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.
Alaska Delegation Seeks Comment Deadline Extension for Coastal Plain SEIS
Washington, DC - Alaska’s Congressional Delegation yesterday sent a letter to the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) requesting a 180-day extension to the current comment deadline for the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Program (the Program). While pointing out failures across the board related to this 1,430-page SEIS, U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan (both R-Alaska) and U.S. Representati… Continue Reading
11.01.23
Senate Passes Three Fiscal Year 24 Appropriations Bills
Washington, DC - Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), a senior Appropriator, today voted for a package of three annual funding bills that include a number of wins for Alaskans that she secured in the committee process. Themeasures passed by the Senate through a bipartisan vote of 82-15 are the FY 2024 bills for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies; Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies; and Transportation, Housing and Urban Deve… Continue Reading
11.01.23
***MEDIA ADVISORY*** Vice Chairman Murkowski Announces Upcoming Field Hearing in Alaska
***MEDIA ADVISORY*** Vice Chairman Murkowski Announces Upcoming Field Hearing in Alaska Washington, DC - The U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs announced a field hearing for next week in Bethel, Alaska. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Vice Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs (SCIA), will chair a Field Oversight Hearing titled, “The Impact of the Historic Salmon Declines on the Health and Well-Being of Alaska Native Communities along Arctic, Yukon, and Kuskokwim Rivers,”… Continue Reading
10.31.23
$72 Million Announced for Alaska Maritime Infrastructure Projects
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan (both R-Alaska) announced today that seven coastal communities in Alaska will receive more than $72 million in investments this year for critical maritime infrastructure. These grants, made possible by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), will benefit port, harbor, and dock improvement and development in communities across Alaska. The IIJA provided $2.25 billion in funds available over five years to the Port Infrastructure De… Continue Reading
10.30.23
Alaska and Hawai’i Congressional Delegations Introduce Bill to Expand Opportunities for Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiian in Agriculture
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan (both R-Alaska) and Representative Mary Sattler Peltola (D-Alaska) joined Representative Jill Tokuda (HI-02) and Senator Mazie Hirono (D-Hawai’i) in introducing the Parity for Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Students in Agriculture Act. U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai’i), and Representatives Ed Case (HI-02) are also original co-sponsors of the bill. The bill would reauthorize the Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Insti… Continue Reading
10.26.23
Schatz, Murkowski Lead Roundtable On Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Inflation Reduction Act Implementation In Native Communities
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), vice chairman of the Committee, led a roundtable discussion, titled “Implementing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act in Native Communities,” to hear directly from Tribal and Native organization leaders on Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act programs serving Native communities. “Native communities … Continue Reading
10.25.23
Arctic Caucus Co-Chairs Commend Implementation Plan for the High North Region
U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Angus King (I-Maine), co-chairs of the Congressional Arctic Caucus, released the following statements after the Biden Administration released its detailed Implementation Plan for the U.S. National Strategy for the Arctic Region (NSAR). The NSAR Implementation Plan builds upon past efforts to increase security, environmental protection, sustainable economic development and international governance in the High North. “I’ve led the effort to increase U.S… Continue Reading
10.25.23
Murkowski Announces $19.1 Million for Alaskans Facing High Energy Costs
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski today announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded Alaska $11.2 million in Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funding to help low-income households lower their energy bills this winter, and $7.9 million in LIHEAP funds to help Tribes in Alaska. LIHEAP is a congressionally funded program that provides financial assistance for heating costs for qualifying households. The program is administered at the state level by … Continue Reading
10.23.23
Alaska Delegation Seeks 80-Day Extension of Comment Period for BLM’s Proposed NPR-A Rule
Alaska’s Congressional Delegation today sent a letter to the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) requesting an 80-day extension to the current comment deadline for the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) proposed rule to impose sweeping restrictions across 13.1 million acres of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A). U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan (both R-Alaska) and U.S. Representative Mary Peltola (D-Alaska) requested the extension based on a range of substantive and proc… Continue Reading
10.18.23
Alaska Delegation Welcomes $206 Million DOE Grant Strengthening Alaska’s Electrical Grid Resilience
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan (both R-Alaska), and Representative Mary Sattler Peltola (D-Alaska), today welcomed a $206.5 million grant awarded to the Alaska Energy Authority (AEA) to build a High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) submarine cable between the Kenai Peninsula and Anchorage that will add redundancy to the Alaska Railbelt electrical grid system in the event of disruptive events. The federal funds for the grant were secured by the 2021 Infrastructure Investmen… Continue Reading
10.18.23
During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Murkowski, Duckworth Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Expand Medicare Coverage for Breast Cancer Patients and Survivors
Today, U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) re-introduced legislation to ensure breast cancer patients and survivors who have experienced a mastectomy are able to access custom breast prosthetics under Medicare. The Breast Cancer Patient Equity Act would provide coverage for custom fabricated breast prostheses—which, unlike other prosthetic devices, are not currently covered by Medicare—to the more than 100,000 women who undergo mastectomies annually. “Battling breast … Continue Reading
10.17.23
Schatz, Murkowski: More than $2 Million in New Federal Funding to Revitalize, Promote Native Languages
Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), vice chairman of the Committee, announced more than $2.2 million in new fiscal year 2023 grant funding from the U.S. Department of Education to implement the Native American Language Resource Center Act, legislation led by the Senators and enacted earlier this year. “Culturally-based instruction is critical to promoting and revitalizing Native languages,”… Continue Reading
10.13.23
Delegation Reacts to DOI’s Months-Late Draft Analysis for the Ambler Access Project
Anchorage, AK— U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan (both R-Alaska) and Representative Mary Sattler Peltola (D-Alaska) today released the following statements after the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) finally released its long-delayed draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the proposed Ambler Access Project (AAP). “This road is guaranteed under federal law and will facilitate access to crucial supplies of copper, cobalt, gallium, germanium, and other mineral… Continue Reading
10.07.23
Senator Murkowski issues statement after terrorist attacks on Israel
Following the horrific terrorist attacks on Israel, Senator Murkowski (Alaska-R) released the following statement: "My heart is heavy for Israel, the families of those who have lost their loved ones, and the hundreds more wounded and reportedly taken hostage in these senseless attacks. I condemn Hamas’ terrorist actions on innocent civilians and call on the international community to join the United States in offering aid to Israel and unequivocally supporting Israel’s right to defend themselve… Continue Reading
10.06.23
Senator Murkowski Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Improve Access to Eating Disorder Care for Seniors and People with Disabilities
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) reintroduced a bipartisan bill to better support seniors and people who experience disabilities who are struggling with eating disorders. The bipartisan Nutrition CARE Act would expand access to medical care for Medicare beneficiaries with eating disorders by including coverage of outpatient medical nutrition therapy through Medicare Part B, which will provide patients with a more comprehensive, specialized approach to… Continue Reading
10.04.23
Arctic Caucus Co-Chairs Introduce Bill to Strengthen Economic Relationship with Iceland
WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Angus King (I-Maine), co-chairs of the Senate Arctic Caucus, have introduced a bill to expand and improve economic ties with Iceland. Currently, Icelanders are not eligible for economic visas to visit and conduct business in the United States, one of the only Arctic nations whose residents face such a barrier. The Nordic Trader and Investor Parity Act would expand access to trade and investment visas for Icelanders, resulting in expand… Continue Reading
09.30.23
Murkowski Votes to Avert Government Shutdown
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) today released the following statement after voting in favor of H.R. 5680, legislation that continues funding for the federal government for the next 47 days while renewing the expiring authorizations of key federal programs. This short-term continuing resolution (CR) passed the Senate by a vote of 88-9 and now goes to the President for signature with just hours left to prevent a federal shutdown. “Today, sanity prevailed. At the last minute, … Continue Reading
09.30.23
Murkowski, Sullivan slam weakest-ever offshore energy plan
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan (both R-AK) today slammed the Biden administration for releasing a five-year plan for offshore energy development with a “maximum of three potential lease sales.” The Department of the Interior’s (DOI) Proposed Final Program, which arrives over a year late, has zero lease sales until at least 2025 and would not allow any to be held off the coast of Alaska. “I don’t pretend to understand why the Biden administration prefers energy fr… Continue Reading
09.29.23
Murkowski, Sullivan Introduce Legislation to Spur Hydropower Upgrades
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan (both R-AK) introduced legislation that will help ensure that existing hydroelectric facilities are able to continue to provide emissions-free, flexible, and affordable electricity to Alaskan ratepayers. They were also original cosponsors of the Maintaining and Enhancing Hydroelectricity and River Restoration Act of 2023. The measure is supported by a wide coalition of industry, environmental, and clean energy organizations… Continue Reading
09.28.23
Murkowski Helps Secure Congressional Fix to Protect Hunter Safety and Archery Programs
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) today helped secure unanimous consent for the Senate to pass H.R. 5110, the Protecting Hunting Heritage and Education Act, which would make congressional intent abundantly clear and reverse a misinterpretation of law that is preventing schools from using federal education funds for hunter safety education and archery programs. The bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a margin of 424-1 yesterday, and next heads to the President’s desk with support fr… Continue Reading