipped aboard aircraft be enclosed in specialized, fire retardant cases. Due to the size, weight and expense of the cases, many Alaskan air carriers are unable to comply … Continue Reading

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12.15.10

Murkowski Comments on DOE Critical Minerals Strategy

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today made the following statement regarding the Department of Energy's release of its first report on critical minerals, including rare earths elements. "Secretary Chu deserves to be commended for his leadership in producing this comprehensive and useful report identifying the challenges we face as a nation in securing the raw materials vital to the advancement of cleaner energy. Now it's time for the Interior Department, the Environment… Continue Reading

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12.15.10

Murkowski Comments on Senate Passage of the Tax Package Agreement

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, made the following statement after voting today in favor of the tax package, which passed the Senate by a vote of 81 - 19: "Neither side of the aisle got everything it wanted in this tax package, but I believe the bill strikes a fair middle ground that will block huge tax hikes that could jeopardize the economic recovery. Absent an agreement on taxes, all Americans who pay taxes would see their tax bill go up come the New Year. The bill pas… Continue Reading

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12.14.10

Bering Sea Cod Co-Op Wins Final Congressional Approval

Bering Sea cod fishermen will be able to end the dangerous and wasteful "race for fish" thanks to House concurrence with legislation passed earlier by the Senate. S.1609, the Longline Catcher Processor Subsector Single Fishery Cooperative Act, authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to approve a cooperative for longline cod catcher processors in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands. The measure now goes to the White House where President Obama is expected to sign it into law. Alaska Senators Mark B… Continue Reading

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12.14.10

Murkowski Calls for Immediate Release of FERC Study on Renewable Reliability

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today sent a letter to the chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Committee asking for the immediate release of the results of a long-awaited study of how much intermittent renewable energy can be reliably used without disrupting the nation's power grid. "This study, which the commission said would be released more than a year ago, is information we will need to determine how much renewable energy can safely be added to the existing gri… Continue Reading

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12.13.10

Alaska Delegation Seeks Timely Resolution of NPR-A Permitting Issue

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski, Mark Begich and Congressman Don Young recently sent a letter to Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson and Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jo-Ellen Darcy regarding the Corps' decision to reconsider part of its previous rejection of a plan to drill in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A). In February, the Corps rejected a plan by ConocoPhillips to reach its le… Continue Reading

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12.13.10

Murkowski Announces 2010 Service Academy Nominees

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, nominated 29 of Alaska's best and brightest young people for appointment to the U.S. military service academies for the year 2011-the Class of 2015. "Each year we receive many appointment requests from outstanding and talented Alaska students. It is always unfortunate that there are never enough openings to accommodate all of the nominees who have the makings of successful service men and women," Murkowski said. "These accomplished candidat… Continue Reading