07.15.10

Murkowski Votes for Federal Spending Cuts

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today supported a plan by fellow Republican members of the Senate Appropriations Committee that would have taken a first step towards significantly reducing federal spending in the fiscal year that begins October 1, 2010. The Republican proposal sought to slow the growth of federal spending by slashing $20 billion from President Obama's budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2011, essentially freezing discretionary spending at last year's levels. … Continue Reading

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07.15.10

Murkowski Opposes Financial Regulatory Reform Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today released the following statement after voting against the financial regulatory reform bill, which passed the Senate 60 - 39: "Everyone agrees that reform of Wall Street is necessary, but this legislation doesn't do that. It is disturbing to me that this bill has garnered the support of the very banks that helped bring on the financial disaster and is opposed by the community banks, credit unions and small businesses that had nothing t… Continue Reading

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07.15.10

Sen. Murkowski Comments on the Passing of Maurice “Mo” Bailey

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today issued the following statement upon learning of the passing of Maurice "Mo" Bailey, founder of Veterans Aviation Outreach, president of Vietnam Veterans of America Mat-Su Chapter 903 and 2007 recipient of the Alaska Governor's Veterans Advocacy Award: "I am profoundly saddened by the loss of my dear friend, Maurice "Mo" Bailey, who will long be remembered as one of Alaska's most significant veterans' leaders. Mo reminded us through h… Continue Reading

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07.14.10

Senate Passes Murkowski-Boxer Legislation to Extend Moratorium on Discharge Permits for Commercial Vessels

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Legislation that would extend the current moratorium on a permit requirement for commercial and charter fishing vessels and other commercial vessels under 79 feet long, sponsored by U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Barbara Boxer, D-California, passed the Senate tonight by unanimous consent. The bill would provide these commercial vessels a three-year moratorium extension from permits for discharges under the Clean Water Act. Two years ago, in the 110th Congress, bipa… Continue Reading

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07.14.10

Sen. Murkowski Reacts to White House Stimulus Report

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Vice Chair of the Senate Republican Conference, released the following statement in response to the White House's report on the Democrats' trillion dollar stimulus package: "While the Democrats tout their new report on stimulus spending most Americans are wondering: where are the jobs? The unemployment rate still hovers in the double digits in several states and many job seekers have simply given up trying to find work. "My constituents… Continue Reading

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07.14.10

Murkowski Supports Bill to Rescind Onerous Health Care Law Tax Burden on Small Businesses

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today signed on to legislation that would rescind an onerous tax reporting burden on small businesses that was included in the new government health care takeover law. A provision in the new law requires any business that purchases more than $600 of goods or services from another business to submit a 1099 tax form to the IRS. The mandate will take effect at the end of next year and will result in small businesses paying the government $17 b… Continue Reading

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07.13.10

Sen. Murkowski Introduces Bills to Increase Hydropower Generation

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today introduced two pieces of legislation aimed at increasing the production of electricity from renewable hydropower and creating badly needed jobs in America's energy sector. The Hydropower Improvement Act and the Hydropower Renewable Energy Development Act would boost federal support for hydropower projects. "We have an incredible amount of hydropower potential in my home state of Alaska, and elsewhere in the country," Murkowski said. … Continue Reading

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07.07.10

Murkowski Comments on Donald Berwick Recess Appointment

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today commented on the White House recess appointment of Donald Berwick to be Director of the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): "Appointing Donald Berwick before the Senate even holds a hearing on his confirmation represents breath-taking arrogance on the part of President Obama. This year, CMS will disburse $803 billion in benefits - making the agency larger than the economies of Denmark, South Africa and Israel combined. … Continue Reading

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07.04.10

Sen. Murkowski’s Independence Day Message

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In observance of Independence Day, U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, issued the following statement: "July 4th is a day when all Alaskans join together in celebrating what makes America great. From the panhandle to the Arctic, we mark Independence Day with community gatherings, parades and picnics. As we come together today, let us remember that the freedoms we enjoy as Americans are not free. The men and women of our armed forces put their lives on the line daily to ensure… Continue Reading

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07.02.10

Murkowski to Oppose Kagan Nomination

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today announced that she intends to oppose the nomination of Solicitor General Elena Kagan to the United States Supreme Court: "Over the past week I think those who followed the hearings came to appreciate Ms. Kagan's talents as a law teacher. She has a great command of Supreme Court precedents and strived to explain them in plain language. Yet, as Ms. Kagan acknowledges, the cases that come before the Supreme Court are difficult in nature… Continue Reading

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07.01.10

Proposed Changes to Sealaska Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Following a dozen town meetings and the review of hundreds of comments and suggestions, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski today presented her recommendations for changes in a bill to permit the Sealaska Native Regional Corp. to finalize its ANCSA land selections in Southeast Alaska. Murkowski is proposing a major rewrite of the bill, removing all lands on northern Prince of Wales Island from possible timber selection to meet the concerns of Port Protection and Point Baker residents.… Continue Reading

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07.01.10

Alaska and Hawaii Senators Disappointed that No Field Hearings on Postal Service Five-Day Delivery Proposal Will Be Held in Their States

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski, Mark Begich, Daniel Inouye and Daniel Akaka today expressed their disappointment that the Postal Regulatory Commission is unable to schedule field hearings in Alaska and Hawaii on a Postal Service proposal to reduce mail delivery to five days a week. The Commission has held hearings in seven cities in the Lower 48 on the proposal. In a letter last month to Ruth Y. Goldway, Chairman of the Commission, the senators said that mail delivery is differen… Continue Reading

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06.30.10

Sen. Murkowski Welcomes Board's Decision on Yucca Mountain

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, applauded yesterday's decision of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Atomic Safety and Licensing Board denying the Department of Energy's motion to withdraw its application for a high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. "This decision affirms what many of us have long suspected - that the Department of Energy does not have the authority to withdraw the license application," Murkowski said. "The department did their p… Continue Reading

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06.30.10

VA Offers Service Medallions for Grave Markers

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced that it will soon make available, at no cost, bronze medallions which can be affixed to privately purchased headstones or grave markers of Veterans who died on or after November 1, 1990, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said today. According to VA Secretary Eric Shinseki, families of veterans who are not buried in a national or state Veterans cemetery will be able to obtain the medallion which will recognize the deceas… Continue Reading

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06.30.10

Murkowski Comments on Confirmation of Gen. Petraeus

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today made the following comment after the Senate voted unanimously to confirm Gen. David Petraeus to command U.S. forces in Afghanistan: "I am pleased that President Obama selected Gen. David Petraeus to advance our vital mission in Afghanistan. There is no doubt that the road to success in Afghanistan has been, and continues to be, difficult. But Gen. Petraeus proved his ability to roll back an insurgency during the 2007 force build-up in… Continue Reading

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06.29.10

Sen. Murkowski Introduces Legislation to Help Spill Victims in the Gulf

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, has introduced legislation to address a number of pressing issues raised by the ongoing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, including a provision to expedite payments to those most affected by the spill. The Oil Spill Compensation Act of 2010 would authorize the president to set the strict liability cap for offshore oil and gas projects on a case-by-case basis at the time of lease using a set of criteria, including a company's safety record a… Continue Reading

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06.28.10

Murkowski Applauds Supreme Court Ruling on Gun Owner Rights

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today issued the following statement after the United States Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, struck down Chicago's handgun ban as an unconstitutional encroachment on right to keep and bear arms. The Court held that firearm possession is a fundamental constitutional right. Therefore, courts across the land are empowered to strike down state and local weapon laws that infringe on this basic right. Murkowski had signed a friend-of-the-court b… Continue Reading

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06.28.10

Murkowski Remembers Sen. Robert Byrd

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today made the following comment on the passing of U.S. Sen. Robert Byrd, D-West Virginia: "It is a sad day in the Senate for we have lost an institutional legend, West Virginia's Robert C. Byrd, our Nation's longest serving Senator. A giant of the Senate, he was a staunch protector of its constitutional role and prerogatives and always kept a copy of the United States Constitution in his breast pocket, closest to his heart. A son of the de… Continue Reading

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06.25.10

Murkowski Calls For Greater Icebreaker Capacity After Coast Guard Announces Loss of U.S. Icebreaker Capability

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Coast Guard today told Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, that the U.S. Coast Guard Icebreaker POLAR SEA, the nation's only functioning heavy icebreaker, will be unavailable for service until at least January 2011 due to engine problems. As a result, the Coast Guard has had to cancel a scheduled fall 2010 Arctic patrol and likely will have to cancel other missions through January 2011. "On a national level, this eliminates the nation's only heavy icebreaking capability and … Continue Reading

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06.24.10

Murkowski Announces Senate Passage of Tribal Law and Order Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today announced that the Senate has passed the Tribal Law and Order Act. The legislation, which passed the Senate Wednesday night by unanimous consent, would improve law enforcement and the justice system on Indian reservations in the Lower 48. Murkowski, a senior member of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, included several provisions in the bill that would address the lack of law enforcement in Alaska's rural communities. One of he… Continue Reading