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 Announces U.S. Military Service Academy Nominees
Washington, DC - Today U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) announced the names of the young Alaskans she is nominating to the U.S. Military Service Academies for the class of 2029. “These young Alaskans have shown exemplary leadership and dedication to their communities, and it is an honor to nominate them to our nation’s military service academies,” said Senator Murkowski. “I extend my congratulations and best wishes to each of them.” U.S. Military Service Academy nominees are selected based … Continue Reading
01.29.25
Murkowski, Klobuchar Reintroduce Bill to Support Individuals Living with FASD
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) reintroduced the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Respect Act of 2025, legislation which reauthorizes programs and funding to aid individuals and families impacted by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. “We made significant progress on this bill in the 118th Congress, and we were close to getting this legislation across the finish line. That momentum has only motivated Senator Klobuchar and I to work e… Continue Reading
01.28.25
Murkowski Releases Statement on Suspension of Federal Funding
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) released the following statement on federal funding: “Alaskans have understandably been reaching out to my office all day, asking for clarity about what OMB's memo ordering a pause in grants, loans, and other federal financial assistance means for them. At this point, we don’t have any more direction than what has been reported. My staff is actively tracking impacted projects and services in Alaska, and working to identify those that most urg… Continue Reading
01.27.25
Murkowski and Chemnitz: Greenland “Ally, not an Asset”
Washington, DC - Today, United States Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska and Co-Chair of the Standing Committee of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region) and Aaja Chemnitz (Member of Danish Parliament representing Greenland for Inuit Ataqatigiit and Chair of the Standing Committee of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region), released the following joint statement: “In recent weeks, as President Trump has suggested the U.S. should purchase Greenland from the Kingdom of Denmark, attention has rapidly… Continue Reading
01.23.25
Senator Murkowski Releases Statement on Hegseth Nomination
Washington, DC - Today, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) released the following statement on her decision to vote against confirming Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense: “Since Mr. Hegseth’s nomination last November, I have met with him and carefully reviewed his writings, various reports, and other pertinent materials. I closely followed his hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee and gathered substantial feedback from organizations, veterans, and Alaskans. After thorough evaluat… Continue Reading
01.22.25
Senator Murkowski Soliciting Interest for Most Recently Vacated Seat on District Court of Alaska
Washington, DC - Today, Senator Murkowski (R-AK) announced that her office is accepting letters of interest and resumes to fill the Federal District Court of Alaska seat vacated in July 2024. Materials should be sent to ak_judge@murkowski.senate.gov. The deadline to submit letters of interest and resumes to the Senator’s office is Wednesday, February 5th, 2025.… Continue Reading
01.21.25
President Trump Unleashes Alaska’s Economy in Single, Sweeping Executive Order
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, Governor Mike Dunleavy, and Representative Nick Begich (all R-Alaska) today welcomed a comprehensive Executive Order (EO), signed by President Donald Trump, reversing a series of Biden administration policies and actions related to Alaska lands and resources, to unleash Alaska’s Natural Resources. President Trump ‘s EO takes steps to “…end the assault on Alaska’s sovereignty and its ability to responsibly develop [its] resources for the b… Continue Reading
01.17.25
ICYMI: One Month Left to Submit FY26 Appropriations Requests
Washington, DC - In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) is accepting appropriations requests from Alaskans for programmatic and Congressionally Direct Spending in Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) for approximately one more month. The appropriations request portal on her website opened on January 3, 2025, and will remain open until Friday, February 14, 2025, at 11:59 PM AKST. “Every year, I’m proud to partner with Alaskans to request funding for projects that help address our communiti… Continue Reading
01.16.25
Murkowski: Interior Must be a Partner, Not a Landlord
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), former Chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee (ENR), today expressed her support for former Governor Doug Burgum to lead the Department of the Interior (DOI) in the incoming Trump administration. During an ENR hearing to consider his nomination, Murkowski and Burgum discussed Alaska’s vast energy and mineral potential and the need for the Department to dramatically improve its approach in the state. “I don’t want the Dep… Continue Reading
01.15.25
Murkowski Encouraged by Secretary of Energy Nominee Chris Wright in Committee Hearing
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), former Chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee (ENR), today expressed her strong support for Chris Wright to lead the Department of Energy (DOE) in the incoming Trump administration. During an ENR hearing to consider his nomination, Murkowski and Wright discussed the projects that DOE has funded in Alaska under the bipartisan infrastructure law, the need to prioritize domestic mineral production, the untapped potential of ge… Continue Reading
01.08.25
Alaska Delegation Condemns Interior as ANWR Leasing Charade Receives Zero Bids
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, and Congressman Nick Begich III (all R-Alaska), today slammed the Department of the Interior (DOI) for holding a lease sale in the non-wilderness Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in a manner that predictably resulted in no bids. The lease sale, announced in December after DOI arbitrarily rewrote the Coastal Plain oil and gas program to make development impossible, was clearly designed to fail. Interior dramatic… Continue Reading
01.07.25
ICYMI: FISHES Act Becomes Law
Washington, DC - H.R. 5103, the Fishery Improvement to Streamline untimely regulatory hurdles post Emergency-Situation Act (FISHES) Act. This legislation, which Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan (both R-Alaska) co-sponsored, aims to ameliorate the federal process that oversees the distribution of fishery disaster relief after fishery disaster declarations. The delegation also led in securing $300 million that will go to refill the U.S. Department of Commerce’s fishery disaster assistance … Continue Reading
01.06.25
Social Security Fairness Act Becomes Law
Washington, DC - Yesterday, President Joe Biden signed into law H.R. 82 The Social Security Fairness Act, legislation that repeals the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO). Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), who has co-sponsored the legislation every year since 2003, praised the long over-due passage of the law. “I have been working on the Social Security Fairness Act for as long as I’ve been representing Alaska in the United States Senate,” Senator Murkowski… Continue Reading
12.31.24
ICYMI: Senate Passes Five Alaska Bills
Anchorage, AK— In case you missed it, five Alaska-related bills passed the Senate by unanimous consent during the final week of the current 118th Congress. The Senate passed these measures on a standalone basis after a package of public lands measures prepared by the Energy and Natural Resources Committee was not included in a year-end vehicle such as the Continuing Resolution. The Senate passed the following measures by unanimous consent: S. 623, a bill to amend the Alaska Native Claims Set… Continue Reading
12.23.24
Senator Murkowski Opposes Denali Name Change
Washington, DC - In response to recent comments from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) reaffirmed her support for Denali to remain the officially recognized name of North America’s tallest mountain. “You can’t improve upon the name that Alaska’s Koyukon Athabascans bestowed on North America’s tallest peak, Denali - the Great One,” Senator Murkowski said. “For years, I advocated in Congress to restore the rightful name for this majestic mountain to respect Alas… Continue Reading
12.21.24
Murkowski: “Never, Ever a Time When a Government Shutdown is a Good Thing for Americans or Alaskans”
Washington, DC - Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) supported a stopgap package that extends the federal government funding deadline to March 14, 2025, thus avoiding a costly and unnecessary government shutdown while also providing critical disaster recovery funds for communities across the country. This package garnered bipartisan support in both chambers of Congress and included $300 million to refill the U.S. Department of Commerce’s fishery disaster assistance accounts, which Senator Murkowsk… Continue Reading
12.21.24
Murkowski: “Never, Ever a Time When a Government Shutdown is a Good Thing for Americans or Alaskans”
Washington, DC - Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) supported a stopgap package that extends the federal government funding deadline to March 14, 2025, thus avoiding a costly and unnecessary government shutdown while also providing critical disaster recovery funds for communities across the country. This package garnered bipartisan support in both chambers of Congress and included $300 million to refill the U.S. Department of Commerce’s fishery disaster assistance accounts, which Senator Murkowsk… Continue Reading
12.21.24
Murkowski Celebrates Long-Overdue Passage of Social Security Fairness Act
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) announced that the Senate passed H.R. 82 The Social Security Fairness Act tonight in a bipartisan vote of 76-20. This legislation repeals the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO), which have reduced the amount of Social Security benefits accessible to select federal, state, local employees, and to their spouses and survivors. Senator Murkowski has been a longstanding supporter of the Social Security Fairness … Continue Reading
12.21.24
Murkowski: “Never, Ever a Time When a Government Shutdown is a Good Thing for Americans or Alaskans”
Washington, DC - Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) supported a stopgap package that extends the federal government funding deadline to March 14, 2025, thus avoiding a costly and unnecessary government shutdown while also providing critical disaster recovery funds for communities across the country. This package garnered bipartisan support in both chambers of Congress and included $300 million to refill the U.S. Department of Commerce’s fishery disaster assistance accounts, which Senator Murkowsk… Continue Reading
12.20.24
Murkowski Praises Alaska Provisions in Water Resource Development Act
Washington, DC - This week, Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) supported S.4367, the Thomas R. Carper Water Resource Development of 2024, which overwhelmingly passed the U.S. Senate in a bipartisan vote of 97-1. The legislation authorizes projects to construct and improve new ports, harbors, and waterways across the country, while also installing a series of policy changes at the Army Corps of Engineers aimed at accelerating the agency’s work and expanding tribal partnerships. The U.S. House o… Continue Reading
