Articles & Op-eds
Language Magazine: New Bipartisan Native American Language Bill - Language Magazine
On October 30, U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.), vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) commemorated the 30th anniversary of the Native American Languages Act (NALA) with the announcement of new bipartisan legislation, the Durbin Feeling Native American Languages Act of 2020, to ensure the federal government is living up to policies and principles set out in NALA three decades ago. The short documentary "Durbin Feeling: Language Is Everything" hon… Continue Reading
10.30.20
Investing News :Lithium Supply Chain Vulnerability Takes Center Stage in 2020
by Priscilla Barrera
The lithium industry has been talking for some time now about the importance of building resilient supply chains, with COVID-19 further exposing the risks of the current dynamics. China dominates the midstream chemical-refining space, with over 80 percent of production. But most lithium mining takes place in Australia and in countries in South America, like Argentina and Chile. Speaking during a panel discussion at this year's Lithium Supply & Markets event from Fastmarkets, Maria Ines Ull… Continue Reading
10.28.20
ConocoPhillips’ plan for Willow Master Development Project in NPR-A approved
by Malia Barto, MSN
The Bureau of Land Management released its record of decision on Monday for the ConocoPhillips-proposed Willow Master Development Project Plan in the Bear Tooth Unit of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. This decision allows for "construction and operation of infrastructure proposed by ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc., ... necessary to produce and transport to market federal oil and gas resources under leaseholds in the northeast area of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska," the record of d… Continue Reading
10.26.20
KINY: Sen. Murkowski advances boosting mineral security
Last week, in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Chairman Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Ranking Member Sen. Joe Manchin, provided keynote remarks at the start of Benchmark Mineral Intelligence's 2020 Summit. Murkowski emphasized that the pandemic has underscored the need to pass her bipartisan American Mineral Security Act, which has been included in multiple Republican-proposed coronavirus recovery packages. The legislation would rebuild and strengthen the critical mineral supply ch… Continue Reading
10.26.20
ABC News: Reporter's Notebook: Sen. Murkowski on the 'incontrovertible' facts of Barrett vote
by Allison Pecorin
Three hours before the Senate was poised to vote on the confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to serve on the Supreme Court, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, walked toward the Capitol contemplating the "incontrovertible" reality that her party was about to confirm a justice nearer to an election than any confirmation in history. Murkwoski is a rare moderate Republican who found herself at the center of the debate over Barrett's confirmation when she was one of two senators in her party who move… Continue Reading
10.23.20
OP-ED: TIME: The FDA and CDC Promised Transparency in the Vaccine Approval Process. Here's How Congress Can Hold Them to It
by US Senators Maggie Hassan and Lisa Murkowski
Hassan is a Senator for New Hampshire in the U.S. Congress. Murkowski is a Senator for Alaska in the U.S. Congress. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a devastating impact on the health and economic well-being of families and communities across the country, and this virus will remain a significant threat until a safe and effective vaccine can be made available to all. While we all hope to get potential vaccines reviewed, produced and distributed as quickly as possible, we can't sacr… Continue Reading
10.21.20
Alaska Journal of Commerce: Senators toughen stances against Pebble project
by Elwood Brehmer
After years of stressing process over policy, Alaska's U.S. senators have both announced their opposition to development of the Pebble mine. Sen. Lisa Murkowski made her most definitive statement to-date against the massive Southwest Alaska mine plan Oct. 15 during an address to the Alaska Federation of Natives virtual annual convention, saying there is a need for new economic development in Southwest Alaska and that she plans on working to ensure "longer term protections for the region that ca… Continue Reading
10.20.20
Independent Women's Forum: The Trump Administration Just Paved The Way For The Next Generation Of Clean Energy
by Kelsey Bolar
The Trump administration took a major step towards clean, reliable energy last week, awarding two U.S. nuclear energy companies $160 million in initial funding to develop the next generation of advanced nuclear energy. Advanced nuclear energy systems hold enormous potential to lower emissions, create new jobs, and build an even stronger economy. The funding, granted by the U.S. Department of Energy to TerraPower LLC based in Washington state and X-energy based in Maryland, will be used to build… Continue Reading
10.15.20
KOTZ Radio: Pandemic dominates discussions as AFN convention goes virtual
by Wesley Early
Whether you watched on TV, Zoom or listened to the radio, this year's Alaska Federation of Natives Convention was different. With the coronavirus making an in-person convention unsafe, the state's largest annual gathering of Indigenous people came together virtually. With no booths to browse hand-crafted art pieces and attendees having to settle for virtual hugs, the 2020 Alaska Federation of Natives Convention was a drier affair than usual. AFN Board co-chair Ana Hoffman addressed the new form… Continue Reading
10.15.20
SitNews: Two Alaska service providers to receive $46 million in USDA Grants to Expand High-Speed Internet Access
by Mark Kauffman
The Trump Administration announced this week that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $46.5 million to provide broadband service in unserved and underserved rural areas in Alaska. This investment is part of the $550 million Congress allocated to the second round of the ReConnect Program. U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, and Congressman Don Young, (all R-Alaska) joined U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue on Tuesday for a virtual … Continue Reading
10.13.20
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner: Native leaders praise bills addressing missing, murdered Indigenous women
by Erin McGroarty
A pair of bills championed by Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski that seeks to address the epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls has become law. Savannah's Act and the Not Invisible Act, both cosponsored in the Senate by Murkowski, were signed by President Trump on Saturday. The first bill will increase coordination among the different levels of law enforcement, increase data collection and information sharing, and includes tribal government access to law enforcement databases … Continue Reading
10.06.20
The Hill: Murkowski after Trump halts talks: Congress must move on virus package
by Jordain Carney
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said Tuesday that she thought talks on another coronavirus relief package should continue, even after President Trump pulled the plug until after the election. "Now is not the time for Congress to stop doing its work. I strongly believe negotiations should continue, particularly among those of us in Congress. ... We all need to keep working until we reach a bipartisan agreement that can pass both chambers and be signed by the president," Murkowski said in a statem… Continue Reading
09.30.20
National Indigenous Times: US Government passes Bill to address missing or murdered Indigenous women
by Rachel Knowles
The United States Government has passed Indigenous Bill, Savanna's Act, in a move to increase the safety of Indigenous women across the nation. Aimed at addressing violence against Indigenous women, Savanna's Act is named after Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind, a young woman who was found dead at 22-years-old. She was eight months pregnant at the time of her death, with her foetus cut from her womb before she was killed. Over 500 Indigenous women and girls have gone missing or have been found dead … Continue Reading
09.25.20
The Hill: Two bills are passed to address missing and murdered Native American women
by Austa Somvichian-Clausen
Story at a glance In some reservations, Indigenous women are murdered at rates more than 10 times higher than the U.S. average. The murder of Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind prompted the drafting of Savanna's Act, which seeks to address violence faced by Indigenous women. The Act was passed on Monday after being blocked from a House vote by former Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) in 2018. Despite the fast-paced 24-hour news cycle we all live in today, there are some stories that seem to remain untol… Continue Reading
09.24.20
Juneau Empire: Congressional delegation: Resource development can be lifeline for Southeast
by Peter Segall
Southeast Alaska was hit harder than most other parts of the state by the COVID-19 pandemic, the state's congressional delegation told a digital conference room Wednesday morning. The delegation spoke to the Southeast Conference Annual Meeting, held digitally this year, and the state's senators and representative offered their vision of an economic recovery for the region. Sen. Dan Sullivan and Rep. Don Young, both Alaska Republicans, spoke together, opening with an update on the delegation's e… Continue Reading
09.22.20
Cordova Times: Bill would strengthen data access between tribes, government entities
Newly introduced bipartisan legislation would help tribes access public health data and address health disparities that impact Alaska Native and American Indian communities especially hard. The Tribal Health Data Improvement Act, sponsored by Senators Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Tina Smith, D-Minn., called for more data sharing between tribes, tribal epidemiology centers and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, so tribes can be more effective in meeting public health challenges. T… Continue Reading
09.21.20
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner: Local and state representatives weigh in on fisheries and other issues at virtual ComFish
by Andrew Kenneson
Kodiak's representatives at the state and federal levels Zoomed into ComFish on Sept. 18 and 19 to tout their work on fishing and other coastal issues. U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, U.S. Rep. Don Young, state Rep. Louise Stutes and state Sen. Gary Stevens all spoke virtually via Zoom at the event. The federal delegation spoke on Friday. Sullivan touched on his work focusing COVID-19 relief on the fishing industry, as well as his efforts to push for the inclusion of seafood in … Continue Reading
09.21.20
HuffPost: Congress Finally Passes Bill To Address Missing And Murdered Indigenous Women
by Jennifer Bendery
After years of unnecessary delays, the House passed legislation on Monday to help law enforcement respond to a horrifying and largely invisible crisis: Hundreds of Native American women are mysteriously disappearing or being murdered. The bill, Savanna's Act, passed on a voice vote with little fanfare. It now heads to President Donald Trump's desk to be signed into law. The measure, authored by Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), responds to a devastating situation in which nobody can say, exactly… Continue Reading
09.20.20
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner: Federal Arctic Energy Office to open on UAF campus
by Erin McGroarty
The University of Alaska Fairbanks campus will be the home of a new federal office focused on Arctic energy. The office was announced Thursday by Department of Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette and Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski in her capacity as a chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. The office will focus on the advancement of Arctic energy studies in areas such as research on methane hydrates and development of advanced microgrids and nuclear power systems such … Continue Reading
09.16.20
Huffington Post: Senators Introduce Last-Minute, Bipartisan Bill To Prevent A Census Disaster
by Jennifer Bendery
Senators unveiled bipartisan legislation on Tuesday to give the Census Bureau more time to finish the 2020 census ? an eleventh-hour effort to prevent a potentially severe undercount of the U.S. population, particularly in Native, minority and rural communities. The census count, which is conducted every 10 years, was delayed for months because of COVID-19. Now the Trump administration is insisting on ending the count early, on Sept. 30, to meet end-of-year deadlines. The crunched schedule all … Continue Reading
