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.
Alaska Delegation Deeply Troubled by 9th Circuit Decision to Halt Willow Project
U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, and Congressman Don Young, all R-Alaska, expressed frustration and disappointment at a U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit decision to extend a District Court's injunction, pending appeal, halting all work on the Willow project on Alaska's North Slope. The Willow project is a multi-billion dollar development proposed by ConocoPhillips in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPR-A). It is located to the west of the Greater Mooses Tooth-1… Continue Reading
02.14.21
Murkowski Votes to Convict President Donald J. Trump
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) issued the following statement after voting to convict President Donald J. Trump on charges of "incitement of insurrection" over the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol: "On January 13, when the U.S. House of Representatives impeached former President Donald J. Trump for a second time, I committed to upholding my oath as a U.S. Senator-to listen to each side impartially, review all the facts, and then decide how I would vote. I have done that and after listenin… Continue Reading
02.13.21
Alaska Congressional Delegation Urges Canada Prime Minister to Find Common Ground on Travel Restrictions
U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski, Dan Sullivan, and Congressman Don Young, all R-Alaska, penned a letter to Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, urging him to work with the Alaska Congressional Delegation on COVID-19 travel restrictions in an effort to limit the negative impacts to Alaskan and Canadian constituents. This letter follows a February 4 announcement from the Canadian Minister of Transport on two new Interim Orders which ban pleasure craft in Canadian Arctic waters and cruise vessels… Continue Reading
02.13.21
Murkowski Announces U.S. Military Service Academy Nominees
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) proudly announced the names of the 35 young Alaskans whom she is nominating to the U.S. Military Service Academies for the class of 2021. "Every year we see a great number of qualified young Alaskans who would like to attend one of our nation's prestigious military academies and serve our country admirably. It is an honor that I have the opportunity to nominate a number of exemplary candidates who are among the best and brightest in the Last Frontier. They hav… Continue Reading
02.11.21
SCHATZ, MURKOWSKI ELECTED CHAIRMAN, VICE CHAIRMAN OF THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON INDIAN AFFAIRS
Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai'i) and U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) were both elected unanimously as Chairman and Vice Chairman, respectively, of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs for the 117th Congress. Schatz emphasized his intent to continue the committee's bipartisan tradition in addressing issues important to American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians: "This Committee is unlike any other. On a bipartisan basis, it has always committed itself to the so… Continue Reading
02.09.21
Murkowski Statement on Constitutionality of Impeachment Trial
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) today released the following statement after voting to confirm that it is within the U.S. Senate's authority under the U.S. Constitution to hold the impeachment trial of former President Donald J Trump. "The debate over the constitutionality of convicting former federal officers has been going on since 1797, when Senator William Blount was found to have engaged in a plot to help Great Britain take control of the Spanish territories of Louisiana and Florida. Ho… Continue Reading
02.09.21
Bipartisan, Bicameral Members of Congress Call for Increased Access to Medication-Assisted Treatment
U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Representatives Paul Tonko (D-NY-20), Antonio Delgado (D-NY-18), Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH-16), and Michael Turner (R-OH-10) wrote last night to President Joe Biden to invite him to work with Congress to increase access to medication-assisted treatment for substance use disorder. In the letter, the group discusses their previously introduced Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act that would eliminate the burdensome waiver, referred to… Continue Reading
02.09.21
Murkowski, Manchin, Sinema Reintroduce Legislation to Help Children, Youth, Families Faced with Homelessness
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to exacerbate impacts of homelessness, U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) reintroduced S. 220, the Emergency Family Stabilization Act. Their bill creates a new grant program to provide flexible funding for community-based organizations working to meet the unique and challenging needs of children, youth, and families experiencing homelessness. Specifically, the bill aims to provide emergency funding to underserved p… Continue Reading
02.05.21
Murkowski Joins Bipartisan Group Calling On Biden Administration to Distribute Funding to Help Rural Communities During COVID-19 Pandemic
U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Jon Tester (D-MT), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), and Angus King (I-ME) called on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to prioritize and quickly distribute the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund to rural and underserved communities hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund, funded in the recent year-end spending package, is inte… Continue Reading
02.05.21
Alaska Congressional Delegation: Canada Decision to Ban Cruise Ships in Canadian Waters is Unacceptable
The Canadian Minister of Transport, the Honorable Omar Alghabra, announced two new Interim Orders which ban pleasure craft in Canadian Arctic waters and cruise vessels in all Canadian waters until February 28, 2022. The effect of these combined bans will prevent Alaska sailings out of Seattle via Canada. Following the announcement, U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski, Dan Sullivan, and Congressman Don Young, all R-Alaska, released the following statement: "As the state with the most extensive shared b… Continue Reading
02.04.21
Murkowski Joins Bipartisan Group Calling On Biden Administration to Distribute Funding to Help Rural Communities During COVID-19 Pandemic
U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Jon Tester (D-MT), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), and Angus King (I-ME) called on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to prioritize and quickly distribute the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund to rural and underserved communities hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund, funded in the recent year-end spending package, is inte… Continue Reading
02.03.21
Murkowski: America Must Maintain Position of Power in O&G, LNG Production
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) took part in a U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing to examine global climate trends and progress in addressing climate change. During the hearing, Senator Murkowski questioned the United States' and the world's leading authorities on the future of America's oil and gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) markets. The hearing consisted of one panel of five witnesses: Dr. Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency; Dr. … Continue Reading
02.03.21
Klobuchar, Murkowski Introduce Legislation to Protect Consumers’ Private Health Data
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) reintroduced legislation to protect consumers' private health data. Home DNA testing kits and health data tracking apps have given companies access to unprecedented amounts of consumer health data, but current law does not adequately address the emerging privacy concerns presented by these new technologies. The Protecting Personal Health Data Act addresses these health privacy concerns by requiring the Secretary of Health and Human Ser… Continue Reading
02.02.21
U.S. Senators Smith, Murkowski Introduce Two Bipartisan Bills to Expand Mental Health Services
Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced two bipartisan bills to address behavioral health needs and substance use disorders during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The Stopping the Mental Health Pandemic Act would authorize federal grant funding for States, Tribes, Tribal organizations, and community-based entities to address behavioral health needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) would … Continue Reading
02.01.21
Group of 10 Republican Senators Issues Statement on Meeting with President Biden to Discuss COVID-19 Relief
Following their more than two-hour meeting with President Biden and Vice President Harris to discuss their recently released COVID-19 relief proposal, a group of 10 Republican Senators released this statement: "It was an excellent meeting, and we are very appreciative that in his first official meeting in the Oval Office, President Biden chose to spend so much time with us discussing the response to the COVID crisis. We presented our proposal to the President, and we had a very productive excha… Continue Reading
02.01.21
Whitehouse-Murkowski Bill Would Advance Understanding of Oceans, Great Lakes, and Coasts
U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), co-chairs of the bipartisan Senate Oceans Caucus, have introduced legislation to advance data collection of the Great Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts. The Bolstering Long-Term Understanding and Exploration of the Great Lakes, Oceans, Bays, and Estuaries Act, or BLUE GLOBE Act, would accelerate technology innovation, plan for a stronger maritime workforce, and develop a better understanding of the Blue Economy. "There'… Continue Reading
02.01.21
Group of 10 Republican Senators Announces Sixth Bipartisan Covid-19 Relief Proposal
Click HERE for details on the proposal U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) joined a group of 9 Republican Senators in unveiling the details of their Covid-19 relief proposal this morning. At the President's invitation, the group will meet with President Biden this afternoon at the White House to discuss the proposal in further detail. "Mr. President, we recognize your calls for unity and want to work in good faith with your Administration to meet the health, economic, and societal challenges of… Continue Reading
01.30.21
Murkowski Joins Bipartisan, Bicameral Push to Permanently Repeal the Global Gag Rule
Yesterday, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Susan Collins (R-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and U.S. Representatives Barbara Lee (CA-13), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09) and Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-07), led a bipartisan, bicameral reintroduction of the Global Health, Empowerment, and Rights (HER) Act in both the Senate and House of Representatives. The legislation would permanently repeal the harmful Global Gag Rule. The Senate legislation has 46 total cosponsors and the House companion legislation has 173 c… Continue Reading
01.29.21
Delegation Urges Administration to Swiftly Provide Seafood Processors COVID-19 Relief
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, joined by U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan and Congressman Don Young, all R-AK, called on the Acting Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Kevin Shea, to expeditiously develop and robustly fund a program to provide grants and forgivable loan support to seafood processing facilities and processing vessels for COVID response measures, in fulfillment of language Senator Murkowski included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. "Given the complexity of U.S.… Continue Reading
01.29.21
Murkowski Questions DOE Secretary Nominee on Arctic Energy, Resource Jobs, Cybersecurity, Critical Minerals
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, took part in a U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing to consider the nomination of Jennifer M. Granholm, the former Governor of Michigan, to be the Secretary of Energy. Murkowski opened the hearing by asking Governor Granholm for a commitment to advance energy security in the Arctic. Last year, Senator Murkowski secured funding to revive the Arctic Energy Office, which plays an essential role in supporting research and development for mic… Continue Reading
