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 Calls on HHS to Address Native Youth Suicide
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today asked Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to fund a $1.2 million study designed to reduce the high rate of suicides among Alaska natives. In a letter to the Secretary, Murkowski pointed to a study proposed by Commissioner Warren Zapol of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission that would examine the mental and behavioral health issues facing Alaska Native populations living in the Arctic. Zapol's study would be condu… Continue Reading
05.26.09
Murkowski Statement on Nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today commented on President Obama's nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court: "I congratulate Judge Sonia Sotomayor on being nominated by the President to the United States Supreme Court. As the Senate moves forward with her nomination, I will examine and review very closely Judge Sotomayor's qualifications and background for a court appointment. As a member of the Senate, I take my advice and consent … Continue Reading
05.22.09
Murkowski Sends Greetings for Memorial Day
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today offered the following statement in observance of Memorial Day: "On Memorial Day, we recognize the men and women of our military who have served our country. I call on all Alaskans to thank those who have served and remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the defense of freedom. "To the members of the Alaska Territorial Guard who served before Alaska was a state, to our veterans from conflicts past, to the men and wome… Continue Reading
05.22.09
Sen. Murkowski Will Urge VA Secretary Shinseki to Fix the Healthcare Access Problems Facing Veterans in Rural Alaska
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, has a message for Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki when they meet next week in her office here: Get serious about fixing the serious VA healthcare access problems facing veterans in rural Alaska. Murkowski, a member of the Senate Appropriations Veterans Affairs Subcommittee, laid out her concerns in a letter she sent to Shinseki today (see attachment). Alaska's senior senator expressed deep disappointment that a new $215 … Continue Reading
05.21.09
Murkowski: Three Alaskans In Line to Be Honored With the Congressional Gold Medal
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Senate has passed legislation honoring the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) of World War II, including three living Alaskans, with the Congressional Gold Medal, America's highest civilian award, U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, announced today. Passed Wednesday night by unanimous consent, the legislation seeks to recognize and honor the 1,074 women who received their WASP wings during World War II. Some 300 still survive and are living throughout America. Th… Continue Reading
05.21.09
Nation Needs Energy Bill with Production, Not Mandates
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today made the following remarks at a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee markup regarding the lack of real energy production in the energy bill: "At previous business meetings, this committee has made good progress toward drafting a bipartisan energy bill. However, this week, as we have started to tackle the topics where there's more divergence, the amount of real work that will be needed to find consensus has become clear. … Continue Reading
05.21.09
Murkowski: Defense Secretary Gates Affirms Strategic Importance of Fort Greely
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Secretary of Defense Robert Gates says the Obama administration is committed to maintaining the Nation's missile defense assets at Fort Greely and will revisit the question of whether to expand the number of Ground Base Interceptors there in 2012 , according to U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. Gates also committed to deploy the Sea Based X Band Radar (SBX) radar in Alaska as soon as testing is completed. Gates met with Murkowski, Sen. Mark Begich, D-Alaska, and several… Continue Reading
05.21.09
Murkowski, Bennett Remove Hold on Hayes
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Bob Bennett, R-Utah, today won a commitment from Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar to respond to their concerns about recent administration decisions regarding the nation's energy policy. Murkowski and Bennett placed holds on the confirmation of David Hayes as Deputy Secretary of the Interior following the administration's refusal to respond to questions about specific decisions the administration undertook on energy policy. … Continue Reading
05.19.09
Murkowski Presses for Increased Support for Nuclear Energy
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today called nuclear power a strategic asset in the nation's fight to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address global climate change. Increasing domestic nuclear power generation capabilities is vital to allowing the United States to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions while continuing to provide affordable, reliable and clean electricity to consumers, Murkowski said. "At a time when we're aggressively seeking ways to limit … Continue Reading
05.18.09
Sens. Murkowski and Begich Express Concern Over Senate Probe of Alaska Native Contracting Program
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Mark Begich, D-Alaska, have written to the chairman of a Senate subcommittee expressing concern over the panel's investigation of Alaska Native Corporation participation in a federal contracting program. U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Missouri, chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Contracting Oversight, has scheduled a hearing July 16, 2009, on government contracts awarded to Alaska Native Corporations under the Native American 8(a… Continue Reading
05.15.09
Murkowski Gets Air Force Pledge to Work With Fairbanks on Coal-to-Liquid Project
WASHINGTON, D.C. - A top Air Force official has told U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, that the service will work with Fairbanks officials over their concerns that a proposed coal-to-liquids facility near Eielson Air Force Base is off on the wrong foot. At a Senate Military Construction Subcommittee hearing earlier this week, Murkowski told an Air Force deputy assistant secretary that Fairbanks North Star Borough officials do not believe that project feasibility studies are on the right tr… Continue Reading
05.15.09
Murkowski Introduces Legislation to Benefit National Law Enforcement Museum
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Citing the challenge of raising funds during a global economic downturn, U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, has introduced legislation extending to 2013 a requirement that construction of the National Law Enforcement Museum begin next year. Passed by Congress in 2000, the National Law Enforcement Museum Act granted land for construction of a new National Law Enforcement Museum in downtown Washington. The original legislation requires the museum to be financed with private… Continue Reading
05.14.09
Carbon Capture and Our Energy Future
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today said that advancing carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technology is an important element of our clean energy future. "Coal is our most affordable and abundant domestic energy resource," Murkowski said. "We currently rely on coal to generate more than half of our electricity and it will continue to be a valuable resource for the country." "It's imperative that we find a way to continue to use our vast coal reserves in … Continue Reading
05.14.09
Sens. Murkowski and Begich Introduce Prince William Sound Escort Vessels Legislation
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Mark Begich, D-Alaska, today introduced legislation that would require all tankers transporting oil in Prince William Sound be escorted by at least two towing vessels, as has been the practice for the past 20 years. The current tanker safety system was authorized in the Oil Spill Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA90) and currently applies to single hulled oil tankers only. The last single hulled tanker in the Prince William Fleet is expect… Continue Reading
05.13.09
Murkowski Votes to Sustain Hold on Hayes
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today voted against a motion to end debate on the nomination of David Hayes to be the deputy secretary of the Department of the Interior. The 57-39 vote fell three short of what was needed to advance Hayes' nomination. All but two Republican senators voted against cloture. "Today's vote simply reinforces the Senate's advise and consent role for presidential nominees, and ensures that we can get meaningful commitments and answers regar… Continue Reading
05.13.09
Murkowski: Pregnant Women Should Eat More Fish
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today spoke on the growing body of research showing that pregnant women should be eating more fish during their pregnancies. New research, including a recent FDA report, shows that pregnant women aren't eating enough seafood and that babies benefit significantly when their mothers eat plenty of fish during pregnancy. The research indicates that the typical low seafood American diet actually hinders optimal brain development among babies.… Continue Reading
05.08.09
Murkowski Comments on Polar Bear Decision
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today sent a letter to Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar thanking him for his decision on polar bears, an issue Murkowski has pressed Interior on. The letter also seeks clarification about how this decision will work in connection with Salazar's recent decision to revoke a previous regulation on Endangered Species Act (ESA) consultation. The U.S. Department of Interior on Friday announced it was leaving unchanged the previous adm… Continue Reading
05.07.09
Alaska Delegation Responds to President Obama's Fiscal Year 2010 Budget
Washington, DC - The Alaska Congressional Delegation today made the following comments regarding President Obama's proposed budget for the fiscal year that begins October 1. Obama's Fiscal Year 2010 budget would cut missile defense funding by 35 percent, and slash spending for the Denali Commission and the Village Safe Water program. U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said: "The President's budget would cancel construction of missile field 2 at Fort Greely and freeze the number of missi… Continue Reading
05.07.09
Murkowski Congratulates Pourchot
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today gave the following statement on the appointment of Pat Pourchot to be the Special Assistant for Alaska Affairs to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar: "Pat's a good man. He's positive and is a person of integrity and I'm very appreciative of his willingness to take this position. The breadth of Pat's experience in Alaska gives him a valuable depth of knowledge and understanding of Alaska's issues. Whether we agree or disagree on spec… Continue Reading
05.05.09
Sens. Murkowski, Begich, Inouye and Akaka Introduce Native American Challenge Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), joined by Sens. Mark Begich (D-AK), Daniel Inouye (D-HI) and Daniel Akaka (D-HI), today introduced legislation designed to better coordinate the delivery of federal economic aid to American Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians. Called the Native American Challenge Demonstration Project Act of 2009, the legislation would authorize the project at $20 million a year for five years beginning in Fiscal Year 2010. It also seeks to better man… Continue Reading
