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.
SENATOR MURKOWSKI PASSES RESOLUTION HONORING NATIONAL COMMUNITY HEALTH AIDES
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Lisa Murkowski last night won final passage of a resolution designating April 20 - 26, 2008 as National Community Health Aide, Community Health Practitioner and Dental Health Aide Week. This resolution, co-sponsored by Senator Ted Stevens, honors Community Health Aides' dedication to serving Alaskans. "The Community Health Aide Program is an essential part of health care delivery in Alaska," said Senator Murkowski. "It is fitting that we honor those who have contin… Continue Reading
04.15.08
SENATOR MURKOWSKI URGES PASSAGE OF WILDLIFE REFUGE LAND TRADE TO PERMIT KING COVE-COLD BAY ROAD
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Lisa Murkowski today reiterated her support for the residents of King Cove, Alaska to win approval of a land trade that will add 61,000 acres of key wildlife habitat to the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge. This trade would permit a short road to be built across the edge of the refuge linking King Cove to the all-weather airport at Cold Bay. "Many residents of King Cove have been stranded in emergency situations, unable to access the airport just across the bay due… Continue Reading
04.15.08
SENATOR MURKOWSKI COSPONSORS BILL TO INCREASE VETERANS’ EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Lisa Murkowski is co-sponsoring legislation that will increase educational benefits in an effort to ensure that military veterans are able to cover rapidly rising college costs. "It is important that we increase the size of the G.I. Bill benefits so that they keep pace with rapidly rising college costs," said Senator Murkowski. "We owe it to our veterans to ensure that once they leave the military higher education is within their reach. This is one way for us to sh… Continue Reading
04.10.08
SENATE EXTENDS RENEWABLE ENERGY TAX CREDITS
WASHINGTON, D.C. -Senator Lisa Murkowski today welcomed Senate passage of a provision she co-sponsored that will extend a host of tax credits for clean, renewable energy and energy efficiency provisions. "In order to expand alternative energy development it is vital that we provide consistent tax assistance to help renewable energy become cost-competitive," said Senator Murkowski. "This legislation will be of special assistance in Alaska, where we have a variety of renewable energy projects,… Continue Reading
04.08.08
SENATOR MURKOWSKI APPLAUDS CONOCO-BP GAS LINE ANNOUNCEMENT
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator Lisa Murkowski today welcomed the news that Conoco Phillips and BP have joined together to form a new separate company to build the Alaska natural gas pipeline. Senator Murkowski said that the companies' commitment to invest $600 million in the next two years on field work, surveying, engineering, environmental field work and finalizing financing for a gas line prior to applying for final key permits from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the National Energy… Continue Reading
04.08.08
SENATOR MURKOWSKI WELCOMES PENSION SETTLEMENT TO ALASKA GUARD MEMBER
WASHINGTON, D.C. -Senator Lisa Murkowski today welcomed the settlement in the pension case of Alaska Guardsman Robert Traut. Traut was granted full back pay and restored benefits after being denied reemployment by the Department of Health and Human Services in June 2000 after returning from a tour of active duty in the Alaska Air National Guard. Traut, who worked in Anchorage before going on active duty with the Guard, was reemployed by the federal government as a supply technician at Coast … Continue Reading
04.01.08
SENATOR MURKOWSKI URGES OPENING OF ANWR
WASHINGTON, D.C. -Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski yesterday urged her colleagues to support Arctic Alaskan oil development in an effort to help drive down the price of fuel for Americans. The Congressional Research Service recently released new estimates for the total federal revenues from ANWR's opening to $191.1 billion, or potentially $296.9 billion should the U.S. Geological Survey's high estimate of 16 billion barrels of oil be discovered. "There is a lot of hand wringing in Washington ab… Continue Reading
04.01.08
SENATOR MURKOWSKI APPLAUDS EFFORTS OF THE U.S. COAST GUARD IN ALASKA
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski late Monday commended the brave actions of the men and women of the United States Coast Guard who participated in efforts to rescue the 47-member crew of the fishing vessel Alaska Ranger in the Bering Sea on March 23, 2008. As a result of their heroic efforts, 42 members of the Ranger's crew survived. Murkowski honored the men and women of the Coast Guard in the Senate on the first day that the body returned after its Easter Recess. She noted … Continue Reading
03.26.08
SENATOR MURKOWSKI ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
WASHINGTON, D.C. -Senator Lisa Murkowski is now accepting applications for summer internships. All Alaskan high school students in their senior year may apply for an opportunity to spend four weeks in Senator Murkowski's Washington D.C. office. The Senator will select a total of twenty students from all areas of Alaska to participate in one of two, month-long sessions. The first session for the summer of 2008 will run from June 9 - July 4 and the second session will be from July 7 - August 1… Continue Reading
03.25.08
SENATOR MURKOWSKI ANNOUNCES DONATION OF COMPUTERS TO ALASKA SCHOOLS
WASHINGTON, D.C. -Senator Lisa Murkowski today announced the shipment of surplus Senate computers to five rural Alaska schools. Schools in Slana, Yakutat, Tanana, Hydaburg and Klukwan will receive five computers each from the United States Senate's Computers for Schools Program. "It is vital to our students' education that we provide them with adequate technology to prepare for the future," said Senator Murkowski. "I am proud to be able to donate this equipment, which will greatly improve th… Continue Reading
03.20.08
SENATOR MURKOWSKI HONORS NATIONAL NATIVE HIV/AIDS AWARENESS DAY
WASHINGTON, D.C. -Senator Lisa Murkowski last week won final passage designating today as National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. The resolution encourages Federal, State and tribal governments to coordinate efforts in HIV/AIDS testing and in the promotion of prevention activities to further efforts in the reduction of HIV/AIDS infection rates among American Indian and Alaska Natives. "The spread of HIV/AIDS within American Indian and Alaska Native communities is alarming," said Senator Murk… Continue Reading
03.18.08
SENATOR MURKOWSKI ADDRESSES STATE LEGISLATURE
WASHINGTON, D.C. -Senator Lisa Murkowski today addressed the Alaska State Legislature. Below are Senator Murkowski's remarks as prepared for delivery: Speaker Harris, President Green, members of the Legislature, thank you for allowing me to address the Legislature today. I want to talk about making history together, but first let's thank those Alaskans who are making us safe. This morning I was honored to address the Joint Armed Services Committee. We talked about health care service… Continue Reading
03.14.08
SENATOR MURKOWSKI OPPOSES PROPOSED MORATORIUM ON EARMARKS
WASHINGTON, D.C. -Senator Lisa Murkowski last night voted against legislation that would ban all earmarks in the Senate for one year. The legislation failed to pass the Senate by a vote of 29-71. "One of my duties as Senator is to ensure that Alaska's needs are met," said Senator Murkowski. "I was born and raised in Alaska. I listen to my constituent's concerns and needs, and I understand Alaska's unique needs. I know better than bureaucrats who've never even been to Alaska how money should … Continue Reading
03.13.08
SENATOR MURKOWSKI SADDENED BY LOSS OF AGRIUM COAL GASIFICATION PROJECT
WASHINGTON, D.C. -Senator Lisa Murkowski today expressed her disappointment that the Agrium Corp. was unable to secure financing to proceed with a coal gasification project on the Kenai Peninsula that could have permitted the company's urea and nitrogen fertilizer plant at Nikiski to reopen. "It is severely disappointing that after all the years spent trying to facilitate the Agrium Blue Skies project, it will not go through," said Senator Murkowski. "It is disheartening to not only the more… Continue Reading
03.13.08
SENATORS MURKOWSKI AND STEVENS INTRODUCE LEGISLATION TO OPEN ANWR
WASHINGTON, D.C. -Senator Lisa Murkowski today introduced legislation to open the Arctic Coastal Plain in Alaska to oil development when the price of oil reaches $125 a barrel. Oil prices are likely to keep rising and are unlikely to slow unless oil development is increased. Senator Murkowski's legislation, co-sponsored by Senator Ted Stevens, the American Energy Independence and Security Act of 2008, would automatically open 1.5 million acres of the coastal plain of the 19-million-acre Arct… Continue Reading
03.13.08
SENATOR MURKOWSKI SPONSORS LEGISLATION TO SPEED INVESTMENT IN CLEAN ENERGY
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Lisa Murkowski recently co-sponsored legislation that will establish a government corporation dedicated to makings loans and facilitating investment in clean energy projects nationwide. The bipartisan bill, the Clean Energy Investment Act of 2008, is intended to speed the pace of construction of clean and renewable energy projects nationwide. "The Clean Energy Investment Bank will help our nation move toward energy independence," said Senator Murkowski. "While Con… Continue Reading
03.12.08
SENATOR MURKOWSKI SPONSORS NATIONAL NATIVE HIV/AIDS AWARENESS DAY
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Murkowski last night won final passage of a resolution designating March 20, 2008 as National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day encourages Federal, State and tribal governments to coordinate efforts in HIV/AIDS testing and in the promotion of prevention activities to further efforts in the reduction of HIV/AIDs infection rates among American Indian and Alaska Natives. "The spread of HIV/AIDS within American Indian and Alaska Nati… Continue Reading
02.27.08
BREAST CANCER RESEARCH BILL APPROVED BY HELP COMMITTEE
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Murkowski today announced that the Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act of 2007 was approved by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. Senator Murkowski is an original cosponsor of the legislation which will now move to the Senate floor. "This legislation supports important research into the causes of and possible prevention strategies for breast cancer," said Senator Murkowski. "With three million women living with breast cancer today… Continue Reading
02.27.08
SENATOR MURKOWSKI TO POST APPROPRIATIONS REQUESTS ONLINE
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Murkowski today announced that she will join Senator Stevens and Congressman Young in posting appropriations requests on her website. Her office received nearly 500 funding requests this year from local governments, organizations and the State of Alaska. "I am joining Senator Stevens and Congressman Young in taking this step to highlight the appropriations process that the delegation goes through each year," said Senator Murkowski. "By posting appropriations requests… Continue Reading
02.26.08
SENATE PASSES INDIAN HEALTH CARE IMPROVEMENT ACT
WASHINGTON, D.C. -Senator Murkowski, the Vice-Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, today announced that the United States Senate passed S. 1200, comprehensive legislation to modernize the Indian health care delivery system. The bill reauthorizes the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, which was last comprehensively reauthorized in 1992, and represents the first effort to comprehensively modernize the Indian health care delivery system in over 15 years. Senator Murkowski co-managed… Continue Reading
