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.
Senators Send Letters in Support of Kensington Mine
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Mark Begich, D-Alaska, on Monday sent two letters to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers urging the agency to quickly complete permitting of the Kensington gold mine in Southeast Alaska. The first letter detailed the senators' concerns with recent efforts by the Environmental Protection Agency to intercede in the permitting of the mine, despite a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that the Corps was the proper permitting agency. … Continue Reading
08.03.09
Murkowski Saves Program to Help Alaska Communities Facing High Energy Costs
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, successfully turned back an effort by the White House and a leading senator to strike a $17.5 million high energy cost grant program important to Alaska rural communities that was included in a $124.5 billion Senate Agriculture Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2010 under debate in the Senate. U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, offered an amendment to strike the high energy cost provision sponsored by Murkowski, saying that the g… Continue Reading
08.03.09
Sen. Murkowski’s Statement on the Passing of Lu Young
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, released the following statement on the passing of Congressman Don Young's wife, Lu: "Verne and I were deeply saddened to learn of the sudden passing of Lu Young, a true Alaskan who loved her state and its people dearly. Anyone who visited Congressman Young's Washington, D.C., office was wrapped in the presence of Lu Young, and the office will not be the same without her. "Lu and Don were a true team, and her presence was fel… Continue Reading
07.31.09
Delegation Announces Grants and Contracts to Alaska Programs
Washington, D.C. - The Alaska Congressional Delegation is pleased to announce the following grants and contracts awarded to communities in the State of Alaska: U.S. Department of Agriculture: $154,875 to the City of Kasaan in order to complete a Preliminary Engineering Report and Environmental Report to design a new water treatment plant and water tank. $75,000 to the Kokhanok Village Council in order to complete a Preliminary Engineering Report and an Environmental Report for a p… Continue Reading
07.31.09
Town Halls to Take Place in Fairbanks, Anchorage, Wasilla and Soldotna
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, told several thousand Alaskans during a "Telephone Town Hall" meeting Thursday night that she will hold four Alaska-based town hall meetings focused on health care during the August congressional recess. The town hall meetings will occur on Thursday, August 13 in Fairbanks; Thursday, August 20 in Anchorage; Friday, August 28 in Wasilla and Saturday, August 29 in Soldotna. Murkowski announced the Alaska town hall meetings while on… Continue Reading
07.31.09
Murkowski Calls on Obama Administration to Use Unspent Stimulus Money to Continue 'Cash for Clunkers' Program
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today called on the Secretaries of the Treasury and Transportation to consider using economic stimulus package money to continue the Cash for Clunkers program, which has run out of money after only one week. In a letter to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, Murkowski noted that last week's rollout of the program was delayed in Alaska, thanks to a computer glitch on a federal website that te… Continue Reading
07.31.09
Murkowski, Begich Staffs to Visit Tanana Valley State Fair
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R- Alaska, and Mark Begich, D-Alaska, today announced that members of their staffs will be on site at the Tanana Valley State Fair from August 7-15, 2009, to meet with constituents as part of their 2009 mobile office tour. Mobile office staff will be available at the fair from noon - 10:00 p.m. Congressional staff hold mobile office hours in Alaska in order to meet with constituents and community leaders. During their mobile office hour… Continue Reading
07.30.09
Murkowski Calls for Quick Resumption of Alaska Offshore Leasing
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today called on Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to complete as quickly as possible the environmental impact analysis required by the DC Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals to allow oil and gas leasing off the coast of Alaska to resume. "As I understand it, Interior started the environmental analysis almost immediately after the court's initial ruling this spring, which halted the leasing plan," Murkowski said. "Given that an analysis r… Continue Reading
07.29.09
Murkowski Announces Senate Passage of Funding for Alaska Projects in the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. - More than $54 million in projects for Alaska has been included in the Energy and Water Development spending bill that cleared the full Senate today, according to U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. The Energy and Water Development appropriations bill, which passed by a 85-9 vote, must now be reconciled with the House-passed version. The bill includes $11.96 million for the Denali Commission. The Denali Commission money woul… Continue Reading
07.29.09
Murkowski Urges Obama Administration to Send in Federal Health Personnel to Help Alleviate Medicaid Moratorium Patient Backlog
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today asked Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to send in federal reinforcements to ensure that disabled, elderly and low income Alaskans are able to access critical in-home care services. In a phone call with and follow-up letter to Sebelius, Murkowski asked the Secretary to send U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps doctors, nurses and other health professionals to Alaska to eliminate the backlog affecting pa… Continue Reading
07.29.09
Murkowski Secures Funding for Anchorage’s Abused Women’s Shelter
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, secured $200,000 for the Abused Women's Aid in Crisis, or AWAIC, shelter in Anchorage in a Fiscal Year 2010 appropriations bill that cleared the Transportation and Housing and Urban Development Subcommittee today. "This funding will help AWAIC make needed structural repairs to its facility so they can continue providing a safe haven for victims of domestic violence," said Murkowski, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. The Tr… Continue Reading
07.29.09
Murkowski Donates Library of Congress Books to Alaska Schools
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today announced donations of books from the Library of Congress to rural school districts in the unorganized areas of the state that have few local resources available for book purchases. In recent weeks, Sen. Murkowski has sent new books and maps to the Alaska Gateway, Bering Strait, Delta-Greely, Kashunamiut, Kuspuk, Lower Kuskokwim, Lower Yukon, Pribilof and Southeast Island school districts. Over the coming weeks and months, Sen. Mur… Continue Reading
07.29.09
Murkowski Requests Indian Affairs Hearing on 8(a) Contracting Preferences
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today called on the Senate Indian Affairs Committee to hold a hearing this fall on the Native American 8(a) program. Murkowski is a member and former vice-chair of the panel. In a letter to Committee Chairman Byron Dorgan, D-ND, and Vice Chairman John Barrasso, R-WY, Murkowski referenced a July 16, 2009, hearing chaired by Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-MO, on "Contracting Preferences for Alaska Native Corporations." McCaskill chairs the Subco… Continue Reading
07.29.09
Delegation Letter Details Flaws in EPA's Position on Kensington Mine
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Mark Begich, D-Alaska, today sent a letter to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson urging her agency to clear the way for development of the Kensington gold mine near Juneau, which could create hundreds of jobs for a region hard-hit economically. The letter detailed the senators' concerns with EPA's position on the mine and cited factual and legal flaws in the agency's arguments opposing Coeur Alaska's tailings permit for the mine. T… Continue Reading
07.28.09
Murkowski Announces $16.8 Million in Funding for Alaska Projects in Appropriations Bill for Health, Education and Labor Departments
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Nearly $17 million in projects for Alaska has been included in a $163.1 billion Fiscal Year 2010 appropriations bill that cleared the Senate Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Subcommittee today, announced U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. The bill is scheduled for a vote by the full appropriations panel Thursday before moving to the Senate floor for consideration. Funding for the Denali Commissi… Continue Reading
07.27.09
Senate Passes Feingold-Murkowski Effort to Help Wounded Troops
Washington, D.C. - Last week, the U.S. Senate passed a Defense authorization bill, which included a bipartisan amendment offered by Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) to help troops transitioning to civilian life and to ensure forces here at home are better prepared to respond to emergencies. The amendment, based on their bipartisan Wounded Warrior Transition Assistance Act, will help ensure wounded service members of the Guard and Reserves are not discharged before their i… Continue Reading
07.27.09
Murkowski and Landrieu Introduce OCS Revenue Sharing Legislation
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Mary Landrieu, D-Louisiana, have introduced legislation that would guarantee a fair share of offshore oil and natural gas revenue to coastal states. The Domestic Energy Security Act of 2009 provides coastal states, including Alaska, a 37.5-percent stake in energy development off their shores. "This bipartisan bill will serve as the foundation for Alaska and other states to balance local economic and environmental concerns wit… Continue Reading
07.26.09
Murkowski Comments on Inauguration of Sean Parnell as Governor of Alaska
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today congratulated Sean Parnell on being inaugurated Governor of Alaska: "I congratulate Governor Parnell on his inauguration as Alaska's new governor. Our state faces many opportunities and challenges, and I'm confident that Governor Parnell will hit the ground running. I look forward to working with Governor Parnell as we move the state forward." # # #… Continue Reading
07.24.09
Murkowski Clarifies Confusion over Alaska's Eligibility in 'Cash for Clunkers' Program
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said today that Alaskans can participate in the Cash for Clunkers program, despite a glitch on a U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) website that generated confusion over whether Alaska was eligible. Murkowski received numerous phone calls today from Alaska auto dealers concerned that Alaska was being left out of the program. In order to participate, dealers have to ensure that a trade-in car is transferred to a disposal facility on… Continue Reading
07.24.09
Sen. Murkowski Introduces OCS Revenue Sharing Legislation
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today introduced legislation to guarantee a fair share of offshore oil and natural gas revenue to Alaska and other coastal states. The Domestic Energy Security Act of 2009 benefits Alaska and other coastal states by providing them a 37.5-percent stake in energy development off their shores. "This bipartisan bill will serve as the foundation for Alaska and other states to balance local economic and environmental concerns with natio… Continue Reading
