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 to Receive $46 million in USDA Grants to Expand High-Speed Internet Access
U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, and Congressman Don Young, (all R-Alaska) joined U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue today for a virtual announcement of more than $46 million in USDA Broadband ReConnect Program grants being awarded to two Alaska service providers to establish and improve broadband infrastructure in some of the state's most remote communities. The grants are matched by nearly $17 million contributed by the grant recipients, bringing the tot… Continue Reading
10.10.20
Murkowski’s Bipartisan Legislation Addressing Crisis of Missing, Murdered, and Trafficked Indigenous Women Signed into Law
Today 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. Specifically, the bills work to improve the federal government's response through increased coordination, development of best practices, and creation of a joint commission on violent crime, ensuring Alaska Natives and survivors have a voice in developing method… Continue Reading
10.09.20
Seward & Alaska Railroad Awarded $20 Million Grant for Port Improvements
U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, and Congressman Don Young, (all R-Alaska) welcomed the announcement today of a roughly $19.78 million port infrastructure grant issued by the United States Maritime Administration (MARAD) for the City of Seward and the Alaska Railroad Corporation to improve the freight dock and corridor in Seward, Alaska. The Alaska congressional delegation wrote a letter to Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao supporting the grant application in May. "This gran… Continue Reading
10.08.20
Murkowski Joins Shaheen Led Bipartisan Letter Urging Inclusion of PFAS Provisions in Final FY21 NDAA
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) joined a bipartisan letter, led by Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), along with 19 Senators, to Senate and House Armed Services Committee leadership urging the inclusion of provisions in the final fiscal year (FY) 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to prevent and address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination. The NDAA is annual defense legislation that authorizes the United States' national defense programs and priorities for the fis… Continue Reading
10.07.20
Amidst a Pandemic & Ahead of Flu Season, Murkowski and Colleagues Send Bipartisan Letter Calling for Americans to Receive Critical Immunizations
Amidst a pandemic and ahead of flu season, U.S. Senators Tom Carper (D-DE), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), and Tina Smith (D-MN), called on the Administration - in partnership with state and local governments - to ensure all Americans continue receiving necessary immunizations to prevent additional illness and outbreaks. In a letter to the leaders of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the bipartisan lawmakers… Continue Reading
10.02.20
Alaska Delegation Welcomes Cross-Border Permit for Alaska-Canada Railway
U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski, Dan Sullivan, and Rep. Don Young, all R-Alaska, issued the following statements after President Trump signed a presidential border-crossing permit for the Alaska-Alberta (A2A) Railway Development Corporation to lay track across the border between Alaska and Canada. The proposed $17-billion freight rail project would run through northwest Canada and connect into the existing Alaska Railroad system, transporting energy, minerals, and other commodities to global markets t… Continue Reading
10.02.20
Murkowski Welcomes Stronger Push on Mineral Security
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today issued the following statement on President Trump's new executive order to improve our nation's mineral security. The new order, issued on Wednesday evening, focuses on "addressing the threat to the domestic supply chain from reliance on critical minerals from foreign adversaries and supporting the domestic mining and processing industries." "The Trump administration has been a strong partner and continues to show real leadership in the effort to improv… Continue Reading
10.02.20
Murkowski Leads Bipartisan Call to Ensure NOAA Surveys Proceed in 2021
In May 2020, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries started canceling research surveys to protect the health of its crews and personnel at sea on account of the COVID-19 pandemic. In support of coastal communities across the country who rely on these surveys as a basis for their livelihoods, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) led a letter, co-signed by 18 of her Senate colleagues, calling on NOAA to identify and resolve any challenges created by COVID-19 that preven… Continue Reading
10.01.20
Schatz, Murkowski Call On Census Bureau To Comply With Court Ruling, Continue Counting Until October 31
U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) urged the Census Bureau to reverse its decision to end the self-response period and field data collection for the 2020 Census on October 5 and instead allow operations to continue until October 31. This bipartisan effort follows the Census Bureau's decision to ignore a recent federal court ruling, which found that ending the counting operations early would result in a serious undercount. "The Decennial Census has a profound impact on … Continue Reading
09.30.20
U.S. Senate Passes Legislation to Fund the Government
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) today made the following statement after voting in favor of the continuing resolution (HR 8337), which will fund the government at current levels through December 11, 2020: "Today I supported a short-term continuing resolution to fund the government through December 11, avoiding an unnecessary shutdown. It is important that we keep our government operating, for the thousands of Alaskans that are federal employees and for all Americans who rely on government se… Continue Reading
09.30.20
Duckworth, Murkowski Urge Senate Leadership to Include Head Start Funding in a Future COVID Relief Package
U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) sent a bipartisan letter to Senate leadership requesting that any future COVID-19 relief package include emergency funding for Head Start programs that have experienced an uptick in operational costs due to expanded programming and services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Head Start programs deliver high-quality, evidence-based education and comprehensive services to children across the country. During this public health crisis, the or… Continue Reading
09.29.20
New Legislation Would Provide Greater Fiscal Stability for the University of Alaska
U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski, Dan Sullivan, and Rep. Don Young, all R-Alaska, last week introduced new legislation, the University of Alaska Fiscal Foundation Act, in both the Senate and House of Representatives. The legislation is supported by Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy, also R-Alaska, and would resolve the University of Alaska's (University) unfulfilled land grant to help it generate revenues that support its students and operations. The University currently has one of the smallest land endo… Continue Reading
09.26.20
Murkowski Comments on U.S. Supreme Court Nominee
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) issued the following statement after President Trump nominated U.S. Circuit Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the United States Supreme Court: "For weeks I have stated that I do not support taking up a potential Supreme Court vacancy this close to an election. But today the President exercised his constitutional authority to nominate an individual to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court left by the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I welcome the opportunity to… Continue Reading
09.25.20
Alaska Delegation Criticizes Circuit Court Ruling Against Native Corporations
U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, and Congressman Don Young (all R-Alaska) today commented on a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit determining Alaska Native Corporations (ANCs) are ineligible for tribal assistance appropriated by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The ruling overturns an earlier June 26 ruling by a U.S. District Court that concluded ANCs are eligible for the aid. "We strongly disagree with the D.C. Circuit Court'… Continue Reading
09.25.20
Murkowski Welcomes Court Ruling Moving 2020 Census Deadline Back to Late October
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) issued the following statement after U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California Judge Lucy H. Koh issued a preliminary injunction which prevents the Trump administration from ending the 2020 Census count by Sept. 30, a month before the previously scheduled completion date of Oct. 31. Judge Koh also bars officials from delivering completed population data to the White House on Dec. 31 versus the April 2021 delivery date earlier requested by the … Continue Reading
09.25.20
Delegation Welcomes Next Step on Rulemaking to Help Southeast Alaska Build a More Sustainable Economy
U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, and Rep. Don Young, all R-Alaska, today issued the following statements after the U.S. Forest Service (Forest Service) published the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a Tongass-specific Roadless Rule. The final EIS includes six alternatives, with a full exemption selected as the preferred alternative. "The Tongass is home to Alaskans who want what most Americans take for granted-the opportunity to live, work, and play in the communities i… Continue Reading
09.24.20
White House COVID-19 Task Force Provides an Update on the Federal Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
As communities in Alaska and across the country work to address the health and financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) participated in a Senate HELP Committee hearing focused on the COVID-19 federal response. The hearing included information on testing, data collection and vaccine development, and how the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has used funding provided by Congress to support state, territorial, tribal, and local public health capacit… Continue Reading
09.22.20
Murkowski Convenes Hearing on Offshore Energy Technologies
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today chaired a hearing to examine the development of emerging offshore energy technologies, including renewable resources such as offshore wind and marine and hydrokinetic (MHK) energy. "When most people hear the phrase 'offshore energy,' they think of offshore oil and gas, which make a substantial contribution to our economy and energy security. But there are numerous other ways to produce energy in the ocean," Murkowski said. "Coastal states have the oppor… Continue Reading
09.22.20
Murkowski’s Legislation Addressing Crisis of Missing, Murdered, and Trafficked Indigenous People Advance
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) applauded the unanimous House passage of two of her bills to address the crisis of missing, murdered, and trafficked Indigenous people. The bills, Savanna's Act and Not Invisible Act, are both led by U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and aim to combat the epidemic by improving the federal government's response through increased coordination, development of best practices, and creation of an advisory committee on violent crime. Both … Continue Reading
09.22.20
Murkowski, Cortez Masto Legislation Addressing Crisis of Missing, Murdered, and Trafficked Indigenous People Advances
U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) applauded the unanimous House passage of two bills to address the crisis of missing, murdered, and trafficked Indigenous people (MMIP). The bills, Savanna's Act and Not Invisible Act, are both led by Senators Murkowski and Cortez Masto and aim to combat the MMIP epidemic by improving the federal government's response through increased coordination, development of best practices, and creation of an advisory committee on violent… Continue Reading
