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.
Delegation Announces Grants to Alaska Programs
Washington, D.C. - The Alaska Congressional Delegation is pleased to announce the following grants awarded to communities in the State of Alaska: U.S. Department of Agriculture - $430,300 to the State of Alaska for training of Remote Maintenance Workers. Rural Development funds will be used to provide on-site and classroom training for water and waste disposal operators. U.S. Department of Commerce: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration - $973,886 to t… Continue Reading
07.10.09
Alaska Congressional Delegation Announces Social Security Administration to Open Hearing Office in Alaska
Washington, D.C. -- Responding to requests from the Alaska Congressional delegation, the Social Security Administration (SSA) is opening a full Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) in Anchorage next February. Currently, the SSA sends judges based in Seattle to Alaska several times a year to hold hearings in various communities, but due to transportation challenges and inclement weather, many hearings are delayed or rescheduled resulting in further costs and delays for Alaskans. "Alaskans' ab… Continue Reading
07.10.09
Murkowski Appointed to Conference Committee on Homeland Security Appropriations
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, has been appointed to a U.S. Senate-House conference committee that will reconcile differences in the two chambers' appropriations bills to fund the Department of Homeland Security in the fiscal year that begins October 1. The Senate Thursday night passed a $42.9 billion Homeland Security spending measure that includes $32.5 million to enhance United States' polar icebreaker capability. The icebreaker funding, which was included at Murk… Continue Reading
07.09.09
Murkowski Announces Funding for Alaska Projects in the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. - More than $54 million in projects for Alaska has been included in the Energy and Water Development spending bill that cleared the Senate Appropriations Committee today, according to U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. The Energy and Water Development appropriations bill now goes to the Senate floor for consideration. The bill includes $11.96 million for the Denali Commission. The Denali Commission money would continue to fu… Continue Reading
07.09.09
Murkowski Introduces School Accountability Improvements Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today introduced the "School Accountability Improvements Act," legislation designed to amend the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) in order to address the challenges Alaska faces in complying with NCLB. "My School Accountability Improvements Act is intended to fix six specific problems in the No Child Left Behind Act that Alaskans have told me are their highest priorities," Murkowski said. "While NCLB has brought many beneficial chan… Continue Reading
07.09.09
Kensington Mine Injunction Lifted
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today welcomed the decision by the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to lift its injunction regarding the Kensington gold mine's tailings permit. "The court's decision to remove the injunction will allow an important economic development project for the Southeast to move forward," Murkowski said. "This project has been held up by legal challenges for three years. I'm happy to see a resolution that will benefit Juneau and other Southeas… Continue Reading
07.08.09
Murkowski, Begich Announce Mobile Office Visits to the Kenai Peninsula
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R- Alaska, and Mark Begich, D-Alaska, today announced that members of their staffs will visit the communities of Seward, Moose Pass, Cooper Landing, Kenai, Soldotna, Ninilchik and Homer July 13-17, 2009. Congressional staff hold mobile office hours in Alaska in order to meet with constituents and community leaders. During their mobile office hours, staff from each office will be available to take casework requests and listen to constituent conce… Continue Reading
07.06.09
Murkowski Announces Funding for Alaska Projects in the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Defense Department would spend nearly $336 million in military construction on Alaska's Army and Air Force installations in Fiscal Year 2010 under a $133.9 billion Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill approved today by a Senate subcommittee, according to U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), a member of the panel. The legislation now goes to the full Senate Appropriations Committee for consideration. The bill, approved by the Military Construc… Continue Reading
07.03.09
Sen. Murkowski Comments on Gov. Palin's Decision to Step Down
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today made the following statement after Gov. Sarah Palin's announcement that she plans to step down as governor later this month. "I am deeply disappointed that the Governor has decided to abandon the State and her constituents before her term has concluded." Sen. Murkowski is in interior Alaska and communicating via satellite phone and is unavailable for follow up questions. She will be available on Monday afternoon.… Continue Reading
07.02.09
Delegation Announces Grants and Contracts to Alaska Programs
Washington, D.C. - The Alaska Congressional Delegation is pleased to announce the following grants and contracts awarded to communities in the State of Alaska: U.S. Department of the Army: · $7,175,837 to Goldbelt Cedar, LLC of Juneau. Goldbelt has been awarded a contract to construct a tactical wheeled vehicle repair facility at Red River Army Depot, Texarkana, Texas. · $41,292,586 to B.I.N.L., Incorporated for construction of privately owned vehicle stora… Continue Reading
06.27.09
Waxman-Markey Not a Solution to Climate Change
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, the ranking Republican member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, today expressed concern with passage of the Waxman-Markey climate change bill and criticized the process by which it was considered in the House of Representatives. "This bill was forced through the House in a process designed to minimize open, transparent debate and preclude a thorough analysis of what the bill actually does," Murkowski said. "Elected o… Continue Reading
06.26.09
Delegation Announces Grants and Contracts to Alaska Programs
Washington, D.C. - The Alaska Congressional Delegation is pleased to announce the following grants and contracts awarded to communities in the State of Alaska: U.S. Department of Agriculture: · $19,650 to the City of Hughes for a preliminary cost and analysis associated with the preparation of a preliminary engineering and environmental report for a proposed water and sewer system improvement project. · $59,085 to the Homer Society of Natural History, Inc. (Doing Bu… Continue Reading
06.26.09
Murkowski, Begich Ask Obama Administration to Clarify Ruling Affecting Small Business Set-Aside Programs
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Alaska U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Mark Begich today asked the Obama administration to clarify that a recent federal circuit court ruling on the Small Disadvantaged Business program at the Defense Department does not apply to Alaska Native Corporations, 8a and other such small business set-aside categories. In November 2008 the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit found that the Small Disadvantaged Business program at the Department of Defense is unconstitutiona… Continue Reading
06.25.09
Sen. Murkowski Elected to Senate Republican Leadership Team
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today was elected unanimously by her fellow Republican senators Vice Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, the fifth-highest party leadership position in the United States Senate. "It is an honor to be elected to the Senate Republican leadership team, and I greatly appreciate the trust and confidence my colleagues have placed in me," said Murkowski, who ran unopposed. "As the only West Coast senator on the leadership team, this p… Continue Reading
06.24.09
Murkowski Announces Funding for Alaska Projects in the Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, a member of the Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Subcommittee, today announced subcommittee approval of a number of important projects for Alaska in the Fiscal Year 2010 Commerce, Justice, Science appropriations bill. Following today's action by the subcommittee, the bill goes to the full Appropriations Committee for consideration. "This bill provides important resources for fisheries research and management, extended continenta… Continue Reading
06.23.09
Murkowski Announces Funding for Alaska Projects in the Interior, the Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, a member of the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, today announced subcommittee approval of a number of important projects for Alaska in the Fiscal Year 2010 Department of the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies appropriations bill. Following today's action by the subcommittee, the bill goes to the full Appropriations Committee for consideration. "This bill includes resources for key programs … Continue Reading
06.23.09
Delegation Reacts to Report on General Aviation Security
WASHINGTON, D.C. -The Alaska Delegation responded today to a recent finding by the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security that General Aviation poses little risk to aircraft security. In a report entitled "TSA's (Transportation Security Administration) Role in General Aviation Security," the Inspector General's office concluded, "We determined that general aviation presents only limited and mostly hypothetical threats to security." The report notes that TSA and the … Continue Reading
06.23.09
Murkowski Appointed to Naval Academy Board of Visitors
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, has been appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy Board of Visitors. Similar to a college board of trustees, the Board oversees a number of areas impacting cadets at the Academy and provides recommendations for improvements. As part of the Academy's Board, Murkowski will join other appointed individuals responsible for examining the state of Academy morale and discipline, the curriculum, instruction, physical equipment and fiscal affairs of … Continue Reading
06.22.09
Murkowski Requests Funding for Over-extended Abused Women's Shelter in Anchorage
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today called on the head of the Justice Department's Violence Against Women office to provide up to $552,000 to help the Abused Women's Aid in Crisis, or AWAIC, shelter in Anchorage cope with serious over-capacity. In a letter to Catherine Pierce, acting director of the department's Office of Violence Against Women, Murkowski said the Anchorage AWAIC is in "critical need" of $552,000 for additional staffing to meet the needs of domestic … Continue Reading
06.22.09
Murkowski Applauds Kensington Mine Decision
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today welcomed the U.S. Supreme Court's decision reaffirming the validity of Coeur Alaska's permit to dispose of mine tailings at the Kensington gold mine near Juneau. "I've long agreed with all of the federal agencies that had reviewed the Kensington plan, that it was environmentally, the best option," Murkowski said. "Now the Supreme Court has found that it's 100 percent compliant with the law." The high court ruled Monday that t… Continue Reading
