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 Celebrates 225th Anniversary of U.S. Constitution With Alaskans, Students
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today is U.S. Constitution Day, marking the 225th anniversary of its signing. Senator Lisa Murkowski today released the following reflection to Alaska and students learning American history statewide: (click to watch video) "Happy Constitution Day, Alaska. I think that the anniversary of our country ratifying this incredible document is a day worth celebrating - and a day of us remembering our roots over the last 225 years. "Just look at the first three words in the … Continue Reading
09.17.12
Murkowski Comments on Shell’s Revised Drilling Plan
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today made the following statement after Shell announced that it is revising its plans for the 2012-2012 exploration program, forgoing drilling into hydrocarbon zones this year: "I'm disappointed with the news, but believe Shell has made the right decision, keeping safety paramount," Sen. Murkowski said. "Arctic oil development is critical to the United States as we pursue independence from OPEC imports." "The events in the Middle East o… Continue Reading
09.14.12
Murkowski Conducting North Dakota Resource Tour
Senator Lisa Murkowski is traveling to North Dakota on Monday for a two-day tour of oil and natural gas development in that state's Bakken Region with Senator John Hoeven, her colleague on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. North Dakota and Alaska are national energy leaders, ranking, respectively, the second and third largest oil- producing states in the nation. The Senators will visit oil and natural gas production sites - including an oil rig, gas plant and rail station -- t… Continue Reading
09.13.12
Murkowski Protects Equal Footing for Rural Alaskan Energy Needs
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Lisa Murkowski's amendment that would clear the way for rural biomass energy demonstration projects (energy derived from plants/wood) to be allowed in Alaska passed unanimously in the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs today. The Committee was considering S1684, the Tribal Energy Bill, which contains a provision for tribes to participate in such projects - particularly tribes in the lower 48 - and Murkowski's amendment creates the same opportunities in Alaska for Nativ… Continue Reading
09.13.12
Alaska Delegation Lauds Commerce Fisheries Disaster Declaration
The Department of Commerce today declared a resource disaster for the Yukon River, Kuskokwim River and Upper Cook Inlet Chinook salmon fisheries - making future federal resources and aid possible for impacted regions. On behalf of Acting Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco shared the news with each member of Alaska's Congressional Delegation individually Thursday morning - with the Alaskan lawmakers responding in appreciation of th… Continue Reading
09.12.12
Murkowski Presses White House for Transparency on Federal Cuts
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Lisa Murkowski issued the following statement after the White House failed to meet the Congressionally-required September 7th deadline to inform Americans about wide-ranging budget cuts on the horizon - after she co-sponsored legislation imposing the deadline on the President: "The nation is currently facing over an undefined 100 billion in spending cuts to next year's federal budget, and the President has yet to indicate how and where these cuts will be made through… Continue Reading
09.12.12
Murkowski: We Need to Act Soon on Nuclear Waste Issue
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today made the following opening statement during a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on S. 3469, the Nuclear Waste Administration Act of 2012: "Mr. Chairman, thank you for holding this hearing on a topic that needs to be resolved in order for nuclear energy to play the role that it is capable of in meeting our energy needs. While I have been skeptical regarding the need to delay progress on resolving these issues whil… Continue Reading
09.12.12
Murkowski Condemns Attack of U.S. Consulate in Libya
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Lisa Murkowski had the following statement regarding the recent attacks on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, which took the lives of four Americans including the American Ambassador to Libya, John Christopher Stevens: "I condemn and am saddened by the violent death of four Americans in Benghazi, including our American Ambassador in Libya. Chris Stevens was a public servant who saw a senseless death while only trying to build bridges in a fragile part of the worl… Continue Reading
09.11.12
Murkowski Remembers September 11th
WASHINGTON, D.C. - As the United States Senate commemorated the 11th anniversary of the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks on America with the entire country, Senator Lisa Murkowski today released the following statement: "I remember, as many do, exactly where I was on this day eleven years ago. On that Tuesday morning the United States suffered a terrible attack that resulted in almost 3,000 immediate deaths. When we think of 9/11, we remember the shock, horror and feelings of helplessne… Continue Reading
09.11.12
Murkowski Honors Victoria Green, Theresa Huebler as Angels in Adoption
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Lisa Murkowski today congratulated Victoria Green and Theresa Huebler of Anchorage as 2012 Angels in Adoption for their outstanding parenting and advocacy for adoption in Alaska and nationwide. Green and Huebler took in two of four siblings as foster children and cared for them for an extended time. After a series of events - including the two foster kids being returned to their parents and Green's deployment abroad as a member of the Alaska Air National Guard - the … Continue Reading
09.10.12
Murkowski Responds to Japan’s $6M Tsunami Debris Contribution
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda announced this weekend that the Japanese government will provide $6 million to America's five Pacific coastal states and Canada's British Columbia province to help fund clean up efforts related to the 2011 Japanese earthquake and tsunami. Senator Lisa Murkowski had the following response to the news: "Countries on both sides of the Pacific are sharing the worries and risks connected to the Fukishima earthquake and tsunami, so I thank the Japanese governmen… Continue Reading
09.06.12
Murkowski: Small Communities Generating Big Energy Ideas
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Fresh off a tour of Yukon River communities, Sen. Lisa Murkowski said she is optimistic about the future of rural Alaska after seeing firsthand local efforts to address high energy costs. Sen. Murkowski spent three days in the Interior last week visiting communities on the upper and middle Yukon River, including Beaver, Stevens Village, Tanana, Ruby, Galena, Kaltag, Grayling and Holy Cross. Sen. Murkowski praised the initiative shown by Tanana and Ruby leaders to employ lo… Continue Reading
09.05.12
Murkowski Asks PACAF Commander: Is Eielson Downsizing Plan Continuing?
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Murkowski today sent a welcome letter to the incoming Commander of the Pacific Air Forces (PACAF), while taking the opportunity to lay out serious concerns about whether the Air Force is proceeding with plans to relocate the F-16 Aggressor Squadron away from Eielson Air Force Base near Fairbanks. Despite the Alaska Congressional Delegation being told on June 26th that the proposed relocation - and the considerable downsizing that would result from the staff shift to J… Continue Reading
09.04.12
Murkowski Sharing Alaskan Ideas at Arctic Parliamentarian Conference
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Murkowski is participating in the 10th Conference of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region this week, being held in Reykjavik, Iceland - including a presentation focused on "Economic Opportunities in the Arctic." In addition to hearing of the trends and latest approaches being used by other Arctic nations, Murkowski will use this occasion to educate the representatives about emerging opportunities in resource development, cargo shipping and tourism for Alaskans and th… Continue Reading
08.30.12
Sen. Murkowski Welcomes Decision Allowing Shell to Start Preparatory Work in Chukchi Sea
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today released the following comment regarding the decision by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) to allow Shell to conduct preparatory work in the Chukchi Sea this summer. "Today's decision is a positive step that will allow Shell to begin necessary preparatory work, while maintaining the highest environmental standards to ensure the protection of the Arctic," Murkowski said. "While we would all like to see a disc… Continue Reading
08.27.12
Senators Murkowski, Wyden Wrap Up Energy Tour of Alaska
WASHINGTON, DC - Senators Lisa Murkowski and Ron Wyden (D-OR) wrapped up a wide-ranging, bipartisan tour of Alaska's energy resources today, as part of an ongoing study of energy-producing regions of the United States. Senator Wyden made the trip at the invitation of Senator Murkowski, the top Republican on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Depending on how the 2012 elections impact the political balance of the Senate, either Murkowski or Wyden is poised to be the committee's ne… Continue Reading
08.22.12
Alaska Delegation Backs Parnell Request For Federal Fisheries Disaster Declaration on Upper Cook Inlet Salmon Runs
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Concerned with low Chinook salmon returns throughout the state, the Alaska Congressional delegation today wrote to Acting Secretary of Commerce Rebecca Blank in support of Alaska Governor Sean Parnell's request for a disaster declaration for the Upper Cook Inlet region. This letter (attached) of support comes after Governor Parnell requested federal assistance to address the immediate needs of fishermen and businesses that depend on the fisheries in the Kenai, Susitna and oth… Continue Reading
08.22.12
Alaska Delegation Protests Administration Decision to Lockup 11.8 Million Acres of Petroleum Reserve
WASHINGTON,D.C. - U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Mark Begich (D-Alaska), and Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) today sent a letter to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar protesting a proposed land management plan for the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A) that represents the largest land withdrawal by the federal government in decades. If allowed to stand, the Interior Department's decision to place half of the 23.5 million acre petroleum reserve under special protection status would block ac… Continue Reading
08.22.12
Murkowski Commemorates 70th Anniversary of Attu Invasion, Village Sacrifice
WASHINGTON,D.C. - Senator Lisa Murkowski this week traveled with U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral Thomas Ostebo to Alaska's Aleutian Islands - including to Attu - to dedicate apermanent memorial that honors the sacrifice of the Attu villagers on the 70th anniversary of Attu being invaded by Japanese troops. Sen. Murkowski with Rear Admiral Thomas Ostebo at the Attu Village 70th Anniversary Memorial (Click image or HERE for video of the dedication, click HERE for photo gallery) On Sunday, Jun… Continue Reading
08.21.12
Sen. Wyden to Tour Alaska Energy Facilities at Invitation of Sen. Murkowski
WASHINGTON, D.C. -Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) will spend the weekend showing Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) around Interior and Southcentral Alaska to discuss energy and public lands policies with her colleague on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. The senators will hold media availabilities in Chena, Kenai and Anchorage while they are in Alaska. The visit, which begins in Fairbanks on Saturday, is an opportunity for Sen. Murkowski to acquaint Sen. Wyden with Alaska's vast and var… Continue Reading
