12.12.20

Murkowski Comments on FDA Authorization of Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) issued the following statement after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted an emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine: "The FDA authorized the Pfizer vaccine to combat COVID-19, meaning administration of the first doses for frontline health workers and long-term care facility residents in Alaska could begin as soon as next week. This is a major milestone in the fight against the pandemic," said Senator Murkowski. "… Continue Reading

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12.11.20

U.S. Senate Passes Continuing Resolution to Fund the Government

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) today made the following statement after voting in favor of a continuing resolution to fund the government at current levels through December 18, 2020: "Today I supported a short-term continuing resolution to fund the government through December 18, to keep the government functioning and to avoid adding unnecessary economic strain on hard-working Americans. For the thousands of Alaskans that are federal employees and contractors, and for all Americans who rely… Continue Reading

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12.11.20

New DOD Arctic Security Studies Center Approved by Congress

The U.S. Senate today passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (NDAA), including a provision authorizing a new regional Department of Defense (DOD) Center named the "Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies." U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and chairman of Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support, successfully included key elements of a bill he introduced earlier this Congress with Senator Lisa Murkowsk… Continue Reading

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12.11.20

Murkowski Applauds Senate Passage of NDAA

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) today voted in favor of the final Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The bill passed the Senate by an 84-13 vote and now heads to the President's desk. This major national security bill authorizes the annual budget for the Department of Defense (DoD), providing funding for training and readiness, to improve the livelihoods of military members and their families, modernize military technology, and includes multiple provisions to address… Continue Reading

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12.10.20

Murkowski Statement on UAE Arms Sale

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) today made the following statement after voting against S.J. Res. 77 and S.J.Res.78, Resolutions of Disapproval which would block portions of an arms deal with the United Arab Emirates (UAE): "Along with many colleagues, I had significant concerns with the speed of this sale. I wanted to be certain the sale was following protocols that ensure Foreign Military Sales don't compromise information pertaining to sophisticated technology, and measures in place to s… Continue Reading

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12.09.20

Murkowski Statement on NPFMC Closing EEZ Waters to Commercial Fishing in Cook Inlet

Following the announcement that the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council (NPFMC) has decided to close all Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) waters to commercial fishing in the Cook Inlet, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) issued the following statement: "I am disappointed by the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council's decision to close federal waters in Cook Inlet to commercial fishing, but I am also very concerned about the prospect of federal management over resources that have been, … Continue Reading

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12.07.20

ICYMI: Baldwin-Murkowski Digital Coast Act Passes Congress

Recently, bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) passed the United States Senate. The Digital Coast Act will help shoreline communities along the Great Lakes and ocean coasts better prepare for storms, cope with varying water levels and strengthen economic development efforts. Following today's action, the bill now heads to the President's desk to be signed into law. "Wisconsin's Great Lakes are a great asset for our quality of life an… Continue Reading

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12.04.20

Sullivan, Markey, Murkowski Applaud Senate Passage of Young Fishermen’s Development Act

U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) applauded the Senate's passage of the Young Fishermen's Development Act, legislation to mitigate the challenges facing the next generation of entrants into the fishing industry by supporting regional training opportunities and apprenticeship programs. "Alaska is the unquestioned superpower of seafood, thanks to our world-class, sustainably-managed fisheries and our countless hard-working fishermen,"… Continue Reading

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12.04.20

Murkowski Joins Bipartisan, Bicameral Group In Calling For Permanent Expansion Of Telehealth Coverage In End Of Year Legislation

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) joined U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai'i) and a bipartisan group of lawmakers in calling for the expansion of access to telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic to be made permanent. Provisions from the Schatz-authored CONNECT for Health Act that have allowed Medicare beneficiaries in all areas of the country, and in their homes, to utilize telehealth services, as well as more types of health care providers to provide telehealth, were included in… Continue Reading

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12.03.20

Delegation Welcomes Announcement of First Coastal Plain Lease Sale

U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski, Dan Sullivan, and Rep. Don Young, all R-Alaska, today issued the following statements after the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced that a Notice of Sale for the first lease sale in the non-wilderness Coastal Plain (1002 Area) of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) will be published on December 7, 2020. "BLM's announcement means we are now just weeks away from a long-awaited lease sale in the 1002 Area," Murkowski said. "This is a tremendous opportunity … Continue Reading

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12.02.20

Murphy, Murkowski Applaud Final Passage Of Save Our Seas 2.0

U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) applauded passage of Save Our Seas 2.0, legislation to combat marine debris. Murphy and Murkowski are both cosponsors of the bill, which was introduced and led by U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island) and Bob Menendez (D-New Jersey). The legislation includes a Murphy-Murkowski drafted provision that allows for the establishment of a new Genius Prize to fund the development of materials to repl… Continue Reading

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12.02.20

Murkowski Welcomes EPA Grant to Alaska to Improve Air Quality

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) applauded news that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $14.7 million to the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation to help improve air quality in Fairbanks. A portion of the Fairbanks North Star Borough is currently designated as a PM2.5 non-attainment area, with wood stoves serving as a major contributor to non-attainment. The funding, which is part of the EPA's Targeted Airshed grant program, will be used to continue a wood stove c… Continue Reading

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12.02.20

Murkowski Welcomes DOE Effort to Strengthen Domestic Mineral Supply Chains

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today issued the following statement after the Department of Energy's (DOE) Loan Programs Office issued new guidance encouraging applications for projects that support secure supply chains of critical minerals. "I thank Secretary Brouillette for his continued efforts to boost our economic and national security by strengthening our mineral security," said Murkowski. "This guidance will help ensure that reasonable support is available to help domestic producer… Continue Reading

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12.01.20

Murkowski Joins Bipartisan, Bicameral Working Group Announcing COVID-19 Emergency Relief Framework

Today, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) joined U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV), Susan Collins (R-ME), Mark Warner (D-VA), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Angus King (I-ME), Mitt Romney (R-UT), and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Representatives Gottheimer (D-NJ-5), Tom Reed (R-NY-23), Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH-16), Dusty Johnson (R-SD), Dean Phillips (D-MN-3), Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-7), and Fred Upton (R-MI-6) of the Problem Solvers Caucus, to announce a bipartisan, bicameral COVID-19 eme… Continue Reading

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11.25.20

Murkowski and Sullivan: Army Corps Right to Reject Pebble Permit

U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, both R-Alaska, today issued the following statements after the Army Corps of Engineers (Army Corps) formally rejected the Pebble Limited Partnership's application for a permit to discharge dredged or fill material into navigable waters under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. The Army Corps determined the Pebble project is "contrary to the public interest." Murkowski and Sullivan, while staunch advocates of mining in Alaska, oppose the project and… Continue Reading

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11.23.20

ICYMI: Murkowski, Cortez Masto Op-Ed on Fight Against MMIW Crisis

In case you missed it, U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) wrote an Op-Ed for Indian Country Today to share their collaborative efforts to help respond to the inordinate violence that Native American women and girls face. In October, President Trump signed into law Savanna's Act and Not Invisible Act, two bills led by U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) to address the crisis of missing, murdered, and trafficked Indigenous women… Continue Reading

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11.19.20

Alaska Congressional Delegation Files Amicus Brief in Support of Alaska Native Corporations

U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan and U.S. Congressman Don Young, all R-Alaska, filed an amicus curiae brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to grant the petition for a writ of certiorari in support of Alaska Native Corporations (ANCs) eligibility for tribal assistance appropriated by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The amicus brief states that the indigenous peoples of Alaska will suffer severe negative consequences as a result of the D.C. Circuit Court… Continue Reading

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11.19.20

Murkowski Responds to Pentagon Announcement of Troop Withdrawals in Afghanistan and Iraq

Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller recently announced plans to reduce U.S. troop levels in Iraq and Afghanistan by January 15, 2021. In response, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) released the following statement: "I do not support indefinite American troop presence in Afghanistan and Iraq and generally support efforts toward their removal, but it must be done in a thoughtful and strategic manner. I find the recent announcement of an abrupt troop withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan t… Continue Reading

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11.18.20

Murkowski Highlights Need for University Land Grant, ANCSA Fulfillment Act at Legislative Hearing

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today highlighted two bills important to Alaska at an Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining (PLFM) legislative hearing. Murkowski spoke about the need to provide long-term fiscal stability for the University of Alaska (University) and to resolve a set of outstanding issues from the almost 50-year-old Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 (ANCSA). Murkowski's first bill, S. 4696, the University of Alaska Fiscal F… Continue Reading

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11.18.20

Blumenthal & Murkowski Lead Bipartisan Push To Preserve Legal Rights & Protections Of Servicemembers & Veterans

U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) led a bipartisan group of eleven senators urging the conference committee working on reconciling the differences between the House and Senate-passed versions of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to retain provisions passed by the House that would preserve servicemembers and veterans' access to justice. "Access to the court system to enforce rights granted under the law is one of the fundamental principles of our democ… Continue Reading