04.21.20

Senate Passes Additional Coronavirus Relief Legislation

U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, (both R-AK), today applauded unanimous Senate passage of a coronavirus relief package totaling $484 billion, which provides additional funding for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), COVID-19 testing, and added support for hospitals. The purpose of the majority of this funding is to provide a boost to programs that were previously authorized and funded from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act which was signed into law i… Continue Reading

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04.17.20

Murkowski Joins Bipartisan Letter to HHS Secretary to Advocate for Relief for Senior Adult Communities and Health Care Workers

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) joined U.S. Senator James Lankford (R-OK) in a bipartisan letter, supported by 25 other Senators, to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar to ensure that as HHS sets guidelines for the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund (PHSSEF), they not overlook certain health care providers. Specifically, their letter calls for HHS to not overlook the providers within nursing homes, skilled nursing centers, senior living communities, independent l… Continue Reading

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04.08.20

Alaska Delegation Welcomes Nearly $16 Million in Health and Human Services CARES Act Grants

Today, the Alaska Congressional Delegation welcomed nearly $16 million appropriated by the CARES Act and awarded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to help community health centers prevent and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Specific grant amounts and awardees may be found below. "Our state continues working around the clock to turn the tide in the fight against COVID-19. The CARES Act continues to provide critical resources to help Alaska prevent and respond to this pa… Continue Reading

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04.01.20

Murkowski: Alaska Communities to Receive $8.8 Million through Secure Rural Schools Program

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today announced that $8.8 million will be distributed to Alaska communities located near or in national forests. The money, which Murkowski secured in the fiscal year 2020 budget process, will fund schools and local budget priorities. "As we navigate the uncharted territory wrought by the coronavirus pandemic, these payments will provide a measure of certainty for communities as they budget for schools, emergency response, and other essential services," Murko… Continue Reading

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04.01.20

ICYMI: Murkowski Calls for Resources to Address Domestic Violence during COVID-19

Due to COVID-19, many people are now working from home, while others have been required to take unpaid leave or have lost their job completely. One unintended but realistic consequence of these measures will be increased stress at home, which can put many at greater risk of falling victim to domestic violence. U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) led a group of their bipartisan colleagues in a letter calling on the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and the Of… Continue Reading

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03.26.20

Alaska Delegation Applauds HHS Grants to Prevent and Combat COVID-19

Today, the Alaska Congressional Delegation applauded funding awarded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to health care providers across Alaska. This funding became available through legislation passed earlier this month, providing $8.3 billion in emergency funding to combat the spread of COVID-19. "The COVID-19 epidemic represents uncharted territory for our country. Our doctors, nurses, and other caregivers are on the front lines, and they should be provided the support … Continue Reading

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03.03.20

Murkowski Questions Agency on Alaska-Specific Concerns over COVID-19 Outbreak

Today U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) participated in a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee focused on how the U.S. is responding to the emerging threat of COVID-19, the Novel Coronavirus. The Senate HELP Committee hearing highlighted how the U.S. federal government is responding to the outbreak and actions the administration is taking to ensure that the U.S. is prepared for, and responding to, COVID-19 at the federal, state, and local levels. The hearing delved int… Continue Reading

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02.25.20

Murkowski Comments on Born-Alive and Pain Capable Legislation

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) today made the following statement after voting in favor of S. 311, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, which ensures legal protections for babies born alive following the failure of an attempted abortion: "This legislation addresses complex and sensitive issues of a medical and ethical nature that deserve serious consideration. My vote today was centered on my support of protections for infants born alive. We often talk about access to care-so e… Continue Reading

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02.14.20

Murkowski, Smith Introduce Bill to Protect Children from Human Trafficking

According to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), every two minutes a child is being victimized for sexual exploitation. U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Tina Smith (D-MN) introduced the Human Trafficking and Exploitation Prevention Training Act of 2020, which would prevent the human trafficking and exploitation of children by providing grants critical for training students, parents, teachers, and school personnel to understand, recognize, prevent, and respond to signs of human tr… Continue Reading

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01.22.20

Shaheen, Murkowski Lead Bipartisan Bill to Hold E-Cigarette Companies Accountable for the Youth Vaping Crisis

This week, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Mitt Romney (R-UT), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced bipartisan legislation to protect children from the dangers of e-cigarettes. The Resources to Prevent Youth Vaping Act would require that e-cigarette manufacturers pay user fees to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to help to fund more activity at FDA to conduct stronger oversight of the e-cigarette industry and increase a… Continue Reading

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01.17.20

Murkowski Joins Coons, Braun in Bipartisan Senate ALS Caucus

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) recently joined U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and Mike Braun (R-IN) as one of the original members of the first Senate Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) Caucus. The ALS Caucus will bring together Senators from both sides of the aisle to work collaboratively to advocate on behalf of those living with ALS and their families. "For years I've been working with advocates of those living with ALS, their families, support groups, healthcare professionals, and ot… Continue Reading

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01.09.20

Merkley, Murkowski, Duckworth, Booker Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Expand Breastfeeding Protections At Work

Today, Oregon's Senator Jeff Merkley and Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), joined by Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and Cory Booker (D-NJ), announced the introduction of bipartisan legislation to provide salaried employees in traditional office environments-a group of approximately 13.5 million executive, administrative, and professional women-with reasonable break time and a private place to pump breastmilk. Their bill, the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections (PUMP) for Nursing Mothers Act, wo… Continue Reading

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12.20.19

Murkowski’s Interior-Environment Funding Bill Heads to President’s Desk

U.S. Senator Murkowski (R-AK) applauded Senate passage of an Appropriations Package for Fiscal Year 2020-expected to be signed into law tonight- which included the Interior-Environment Appropriations bill with funding to strengthen the economy, improve water and wastewater systems, and create safer and healthier communities. As chairman of the Interior Subcommittee, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) crafted a bill with funding to provide for basic necessities like water and wastewater infrastru… Continue Reading

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12.12.19

Committee Advances Legislation to Protect Vulnerable Children and Strengthen Families

Today the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee advanced bills to the full Senate to improve how we protect vulnerable children, fund domestic violence shelters, and help families across the nation. The bills, which were reported favorably out of the HELP Committee, include legislation to strengthen programs intended to keep children safe, protect families from and prevent violence, support strong communities, increase effective interstate background checks for child car… Continue Reading

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12.11.19

Senators Introduce Legislation to Help Prevent Suicide

In an effort to curb the rising suicide rate in the country, U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) introduced the bipartisan, bicameral Effective Suicide Screening and Assessment in the Emergency Department Act of 2019. The legislation establishes a grant program to improve suicide screening and prevention practices in emergency departments with a focus on increasing identification, assessment, and treatment of patients who are at risk for suicide. Senators Gardner (R… Continue Reading

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11.21.19

Senators Hassan, Murkowski Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Support Seniors and People with Disabilities Struggling with Eating Disorders

Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced bipartisan legislation to improve access to care for seniors and people living with disabilities who struggle with eating disorders. While often not discussed, eating disorders affect 3-4 percent of the senior population. Eating disorders also affect 6 percent of females and 3 percent of males who experience disabilities. The bipartisan Nutrition CARE Act would expand access to medical care for Medicare beneficiaries with… Continue Reading

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11.19.19

Murkowski, Sinema Bill Improves Workplace Safety for Social Workers and Health Professionals

U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) recently introduced bipartisan legislation to strengthen workplace protections for social workers and behavioral and home health professionals. The Senators' bipartisan Protecting Social Workers and Health Professionals from Workplace Violence Act of 2019 establishes a grant program to fund workplace safety programs for social workers and health professionals, ensuring these public servants can continue doing their jobs safely. … Continue Reading

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11.13.19

Klobuchar, Murkowski Urge Department of Health and Human Services to Examine the Collaboration between Google and Ascension Health System over Privacy Concerns

Today, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) urged the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to examine a collaboration between Google and Ascension health system that enables Google to collect the personal health information of roughly 50 million Americans-including personally identifiable information, lab results, hospital records, and physician diagnoses-without their knowledge or consent. According to the Wall Street Journal, neither Ascension patients nor phys… Continue Reading

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10.31.19

Murkowski, Casey Introduce Bill to Diversify Allied Health Workforce

Yesterday, U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Bob Casey (D-PA) introduced the Allied Health Workforce Diversity Act, which would make the fields of allied health workers more representative of the populations they serve. The legislation would create a $5 million per year grant program to recruit a more diverse body of professionals in the allied health fields. Allied health professionals include occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech-language pathologists and audiologists. "… Continue Reading

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10.24.19

U.S. Sens. Tina Smith, Lisa Murkowski Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Health Care Services for Native American Elders

U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska)-both members of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee-introduced a bipartisan bill to expand health care services to Native American elders in Minnesota, Alaska and across the country. The Strengthening Services for Native Elders Act would help tribal organizations provide a wider range of home and community-based health services to American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) elders, including transportation, case management, and healt… Continue Reading