11.10.11

Murkowski Comments on Western Gulf Lease Sale Announcement

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today released the following comment in response to the Interior Department's decision to significantly alter the standard lease terms for offshore oil and natural gas exploration in the upcoming Western Gulf of Mexico lease sale: "While I appreciate the administration's decision to make more potentially productive areas available for exploration, the changes in the lease terms raise real concerns. This lease sale nearly triples the exp… Continue Reading

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11.10.11

Murkowski: Pipeline Approval Delay Places Politics Above Jobs

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today issued the following comment in response to Obama administration's decision to delay approval of the Keystone XL pipeline: "There are literally hundreds of oil pipelines between the United States and Canada, carrying energy and commerce through two of the greatest allies and trading partners in world history," Murkowski said. "The idea that the administration cannot decide whether to allow for a badly needed expansion of this syst… Continue Reading

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11.10.11

Murkowski: Resistance to Energy Assistance Funds Falling With Mercury, Temps

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Lisa Murkowski today joined several Senate colleagues in a letter requesting that Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program fund levels stay stable for the upcoming year, and the drastic cuts proposed by the White House be rethought. After signing the letter, she gave the following statement: "On September 21st, I made a move in Committee to increase LIHEAP funds, and not have the most vulnerable Alaskans feel the brunt of cuts - especially when it's been proven tha… Continue Reading

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11.10.11

Murkowski Votes for Small Business Tax Repeal That Saves Alaska Millions

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Lisa Murkowski today voted to pass H.R. 674, the 3% Withholding Repeal and Job Creation Act, to repeal a three percent withholding tax on government contractors, set to become law in 2013, in a bipartisan effort to improve the economic planning being done by small businesses nationwide - and had the following statement afterwards: "I co-sponsored similar legislation in the Senate to repeal this very policy earlier this year because the costs are needless and trickle … Continue Reading

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11.10.11

Senate Passes Core Concepts of Murkowski/Murray “Hiring Heroes Act”

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Lisa Murkowski today voted in support of an amendment that contained most of the provisions of The Hiring Heroes Act of 2011, to provide much-needed relief to America's veteran community - currently suffering unemployment rates worse than the national average - and gave the following statement after her vote: "I am pleased that my Senate colleagues were able to come together for America's veteran community, who have always come through for us," said Murkowski. "But … Continue Reading

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11.10.11

Murkowski Wins Approval of Alaska-Related Energy Bills

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today won approval from the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee for two lands bills that will help facilitate energy projects in Alaska. The committee, on which Murkowski is the ranking member, passed legislation that would allow construction of a natural gas pipeline along the Parks Highway on the border of Denali National Park, and a small land exchange in the park to allow the National Park Service to permit the constructio… Continue Reading

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11.09.11

Murkowski: Review Questions Constitutionality of Bypass Mail Challenge

Senator Lisa Murkowski today welcomed a Congressional Research Service (CRS) analysis she requested on the Constitutionality of a provision to require the State of Alaska to pay the cost of bypass mail - as a Senate Committee considered wide-ranging postal reforms. On the heels of the analysis being released, the bipartisan postal reform bill passed out of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee without an amendment to charge Alaska for bypass mail. The CRS analysis det… Continue Reading

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11.09.11

Increasing List of Federal Regulations Drag on Economy

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski today took to the Senate floor to speak in favor of overturning two new federal regulations that threaten the economy at a time when the country can least afford it. Murkowski said she would support resolutions of disapproval against the Federal Communications Commission's Internet and Broadband rule and the Environmental Protection Agency's Cross-State Air Pollution Rule. "One of the key ways to create real jobs is by getting the federal government … Continue Reading

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11.08.11

Murkowski Welcomes News of Veteran Virtual Career Fair

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Lisa Murkowski today shared her appreciation with the Department of Veterans Affairs' decision to hold a national virtual job fair this Thursday, the day before America observes Veterans Day. "Alaska's veteran community is the highest per capita in the nation and they're spread across the state, requiring flying or driving great distances to seek job opportunities," said Murkowski. "This event lets those Alaskans with Internet access point and click their way to the … Continue Reading

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11.08.11

Murkowski: Proposed Lease Plan a Positive Sign

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today released the following statement in response to the Obama administration's release of its five-year offshore leasing plan for 2012-2017: "The lease sales the administration has proposed in the coming five years are a positive sign for our energy security. While the administration has not opened any new areas to leasing, I'm encouraged that they are moving forward with offering sales in both the Beaufort and Chukchi seas. Leasing is o… Continue Reading

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11.08.11

Murkowski: Economics Should Determine Market for U.S. Natural Gas

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today expressed her view that local and world economics should guide the potential exportation of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States. Murkowski made her comments during a Senate Energy and Natural Resources hearing on the issue Tuesday. "Not long ago, we feared that large-scale LNG imports would be necessary to meet our domestic demand," Murkowski said. "Suddenly, we have a considerable supply of natural gas, which can help… Continue Reading

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11.07.11

Alaska’s Proposed Military Postal Closures Based on “Data from the Clinton Administration”

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Lisa Murkowski questioned the United States Postal Service's decision-making process behind the proposed closure of the Eielson Air Force Base, Fort Wainwright and Elmendorf Air Force Base post offices. In a letter to Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe, she pointed out that not only is the USPS using 17-year old population data to make the determination, but also that both Fairbanks locations made money last year, calling the entire process' accuracy into question. Se… Continue Reading

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11.07.11

Murkowski To Hold “Tele-Town Hall” on Economy

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Lisa Murkowski today announced that she is holding an extra town hall this Thursday evening, via phone, on the economic challenges facing the nation and to hear from Alaskans who weren't able to make it to her three town halls in late October. The Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction - 12 members of Congress are tasked with finding $1.5 trillion in savings over the next decade - are currently reviewing all federal programs with a November 23rd deadline. This … Continue Reading

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11.05.11

Delegation Welcomes Cook Inlet Natural Gas Discovery by Escopeta

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Alaska congressional delegation today welcomed Escopeta Oil's discovery of an estimated 3.5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in Cook Inlet as a critical step in exploring Cook Inlet and vindication of the congressional delegation's efforts to address Jones Act issues related to the company's use of a foreign-flagged vessel to deliver a specialized drilling rig to Alaska. The discovery is good news for Southcentral residents, who face rising utility bills because of dec… Continue Reading

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11.04.11

Murkowski Welcomes New Alaska Communications Director

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Lisa Murkowski today announced Alaskan journalist Andrea Gusty is joining her staff as the Communications Director for Alaska. "Andrea is going to be a tremendous help in keeping Alaskans connected to the work of my office in Washington, DC, -- and vice versa," Murkowski said. "She has been serving Alaska for years through her reporting, and her commitment to the issues facing our state will continue in her new role." Originally from Aniak, Gusty comes to Sen. Murkow… Continue Reading

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11.04.11

Murkowski: EPA Should Aid Fairbanks in Meeting New Air Quality Requirements

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, sent a letter this week to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson urging her to reconsider the agency's refusal to provide grant assistance to the Fairbanks North Star Borough to meet new particulate matter standards (PM 2.5) for air quality. "In a community where electricity costs more than twice the national average; where the EPA has dragged its feet in permitting the restart of the Healy clean coal power plant; and … Continue Reading

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11.04.11

Murkowski “Cautiously Optimistic” in Bypass Mail Battle

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Lisa Murkowski today applauded the fact that the bipartisan postal reform bill introduced this week by members of the Senate committee with jurisdiction over the U.S. Postal Service - which does not make changes to the U.S. Postal Service's bypass mail service in Alaska. "We have a ways to go in terms of ensuring that this critical and unique Alaskan service continues to benefit urban and rural Alaska," said Murkowski. "But I am cautiously optimistic that my Senate c… Continue Reading

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11.03.11

Murkowski Statement on Today’s Competing Infrastructure Bills

Washington, DC - Senator Lisa Murkowski today voted for the S. 1786, the Long-Term Surface Transportation Extension Act - an alternative measure to S.1769, the American Jobs Act - which she voted against in back-to-back votes on the floor of the U.S. Senate, and had the following statement afterwards: "Alaska would have seen more work and funding from the Long-Term Surface Transportation Extension Act than the American Jobs Act, and the funds would have gotten to the state quicker without raisi… Continue Reading

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11.03.11

Delegation Questions Air Force on Civilian Personnel Decreases at Alaska Bases

WASHINGTON DC - Reacting to the announcement that the U.S. Air Force will be eliminating 53 jobs at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) and several at Eielson Air Force Base, the Alaska Congressional Delegation wrote a letter today to Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley and Chief of Staff of the Air Force Norton Schwartz expressing concern and asking for more details on the cuts to the workforce. The letter expresses concern with the decision to find budget cuts by arbitrarily laying … Continue Reading

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11.02.11

Universal Service Fund Reform Protects Alaska

WASHINGTON, DC - Alaska's Congressional Delegation remains committed to fighting for Alaskans to ensure that the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) reform of the Universal Services Fund (USF) continues to provide support for the telecommunications services in rural America, including rural areas of Alaska. The FCC voted on October 27 to reform the USF, part of a major effort to overhaul a system that was designed in the early days of the Internet, when services came through dial-up phon… Continue Reading