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.
Murkowski Votes Against Tax-and-Spend Reconciliation Bill
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) today voted against the partisan budget reconciliation bill, which includes dramatic spending and tax increases over the next decade. Senate Democrats chose to skip the traditional committee process, released a 755-page substitute text mere hours before it was taken up by the full Senate, and eventually passed the measure on a party-line basis, with the Vice President having to break a tie vote on final passage in the evenly divided Senate. "I voted against th… Continue Reading
08.05.22
Senate Approves Sullivan-Murkowski-Reed Resolution Designating August 16th as “National Airborne Day”
WASHINGTON-The United States Senate last night unanimously approved a resolution sponsored by U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan, Lisa Murkowski (both R-Alaska), and Jack Reed (D-R.I.) designating August 16, 2022 as National Airborne Day. The resolution calls on all Americans to observe the day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities. The resolution also adds language acknowledging the recent re-activation of the 11th Airborne Division in Alaska as part of the ongoing history of American … Continue Reading
08.05.22
Senate Approves Admission of Finland & Sweden into NATO
Washington, DC - The U.S. Senate this week overwhelmingly approved a treaty document that approves the admission of Finland and Sweden into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) by a vote of 95-01. U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) voted in favor of the measure, which brings two vital allies one step closer to fully joining the trans-Atlantic alliance. "NATO will be stronger, and the world will be safer, with Finland and Sweden among its members. These Arctic nations have long been rel… Continue Reading
08.04.22
Murkowski Celebrates Whittier Land Conveyance
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) announced the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) signed the land conveyance for the site known as the Whittier "Tank Farm" at the Head of the Bay of Prince William Sound. Senator Murkowski championed the original legislation authorizing the land conveyance in 2009 and has advocated since for the completion of the land transfer. The transfer of the property to the City of Whittier is a key piece of Whittier's efforts to transform and develop its waterfront fo… Continue Reading
08.03.22
Murkowski Statement on Reconciliation Proposal
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) today commented on her opposition to the partisan budget reconciliation bill that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is expected to bring to the Floor for debate this week or weekend. According to preliminary estimates, the measure includes $433 billion in new spending and $739 billion in tax increases over the next decade. "While I continue to review the changing draft text, one thing that is abundantly clear is that the Democrat reconciliation bill … Continue Reading
08.03.22
Murkowski Introduces Comprehensive Arctic Bill
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), a leader on Arctic issues, introduced the Arctic Commitment Act, comprehensive legislation to address national priorities in the Arctic Region. The bill is cosponsored by U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), co-chair of the Senate Arctic Caucus with Senator Murkowski. The legislation includes a wide variety of Arctic-focused provisions pertaining to national security, shipping, research, and trade. It requires reports on eliminating Russia's monopoly on Arctic ship… Continue Reading
08.02.22
Murkowski Helps Ensure Veterans Bill Passes Senate
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) today proudly voted in favor of S. 3373, the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act, which expands healthcare access and coverage for the millions of veterans impacted by toxic exposures. The Senate failed to pass the bill, known as the PACT Act, last week while Murkowski was unable to vote due to COVID. Murkowski previously voted yes on the legislation when it first passed the Senate in June 2022 and has vo… Continue Reading
08.02.22
Murkowski Praises Intelligence Community for Elimination of Al-Qaeda Leader
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) released the following statement after President Joe Biden announced the death of terrorist leader Ayman al-Zawahiri via a drone strike conducted by the U.S. intelligence community. Al-Zawahiri helped plan deadly terrorist attacks around the world, including the September 11 attacks, and had led al-Qaeda since 2011. "America is safer today, and it is the dedicated men and women who serve in our intelligence community who have made us so. Their quiet work - as … Continue Reading
08.01.22
Murkowski Announces a Half a Billion Dollars in Directed Spending for Alaska in Proposed FY 2023 Appropriations Bills
The Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee recently published the majority's proposal for the Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) appropriations bills. As a senior member of the Committee and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) included $491 million in Congressionally Directed Spending to support more than 130 projects throughout Alaska. She prioritized investments in workforce development, housing, healthcare, wa… Continue Reading
08.01.22
Kaine, Murkowski, Sinema, & Collins Introduce Legislation To Codify Roe V. Wade
Today, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), and Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced the Reproductive Freedom For All Act. This legislation would enact in federal law the essential holdings of Roe v. Wade and related cases, protecting abortion rights and contraception access. This would undo the damage of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health, the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, and would enshrine in federal law the fundamental right to reproductive… Continue Reading
07.29.22
Grant Roundup: Senator Murkowski Announces Federal Grants Heading to Alaska
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced the following grants to organizations, Tribal entities, and communities in Alaska: Alaska-Statewide: $700,000 from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to the State of Alaska, Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC) program to perform site characterization activities such as preliminary assessments and site inspections at potential or confirmed hazardous waste sites. Anchorage: … Continue Reading
07.28.22
Senate Passes Key Infrastructure Provisions for Alaska Ports and Harbors
U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, and Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) celebrated today's passage of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2022 on the Senate floor. The legislation includes key victories for Alaska infrastructure, including increased cost-sharing for the Nome Arctic Deep Draft Port (resulting in community savings of $132 million) and authorization for the Elim Subsistence Harbor project. Following… Continue Reading
07.28.22
Murkowski, Sullivan Announce Over $116 Million in Infrastructure Funding for High-Speed Internet in Alaska
U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan (both R-AK) today announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is awarding over $116 million to improve high-speed internet access in numerous Alaska villages and communities. These grants were made possible by the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), led by Senator Murkowski. The grants come through USDA's ReConnect Program, which aims to ensure high-speed internet for all communities across the United States. Alaska has… Continue Reading
07.28.22
Murkowski Issues Statement on Latest GDP Report
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) issued the following statement after the U.S. Department of Commerce released data showing real gross domestic product (GDP) contracted by 0.9 percent in the second quarter of 2022, following a decline of 1.6 percent in the first quarter of 2022. Two consecutive quarters of GDP decline indicate the U.S. economy is in recession. "Between falling GDP, rising interest rates, high gas prices, the highest inflation in four decades, stagnating wage growth, and war… Continue Reading
07.25.22
Murkowski Advances Offshore Revenue Sharing Bill
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski's (R-AK) offshore revenue sharing bill, S. 2996, the Alaska Offshore Parity Act, advanced late last week out of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee (ENR) to the full Senate. Murkowski's bill, co-sponsored by U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK), would establish a federal offshore revenue sharing program for Alaska that provides parity with revenue sharing elsewhere in the outer Continental Shelf. "I have made it very clear that Alaska must be eligible for the same… Continue Reading
07.22.22
Senators Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Ensure Dedicated Nursing Spaces in VA Medical Centers for Mothers Who Are Veterans
This week U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, introduced the bipartisan Lactation Spaces for Veteran Moms Act to ensure every medical center managed by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) contains a hygienic, private space specifically designated for nursing for veterans, VA employees, and their partners. There are currently 90 VA medical centers across the country with such designated rooms, but t… Continue Reading
07.21.22
Murkowski Calls for Prioritizing American-Made Energy
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) spoke on the Senate floor to urge the Biden administration to prioritize American-made energy. Specifically, Senator Murkowski highlighted record-breaking gas prices, which are hitting hard families and businesses in Alaska and all across the United States, and called for a course correction from the administration: instead of looking to foreign nations to increase our energy supply and reduce prices, we should instead focus on increased domestic energy product… Continue Reading
07.20.22
Senators Introduce Reforms to the Electoral Count Act of 1887
Today, after months of bipartisan negotiations-led by U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) -U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski and colleagues introduced two proposals which include legislation to reform and modernize the outdated Electoral Count Act of 1887 to ensure that the electoral votes tallied by Congress accurately reflect each state's vote for President. In addition to Senators Collins, Manchin, and Murkowski, the senators involved in the bipartisan negotiations include: … Continue Reading
07.20.22
Murkowski Welcomes Restoration of Alaska Cruise Ships
Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, issued the following statement after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced this week it would revoke the COVID-19 Program for Cruise Ships. This decision was made after the cruise industry consistently demonstrated being able to go above and beyond when ensuring safe cruises for passengers, crews, and the communities where they disembark. "This is an overdue announcement, but one that I welcomed when I heard from Director Walensky at th… Continue Reading
07.18.22
Alaska Senators Urge DOI to Recognize Immense Benefits, Promptly Approve the Willow Project
Following the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) recent publication of a draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for ConocoPhillips' Willow project, located in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A), U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, both R-Alaska, wrote to Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland to reiterate their strong support of the project and to urge the Department to promptly approve it-with no extension of the current, 45-day public comment period. In t… Continue Reading