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.
Sen. Murkowski Supports Limits to Legal Fee Reimbursement
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, has signed on as a cosponsor of legislation to restore to its original purpose a federal law that enables deserving parties who sue the federal government to be reimbursed for attorney's fees. Today, large and well-funded political activist groups who frequently use environmental laws to stop economic development are able to get taxpayers to reimburse their attorneys fees under the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA), a statute originally intended to help par… Continue Reading
06.30.11
Murkowski Welcomes PILT Payments to Alaskan Communities
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today announced that the Department of the Interior is distributing over $25 million to Alaskan communities in compensation for taxes that could not be levied on federal lands in their jurisdictions during fiscal year 2011. The Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program provides monetary compensation to local governments that contain National Forests, Bureau of Land Management public lands, National Parks and other lands dedicated to water re… Continue Reading
06.30.11
Murkowski Welcomes Sen. Lugar’s Efforts on Energy Legislation
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today made the following statement after Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN) introduced his Practical Energy Plan: "Senator Lugar has again introduced a thoughtful bill that would strengthen our energy security and help save significant amounts of energy. I'm particularly grateful that he's recognized the tremendous energy resources located in my home state of Alaska. I appreciate his continued efforts to develop practical solutions to our energy c… Continue Reading
06.30.11
Murkowski Lauds USPS Decision To Not Halt Juneau Processing
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Lisa Murkowski received a letter from the United States Postal Service Alaska District manager, informing her that Juneau mail processing operations will not be moved to Anchorage. This comes just a month after the USPS decided to move Alaska's Western Area Distribution Office to Denver. The Senator today issued the following response: "In this economy, the lack of bad news can be considered good news - especially when it comes to Alaska's already-hamstrung postal… Continue Reading
06.30.11
Murkowski Gets Follow Through for Vets, Base Construction Work
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Lisa Murkowski today succeeded in placing items in the 2012 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs appropriations bill that will reap physical, mental and emotional benefits for Alaska's military community - in the form of construction projects and a thorough vetting of the health care provided Alaska's veterans. "I'm proud of the language I included in this bill for Alaska's vets." said Murkowski. "It's more than words; it is a hard, tangible action for the men an… Continue Reading
06.29.11
Sen. Murkowski: Increased Oil Production Crucial to Future of TAPS
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski today released the following comment on the release of the Alyeska Pipeline Co.'s Low Flow Impact Study on the trans-Alaska oil pipeline: "This report clearly spells out the importance of finding and producing more oil to fill the pipeline if it is going to continue to operate consistently and provide the economic benefits the state and the country have come to rely on since 1977," Murkowski said. "This is why I have been pushing so aggressively to re… Continue Reading
06.29.11
Murkowski Bill Would Boost Alaska Village Development
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Lisa Murkowski today introduced the Native American Challenge Demonstration Act (NACDA) of 2011 - with co-sponsors Senators Mark Begich and Daniel Akaka (D-HI) - to create the same opportunities for America's First People that countries worldwide receive, in terms of U.S. investment. "There's a lot of talk about nation-building and sending American funds around the world to needy areas," said Senator Murkowski. "But Alaska Natives all too frequently face the same chall… Continue Reading
06.28.11
Murkowski: Cook Inlet Assessment Shows Region’s Promise
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today released the following statement in response to the U.S. Geological Survey's new assessment of natural gas and oil resources in Cook Inlet: "The new assessment is good news for Southcentral residents. If these estimates prove correct, and if companies continue to invest in the region, we should have a reliable, long-term supply of natural gas to meet local power needs. "Perhaps the best news is that this new estimate reflects major r… Continue Reading
06.28.11
Murkowski Criticizes FEMA Juneau Flood Mapping Process
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Lisa Murkowski is asking the Federal Emergency Management Agency to rethink its revised Juneau flood plain maps that could end up costing residents hundreds or thousands of dollars in flood insurance annually - in a letter sent today. "These proposed flood maps based on approximations and estimates will end up costing Juneau homeowners real money, all due to flawed science." At issue in the controversy is whether homeowners were informed sufficiently about the process… Continue Reading
06.23.11
Murkowski, Begich Announce Richardson Highway Mobile Office Stops
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senators Lisa Murkowski and Mark Begich today announced that members of their staffs will visit the communities of Delta Junction, Tok, Glennallen, Copper Center and Valdez from June 27-29, 2011. Congressional staff members hold mobile office hours throughout the summer to meet with constituents and community leaders. During their mobile office hours, staff representatives will be available to take casework requests and listen to constituent concerns about issues related to … Continue Reading
06.23.11
Murkowski Applauds House Passage of Legislation to Improve Offshore Permitting Process
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today congratulated the House of Representatives on passage of legislation to improve permitting of offshore oil and natural gas activity in Alaska and elsewhere. The House passed H.R. 2021, The Jobs and Energy Permitting Act, introduced by Rep. Cory Gardner, R-CO, by a vote of 253-166, with 23 Democrats supporting the legislation. "When we have companies that have to wait years to get a permit from the EPA, it's clear that the c… Continue Reading
06.23.11
Murkowski Calls Proposed SPR Sale Political Shortcut
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today released the following statement in response to the Obama administration's announcement that it would sell off 30 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) in an attempt to lower world oil prices: "It seems that the administration is tampering with the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to deflect attention from the continuing bad economic news and dodge political accountability. These reserves are not a polit… Continue Reading
06.22.11
Murkowski Responds to President Obama’s Speech on Afghanistan
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Tonight, President Obama addressed the nation with his plan to begin withdrawing American troops from Afghanistan. Senator Murkowski issued the following reaction: "Regardless of the number of soldiers the President decides to pull out of Afghanistan, it's critical that we begin the withdrawal as responsibly as possible. The last thing we want is for the drawdown to endanger our soldiers remaining there. I don't want to see that happen to Alaska's troops in action, … Continue Reading
06.22.11
Murkowski, Begich Announce Mobile Office Visits to Interior Alaska
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senators Lisa Murkowski and Mark Begich today announced that members of their staffs will visit the communities of Talkeetna, Cantwell, Healy, Anderson and Nenana from June 27-29, 2011. Congressional staff members hold mobile office hours throughout the summer to meet with constituents and community leaders. During their mobile office hours, staff representatives will be available to take casework requests and listen to constituent concerns about issues related to the … Continue Reading
06.21.11
Murkowski Votes In Favor of Panetta to Run Pentagon
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Murkowski voted in support of Leon Panetta to replace Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and oversee the Armed Forces starting July 1st, and said of her vote: "Mr. Panetta has served at the highest levels of government as Director of the Office of Management and Budget, White House Chief of Staff and Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. He possesses the high level experience and know-how the Obama administration needs to lead the Armed Services through… Continue Reading
06.21.11
Murkowski Stresses Need for Arctic Policy, Pledges Commitment
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Murkowski spoke to the "Symposium on the Impacts of an Ice-Diminishing Arctic on Naval and Maritime Operations" today in downtown Washington, D.C. - the culmination of four events casting a spotlight on Alaska's prominent role in leveraging America's status as an Arctic nation. "I believe that the pace of change in the Arctic demands that greater attention be focused on the region," Murkowski said towards the end of her speech today at the Navy War Memorial. "… Continue Reading
06.17.11
Murkowski Introduces Bill to Improve Offshore Permitting Process
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, has introduced legislation to improve permitting of offshore oil and natural gas activity in Alaska and beyond. The Offshore Energy and Jobs Permitting Act would stop the Environmental Protection Agency's internal appeals process from being used to kill projects through delay. "We need to end the practice of outside groups using the appeals board to veto offshore energy development in Alaska and elsewhere," Murkowski said. "The EPA … Continue Reading
06.16.11
Murkowski Testifies to Promote Accelerated NPR-A Drilling
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today testified before a House Natural Resources subcommittee on the importance of reforming permitting processes that have stalled responsible development of critical oil and natural gas resources in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A). While the Obama administration has promised to hold annual lease sales in NPR-A, the biggest obstacle to responsible oil and gas development is not the lack of leases but the inability of… Continue Reading
06.15.11
ALASKANS UNITED IN OPPOSITION TO NEW WILDERNESS
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Alaska's congressional delegation today sent the following letter to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar reminding him of his promise not to designate new wilderness areas in Alaska without the support of the state's elected representatives. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska: "I want to be unequivocally clear, there is no support from the Alaska delegation or the state of Alaska for any new legislative or administrative wilderness designations." Sen. Mark Begich, D-Alaska: "Th… Continue Reading
06.15.11
Murkowski, Wyden Introduce Bill Reforming CCFs for Fishermen
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senators Lisa Murkowski and Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) today introduced a bill that gives commercial fisherman - in Alaska, Oregon and those nationwide - added flexibility when it comes to funds they've set aside for renovations or new construction of their fishing boats. "Right now, the way this fishery finance program works is that we penalize fishermen in the wallet just as they're trying to retire," said Murkowski, the lead Republican sponsor of the bill. "By making a … Continue Reading
