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, Sullivan Welcome Phase II CDC Guidance for Cruise Ship Industry
U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan (both R-Alaska) today released the following statement after being briefed by Dr. Rochelle Walensky, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on publication of the CDC's Framework for Conditional Sailing Order (CSO). The steps released today are required for the cruise ship industry to safely return to passenger operations as the successful distribution of COVID-19 vaccines brings the pandemic under greater control. The CDC's … Continue Reading
04.02.21
Murkowski Applauds Efforts to Seek Justice for Missing, Murdered Indigenous People
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) issued the following statement on the Interior Department announcement of a new Missing & Murdered Unit tasked with coordinating interagency collaboration to pursue cases of missing and murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives. "Too many families have faced unspeakable loss as Native women have gone missing, murdered, or trafficked and let down by the complex law enforcement systems in place. Seeking justice for these women and families should never … Continue Reading
03.30.21
HUD Announces $64 Million In Critical Housing Funding Going To Alaska Native Communities
Senator Murkowski visiting families in Native Village of Savoonga in August 2018 The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced the allocation of $450 million to assist with COVID related tribal housing needs. Of these available funds, more than $64 million will be going specifically to help Alaska Native communities. Vice Chairman Murkowski provided the following statement on the announcement. "Overcrowded housing and homelessness is an issue impacting far too many commu… Continue Reading
03.26.21
Alaska Congressional Delegation Urges Biden Administration to Issue Clear Guidelines for Cruise Ship Industry Operations to Resume
U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, and Congressman Don Young, all R-Alaska, sent a letter with colleagues to Jeffrey Zients, the White House COVID Response Coordinator, urging the Biden administration to be more transparent and timely in their efforts to develop guidance for the resumption of operations for the cruise ship industry. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the cruise ship industry has continued to face a strict "No Sail" order, while many other travel related in… Continue Reading
03.26.21
ICYMI: Murkowski Named One of the Most Effective Republican Lawmakers in the 116th Congress
The Center for Effective Lawmaking (CEL) recently released their Legislative Effectiveness Scores (LES) and rankings for the most effective lawmakers in Congress. The CEL named U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) as the fourth most effective Senate Republican lawmaker in the 116th Congress for her efforts to shepherd critical pieces of legislation across the finish line. Also, Senator Murkowski was listed as the most effective Republican Senator on energy policy. CEL is a non-partisan, joint par… Continue Reading
03.26.21
Murkowski, Schatz Legislation Recognizing Native Women Achievements and Contributions Passes Senate
"Each year during March, the Senate celebrates National Women's History Month. It is especially important to recognize the many achievements that Alaska Native, American Indian, and Native Hawaiian women have contributed to the United States and its history. These are just some of the women who have made their communities and this nation a better place and for that, we honor them, whether through their military or public service, their advancements in the fields of business, education, arts, law… Continue Reading
03.25.21
Vice Chairman Murkowski: Indian Affairs Committee Holds Hearing on Water Infrastructure
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, provided the following remarks during today's oversight hearing on "Building Back Better: Water Infrastructure Needs for Native Communities." "The pandemic has clearly underscored the need for these communities to have better water infrastructure. Simply washing your hands multiple times throughout the day to protect against the spread of COVID should not be a difficult task, but that's unfortunately th… Continue Reading
03.25.21
Murkowski Critical of Biden Administration for Creating Project Uncertainty
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) today raised concerns with the Biden administration's recent decision to continue a review process that requires some Department of the Interior (DOI) agencies to funnel decisions through the very top levels of the agency. Interior's principal deputy assistant secretary Laura Daniel-Davis issued a memo directing all agencies that handle energy and land management decisions, including responsible resource extraction, to go through her office for approval. The Bu… Continue Reading
03.23.21
Murray, Murkowski, Jayapal Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Help Sexual Assault Survivors
Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) re-introduced the Survivors' Access to Supportive Care Act (SASCA), a bipartisan, bicameral bill to help improve and expand access to health care services for survivors of sexual assault who face steep challenges in being able to obtain medical care and sexual assault examinations critical to their ability to seek justice. The bill will develop national standards of care for survivors o… Continue Reading
03.22.21
ICYMI: Murkowski Meets with Secretary Blinken and NSA Sullivan
U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, both R-AK, on Friday met with Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, National Security Advisor (NSA) Jake Sullivan, and the National Security Council's Asia coordinator Kurt Campbell as they traveled back to the U.S. after meetings in Japan and South Korea. (Pictured left to right: Senator Sullivan, Secretary Blinken, NSA Sullivan, Senator Murkowski.) "To be able to sit down not only with Secretary Blinken but also Jake Sullivan and Kurt Campbell… Continue Reading
03.21.21
Murkowski, Sinema Continue Bipartisan Effort to Strengthen the Economy by Supporting the Development of Innovative Energy Technologies
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) reintroduced bipartisan legislation with U.S. Senators Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) supporting the development of innovative technologies that boost Alaska's economy while ensuring cleaner air and a healthier environment. "Our bipartisan bill boosts innovative technologies that will grow Arizona's job opportunities, while protecting Arizonans' health by keeping our air clean," said Senator Sinema. "In Ala… Continue Reading
03.19.21
Alaska Congressional Delegation Welcomes Decision to Add New KC-135 Tankers for Eielson
U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski, and Congressman Don Young, all R-Alaska, today sent a letter to Acting Secretary of the Air Force John Roth and Air Force Chief of Staff General Charles Q. Brown, Jr. welcoming an announcement by the Air Force that four KC-135 refueling tanker aircraft will be added to the existing squadron at Eielson Air Force Base. The plan adds an active duty component to the unit, bringing the squadron's total KC-135s to 12, and will also bring up to 220 additio… Continue Reading
03.19.21
Bipartisan group introduces nation’s first comprehensive CO2 infrastructure bill
Infrastructure to support carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology remains underdeveloped in the United States, leaving the country behind in the adoption of a crucial tool in the fight against climate change. To address this issue, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) joined Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.) and U.S. Representatives Marc Veasey (D-Texas) and David McKinley (R-W.Va.) in introducing the Storing CO2 And Lowering Emissions (SCALE) Act. The landmark b… Continue Reading
03.18.21
Alaska Congressional Delegation Welcomes U.S. Army’s First-Ever Arctic Strategy
U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski, and Congressman Don Young, all R-Alaska, today commended the U.S. Army for releasing its first-ever strategy for the Arctic this week, the third service-specific strategy document released for the region. The strategy, titled "Regaining Arctic Dominance," comes as a result of a provision Sen. Sullivan, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), included in the Fiscal Year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) requiring each bra… Continue Reading
03.17.21
Murkowski Joins Reintroduction of Bipartisan Bill to Boost R&D Grants
Today, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) joined Senator Jim Risch (R-ID) in reintroducing bipartisan legislation to improve underserved states' ability to successfully compete for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) awards. The FAST Fix Act will reform the Small Business Administration's (SBA) Federal and State Technology (FAST) Partnership Program to encourage federal research and development grants to be awarded to small businesses and univ… Continue Reading
03.12.21
Tester, Murkowski Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Eliminate TRICARE Enrollment Fees for Retired Veterans
In an effort to protect military retirees' earned health care, Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) introduced bipartisan legislation to eliminate TRICARE Select enrollment fees for veterans who retired prior to 2018. "No military retiree should ever be at risk of losing their health care coverage-especially during a global pandemic," said Senator Tester. "Our bipartisan bill will ensure that retired veterans aren't burdened… Continue Reading
03.12.21
Bipartisan Group of Senators Introduce the Keeping Women and Girls Safe from the Start Act of 2021
U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) led ten of their Senate colleagues in introducing the Keeping Women and Girls Safe from the Start Act of 2021. Introduced on the heels of International Women's Day, the bipartisan legislation seeks to strengthen current United States' and international actors' efforts to address gender-based violence perpetrated during humanitarian crises, which disproportionately threaten the wellbeing of vulnerable women and girls. In addition … Continue Reading
03.11.21
Pacific Northwest Congressional Members Call on OMB to Support Injunction, Stop Sale of Seattle Archives Facility
U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) today led 25 of the 26 members of the Washington, Alaska, Oregon, and Idaho congressional delegations in sending a letter to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) asking them to stop the sale of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) facility in Seattle in light of a recent court decision temporarily blocking the sale from moving forward. In addition to Cantwell and Murkowski, the letter was signed by U.S. Senato… Continue Reading
03.07.21
Murkowski Statement on Reconciliation Vote
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) today released the following statement after voting against H. R. 1319, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. "There is broad, bipartisan recognition that additional federal support is needed to help Americans recover from the ongoing pandemic. Alaskans are acutely aware of this as they grapple with economic losses from the public health challenges of the pandemic as well as adversarial actions against responsible resource development by the Biden administrati… Continue Reading
03.05.21
Murkowski, Sullivan Introduce Legislation to Help Alaska Cruise Season
U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, both R-Alaska, today introduced the Alaska Tourism Recovery Act to alleviate the Passenger Vessel Services Act (PVSA) restrictions for cruise ships transporting passengers between the State of Washington and the State of Alaska. This legislation will allow cruise ships to sail to Alaska without requiring that they stop in Canada, as U.S. law normally would require. Canada's Interim Order No. 5 Respecting Passenger Vessel Restrictions Due to the Cor… Continue Reading
