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 Reintroduces Volcano Monitoring Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today reintroduced the National Volcano Early Warning and Monitoring Program Act, S. 566. The bill establishes a national volcano monitoring system that includes the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) in Anchorage and Fairbanks. "I introduced volcano monitoring legislation in 2009, as a result of the Mt. Redoubt volcano eruptions. While it brought awareness to the issue, the legislation did not become law, so I am reintroducing the bi… Continue Reading
03.12.11
Murkowski Delivers Weekly Republican Address
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) released the following weekly Republican address. The address is available in both audio and video format: Audio of the address is available here Video of the address will be available here You can download the address here Full transcript of Senator Murkowski's Address: "This is Lisa Murkowski, Senator for Alaska and lead Republican on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. "Our hearts and prayers are with the pe… Continue Reading
03.11.11
Murkowski Responds to President’s Comments on Rising Gas Prices
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today released the following statement in response to the President's comments on rising energy prices: "At a time when oil prices remain close to $100 a barrel, and nationwide gasoline prices are averaging more than $3.50 a gallon, American families and businesses want a plan that will lead to real relief at the pump. Today, the president failed to deliver that plan. "Among the most misleading statistics used by opponents of ne… Continue Reading
03.11.11
Murkowski Addresses the Need for a Long-Term Domestic Energy Policy
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, spoke on the Senate floor on the urgent need to develop a long-term energy policy for America that focuses on increasing domestic production and reducing overall consumption. Murkowski's prepared remarks are attached and the speech can be seen in its entirety at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Naow4PEGZkM. ###… Continue Reading
03.11.11
Murkowski Comments on the Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today commented on the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan: "I am deeply saddened by the news of the devastating earthquake and subsequent tsunami that struck Japan earlier today and my sincere condolences are with the Japanese people during this difficult time. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of those who have died and to those who are still waiting for information on the status of their loved ones." "The peo… Continue Reading
03.10.11
Murkowski Questions Attorney General Holder on Failure to Prosecute Bill Allen and Vows to Continue to Pursue the Issue
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today questioned Attorney General Eric Holder on the Department of Justice's failure to prosecute imprisoned former Veco CEO Bill Allen on federal charges of allegedly transporting a minor across state lines with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity during a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on the Department of Justice budget. On August 21, 2010, the Anchorage Daily News reported that "top officials of the U.S. De… Continue Reading
03.10.11
Murkowski Comments on Energy Efficiency Legislation
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today made the following opening statement during a hearing of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. "Mr. Chairman, thank you for convening this hearing today. We have two very different bills here to discuss. The first one, the Implementation of National Consensus Appliance Agreements Act (INCAAA), has been through several iterations, hearings, and markups over the last two years. This bill contains consensus agreem… Continue Reading
03.09.11
Murkowski Questions Need for Federal Government to Acquire More Land
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today questioned Interior Secretary Ken Salazar on why the Interior Department (DOI) was asking for a substantial increase in taxpayer funding to buy land now in private hands when it was cutting money, for the second year in a row, for long-overdue land conveyances in Alaska. "In order to fund these large increases for land acquisition DOI has cut other programs," Murkowski said. "The Bureau of Land Management's Alaska conveyance pr… Continue Reading
03.09.11
Murkowski Votes in Favor of H.R. 1 In an Effort to End Budget Stalemate
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U. S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today voted in favor of a measure that would fund the government through the end of Fiscal Year 2011 (FY11), which includes $57 Billion in cuts from last year's budget. "I voted for H.R. 1 because it was an important and necessary step to reach our ultimate goal of passing a budget for the remainder of the fiscal year," Murkowski said. "The package is clearly not the bill I would have written, but I felt it was essential to send a s… Continue Reading
03.08.11
Murkowski: Proposed SPR Sell-Off is Political Shortcut
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today released the following statement regarding calls to raid the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to attempt to lower rising oil prices: "The SPR is our nation's insurance policy against serious disruptions in oil supply. It is not a political lever to be pulled when rising prices at the gas pump demonstrate our lack of a coherent energy policy. Right now, we do not face a supply crisis, but we could very well in the near future i… Continue Reading
03.08.11
Murkowski Announces Additions to Staff
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, has announced two new additions to her legislative team in Washington, D.C. Murkowski has added Jeremy Price as her Legislative Assistant for appropriations, transportation and telecom issues, and Kristi Williams as her Legislative Assistant for Alaska Native and Indian Affairs. "As I continue to work for Alaska, I am glad to have the support of dedicated and hard-working staff," Murkowski said. "I look forward to the contributions… Continue Reading
03.08.11
EPA Adds Hardrock Mining Financial Assurances to Growing List of Agency Power Grabs
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today sent letters to Secretaries Salazar and Vilsack regarding actions by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) efforts to impose financial assurance requirements on hardrock mining operations. "The EPA has repeatedly sought to duplicate or supplant the jurisdictional activities of other federal agencies and the states," Murkowski said. "In this case, either the EPA has failed to look at the facts, agencies with existing progr… Continue Reading
03.05.11
Murkowski Concerned about Economic Impacts of Roadless Ruling
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today released the following comment on an Anchorage federal judge's decision to impose the 2001 roadless rule in the Tongass National Forest. "The decision further damages the economy in Southeast," Murkowski said. "The roadless rule was never intended to apply to the Tongass because ANILCA already set logging limits for the forest, as did the Tongass Timber Reform Act. This will make it all the more difficult for the few remaini… Continue Reading
03.04.11
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
