Press Releases
Media Requests: Members of the media can contact the press office by emailing hannah_ray@murkowski.senate.gov or by calling 202-224-6665 and asking for the press office.
Alaska Delegation Condemns Court Ruling Against Southeast Troll Fishermen
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan (both R-Alaska), and Representative Mary Sattler Peltola (D-Alaska), condemned a ruling by the U.S. District Court in Seattle, Washington in favor of a lawsuit filed by Wild Fish Conservancy (WFC) that will effectively shut down a Southeast Alaska small boat troll salmon fishery. WFC argued that the Southeast Alaska salmon harvest is a primary contributor to the population decline of Southern resident killer whales hundreds of miles to the… Continue Reading
05.02.23
Murkowski Joins Merkley and Daines in Introduction of SAFE Banking Act to Improve Community Safety and Banking Access for Legal Cannabis Businesses
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) joined Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Steve Daines (R-MT), along with U.S. Representatives Dave Joyce (R-OH-14) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR-03) in introducing the bipartisan, bicameral Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act of 2023. This bill would ensure that legal cannabis businesses would have access to critical banking and financial services. Most state legal medicinal or recreational cannabis businesses are denied access to trad… Continue Reading
04.27.23
Murkowski Expresses Disappointment over Failed Resolution to Remove Deadline to Ratify the ERA
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) today released the following statement after S.J.Res. 4, a bicameral, joint resolution to affirm the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), failed to pass the U.S. Senate. The resolution would have removed the arbitrary deadline for ratification of the ERA. It would also have recognized the amendment as a valid part of the Constitution, with the 38-state threshold needed for ratification of the ERA having been met. "I am disappointed that our resolu… Continue Reading
04.27.23
Cantwell, Murkowski Introduce ‘Recreation for All Act’ to Boost Outdoor Rec on Public Lands
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced the Recreation for All Act which directs the four primary land management agencies - the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Fish & Wildlife Service, and National Park Service - to increase outdoor recreational opportunities for youth, including underserved youth, pilot new technologies to better track the number and type of recreational visitors to federal land, and require land ma… Continue Reading
04.27.23
Schatz, Murkowski Introduce Bill To Expand Tribal Lease Authority, Support Infrastructure And Economic Development
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, introduced the Unlocking Native Lands and Opportunities for Commerce and Key Economic Developments Act (UNLOCKED Act). The bill would authorize all federally recognized Tribes to issue leases of up to 99 years and affirm Tribal authority to issue rights-of-way to eliminate barriers to Tribal infrastructure and economic… Continue Reading
04.26.23
King, Murkowski Introduce Bill Requiring Supreme Court to Create A Code of Conduct
U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) today introduced bipartisan legislation requiring the Supreme Court to create its own code of conduct, and appoint an official to review potential conflicts and public complaints. Justices of the Supreme Court are currently the only federal judges that are not explicitly bound by a code of conduct which provides guidance on performance of their official duties and engagement in outside activities; the Executive and Legislative bran… Continue Reading
04.25.23
Murkowski Helps Reintroduce Bicameral, Bipartisan Bill to Reunite Filipino World War II Veterans with Their Children
Today, U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Representatives Ed Case (D-HI) and Jen Kiggans (R-VA) reintroduced the Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act, legislation that would speed up the visa process for children of Filipino World War II veterans. "Filipino soldiers served our country with honor and bravery during World War II. But for too long, they've been denied many of the rights and benefits they deserve, including the ability to reunify with their fam… Continue Reading
04.21.23
Murkowski Applauds Senate Passage of Bipartisan Legislation to Extend Federal Support for Local Fire Departments
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), co-chair of the U.S. Senate Fire Caucus, today announced that bipartisan legislation, of which she was an original co-sponsor, passed the U.S. Senate by a 95-2 vote. The legislation, the Fire Grants and Safety Act, would reauthorize the United States Fire Administration (USFA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program and the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program, which ha… Continue Reading
04.20.23
Murkowski Reintroduces Bruce’s Law in Effort to Combat Fentanyl Crisis
Washington, DC-U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) today reintroduced Bruce's Law to bolster federal prevention and education efforts surrounding fentanyl, a deadly synthetic opioid that is increasingly being incorporated into illicit street drugs. The measure is named after an Alaskan, Robert "Bruce" Snodgrass, who tragically passed away in 2021 at the age of 22 from fentanyl poisoning. Senators Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) ar… Continue Reading
04.20.23
Sullivan, Murkowski, and Colleagues Introduce FISH Act to Combat Illegal Foreign Seafood Harvest
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Brian Schatz (D-Hawai'i), and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) today introduced S.1227, the Fighting Foreign Illegal Seafood Harvest (FISH) Act, legislation to combat foreign illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing by blacklisting offending vessels from U.S. ports and waters, bolstering the U.S. Coast Guard's enforcement capabilities, and advancing international and bilateral negotiations to… Continue Reading
04.20.23
Alaska Congressional Delegation Welcomes Ruling to Deny Injunction Against Willow Project
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan (both R-Alaska), and U.S. Representative Mary Sattler Peltola (D-Alaska), today welcomed a U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit decision to deny an injunction requested by environmental groups against Alaska's Willow Project in the National Petroleum Reserve of Alaska (NPR-A). "Alaska is unique when it comes to most things, including the construction and development of a project like Willow. We aren't only up against Lower 48… Continue Reading
04.18.23
Murkowski Presents VFW Flag to “BLAMbulance” Volunteers; Honors Alaskan-Ukrainian Solidarity
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) was joined by Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) on a Congressional Delegation to Ukraine. After the Senators met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Murkowski headed to St. Michael's Square in Kyiv, where she met with Ukrainian volunteer Aleksandr "Sasha" Moskalenko to present a VFW flag to Moskalenko in his role as leader of the international "BLAMbulance" team. The BLAMbulance is a converted Mercedes ambulance brought across the borde… Continue Reading
04.12.23
Murkowski Joins Manchin, Kelly on Bipartisan Senate Delegation to Ukraine and Poland
Washington, DC - Today, U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) released the following statements after visiting Ukraine to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The Congressional Delegation met with Ukrainian leaders on a variety of topics including: military readiness, energy security, accountability of foreign assistance, and the rebuild of Ukraine. They were also joined by UNITED24 Ambassador, West Virginia native and country music artist, Brad Paisle… Continue Reading
04.06.23
Tester, Murkowski, Pingree Lead Bipartisan Push to Support Survivors of Military Sexual Trauma
This Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester (D-Mont.), U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) are teaming up to introduce bipartisan, bicameral legislation to improve military sexual trauma (MST) survivors' access to care and benefits, as well as bolster MST claims processing. The Servicemembers and Veterans Empowerment and Support Act of 2023 would expand the evidentiary standard for survivors applying… Continue Reading
04.06.23
Murkowski, Casey Introduce Legislation to Improve Senior Economic Security and End Age Discrimination in the Workplace
Anchorage, AK - U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) joined Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, in introducing the Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act (POWADA), legislation to support senior economic security across the Nation, including protections from workplace age discrimination. The Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act (POWADA) would level the playing field for older workers and restore safeguards against age-based… Continue Reading
04.06.23
Senators Hassan, Murkowski Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Expand Parental Leave Eligibility for Reserve and National Guard Members
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced the Reserve Component Parental Leave Parity Act, a bipartisan bill that would expand parental leave eligibility for Reserve and National Guard members to cover all new parents. In a recent annual defense bill, Congress successfully expanded parental leave eligibility for service members serving on active duty orders, but not for drilling members of the Reserves and National Guard. Currently, for members of the… Continue Reading
04.05.23
Arctic Caucus Co-Chairs Murkowski and King Welcome Finland’s Accession into NATO
Anchorage, AK - Today, Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Angus King (I-ME), co-chairs of the Arctic Caucus, celebrated Finland's accession into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). In May 2022, the Senators supported a bipartisan resolution and expressed their support for both Finland's and Sweden's accession into NATO. "Finland's accession to NATO is welcome news for the U.S., our Arctic allies, and the global security landscape. I've been supportive of the people of Finland and the… Continue Reading
04.03.23
Alaska Delegation Welcomes Ruling Upholding Willow Record of Decision
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski (both R-Alaska), and Representative Mary Sattler Peltola (D-Alaska), today welcomed a federal judge's decision denying a preliminary injunction requested by Lower 48 environmental groups against Alaska's Willow Project in the National Petroleum Reserve of Alaska (NPR-A). The Willow Project was reapproved by the Biden administration on March 13 after years of litigation and environmental review, and following a united statewide push from Al… Continue Reading
03.31.23
Senate Passes Murkowski, Schatz Resolution Recognizing Contributions of Native Women
WASHINGTON - Yesterday, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bipartisan resolution (S.Res. 148) led by Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Brian Schatz (D-HI), Vice Chairman and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs (SCIA) respectively, honoring the achievements of Alaska Native, American Indian, and Native Hawaiian women throughout the history of the United States. "National Women's History Month is about coming together to recognize the important contributions of women to the Uni… Continue Reading
03.29.23
Murkowski Supports Restoring Constitutional Power to Congress, Repealing Iraq War AUMFs
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) issued the following statement after voting in favor today of S. 316 to repeal the 2002/1991 Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMFs), which passed the Senate in a bipartisan vote of 66-30. "When our Founding Fathers drafted the U.S. Constitution, they intentionally gave Congress the power to formally declare and end wars. For far too long Congress has abdicated that responsibility to the Executive. Today's vote returns the power to the elected represe… Continue Reading