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 Holding Alaska National Parks Roundtable
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Sen. Lisa Murkowski will hold a roundtable panel discussion on expanding economic growth and employment opportunities in and around Alaska's National Parks. The event will be held Tuesday, April 3 at 2:00PM, at the University of Alaska Anchorage. The roundtable will look at opportunities to improve coordination and cooperation between federal agencies and local residents; ANILCA local hire issues; the Denali National Park and Preserve Park Road Vehicle Management Plan; the K… Continue Reading
03.24.12
New Icebreaker Major Step Forward for Chukchi and Beaufort Development
PORT FOURCHON, LA - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today celebrated the Christening of the Arctic-class offshore service vessel Aiviq. This state of the art, 360-foot icebreaker was commissioned by Shell and built by American workers in LaRose, Louisiana in over 2 million man-hours and is slated to support exploration in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas. It created or supported jobs in all 50 states and is capable of towing an aircraft carrier. "Today's christening of the icebreaker Aiviq… Continue Reading
03.24.12
Murkowski: Leasing Must Focus on Best Prospects
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today responded to the Obama administration's proposal to hold a lease sale in Cook Inlet as part of the 2012-2017 five-year plan. "I appreciate the president's newfound interest in increasing domestic production and his decision to offer leases in Cook Inlet. His interest would be most useful, however, if he focused on areas with the greatest resource potential. "For the past six years, I have worked to advance exploration of Alaska's no… Continue Reading
03.22.12
Murkowski Statement on Potential Courthouse Closings
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Lisa Murkowski today responded to the federal government's consideration of closing the Fairbanks, Ketchikan and Juneau courthouses. The three are on a master list of 60 courthouses in 29 states released by the government seeking cuts - thereby requiring all Alaskans involved with federal proceedings to fly to Anchorage. "Each federal courthouse location in America is reevaluated every two years, and that is a responsible, commendable policy for a government looking… Continue Reading
03.22.12
Murkowski Questions Commerce Secretary’s Focus on Fisheries
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Lisa Murkowski received an assurance from Commerce Secretary John Bryson that cost-cutting in the national fisheries will not result in a cut to the surveys and stock assessments in the Bering Sea or the Gulf of Alaska. She shared with him the harmful ripple effect of such a potential move: cuts would reduce the quality of the data, leading to greater uncertainty in the science, triggering lower catch limits and costing Alaska millions. Senator Murkowski opened her … Continue Reading
03.22.12
President's Cushing Visit Highlights His Continuing Obstruction of Keystone XL Project
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-AK, today joined Sens. John Hoeven, R-N.D.; Richard Lugar, R-Ind.; John Cornyn, R-Texas; Roy Blunt, R-Mo.; and David Vitter, R-La.; in criticizing President Obama's visit to Cushing, Oklahoma, saying it highlights his continued obstruction of the Keystone XL pipeline project while the economy languishes and gas prices continue to rise for American consumers. The senators were joined by Rep. Lee Terry, R-Nebraska, who has offered Keystone legislatio… Continue Reading
03.22.12
Murkowski Votes for STOCK Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Murkowski today voted for final passage of the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act of 2012 (the STOCK Act). The legislation - which contained most of the provisions from the original bill Murkowski co-sponsored - passed the U.S. Senate by an overwhelming 96-3 vote, and expressly prohibits elected officials and staffers from using nonpublic information they come across in their work for their own benefit. It now heads to President Obama's desk for his signatur… Continue Reading
03.21.12
Murkowski Questions TSA’s Kuspuk Policy
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Lisa Murkowski today asked the Transportation Security Administration head whether the TSA was sufficiently considering cultural sensitivities in their screening process. Her questions were inspired by Alaska TSA treatment of the traditional Alaska Native garment, the kuspuk - in NW Alaska Native communities called a qaspeq or Atikluk. Senator Murkowski shared the following anecdote and observation with TSA Administrator John Pistole today: "I was wearing a kuspuk… Continue Reading
03.21.12
Alaska's Army Presence to Remain Stable, U.S. Army General Tells Murkowski
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Lisa Murkowski today questioned United States Army Secretary John McHugh and Chief of Staff General Raymond T. Odierno, asking for certainty that while the Pentagon is envisioning widespread cuts in the Department of Defense, Alaska's Army presence will remain roughly equal to its current level. Senator Murkowski referred to comments Odierno made during a recent stop in Hawaii, asking "you mentioned that the number of soldiers that are assigned to the Pacific will gen… Continue Reading
03.21.12
Murkowski: Supreme Court Decision Provides for Review of EPA Compliance Orders
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today praised the U.S. Supreme Court's unanimous decision upholding the right of land owners to have a court review attempts to regulate use of their private property by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). "The Sacketts' story exemplifies the impact of EPA overreach on the personal property rights of Americans," Murkowski said. "Today is a good day for the rule of law and a validation not only of the concerns voiced by so many that … Continue Reading
03.21.12
Murkowski: TSA's "One Size Fits All" Approach Unfit For Alaska
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Lisa Murkowski today pressed Transportation Security Administration head John Pistole for answers about the TSA's approach in Alaska - through a series of questions ranging from sensitivity to passengers with special needs, to added safety expenses being passed along to consumers, to the security risk of Alaska Native traditional clothing. In a hearing of the U.S. Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, Murkowski opened up the exchange by questioning the… Continue Reading
03.16.12
Alaska Senators Question IHS on Village Built Clinics Resources
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senators Lisa Murkowski and Mark Begich sent a letter today to Dr. Yvette Roubideaux, Director of the Indian Health Service, asking for answers about the Village Built Clinics program in Alaska - and why the available funds aren't being directed to rural health concerns. "We respectfully request that you respond to us in writing regarding the Indian Health Service's failure to carry out its responsibilities to fully fund the leases IHS has entered into for Village Built Clini… Continue Reading
03.16.12
Murkowski Welcomes Progress on King Cove Access Road
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today issued the following statement on the release of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's environmental impact statement on construction of an emergency road to connect the remote communities of King Cove and Cold Bay. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued an environmental impact statement (EIS) on the land exchange without choosing a preferred alternative action, which allows a proposal to provide emergency surface access for King C… Continue Reading
03.16.12
Murkowski: Failure to Pursue Bill Allen Sends “Awful Message”
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator Lisa Murkowski questioned Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Bill Mueller about the lapsed investigation of former VECO head Bill Allen on sex trafficking charges. Given the FBI's partnership with the Anchorage Police Department in investigating the allegations against Allen, she asked Mueller if there is any reason the Justice Department has not moved forward on the case, adding "this has stunned people in Alaska who cannot understand why the Department of Justic… Continue Reading
03.15.12
Sen. Murkowski: 'All of the Above' Should Be More Than Rhetoric
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, went to the Senate floor today to speak about the importance of a rational energy policy, including serious steps to increase domestic oil production, and to respond to President Obama's comments on high energy prices. "It was a step forward for the President to embrace Republicans' long-standing calls for an 'all of the above' energy policy. But those remain words, not actions, on his part. And if today's speech is any indication, he does … Continue Reading
03.15.12
Murkowski: "Justice Should Be Blind, Not Blindly Ignored"
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Lisa Murkowski today introduced major bipartisan legislation, the Fairness in Disclosure of Evidence Act, designed to create a nationwide standard for disclosure of exculpatory evidence to defendants in federal courtrooms nationwide. Senator Daniel Inouye (D-IL) is the lead Democratic co-sponsor of the bill, introduced the same day as the release of U.S. District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan's report into prosecutorial misconduct in the 2008 trial of Senator Ted Stevens… Continue Reading
03.15.12
Murkowski Calls for VA Improvements in "Closer to Home" Care
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator Lisa Murkowski pushed for improved service for Alaska's widely-dispersed veteran community from Veterans Affairs Secretary Erik Shinseki - while expressing her appreciation to Shinseki for "incremental progress" in recent improvements in VA care provided Alaskans. "We've seen a 38% reduction in vets who have to travel out of state for care," observed Murkowski. "That's good progress, but as we've discussed there are still those who are sent outside to Seattle when ther… Continue Reading
03.14.12
Murkowski Continues Questioning Air Force on “Problematic” Eielson Proposal
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Lisa Murkowski today questioned Secretary of the United States Air Force Michael Donley and USAF Chief of Staff General Norton Schwartz on the reasoning behind their proposed move of the F-16 Aggressor Squadron from Eielson Air Force Base in Fairbanks to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage. Calling the proposal "problematic," Senator Murkowski asked General Schwartz, "We've currently got about 400 soldiers at J-BER already in temporary barracks. By relocatin… Continue Reading
03.14.12
Murkowski Spotlights Legacy Well Double Standard
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Lisa Murkowski today questioned Interior Department officials over the agency's failure to properly plug and clean up more than 100 abandoned federally-drilled oil wells in Northern Alaska. At a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Interior Subcommittee, Sen. Murkowski asked Bureau of Land Management Director Bob Abbey why it's taking the agency so long to remediate an estimated 137 abandoned wells that were drilled by the federal government, between 1944 to 1981, in … Continue Reading
03.14.12
Murkowski Transportation Fight Reaps Results for Alaska
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Murkowski today cast her vote for S.1813, MAP-21 (the Surface Transportation Bill), and came out of the process pleased that Alaska's needs were addressed after several rounds of negotiations with her Senate colleagues. Under this legislation, Alaskans will see: Funding of over $500M per year for highway programs; Unnecessary duplicative programs consolidated; Project delivery times improved by streamlining the environmental review process; Continued federal fin… Continue Reading
