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.
BIPARTISAN SENATORS, REPRESENTATIVES SHARE DETAILS OF TWO BIPARTISAN COVID-19 EMERGENCY RELIEF BILLS
Today, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) joined U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV), Susan Collins (R-ME), Mark Warner (D-VA), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Angus King (I-ME), Mitt Romney (R-UT), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Rob Portman (R-OH), and Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Problem Solvers Caucus Co-Chairs Representatives Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-5) and Tom Reed (R-NY-23) shared additional details for the two bipartisan, bicameral COVID-19 emergency relief bills. The Bipartisan COVID-19 Emergenc… Continue Reading
12.14.20
Murkowski Welcomes Kaleb Froehlich Back to Team as Chief of Staff
Today U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) welcomed Kaleb Froehlich back to her team in Washington, D.C. as her Chief of Staff and announced the promotion of Garrett Boyle to Deputy Chief of Staff. "I am excited to welcome Kaleb back to my team," said Senator Murkowski. "He has spent much of his career working on behalf of Alaskans and has a deep passion for our state. Kaleb's previous experience and strong work ethic will help us achieve many successes for Alaska." Kaleb Froehlich will become … Continue Reading
12.13.20
Murkowski Applauds New Polar Security Cutters Authorized in Coast Guard Bill
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) applauded the authorization of additional Polar Security Cutters (icebreakers) in the Coast Guard Reauthorization Act, which passed Congress as a part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2021. The bipartisan provision was authored by U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Dan Sullivan (R-AK). Since coming to the senate, Senator Murkowski has focused on Arctic issues, working to raise awareness of the significa… Continue Reading
12.12.20
Murkowski Comments on FDA Authorization of Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) issued the following statement after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted an emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine: "The FDA authorized the Pfizer vaccine to combat COVID-19, meaning administration of the first doses for frontline health workers and long-term care facility residents in Alaska could begin as soon as next week. This is a major milestone in the fight against the pandemic," said Senator Murkowski. "… Continue Reading
12.11.20
U.S. Senate Passes Continuing Resolution to Fund the Government
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) today made the following statement after voting in favor of a continuing resolution to fund the government at current levels through December 18, 2020: "Today I supported a short-term continuing resolution to fund the government through December 18, to keep the government functioning and to avoid adding unnecessary economic strain on hard-working Americans. For the thousands of Alaskans that are federal employees and contractors, and for all Americans who rely… Continue Reading
12.11.20
New DOD Arctic Security Studies Center Approved by Congress
The U.S. Senate today passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (NDAA), including a provision authorizing a new regional Department of Defense (DOD) Center named the "Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies." U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and chairman of Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support, successfully included key elements of a bill he introduced earlier this Congress with Senator Lisa Murkowsk… Continue Reading
12.11.20
Murkowski Applauds Senate Passage of NDAA
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) today voted in favor of the final Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The bill passed the Senate by an 84-13 vote and now heads to the President's desk. This major national security bill authorizes the annual budget for the Department of Defense (DoD), providing funding for training and readiness, to improve the livelihoods of military members and their families, modernize military technology, and includes multiple provisions to address… Continue Reading
12.10.20
Murkowski Statement on UAE Arms Sale
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) today made the following statement after voting against S.J. Res. 77 and S.J.Res.78, Resolutions of Disapproval which would block portions of an arms deal with the United Arab Emirates (UAE): "Along with many colleagues, I had significant concerns with the speed of this sale. I wanted to be certain the sale was following protocols that ensure Foreign Military Sales don't compromise information pertaining to sophisticated technology, and measures in place to s… Continue Reading
12.09.20
Murkowski Statement on NPFMC Closing EEZ Waters to Commercial Fishing in Cook Inlet
Following the announcement that the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council (NPFMC) has decided to close all Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) waters to commercial fishing in the Cook Inlet, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) issued the following statement: "I am disappointed by the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council's decision to close federal waters in Cook Inlet to commercial fishing, but I am also very concerned about the prospect of federal management over resources that have been, … Continue Reading
12.07.20
ICYMI: Baldwin-Murkowski Digital Coast Act Passes Congress
Recently, bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) passed the United States Senate. The Digital Coast Act will help shoreline communities along the Great Lakes and ocean coasts better prepare for storms, cope with varying water levels and strengthen economic development efforts. Following today's action, the bill now heads to the President's desk to be signed into law. "Wisconsin's Great Lakes are a great asset for our quality of life an… Continue Reading
12.04.20
Sullivan, Markey, Murkowski Applaud Senate Passage of Young Fishermen’s Development Act
U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) applauded the Senate's passage of the Young Fishermen's Development Act, legislation to mitigate the challenges facing the next generation of entrants into the fishing industry by supporting regional training opportunities and apprenticeship programs. "Alaska is the unquestioned superpower of seafood, thanks to our world-class, sustainably-managed fisheries and our countless hard-working fishermen,"… Continue Reading
12.04.20
Murkowski Joins Bipartisan, Bicameral Group In Calling For Permanent Expansion Of Telehealth Coverage In End Of Year Legislation
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) joined U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai'i) and a bipartisan group of lawmakers in calling for the expansion of access to telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic to be made permanent. Provisions from the Schatz-authored CONNECT for Health Act that have allowed Medicare beneficiaries in all areas of the country, and in their homes, to utilize telehealth services, as well as more types of health care providers to provide telehealth, were included in… Continue Reading
12.03.20
Delegation Welcomes Announcement of First Coastal Plain Lease Sale
U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski, Dan Sullivan, and Rep. Don Young, all R-Alaska, today issued the following statements after the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced that a Notice of Sale for the first lease sale in the non-wilderness Coastal Plain (1002 Area) of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) will be published on December 7, 2020. "BLM's announcement means we are now just weeks away from a long-awaited lease sale in the 1002 Area," Murkowski said. "This is a tremendous opportunity … Continue Reading
12.02.20
Murphy, Murkowski Applaud Final Passage Of Save Our Seas 2.0
U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) applauded passage of Save Our Seas 2.0, legislation to combat marine debris. Murphy and Murkowski are both cosponsors of the bill, which was introduced and led by U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island) and Bob Menendez (D-New Jersey). The legislation includes a Murphy-Murkowski drafted provision that allows for the establishment of a new Genius Prize to fund the development of materials to repl… Continue Reading
12.02.20
Murkowski Welcomes EPA Grant to Alaska to Improve Air Quality
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) applauded news that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $14.7 million to the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation to help improve air quality in Fairbanks. A portion of the Fairbanks North Star Borough is currently designated as a PM2.5 non-attainment area, with wood stoves serving as a major contributor to non-attainment. The funding, which is part of the EPA's Targeted Airshed grant program, will be used to continue a wood stove c… Continue Reading
12.02.20
Murkowski Welcomes DOE Effort to Strengthen Domestic Mineral Supply Chains
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today issued the following statement after the Department of Energy's (DOE) Loan Programs Office issued new guidance encouraging applications for projects that support secure supply chains of critical minerals. "I thank Secretary Brouillette for his continued efforts to boost our economic and national security by strengthening our mineral security," said Murkowski. "This guidance will help ensure that reasonable support is available to help domestic producer… Continue Reading
12.01.20
Murkowski Joins Bipartisan, Bicameral Working Group Announcing COVID-19 Emergency Relief Framework
Today, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) joined U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV), Susan Collins (R-ME), Mark Warner (D-VA), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Angus King (I-ME), Mitt Romney (R-UT), and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Representatives Gottheimer (D-NJ-5), Tom Reed (R-NY-23), Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH-16), Dusty Johnson (R-SD), Dean Phillips (D-MN-3), Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-7), and Fred Upton (R-MI-6) of the Problem Solvers Caucus, to announce a bipartisan, bicameral COVID-19 eme… Continue Reading
11.25.20
Murkowski and Sullivan: Army Corps Right to Reject Pebble Permit
U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, both R-Alaska, today issued the following statements after the Army Corps of Engineers (Army Corps) formally rejected the Pebble Limited Partnership's application for a permit to discharge dredged or fill material into navigable waters under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. The Army Corps determined the Pebble project is "contrary to the public interest." Murkowski and Sullivan, while staunch advocates of mining in Alaska, oppose the project and… Continue Reading
11.23.20
ICYMI: Murkowski, Cortez Masto Op-Ed on Fight Against MMIW Crisis
In case you missed it, U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) wrote an Op-Ed for Indian Country Today to share their collaborative efforts to help respond to the inordinate violence that Native American women and girls face. In October, President Trump signed into law Savanna's Act and Not Invisible Act, two bills led by U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) to address the crisis of missing, murdered, and trafficked Indigenous women… Continue Reading
11.19.20
Alaska Congressional Delegation Files Amicus Brief in Support of Alaska Native Corporations
U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan and U.S. Congressman Don Young, all R-Alaska, filed an amicus curiae brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to grant the petition for a writ of certiorari in support of Alaska Native Corporations (ANCs) eligibility for tribal assistance appropriated by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The amicus brief states that the indigenous peoples of Alaska will suffer severe negative consequences as a result of the D.C. Circuit Court… Continue Reading