07.21.20

Murkowski Commends Air Force’s Arctic Strategy

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) issued the following statements after the Department of the Air Force unveiled an Arctic Strategy: "One of my top priorities is ensuring the Arctic region is a national priority. The Air Force's first ever Arctic Strategy not only recognizes the importance of the Arctic, but emphasizes Alaska's essential role in projecting national power and protecting our homeland. As General Billy Mitchell, the "Father of the Air Force," testified before Congress in 1935, … Continue Reading

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07.20.20

Tomorrow: Senate Set To Vote On Schatz-Murkowski-Harris-Paul Amendment On Stopping Police Militarization

Tomorrow, the U.S. Senate is set to vote on an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) introduced by U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai'i), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) that will limit the transfer of certain surplus military-grade equipment to local law enforcement agencies across the country. The Schatz-Murkowski-Harris-Paul amendment places limitations on the Department of Defense's 1033 program which authorizes the federal tra… Continue Reading

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07.15.20

Murkowski Welcomes NEPA Modernization Rule

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today welcomed President Trump's announcement of a final rule to modernize the federal regulations that govern the environmental review and permitting processes under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1970. "For decades, projects in Alaska and throughout the country have languished as a result of a federal permitting process that has become unnecessarily burdensome due in large part to outdated NEPA regulations. As we work to recover from the… Continue Reading

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07.15.20

Alaska Delegation Welcomes $5.3 Million in CARES Act Funding to Help Small Businesses Across Alaska Respond to COVID-19

U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan and Congressman Don Young (all R-Alaska) today welcomed an announcement from the U.S. Department of Commerce that the Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding $5.3 million in CARES Act Recovery Assistance to the State of Alaska to administer a Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) to provide critical financing for small businesses and entrepreneurs across the state that have been impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. "Alaskans are resilient, b… Continue Reading

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07.04.20

Murkowski Shares Message on Independence Day

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) today shared the following Fourth of July message with Alaskans: Click here for video of Senator Murkowski "Happy Fourth of July! A day to celebrate America's independence, freedom, and the ideals and values upon which our nation was built. "Our celebrations this year will look different due to COVID-no Mount Marathon in Seward, and fireworks and parades will be limited or cancelled. Many of our holiday traditions have been put on hold due to social dist… Continue Reading

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07.02.20

Murkowski Joins Committee Hearing on Addressing COVID-19 Impact to Native Communities

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) took part in a Senate Committee on Indian Affairs oversight hearing focused on evaluating the response and mitigation to the COVID-19 pandemic in Native communities across the nation. This hearing is particularly relevant to Alaska, as many Native communities currently reflect on previous health emergencies that have disproportionately impacted rural Alaska, such as Tuberculosis and the 1918 flu epidemic. The hearing featured testimony from IHS Director, RADM M… Continue Reading

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07.01.20

Alaska Congressional Delegation Introduce Bill to Make Cost-Of-Living Adjustment For Alaska, Hawaii Nursing Facilities

The Alaska Congressional Delegation introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation that will provide for fair Medicare payments for nursing facilities in Alaska and Hawaii. The bill will authorize a cost-of-living adjustment at skilled nursing facilities in those states to take into account the higher costs of delivering care. The Equitable Payments for Nursing Facilities Act of 2020 is led by U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski, Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Brian Schatz (D-HI), and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) in the U.… Continue Reading

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07.01.20

Murkowski Welcomes Finalized Hilcorp-BP Sale

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today released the following statement on the announcement of Hilcorp's acquisition of BP's Alaska upstream assets. "I'm very pleased to see this transaction move forward and appreciate Hilcorp's commitment to Alaska," Murkowski said. "This announcement is particularly welcome news for our state as we work to rebuild our economy. Hilcorp has ensured a stable natural gas supply in Cook Inlet and secured a 90-percent local hire rate in recent years. BP has b… Continue Reading

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07.01.20

Paycheck Protection Program Deadline Extension

The U.S. Senate unanimously passed legislation to extend the Paycheck Protection Program to August 8, 2020. The small business loan program expired yesterday, on June 30. It now needs to pass the House in order for it to be sent to the President's desk to be signed into law. Just last week the Department of Treasury and Small Business Administration announced a rule allowing commercial fishing businesses to account for crew member payroll when applying for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan… Continue Reading

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07.01.20

ICYMI: Murkowski, Manchin Make Case for American Energy Innovation Act

U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., took to the Senate floor this week to urge their colleagues to pass the American Energy Innovation Act (AEIA), rather than leaving behind years of important bipartisan work and resigning our nation's energy policies to at least another year without modernization. Click photo for video of colloquy between Murkowski and Manchin Excerpts from the Senators' Remarks On the American Energy Innovation Act Chairman Murkowski: "We… Continue Reading

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06.30.20

Murkowski Convenes Hearing Focused on COVID-19 Impacts on U.S. Territories

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today chaired a hearing to examine the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the U.S. territories - American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. "All of our states face challenges in fighting the spread and impact of COVID-19. The territories face additional hurdles, from limited capacity to handle a health pandemic to economies with fewer sources of revenue that are severely harmed by the economic shutdown, p… Continue Reading

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06.30.20

White House COVID-19 Task Force On Progress Toward Safely Getting Back to Work, School

As communities across the nation continue to work on plans to safely re-open amid the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) today took part in a Senate HELP Committee hearing focused on how to safely return to work and back to school. The hearing featured Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health, Admiral Brett Giroir of HHS, FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn, and CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield. How the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has used appropri… Continue Reading

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06.29.20

Murkowski Welcomes PILT Payments to Alaska

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) announced today that the Department of the Interior is distributing $31,683,971 to eligible local governments across Alaska through the Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program. The PILT program provides monetary compensation to local governments in the state that contain federal lands that are not subject to state or local taxation. This revenue supports local governments in providing essential services, such as construction of public schools and roads, firefight… Continue Reading

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06.26.20

Alaska Delegation Welcomes Court Win for Alaska Native Corporations

U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan and Congressman Don Young (all R-Alaska) today welcomed the court decision deeming Alaska Native Corporations (ANCs) eligible for tribal assistance appropriated through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Today U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ruled that Alaska Native Corporations can receive a share of the $8 billion in funding set aside for Tribal governments that Congress approved in March. "When we passed the CARES Act … Continue Reading

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06.26.20

U.S. Senators Smith, Murkowski Continue Work to Expand Mental Health Services with New Package of Bipartisan Legislation

U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) introduced two bipartisan bills to address behavioral health needs and substance use disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 Behavioral Health Support Act would authorize $150 million in grants to States, Tribes, Tribal organizations and community-based organizations for training, technology upgrades, surge capacity needs, emergency crisis intervention, suicide prevention, and outreach to underserved communities. The… Continue Reading

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06.25.20

Delegation Announces Paycheck Protection Program Fix for Commercial Fishing Businesses

U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, and Congressman Don Young (all R-Alaska) today applauded a rule released by the Department of Treasury and Small Business Administration that will allow commercial fishing businesses to account for crew member payroll when applying for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. Over the past several weeks, the Alaska Congressional Delegation has pressed the Trump administration for the change - which included sending a letter to Treasury Secretary Mnu… Continue Reading

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06.25.20

20 Senators: Defense Authorization Bill Should Include Advanced Nuclear

U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Cory Booker, D-N.J., recently led a bipartisan group of 20 Senators in sending a letter to urge the inclusion of S. 903, the Nuclear Energy Leadership Act (NELA), within S. 4049, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2021. The members' letter highlights nuclear energy's contribution to national security. The advanced reactors supported by NELA have significant potential to provide clean, safe, reliable, and affordable energy to mi… Continue Reading

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06.25.20

Delegation Welcomes Final Environmental Impact Statement on NPR-A Integrated Activity Plan

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) published the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for an updated Integrated Activity Plan (IAP) for the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A). The final EIS will be followed by a record of decision that will guide management of the NPR-A. "As Alaskans work toward economic recovery, having a robust plan to unlock the potential of on… Continue Reading

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06.25.20

Alaska Native Vietnam War-Era Veterans Are One Step Closer To Being Able to Apply for Land Allotments

U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski, Dan Sullivan, and Rep. Don Young, all R-Alaska, today welcomed the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) announcement of proposed rules that will allow more than 1,000 Alaska Native Vietnam War-era veterans to apply for land allotments of up to 160 acres of land. This is a key step to fulfilling an important provision of the Dingell Act, landmark public lands legislation that Congress passed early last year. BLM also announced the specific lands available for selection. "… Continue Reading

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06.25.20

Murkowski Calls to Advance Alaska Specific Legislation During Senate Indian Affairs Hearing

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) took part in a Senate Committee on Indian Affairs legislative hearing which included two Alaska specific bills of which Senator Murkowski is the sponsor: S. 3099, the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium Land Transfer Act of 2019 and S. 3100, the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium Land Transfer Act of 2019. The hearing also addressed a bill of which Senator Murkowski is a lead cosponsor, S. 2165, the Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony (STOP) Act o… Continue Reading