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, Sullivan Introduce Bill to Support Alaska Native Vietnam Veterans
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, with U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan as a cosponsor, introduced legislation to amend the Alaska Native Vietnam-era Veterans Land Allotment program, to make an additional 3.7 million acres of federal land in the National Wildlife Refuge System available for selection. The legislation was developed based on a recommendation from then-Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt and will help to further rectify a longstanding injustice that has impacted Alaska Native veterans th… Continue Reading
06.08.21
ICYMI: Vice Chairman Murkowski Secures Senate Passage of Four Bills to Improve Alaska Native Communities
The Senate recently approved eight bills that were passed by the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, sending them to the House of Representatives. Four of the eight bills are led by Vice Chairman Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), including one bill that extends the reporting deadline for the Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children, as well as three bills that will improve delivery of healthcare services in Alaska Native communities through federal land transfers. The Senate pa… Continue Reading
06.07.21
Murkowski Welcomes Fish & Wildlife Service Polar Bear Proposed ITRs
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently published proposed marine mammal Incidental Take Regulations (ITR), commonly known as the Polar Bear ITRs, in the Federal Register for public comment. These proposed regulations come after Senator Murkowski repeatedly pressed Department of the Interior officials and nominees on the urgency and importance of these regulations being updated and issued as the last ITRs expire in August of this year. On May 18 during a nomination hearing in the Senate Ene… Continue Reading
06.04.21
Murkowski and Colleagues Stand Up for Wild-Caught Salmon
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) reintroduced the Genetically Engineered Salmon Labeling Act, which will allow consumers to make informed decisions when purchasing salmon. The bill works to ensure that any genetically engineered (GE) salmon products sold in the U.S. are clearly labeled "genetically engineered" in the market name. This requirement would apply to the entire lineage of salmon modified via recombinant DNA technology. The bill is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan (R-AK), M… Continue Reading
06.03.21
Launch Alaska Awarded $1 Million DOE Grant to Strengthen Energy Innovation Ecosystems
Today, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) announced that Launch Alaska Transportation and Energy Accelerator (LATEA) was selected to receive $1 million in new funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Energy Program for Innovation Clusters (EPIC) to support startups and promising energy technologies in Alaska. The grant will help drive long term innovation and stimulate new business in Alaska. The partners LATEA brought together for this award include: DOE's Arctic Energy Office, the Cent… Continue Reading
06.02.21
Alaska Delegation, Governor Rebuke Biden Administration For Cancelling Lawful ANWR Leases
U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, Congressman Don Young, and Governor Mike Dunleavy (all R-Alaska) today criticized the U.S. Department of the Interior for announcing it will suspend all oil and gas leases for portions of the non-wilderness Coastal Plain (1002 Area) of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), pending the outcome of another environmental review. The leases were issued in January pursuant to the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which authorized responsible energy develo… Continue Reading
05.31.21
Senator Murkowski Speaks in Honor of Memorial Day
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) released the following message in observance of Memorial Day: For video of Senator Murkowski click here. "Today, on Memorial Day, we pay tribute, honor, and respect to those Americans who have given their last full measure to our country. Over the past 75 years we have lost brave Alaskans in wars and battles throughout the world. 112 Alaskans gave their lives in World War II, 10 in Korea, 57 in Vietnam, 26 in Iraq and Afghanistan. Those numbers represent o… Continue Reading
05.27.21
Biden Administration Defends Alaska’s Willow Project in Court
The U.S. Department of Justice filed a brief yesterday with the U.S. District Court for Alaska defending the Willow project, a significant energy development within the National Petroleum Reserve of Alaska (NPR-A) on Alaska's North Slope that has been halted by litigation. The Biden administration in January announced it would review the final Record of Decision (ROD) for the Willow Master Development Plan (MDP), approved in October of 2020 by the Trump administration, for consistency with the a… Continue Reading
05.26.21
Senators Hassan, Murkowski Call on CDC and Coast Guard to Change Mask Requirements for Commercial Fishing Industry
Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) are calling on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Coast Guard to change mask requirements for crews on commercial fishing vessels. In a letter to the CDC and Coast Guard, the Senators discuss the latest CDC mask guidance and write, "Many fishing vessel operators were therefore understandably dismayed to learn that the most recent CDC guidance does not loosen restrictions for fishing vessels that are staffed by fu… Continue Reading
05.26.21
Senators Warren, Murkowski Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation to Address the Lack of Funding for Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention in Indian Country
United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) reintroduced the American Indian and Alaska Native Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (AI/AN CAPTA). First introduced in 2019 with Representative Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), the bipartisan bill would amend the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) to help provide tribal nations with resources to combat child abuse and neglect. Senate cosponsors include Senators Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Jeff Merkl… Continue Reading
05.25.21
Murkowski’s Maternal Health Bills Advance from Committee
Today the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee advanced legislation led by U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski to improve maternal health, address infant mortality, and support nursing mothers in the workplace. They now head to the full Senate for consideration. CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO. The Rural Maternal and Obstetric Modernization of Services (Rural MOMS) Act, led by Senator Murkowski and Senator Tina Smith, will help ensure that new and expecting moms living in rural c… Continue Reading
05.24.21
Alaska Tourism Restoration Act Signed Into Law
Today U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, and Congressman Don Young, (all R-AK) participated in a White House ceremony this afternoon as the President signed into law their legislation, H.R. 1318, the Alaska Tourism Restoration Act (ATRA). Their bill, which is strongly supported by Alaskans, provides cruise ships transporting passengers between the State of Washington and the State of Alaska a temporary fix under the Passenger Vessel Services Act (PVSA). Due to the Canadian prohibitio… Continue Reading
05.21.21
Iceland President Honors Senator Murkowski for Arctic Diplomacy
On the sidelines of the Arctic Council Ministerial meeting, the President of Iceland, Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, presented U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) with the Icelandic Order of the Falcon-the highest honor Iceland can bestow on individuals. Senator Murkowski received this prestigious honor in recognition of her efforts strengthening the relations between Iceland, Alaska and all of the United States, and for her beneficial contributions to all facets of Icelandic and Arctic societ… Continue Reading
05.21.21
Alaskans Come Out in Strong Support of the Alaska Tourism Restoration Act
The Alaska Tourism Restoration Act, a bill to provide a path forward to resume cruise ship industry operations to Alaska, is on its way to the President's desk to be signed into law. This legislation, led by U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, and Congressman Don Young, provides cruise ships transporting passengers between the State of Washington and the State of Alaska a temporary fix under the Passenger Vessel Services Act (PVSA). Due to the Canadian prohibition on passenger vessels… Continue Reading
05.20.21
Alaska Congressional Delegation Successful in Fight to Create Path Forward for Alaska’s Tourism Industry
Today the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1318, the Alaska Tourism Restoration Act (ATRA). This legislation, led by U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, and Congressman Don Young, all (R-AK), provides cruise ships transporting passengers between the State of Washington and the State of Alaska a temporary fix under the Passenger Vessel Services Act (PVSA). Due to the Canadian prohibition on passenger vessels traveling through Canadian waters, large cruise ships sailing to Alas… Continue Reading
05.19.21
Murkowski Urges Interior Department to Swiftly Fulfill Promise to Alaska Native Vietnam Veterans
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) issued the following statement after the Interior Department announced next steps in the implementation of the Alaska Native Vietnam-era Veterans Land Allotment Program-which includes government-to-government consultations with federally recognized Alaska Tribes and Alaska Native Corporations over what Interior cited as "defects" in the decision-making process to open the lands. "I disagree with the characterization that there were "defects" or a lack… Continue Reading
05.18.21
Murkowski, Hirono, Kaine Call on the Senate to Ratify UN Convention on the Law of the Sea
Today, U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) introduced a resolution calling for the United States Senate to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). UNCLOS, which has been ratified by 166 nations and the European Union, details the rights and responsibilities of countries regarding the world's oceans, including guidelines for businesses and the management of marine natural resources. U.S. Representatives Joe Courtney (D-CT) … Continue Reading
05.17.21
Manchin, Murkowski Call for Bipartisan Reauthorization of Voting Rights Act
Today, U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-12) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA-23) urging them to advance the bipartisan reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act through regular order. "Since enactment, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 has been reauthorized and amended five times with large, bipartisan majorities. Most r… Continue Reading
05.14.21
Alaska Congressional Delegation Applauds Historic USDA Purchase of Seafood for Food Assistance Programs
U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan and Congressman Don Young, all R-Alaska, applauded the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) approval of a Section 32 purchase of up to $159.4 million in domestically produced seafood, fruits, legumes, and nuts for distribution to food assistance programs in Alaska and across the country. "Whether it is farmers, ranchers, food workers, seafood harvesters or others, the COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating for Alaska's farm and… Continue Reading
05.14.21
Vice Chairman Murkowski Emphasizes Importance of the Tourism Industry to Alaska Native Communities
This week, Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, underscored the importance of tourism to Alaska Native communities and the entire Alaskan economy at a hearing, "Examining the COVID-19 Response in Native Communities: Native Tourism Economies One Year Later." "Native Tourism touches on so many extraordinary aspects of Indian Country and our Alaska Native communities, of Native Hawaiians: vibrant cultures and languages, economic empowerment, resil… Continue Reading
