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 Helps Advance Bipartisan Permitting Reform
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) today voted in favor of S. 4753, the Energy Permitting Reform Act, during a markup held by the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The panel reported the legislation, which reflects a bipartisan agreement between Chairman Joe Manchin (D-WV) and John Barrasso (R-WY), by a vote of 15-4. “Anyone who has been within a thousand miles of the federal permitting process knows it is broken and one of the biggest impediments to respon… Continue Reading
08.01.24
Murkowski Secures Another Round of Wins for Alaska Appropriations Spending Bills
Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) announced another substantive list of investments in projects across Alaska through the Senate Appropriations Committee. These Alaska-specific wins were included in four Fiscal Year 25 (FY 2025) spending bills: Defense; Energy and Water Development; Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies; Financial Services and General Government. The bills were passed overwhelmingly by the full committee, and now heads to th… Continue Reading
08.01.24
Murkowski, Kelly, Kaine, Introduce Legislation to Better Understand, Chart Path Forward on Housing for Older Adults
Washington, DC - This week, Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) introduced the Housing Options for Older Adults Act, bipartisan legislation to address critical housing needs of older adults across the nation. The bill mandates a comprehensive study by the Comptroller General of the United States to evaluate housing programs and services for older individuals under the Older Americans Act of 1965. This bill was developed following extensive conversations with A… Continue Reading
08.01.24
Commerce Committee Advances Murkowski’s Landslides, Earthquakes Legislation
Washington, DC - Earlier today, the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation favorably reported U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski’s (R-AK) National Landslide Preparedness Reauthorization Act on a strong bipartisan basis. Murkowski’s bill, cosponsored by U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), would reauthorize current law for ten years, through Fiscal Year (FY) 2034, and provide the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) with additional authority and resources to help monitor and prepare high… Continue Reading
08.01.24
Murkowski Secures Another Round of Wins for Alaska Appropriations Spending Bills
Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) announced another substantive list of investments in projects across Alaska through the Senate Appropriations Committee. These Alaska-specific wins were included in four Fiscal Year 25 (FY 2025) spending bills: Defense; Energy and Water Development; Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies; Financial Services and General Government. The bills were passed overwhelmingly by the full committee, and now heads to th… Continue Reading
07.29.24
Senate Appropriators Advance Three More Bills with Alaska Priorities
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, voted to advance three bills for Fiscal Year 2025 (FY 2025) last week that contain significant investments for Alaska priorities. The measures are for Transportation, Housing and Urban Development; Commerce, Science, Justice; and State and Foreign Operations. All three were approved in committee on a strong bipartisan basis and will now advance to the Senate floor for consideration. “Whether af… Continue Reading
07.29.24
Murkowski Scores Major Wins for Alaska in Interior Appropriations Bill
Washington, D.C. - Last week, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) moved forward substantial investments towards Alaska clean water and wastewater infrastructure projects through the Senate Appropriations Committee. Murkowski, who serves as Ranking Member of the Interior-Environment Subcommittee, was able to direct these investments in the Interior-Environment Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) Appropriations Act. The bill passed overwhelmingly from the full committee, and next heads to the Senate floor f… Continue Reading
07.26.24
Alaska Delegation Welcomes Graphite One-Lucid Supply Agreement
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan (R-AK) and U.S. Representative Mary Sattler Peltola (D-AK) today participated in an event to formally announce a non-binding supply agreement between Graphite One and Lucid Motors, through which Lucid will purchase graphite from Graphite One. The delegation members applauded the companies’ efforts to create an all-American supply chain for the natural and synthetic graphite used in the batteries for electric vehicles, and are optimis… Continue Reading
07.24.24
Delegation Urges the CDC to Modify Dog Importation Rule
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan (both R-AK) and U.S. Representative Mary Peltola (D-AK), sent a letter to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), regarding a delay in the implementation of the agency’s new rule on the importation of dogs into the United States. The letter outlines how the rules fail to account for Alaska’s unique geography and sled dog culture, and details the negative impacts the rule will have on the state. The letter also asks fo… Continue Reading
07.22.24
Senators Criticize BLM’s Draft Mine Permitting Metrics
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Joe Manchin (D-WV), John Barrasso (R-WY), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), and Jim Risch (R-ID) recently sent a letter to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) expressing their disappointment with the agency’s woefully inadequate draft Mining Performance Metrics. The draft metrics, which were delivered a year later than statutorily required, show minimal effort to make any improvements to the broken federal permitting process. Excerpts from the le… Continue Reading
07.18.24
Congressional Delegation Congratulates Alaskan Olympians
WASHINGTON - This month, the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee announced that two Alaskans qualified to compete in the 2024 Summer U.S. Olympic Team representing the United States at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Kristen Faulkner from Homer will represent the U.S. on the Cycling Pursuit Team and Alev Kelter from Eagle River will return to the Olympics for her third time on Team USA’s Rugby sevens. “Excited to see two remarkable women representing our great state on the world stage!… Continue Reading
07.11.24
Murkowski Secures Investments for Alaska in Three FY25 Appropriations Bills
WASHINGTON—Today, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, scored wins for Alaska in the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) Appropriations Act; Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies FY25 Appropriations Act, and; Legislative Branch FY25 Appropriations Act. The bills were approved today in the Senate Appropriations Committee and will now advance … Continue Reading
07.10.24
Murkowski, Manchin Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Advance Department of Energy AI Research for Science, Security, and Technology
Washington, DC - Today, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Senator Joe Manchin (I-WV), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, introduced the bipartisan Department of Energy AI Act to advance American leadership in artificial intelligence (AI) by harnessing the existing National Laboratory infrastructure and workforce at the Department of Energy (DOE). “Artificial Intelligence has the potential to help the Department of Energy and our National Labs accomplish enor… Continue Reading
07.08.24
Access Denied: BLM To Revoke 2021 Public Land Orders, Keep Alaska Lands in Highly Restricted Status
Anchorage, AK—U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, both R-Alaska, issued the following statements criticizing the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) after it released a final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) recommending the revocation of five Public Land Orders (PLOs) signed in January 2021 that would return 28 million acres of Alaska lands to federal multiple use status, and instead maintain a series of restrictive, long-obsolete encumbrances. Leaving PLOs in place across Alaska se… Continue Reading
07.03.24
Alaska Delegation Rebukes Park Service for Implementing Unlawful, Unwarranted Rule with Hunting Restrictions
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA—U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Representative Mary Sattler Peltola (D-Alaska), today condemned the National Park Service’s (NPS) finalized rule that will impose new restrictions on hunting and trapping in 22 million acres of National Preserves in Alaska. The Alaska congressional delegation wrote to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland in March urging her to withdraw the proposed rule, noting it was put forward without any consultation with the State of … Continue Reading
07.01.24
Murkowski Congratulates AFN on Newly Elected President Ben Mallott
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, released the following statement in response to Benjamin Mallott being elected as the Alaska Federation of Native’s (AFN) future president. Ben is the current Vice President of External Affairs for AFN, having worked over 11 years for the organization. Ben formerly served as Senator Murkowski’s Legislative Assistant for Alaska Native and Indian Affairs in her Washington DC office. “Cong… Continue Reading
06.29.24
Murkowski Welcomes Supreme Court Decision to Rein in Federal Administrative State in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo
Anchorage, AK—U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) today issued the following decision after the Supreme Court of the United States issued its decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo. Signed by a six-Justice majority, the decision overturns the Chevrondoctrine and restricts’ federal agencies’ ability to promulgate regulations that depart from federal law. “It’s hard to express how important this decision is for the future of our country. For too long, agencies have amassed power to r… Continue Reading
06.28.24
Delegation Condemns “No Action” Decision on Ambler Road
Anchorage, AK—U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, both R-Alaska, and U.S. Representative Mary Sattler Peltola, D-Alaska, today issued the following statements condemning the U.S. Department of the Interior (Interior) for selecting the “no action” alternative in its Record of Decision (ROD) for the Ambler Access Project (Ambler). The ROD rejects Ambler, a private haul road that would provide economic benefits in Alaska and facilitate domestic supplies of key minerals, after the project… Continue Reading
06.28.24
Murkowski, Sullivan Celebrate Significant Investments in Rural Alaska
Washington, DC - Today, U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan (both R-Alaska) welcomed the announcement of over $53 million in grants for rural Alaska from the United States Department of Transportation’s Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grant program. These awards are part of the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act, and aim to revitalize freight and transportation infrastructure. “These grants provide critical assistance to rur… Continue Reading
06.13.24
Murkowski Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Shore Up Funding For Crime Victims Fund
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced legislation to shore up funding for the Crime Victims Fund (CVF), established by the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), which supports state victim compensation and assistance programs. The proposal would transfer remaining funds collected through the False Claims Act (FCA) that currently go to the General Fund of the U.S. Treasury to the CVF. “The Crime Victims Fund plays a critical role in funding service organ… Continue Reading
