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 Questions Secretary Salazar over Punitive Fees on Oil Leases
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, on Wednesday questioned Interior Secretary Ken Salazar on whether the Department of Interior will fine energy companies for failing to produce oil and natural gas on federal leases if those companies have been blocked from exploration or production by the actions of federal agencies. Exploration projects by ConocoPhillips - the CD-5 field in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska - and Shell have been stalled because of federal obstru… Continue Reading
03.03.11
Murkowski Questions Department of Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano on Issues Important to Alaska
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, during a Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee hearing yesterday, questioned Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano regarding a recent incident involving Alaska State Representative Sharon Cissna and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. On a return trip to Juneau, Alaska, Rep. Cissna, a breast cancer survivor, passed through TSA's full body image… Continue Reading
03.03.11
Murkowski: Five Ways to Boost America’s Oil Production
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, delivered a speech on the floor of the Senate today focusing on ways to improve America's energy policy, particularly the need for greater domestic oil production. The prepared remarks are attached and the speech can be viewed here. The combination of international events and domestic policy restrictions threaten both America's economic recovery and national security. Unrest and instability abroad have pushed oil prices to their hig… Continue Reading
03.03.11
Murkowski Commends NOAA for Resolution of State Boundary Conflict
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, today commended the National Ocean Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for cooperating with the state of Alaska on resolving a dispute over state water boundaries. NOAA acting under authority of the U.S. Baseline Committee, redefined the baseline and various offshore lines that determine state and federal waters off of Alaska. Some of Alaska's state water cod fisheries were to take place in these areas and would have been seriously disrupted by … Continue Reading
03.03.11
Murkowski Questions Forest Service Spending, Timber Sales
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today made the following comments to Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell in her opening statement at the Senate Energy and Natural Resource Committee's hearing on the service's 2012 budget proposal: "Once again the Forest Service is recommending changes to the budget structure, including the combination of a significant number of programs into the Integrated Resource Restoration account. "Given the difficulty the Forest Service seem… Continue Reading
03.02.11
Murkowski Votes in Favor of Continuing Resolution to Avoid Government Shutdown
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today voted to continue providing funding for federal government operations until March 18, 2011, including $4 billion in spending cuts, and issued the following statement: "I am pleased to see such a bi-partisan effort, as the Senate voted 91-9 to continue funding the government until March 18th. This budget resolution contains spending reductions that help as we deal with overall federal spending. Today's action is a positive dev… Continue Reading
03.02.11
Murkowski Questions Proposed Budget for Interior Department
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today made the following statement during the Department of Interior fiscal year 2012 budget hearing in the Senate Energy and Natural Resource Committee: "Chairman Bingaman, thank you for scheduling this hearing. "Before we begin, I would like to note with sadness the recent passing of former Chairman Jim McClure. Chairman McClure's strong work ethic and sense of fairness is a vital part of this Committee's legacy. He was one o… Continue Reading
03.01.11
Murkowski: Pace of Offshore Permitting Remains Priority
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, commented on the Interior Department's issuance yesterday of the first deepwater oil drilling permit since the Gulf of Mexico oil spill: "Yesterday's announcement is the first step to putting us back into the race for greater energy security and economic recovery," Murkowski said. "While this approval for a bypass well isn't the new exploration we need to see, this does put the administration closer to compliance with the law as dir… Continue Reading
03.01.11
Murkowski: Rising Oil Prices Threaten Economic Recovery
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today commented on the rapid increase of gasoline prices and the resulting impact on the United States' struggling economic recovery. "The recent dramatic increase in the cost of gasoline has an effect on every single American - from soccer moms, to senior citizens, to college students," Murkowski said. "The fragile recovery trajectory that we're on is threatened by the hits that every family is facing due to skyrocketing prices at th… Continue Reading
03.01.11
Murkowski Delivers Keynote Speech at ARPA-E Summit
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today gave the following speech at the ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit in Washington, D.C. "Good morning and thank you, Secretary Chu, for the invitation to join you here today. As I look around the room, I'm reminded of an observation by the astronomer Carl Sagan, who once wrote, "We live in a society exquisitely dependent on science and technology, in which hardly anyone knows anything about science and technology." I think w… Continue Reading
02.28.11
Murkowski Comments on Libya
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today released the following statement on the situation in Libya: "I strongly condemn the actions taken by Colonel Moammar Gadhafi and his regime. Libya, like many other North African countries is in the midst of generational political change. Col. Gadhafi's 42- year reign has come to a tipping point. I support recently imposed sanctions by the United Nations, United States and the European Union on the Libyan government, and ho… Continue Reading
02.24.11
Murkowski Gives Annual Address to Alaska State Legislature
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, delivered her annual address to the Alaska State Legislature today in Juneau. In her speech, Murkowski highlighted the urgent need to increase production from the state's northern oil fields to keep declining oil throughput from forcing a permanent shutdown of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System. Attached is the full text of her speech, as prepared for delivery. ###… Continue Reading
02.23.11
Murkowski Calls On Tsa To Clarify Screening Policy
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today sent a letter to Transportation Security Administration Administrator John Pistole requesting the TSA immediately clarify it's screening policy for airline passengers with special medical conditions. Murkowski sent the letter following an incident on Sunday at Seattle's airport involving Alaska state Rep. Sharon Cissna, D-Anchorage, a breast cancer survivor who was singled out for an invasive pat-down search by TSA agents after… Continue Reading
02.18.11
Murkowski: Stevens Crash Prompts Senate to Tighten Inspections of Aircraft Emergency Locator Transmitters
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Acting on a federal safety recommendation stemming from the airplane crash that claimed the life of former U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, the Senate late Thursday approved a proposal to ensure that aircraft emergency locator transmitters (ELT) are properly mounted and maintained, according to U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. During its inspection of the Stevens crash last summer, which also claimed the lives of pilot Theron "Terry" Smith, William "Bill" Phillips S… Continue Reading
02.18.11
Murkowski Comments on Sen. Jeff Bingaman’s Retirement
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today released the following reaction to the news that New Mexico Democratic Sen. Jeff Bingaman, chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, plans to announce that he will not run for re-election. "I have very much enjoyed my time working with Chairman Bingaman on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee," Murkowski said. "He has been an honest partner in developing legislation, and under his leadership there's b… Continue Reading
02.17.11
Murkowski Disappointed That TSA Caved to PETA Pressure
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today expressed disappointment that the Transportation Security Administration has cancelled its planned recruitment efforts at the 2011 Iditarod Sled Dog Race due to pressure from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). In a letter to TSA Administrator John S. Pistole, Murkowski said the Iditarod captures "the spirit of Alaska and our State's rich history," and urged Pistole to reconsider the agency's decision. Murk… Continue Reading
02.17.11
Murkowski Welcomes Senate Defeat of Amendment to Eliminate Essential Air Service
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today welcomed the Senate's defeat, 61 to 38, of an amendment by U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, to eliminate the nation's Essential Air Service (EAS) program. Forty four communities across Alaska receive EAS subsidies. In a Senate floor speech earlier this week, Murkowski said elimination of the air service would be an "economic and transportation disaster" for Alaska, arguing that, unlike the rest of the nation, most of Alaska's EA… Continue Reading
02.16.11
Murkowski Announces Military Will Extend JPARC Comment Period
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today announced that the military granted a two-week extension of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) comment period for proposed enhancements to the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex (JPARC). In a phone call with Murkowski, Lt. Gen. Dana Atkins, Commander, Alaskan Command, said the military would extend the comment period through March 4, 2011. "While I understand the JPARC's unique value to the state and our nation's military, I … Continue Reading
02.16.11
Murkowski Cautions EPA Officials Against Overreaching with Bristol Bay Watershed Assessment
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In a letter sent today to the head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, cautioned the federal agency against overreaching in its assessment of the Bristol Bay watershed and prejudging any project prior to the release of a detailed development plan and the completion of a full scientific analysis of potential impacts. "I believe the EPA should commit now to refraining from exercising a veto of development in the Bristol Bay area at… Continue Reading
02.16.11
Murkowski Questions Need for Increases to Energy Department Budget
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today made the following opening statement at the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on the Energy Department budget for fiscal year 2012: "Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'm pleased to be here today as we gather to organize the Committee for the 112th Congress and hold our first hearing as a reorganized entity. "I'd like to welcome the Senators who are returning from last Congress, as well as our unusually high number o… Continue Reading
