06.25.13

Sen. Murkowski Comments on Administration’s Climate Plan

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today released the following statement in response to President Obama's speech on climate: "The central feature of the president's climate agenda is command-and-control regulations that will drive up energy costs for all Americans. This is exactly the opposite of what we should be seeking from our energy and environmental policies. "In the past several years, we've already seen substantial decreases in greenhouse gas emissions thanks to l… Continue Reading

---

06.24.13

Murkowski “Separation of Powers” Legal Challenge to Get Supreme Court Hearing

WASHINGTON, DC - In what is being called "a major constitutional test of executive power," the United States Supreme Court today agreed to hear arguments on President Barack Obama's controversial recess appointments, an act requested last month by Senator Lisa Murkowski and her Republican Senate colleagues (attached). By appointing four different government officials to positions when the Senate was not in recess, the DC Court of Appeals ruled this practice "would demolish the checks and balanc… Continue Reading

---

06.21.13

Sen. Murkowski Directs $50 Million for Cleanup of Abandoned Wells

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, this week won the support of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee for legislation that would provide $50 million for the cleanup of abandoned federal oil wells on current and former National Petroleum Reserve lands. The energy panel on Tuesday approved the Helium Stewardship Act (S. 783), which is expected to generate $495 million over the next 10 years through the sale of crude helium from the Federal Helium Reserve. NPR-A Le… Continue Reading

---

06.20.13

Murkowski Welcomes Renewable Energy Grants for Alaska Projects

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today announced the awarding of $178,000 in U.S. Forest Service grants for renewable energy projects to the Chilkoot Indian Association and the Ketchikan Gateway Borough. The Woody Biomass Utilization Grants encourages the clearing of dead trees and other potential forest fire fuel from national forest lands to create renewable energy for heating and electricity, and protect communities and critical infrastructure from wildfires. Under the… Continue Reading

---

06.20.13

Murkowski’s Frankenfish Labeling Measure Passes Committee

WASHINGTON, DC - Senator Lisa Murkowski today won a major battle in the war over genetically modified salmon on Capitol Hill in the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee - as the amendment she introduced (attached) to mandating that 'Frankenfish' are labeled passed out of committee. Leading up to the vote, Appropriations Chair Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) asked Murkowski if she wanted a vote on her amendment (audio here), to which Alaska's senior Senator responded "I do if I'll win" to laughter and th… Continue Reading

---

06.20.13

Murkowski, Young Invite Jewell to Glacier Bay National Park

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and U.S. Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, joined together in a letter to Interior Secretary Sally Jewell to call upon her expertise and experience in the tourism industry to find a solution to the concessioner contract situation that is threatening to shut down Glacier Bay Lodge and the accompanying Day Boat Tour operation. "Both the Lodge and Day Boat Tour are integral to the Gustavus economy," Murkowski and Young wrote. "What troubles us is that… Continue Reading

---

06.19.13

Anti-Obesity “Champion” Murkowski Targeting America’s Obesity Crisis

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In her continued effort to promote health in America through fitness and nutrition, Senator Lisa Murkowski today co-sponsored bipartisan, bicameral legislation to target the growing national obesity epidemic. The Treat and Reduce Obesity Act that Senator Tom Carper (D-DE) introduced with Senator Murkowski - and in the House of Representative by Representatives Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and Ron Kind (D-WI) - would work to lower short- and long-term health care costs linked to o… Continue Reading

---

06.18.13

Murkowski’s Committee Work Reaps “Ten Point Plan” for Veterans Care

WASHINGTON, DC - Senator Lisa Murkowski today was pleased to address key Alaskan priorities for the state's military community through her work on the Military and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee - including an unprecedented attempt to address the vast backlog of veterans' benefits claims within the Veterans Administration (VA). In addition to getting the VA to better address its treatment of Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease) through adding language to the MilCon… Continue Reading

---

06.18.13

Sen. Murkowski Applauds Passage of Bill to Rename Mount McKinley

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today commended her colleagues on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee for helping advance legislation to officially restore the nation's tallest peak, Mount McKinley, to its traditional Koyukon Athabascan name, Denali. The energy panel on Tuesday approved the measure by voice vote, clearing it for consideration by the full Senate. (Photo credit: National Parks Service) "In Alaska, we don't refer to it as Mount McKinley; we… Continue Reading

---

06.18.13

Energy Committee Advances 12 Lands, Energy Bills to Full Senate

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today applauded her colleagues on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee for advancing 12 energy and lands bills out of the panel for consideration by the full Senate. "It's important to acknowledge the work that has gone into these bills, as some have been worked on for many years," said Murkowski, the ranking Republican on the panel. "To be able get to a point where we can move these bills out on a bipartisan basis really says … Continue Reading

---

06.18.13

Sen. Murkowski Delivered Keynote Address at EIA Annual Conference

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today delivered a keynote address during the Energy Information Administration (EIA)'s annual conference. The conference focused on current and future challenges facing domestic and international energy markets and policymakers. 2013 EIA Annual Conference Senator Lisa Murkowski June 18, 2013 "Good morning, and thank you, Adam, for that kind introduction. It is a true pleasure to be here. At this early hour I'm reminded of advice the Engl… Continue Reading

---

06.18.13

Murkowski Co-Sponsors Effort to Restrict Surveillance “Rubber Stamp”

WASHINGTON, DC - Senator Lisa Murkowski today joined a bipartisan effort to tighten the standards required for federal intelligence workers to be permitted to search through Americans' phone and/or Internet records - a practice recently dubbed "metadata surveillance." Murkowski's decade-long concern over surveillance activities have been borne out by recent reports that the government has collected millions of Americans' call data - who they are calling and for how long - as well as the appeara… Continue Reading

---

06.13.13

Murkowski Calls on White House to Expedite Disaster Funds for Alaskan Flood Victims

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Lisa Murkowski today wrote President Barack Obama to ensure Interior Alaskans recovering from receding spring flood waters and devastating damage are given the same federal assistance to help their communities recover as all others across the nation. In doing so, she stressed equal attention to Alaska's rural community needs, saying it would be wrong "to exclude these communities from individual assistance simply because they are small and remote." "This spring, whil… Continue Reading

---

06.13.13

Murkowski-Backed Measures Combating Sexual Assault Included in Defense Bill

WASHINGTON, DC - Senator Lisa Murkowski today expressed appreciation that language and provisions from a bill she co-sponsored to prevent military sexual assaults and protect victims has been included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) considered in the Senate Armed Services Committee this week. Key provisions from within bipartisan legislation cosponsored by Senator Murkowski - the Combating Military Sexual Assault Act introduced by Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Kelly Ayotte (… Continue Reading

---

06.12.13

Sen. Murkowski Delivers Keynote Address on Geological Impacts of U.S. Tight Oil Boom

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today delivered the keynote address at the Bipartisan Policy Center's event, "The Geopolitical Impacts of the U.S. Tight Oil Boom: Implications for OPEC and the U.S. Strategic Posture." The event is the first of four the BPC will host on the geopolitics of petroleum and natural gas over the course of 2013. The Geopolitical Impacts of the U.S. Tight Oil Boom Sen. Lisa Murkowski June 12, 2013 "Thank you, Senator Domenici for that wonderfu… Continue Reading

---

06.12.13

Murkowski Chides Washington, D.C. Dictating Rural Education Policies

WASHINGTON, D.C. - There are at least fifteen different and distinct federal definitions of 'rural' in the U.S. government - eleven alone from an agricultural policy perspective - and today Senator Lisa Murkowski argued for more sensible policies to address America's rural regions that reflects the needs of the nation's less populated areas. This priority was a driving force in Murkowski introducing The Educational Accountability and State Flexibility Act, which would take power from Washington… Continue Reading

---

06.11.13

Murkowski to Testify on Importance of Honoring Hmong Allies

ANCHORAGE, AK - Though Senator Lisa Murkowski is regularly the one posing questions towards U.S. Senate committee witnesses, Murkowski herself has been invited to testify tomorrow before the Veterans Affairs Committee about the value and importance of her bill that would give an enduring honor to Hmong covert operations volunteers who came to America's aid during the Vietnam War - by allowing these veterans to be buried in national cemeteries. During Vietnam, the CIA conducted covert operations… Continue Reading

---

06.11.13

Murkowski Works to Alaskanize No Child Left Behind Law

WASHINGTON, D.C. - As the United States Senate opens discussions this week on reauthorizing the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) education law, Senator Lisa Murkowski has introduced two pieces of legislation designed to improve the one-size-fits-all policies that are clearly not working for Alaska's students. The two bills she has introduced would work to address the frightening national level of high school dropouts and ensure accountability for billions in federal tax dollars, while allowing Alas… Continue Reading

---

06.10.13

Murkowski Fends Off ‘Beat the Clock’ Tactic, Gets One Month Eielson Hearings Reprieve

ANCHORAGE, AK - Senator Lisa Murkowski today welcomed the news that the United States Air Force will delay hearings on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement regarding their proposed downsizing of Eielson Air Force Base. The hearings were initially scheduled to begin next Monday - meaning only ten business days after the DEIS release - but now will be postponed until the week of July 15th, according to the Air Force's official Eielson DEIS website. "While I strongly disagree with the finding… Continue Reading

---

06.07.13

Murkowski: No “Blank Check” for Government on Privacy, Surveillance

WASHINGTON, DC - Ten years after urging Congress to rethink federal surveillance policies and address concerns about the potential infringement of civil liberties - beginning a decade of privacy rights vigilance on behalf of Alaskans - Senator Lisa Murkowski today shared her concerns with Alaskans at the Obama administration's far-reaching tracking of Americans phone call records and Internet data mining, saying: "Alaskans believe the government has no business snooping around our property, our… Continue Reading