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 Doubles Fishery Failure Relief Support on Capitol Hill
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In her continuing efforts to secure federal relief funds for Alaskan communities along the Yukon and Kuskokwim Rivers - as well as Cook Inlet - damaged by low salmon runs in 2012, Senator Lisa Murkowski today more than doubled the number of lawmakers on both sides of Capitol Hill advocating for resources for fisheries that have experienced their own "fish droughts" over the past two years. Murkowski already established strong bipartisan backing from 15 of her Senate colleague… Continue Reading
11.13.13
Flawed Eielson F-16 Proposal Suggests Sequestration Driving Military Strategy
Senator Questions Strategy When Making Cuts - "What is the Target Here?" Lower 48 Mayor Agrees With Need for Discretion When Seeking Savings WASHINGTON, DC - Senator Lisa Murkowski today seized an opportunity during a Capitol Hill hearing to continue pressing for agencies to have discretion when making mandatory, across-the-board sequestration cuts - using the example of the recently-scuttled proposal to transfer F-16 aircraft from Eielson AFB to Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson. Calling it an… Continue Reading
11.12.13
Alaska Delegation Pushes for Equal Treatment for Indian Health Service and VA
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Alaska's Congressional Delegation is advocating that Congress use the same approach it does with the Veterans Administration and fund the Indian Health Service one year in advance, to avoid the recurring and needless uncertainty faced by Alaska Native health care providers and those of providers for all indigenous people. Given the fact that the IHS has received its funding on time only once in the last fifteen years, the delegation wrote a letter pressing House and Senate Bu… Continue Reading
11.10.13
Senator Murkowski Shares Veterans Day Message with Alaskans
Washington, D.C.- Senator Lisa Murkowski offered the following statement in observance of Veterans Day: "This Veteran's Day, I'd like to thank all of the veterans who have served our country when called upon. The decision to enter into any military service is not one to be taken lightly, nor is it an easy burden to bear. Standing up to serve is something to be commended, something to be respected - and something to be honored by all of us who breathe easier and live freely because of those wh… Continue Reading
11.08.13
“I Hope the Lord Took all of Our Men Up There for Defending the Freedoms of Our People”
WASHINGTON, DC - As the United States commemorates Veterans Day weekend, Senator Lisa Murkowski is releasing her 18th Veteran Spotlight interview, focusing on the service of Kenai resident Herb Stettler who served in the U.S. Army and did a 13 month tour during the Korean War. Stettler is an active member of the Kenai Peninsula veteran community, supporting fellow veterans and honoring veteran sacrifice at local events and ceremonies - and has fostered a special bond with his neighbors for year… Continue Reading
11.08.13
Murkowski: Health Care Law’s Full-Time Definition is “Out of Step,” Risking Work Hour Cuts
WASHINGTON, D.C. - With the health care law's employer mandate causing cuts to work hours nationwide, Senator Lisa Murkowski and a bipartisan group of Senators is urging the Budget Conference Committee to take up the Forty Hours is Full Time Act (S. 1188) she co-sponsored earlier this year. This bill aims to redefine the use of "full-time" employee in the health care law since the law presently considers that a "full-time employee" works a mere 30 hours, which could lead to dramatic decreases in… Continue Reading
11.07.13
Murkowski Votes to Protect Alaskans From Discrimination
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator Lisa Murkowski today cast her vote in support of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), a bill that protects Alaskans from discrimination. Murkowski also supported an amendment to the bill protecting religious freedom in implementation of the law. Moments ago, the legislation passed the Senate by a count of 64-32. On the floor of the Senate, Murkowski expressed the view that employees should be judged solely on the basis of ability or skill: (Murkowski mak… Continue Reading
11.06.13
Murkowski: “Words Aren’t Solving the Problem” of Military Sexual Assault
WASHINGTON, D.C.-Senator Lisa Murkowski today joined a bipartisan coalition of her colleagues to kick off a final two week push to create an independent, objective and non-biased military justice system - through the Military Justice Improvement Act - as the Senate is expected to debate the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) before Thanksgiving. The legislation that Murkowski co-sponsored in May would eliminate many obstacles that numerous victims of military sexual assault have des… Continue Reading
11.06.13
Murkowski Backs “If You Like Your Health Plan, You Can Keep It” Act
WASHINGTON, D.C.-Senator Lisa Murkowski today announced her co-sponsorship of S.1617, the If You Like Your Health Plan You Can Keep It Act of 2013, amid rising reports of thousands of Alaskans' inability to continue on with their current health care plan as President Obama had promised during the campaign to pass the legislation. "'Keep your health care plan if you like it' was one of the key claims that President Obama used to force this flawed law through Congress, and now over 5,000 Alaskans… Continue Reading
11.05.13
Murkowski: Health Care Cost Increases Aren’t Statistics, They Are Alaskans
WASHINGTON, D.C.-On the heels of her Committee Hearing exchange with the CMS Administrator earlier, Senator Lisa Murkowski today took the stories of everyday Alaskans with her to the floor of the United States Senate, in order to have more time to fully share their concerns and frustrations at the rollout of the health care exchanges in Alaska - both in terms of technical glitches and sticker shock at the dramatic rise in premiums. At the opening of her speech, Senator Murkowski recounted the q… Continue Reading
11.05.13
Murkowski: “Who’s On The Hook” For Health Care Law Failures?
WASHINGTON, D.C.-Senator Lisa Murkowski today grilled the Administrator for the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services over myriad failures and problems being experienced with Alaska's health care exchange in a hearing of the U.S. Senate Committee for Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. Murkowski's frustrations focused on: Enroll Alaska, the state's health care exchange center, indefinitely suspending operations until fixes can be made to its subsidy calculator. Only three Alaskans su… Continue Reading
11.01.13
Murkowski Responds to Resignation of Alaska Salmon Adversary
WASHINGTON, D.C.-Senator Lisa Murkowski today responded to the news that Kerry Coughlin, Regional Director for the controversial Marine Stewardship Council, resigned amid an ongoing battle over its claims that Alaska wild salmon is not sustainable: "These have been a rough couple of years of dealing with MSC from an Alaskan perspective. I can only hope that new leadership may bring a more reasoned approach and added scientific rigor to their work. This is an organization that began its work in… Continue Reading
11.01.13
Murkowski Shares Fairbanks Four Concerns with Attorney General Eric Holder
WASHINGTON, D.C.-Senator Lisa Murkowski today contacted United States Attorney General Eric Holder to bring the Alaska review of the Fairbanks Four case to his attention, as the Alaska Department of Law began its investigation. In a letter (attached) to Holder, Murkowski updated the Attorney General of the grave concerns of many Alaskans that the four Alaska Natives found guilty of the October 10th, 1997 homicide may not be responsible for the death. Her letter concludes: "On October 8, 2013… Continue Reading
10.31.13
Galena Efforts, Investigation Will Be A Learning Experience for FEMA
WASHINGTON, D.C.-Senator Lisa Murkowski met with senior officials from the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General to discuss the findings of their recent site visit to Anchorage, Galena and Fairbanks to observe the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) response to this spring's ice jam and flood in Galena. At Senator Murkowski's request, Charles K. Edwards, Acting Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security visited Galena on Monday, September 9, 2013 i… Continue Reading
10.30.13
“Marines Do This for the Marines to Their Left & the Marines to Their Right”
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator Lisa Murkowski is today releasing her 17th Veteran Spotlight installment today, featuring Soldotna resident Colonel John Pollock, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1985 to 2010. Since serving, Pollock has been on the cutting edge of military intelligence gathering in Afghanistan and has devoted himself to helping young veterans make the most of their military benefits at Kenai Peninsula College. During his Veteran Spotlight interview, Pollock recalls being in Qu… Continue Reading
10.30.13
Murkowski: “We Can and Must Do Better for Our Native Youth”
WASHINGTON, DC - On the heels of her Alaska Federation of Natives speech urging a better future for Alaska Natives, Senator Lisa Murkowski today joined her colleague Senator Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota in introducing a plan to find solutions to the many challenges facing Native American children throughout Indian Country. The joint effort from the two legislators is named the Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children, to commemorate the legacies of the former Chair… Continue Reading
10.29.13
Murkowski Backs Effort to Reel in Government Surveillance
Senator Lisa Murkowski today announced her co-sponsorship of the USA FREEDOM Act - a bill designed to curb efforts by the federal government to gain access to millions of Americans' phone records, while also requiring greater oversight, transparency and accountability of domestic surveillance authorities. The bipartisan legislation - backed by both the National Rifle Association and the American Civil Liberties Union - would curb potential privacy abuses and protect every American's basic civil… Continue Reading
10.25.13
Murkowski Effort Aids Alaskan Aviators’ Safety Fight Against Red Tape
WASHINGTON, DC - Before the Senate concluded its work prior to the current state work period, Senator Lisa Murkowski was proud to see the U.S. Senate unanimously pass the bipartisan Small Aircraft Revitalization Act that she co-sponsored in May to give the the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) a deadline to provide baseline, defined safety standards so that Alaska's aviators can upgrade their aircrafts and avoid many unnecessary risks. Presently, the FAA's archaic Part 23 certification proce… Continue Reading
10.24.13
Murkowski, Young Welcome Changes to Enforcement of Marine Mammal Protection Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Rep. Don Young (both R-Alaska) today announced that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has agreed to issue new guidance on what constitutes "significantly altered" sea otter pelts under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which will provide greater clarity and certainty to Alaska Natives artisans. Murkowski: "I am pleased that as a result of our continued persistence on this issue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has decided to reverse cou… Continue Reading
10.21.13
Murkowski: Stuart Creek 2 Fire Investigation Yields Answers, Changes
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator Lisa Murkowski today received the results of the United States Army Alaska's (USARAK) investigation into the 85,000 acre Stuart Creek 2 fire in the Yukon Training Area earlier this summer, with the official findings confirming suspicions that artillery training caused the fire despite high fire danger warnings at the time - and not lighting, recreation or other human involvement suggested at the time. The report - made available to the Senator and the public after Murko… Continue Reading
