Articles & Op-eds
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner: From airports to bases, Alaska to benefit from federal grants
by Linda F. Hersey
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced several grants bound for Alaska, including to Interior communities. Fort Wainwright will receive $31.19 million for Watterson Construction Co. to build a large child development center. Fairbanks International Airport will receive $6.36 million through the FAA for operations, personnel, cleaning and combating the spread of pathogens. Nenana Municipal Airport will be awarded $22,000. Another $6.2… Continue Reading
11.22.21
The Cordova Times: $1.2T infrastructure bill brings billions to Alaska
by Margaret Bauman
Billions of dollars in the $1.2-trillion federal infrastructure legislation signed into law on Monday, Nov. 15, by President Joe Biden will help fund essential ferry service in Alaska, plus airport improvements, water and wastewater projects, broadband, ports, energy and more. "It's historic in terms of what it will deliver to the country in terms of infrastructure," said Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, as she spelled out how Alaska will benefit from H.R. 3684, the Infrastructure Investment and … Continue Reading
11.20.21
Associated Press: Tribes Welcome Infusion Of Money In Infrastructure Bill
by Felicia Fonesca
Tribes welcomed an infusion of money in the massive infrastructure bill to expand broadband coverage, fix roads and address water and sanitation needs, but they say real change will come only with sustained investment.President Joe Biden signed the $1.2 trillion deal earlier this week that includes about $11 billion in benefits for Indian Country, according to the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. About one-third of that, $3.5 billion, will go to the Indian Health Service, the federal age… Continue Reading
11.20.21
Arctic Sounder: Infrastructure bill holds promise for many of rural Alaska’s most pressing needs, say Murkowski and others
by Alena Naiden
Rural Alaskans living without dependable indoor plumbing may have running water in the near future. Those struggling with slow, intermittent internet may find themselves soon surfing the web with ease. And residents living on the edge of eroding land may be one step closer to relocating to a safe home. These are just some of the promises being offered as Alaska lawmakers and administrators begin to unpack the $1 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that President Joe Biden signed las… Continue Reading
11.19.21
The Nome Nugget: Federal Infrastructure Package Signed Into Law
by Julia Lerner
When President Joe Biden signed a historic infrastructure package into law on the lawn of the White House on Monday, Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski and Representative Don Young were present to show their support of the legislation.The bill, which Murkowski supported in negotiations with the White House as part of a bipartisan group of lawmakers, authorizes billions of dollars in spending over the next five years in communities across the United States. Key aspects of the infrastructure plan will … Continue Reading
11.18.21
Peninsula Clarion: ‘A win for Alaska’
by Ashlyn O'Hara
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski celebrated the passage of the trillion-dollar Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act during a press conference with Alaska reporters on Wednesday, during which she broke down some of the bill's implications for Alaska. The conference was held in person in Anchorage but was also made available via Zoom. The legislation includes $550 billion in new spending on infrastructure over five years and was primarily advanced by a bipartisan group of lawmakers that included Murkow… Continue Reading
11.18.21
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner: Defense Department picks site for new Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Studies
by Linda F. Hersey
The Department of Defense will develop the new Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies in Anchorage, Sen. Lisa Murkowski announced Wednesday. The defense center will become the sixth regional center that the DoD operates and the first one to focus on the Arctic region. Regional centers bring together military and government leaders, academicians and others to partner on regional security issues. Other DoD regional centers focus on security strategies in Europe, Africa and Asia. … Continue Reading
11.17.21
Alaska Journal of Commerce: Infrastructure bill celebrated for priorities ranging from climate change to mining
by Elwood Brehmer
A significant reason the landmark $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill has garnered as much attention as it has is likely the broad range of interests it appeals to. It has support not only from the usual backers of a traditional infrastructure bill, such as construction trade groups and labor unions, but also from state and national-level conservation and resource development organizations that are often pitted against each other. In an hour-long press briefing before President Joe Biden signed … Continue Reading
11.15.21
Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman: President signs historic infrastructure bill, funding improvements in Alaska
by Tim Bradner
President Joe Biden signed the new $1.1 trillion federal infrastructure bill into law Monday, Nov. 15. The bill allocates billions of dollars for roads, bridges, ports, clean water and sanitation, and broadband, that will fund projects long needed, but deferred, for decades. Alaska's Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who played a leading role in fashioning the bill, expects among other things to see delayed improvements made in village safe water projects, and to allow the village "honeybucket" to be finall… Continue Reading
11.11.21
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner: Sen. Murkowski highlights infrastructure package for Alaska
by Linda Hersey
Rebuilding infrastructure is not a Republican issue or a Democratic issue. It is an Alaska issue. U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski delivered that message Wednesday in a press conference on the projects for Alaska. Murkowski helped to carry the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package that President Biden plans to sign early next week. She was among a core group of 10 senators - five Republicans and five Democrats - who worked to usher the package through Congress. Alaska's thre… Continue Reading
11.10.21
Juneau Empire: ‘It is a win for Alaska’ Murkowski touts bipartisan infrastructure bill
by Peter Segall
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, hailed the $1.2 trillion dollar infrastructure bill recently passed by Congress, saying it was going to make the Alaska and the nation more competitive. "There's so much to advertise," Murkowski said Wednesday at an Anchorage news conference. "If we can get these programs up and running, Alaskans are going to be working and we're going to more competitive." President Joe Biden is expected to sign the bill on Monday, Murkowski said, and it would take some time bef… Continue Reading
11.08.21
Alaska Public Media: Highways, ferries and more: What the federal infrastructure bill will fund in Alaska
by Liz Ruskin
The U.S. House on Friday passed an enormous infrastructure bill, sending it to President Biden for his signature. All three members of Alaska's Republican delegation to Congress voted for the $1.2 trillion bill - reflecting how important the bill is to the 49th state. In federal highway funding alone, the legislation will send Alaska $3.5 billion. That's just the start. "I think it's very big for Alaska. Very far reaching," said Garrett Boyle, federal co-chair of the Denali Commission, whose m… Continue Reading
11.05.21
Anchorage Daily News OPINION: Telling Alaska’s story at the U.N. climate summit
by Senator Lisa Murkowski
COP26 - the 26th iteration of the United Nations' annual climate conference - is currently underway in Glasgow, Scotland. This weekend, I'm attending as part of a bipartisan congressional delegation. I'm participating as an Alaskan, the senior senator for a warming state, and one of only a few Republicans. I'm here because I recognize that climate change is real, we need to act, and we need to work together - across the aisle and with the rest of the world - to find reasonable ways to reduce em… Continue Reading
10.27.21
Alaska Public Media: Earmarks: They’re back, and Murkowski is using them to steer money home
by Liz Ruskin
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski has issued a $230 million wish list of dozens of Alaska projects she's hoping Congress will pass with the next batch of appropriations bills. Her list has big-ticket items: Nearly $28 million to expand the emergency room at the Alaska Native Medical Center and the same amount for a road between Kotzebue and a possible deepwater port at Cape Blossom. It has small items: $50,000 to the Kodiak Area Native Association to study the health impact of harmful algae blooms. I… Continue Reading
10.25.21
Anchorage Daily News: Alaska stands to benefit big with passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
by Alicia Siira, Rebecca Logan, Marleanna Hall, Kati Capozzi, Deantha Skibinski, Renee Limoge Reeve, Tessa Axelson and Joe Michel
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Alaska's infrastructure and economy and highlights the strong work our congressional delegation has done to advocate for Alaska families, workers and communities. Our diverse organizations keep Alaskans working by ensuring opportunities exist to develop our state's natural resource industries, including oil, mining, timber, seafood, tourism, transportation and construction. Add up all the families an… Continue Reading
10.20.21
Alaska tourism industry sees reasons for optimism in 2022 after a roller-coaster year
by Elwood Brehmer
A topsy-turvy visitor season for Alaska ended with plenty of optimism for 2022, according to industry leaders across the state. "Things continued to change. Even though I don't think our industry was in as much of a crisis mode as it was in 2020, I would say 2021, through the summer season, was really a mixed bag," Alaska Travel Industry Association CEO Sarah Leonard said. "Overall, we're super grateful that we had the economic activity that we did for 2021." This year's peak visitor season st… Continue Reading
09.29.21
OPINION: Alaska Journal of Commerce: Alaska’s clean energy leadership
by Senator Lisa Murkowski
In November 1969, Alaska made energy history by exporting the first cargo of American liquefied natural gas, shipping this new, cleaner form of energy to Asia and establishing ourselves as a low-carbon energy innovator. That first transit was the beginning of the longest-term export contract between the U.S. and Japan. Today a worldwide transition to climate-friendly energy is underway, and Alaska is well positioned to accelerate this global transformation. Because of hydrogen's net-zero carbo… Continue Reading
09.22.21
Anchorage Daily News: Alaska will greatly benefit from historic infrastructure bill
by Senator Lisa Murkowski
Several years ago, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave Alaska's infrastructure a C-minus grade. Their report reiterated what too many Alaskans know and face every day: our still-young state is deficient in water and wastewater, ports and harbors, marine transportation, energy and power infrastructure, and more. Even in our highest-graded areas - like roads and airports - Alaska still has plenty of room for improvement. One of the best ways to address these deficiencies is by bringing t… Continue Reading
09.20.21
KINY: Murkowski to introduce bill providing permanant exemption from PVSA for Alaska cruises
by KINY
Alaska U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski unveiled a new bill she will be introducing this week to permanently exempt Alaska cruise ships carrying more than 1000 passengers from the Passenger Vessel Services Act, or PVSA. According to a release from the Senator's office, Alaska hosted over 1.3 million visitors by way of cruise ships in 2019. That number came to a halt in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The tourism industry in Alaska typically generates more than $214 million in state and municipal … Continue Reading
09.17.21
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner: Murkowski plans bill to buoy Alaska cruise ship tourism
by Linda F. Hersey
Sen. Lisa Murkowski plans to introduce a bill next week to permanently exempt Alaska-bound cruise ships from an 1800s federal law that forces them to stop in Canada. Murkowski said the new legislation waives a measure in the Passenger Vessel Services Act (PVSA) that compels passenger cruise lines between the Lower 48 and Alaska to stop at a foreign port. Murkowski said the law has had the unintended consequences of "putting Alaskan businesses at the mercy of the Canadian government," which ban… Continue Reading
