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 Welcomes Court Win for Alaska Native Corporations
U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan and Congressman Don Young (all R-Alaska) today welcomed the court decision deeming Alaska Native Corporations (ANCs) eligible for tribal assistance appropriated through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Today U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ruled that Alaska Native Corporations can receive a share of the $8 billion in funding set aside for Tribal governments that Congress approved in March. "When we passed the CARES Act … Continue Reading
06.26.20
U.S. Senators Smith, Murkowski Continue Work to Expand Mental Health Services with New Package of Bipartisan Legislation
U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) introduced two bipartisan bills to address behavioral health needs and substance use disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 Behavioral Health Support Act would authorize $150 million in grants to States, Tribes, Tribal organizations and community-based organizations for training, technology upgrades, surge capacity needs, emergency crisis intervention, suicide prevention, and outreach to underserved communities. The… Continue Reading
06.25.20
Delegation Announces Paycheck Protection Program Fix for Commercial Fishing Businesses
U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, and Congressman Don Young (all R-Alaska) today applauded a rule released by the Department of Treasury and Small Business Administration that will allow commercial fishing businesses to account for crew member payroll when applying for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. Over the past several weeks, the Alaska Congressional Delegation has pressed the Trump administration for the change - which included sending a letter to Treasury Secretary Mnu… Continue Reading
06.25.20
20 Senators: Defense Authorization Bill Should Include Advanced Nuclear
U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Cory Booker, D-N.J., recently led a bipartisan group of 20 Senators in sending a letter to urge the inclusion of S. 903, the Nuclear Energy Leadership Act (NELA), within S. 4049, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2021. The members' letter highlights nuclear energy's contribution to national security. The advanced reactors supported by NELA have significant potential to provide clean, safe, reliable, and affordable energy to mi… Continue Reading
06.25.20
Delegation Welcomes Final Environmental Impact Statement on NPR-A Integrated Activity Plan
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) published the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for an updated Integrated Activity Plan (IAP) for the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A). The final EIS will be followed by a record of decision that will guide management of the NPR-A. "As Alaskans work toward economic recovery, having a robust plan to unlock the potential of on… Continue Reading
06.25.20
Alaska Native Vietnam War-Era Veterans Are One Step Closer To Being Able to Apply for Land Allotments
U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski, Dan Sullivan, and Rep. Don Young, all R-Alaska, today welcomed the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) announcement of proposed rules that will allow more than 1,000 Alaska Native Vietnam War-era veterans to apply for land allotments of up to 160 acres of land. This is a key step to fulfilling an important provision of the Dingell Act, landmark public lands legislation that Congress passed early last year. BLM also announced the specific lands available for selection. "… Continue Reading
06.25.20
Murkowski Calls to Advance Alaska Specific Legislation During Senate Indian Affairs Hearing
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) took part in a Senate Committee on Indian Affairs legislative hearing which included two Alaska specific bills of which Senator Murkowski is the sponsor: S. 3099, the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium Land Transfer Act of 2019 and S. 3100, the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium Land Transfer Act of 2019. The hearing also addressed a bill of which Senator Murkowski is a lead cosponsor, S. 2165, the Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony (STOP) Act o… Continue Reading
06.24.20
Murkowski Responds to Democrats Blocking Debate on Police Reform Bill
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) issued the following statement after the Senate procedural vote to take up the Just and Unifying Solutions to Invigorate Communities Everywhere (JUSTICE) Act, the only police reform bill that's recently been introduced in the Senate, failed to advance to debate by four votes: "Right now we have a sense of urgency across the country-to address the justifiable anger, anxiety, and pleas that we have heard from Americans in calling for police reform. Today all Sen… Continue Reading
06.24.20
Murkowski: Mineral Supply Chains Critical to Energy – and Health, Economy, and Security
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today chaired a hearing to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mineral supply chains, the role of those supply chains in economic and national security, and the challenges America faces in rebuilding them. This is the committee's ninth hearing on the importance of minerals to supply chains during Murkowski's time as Chairman and Ranking Member. "The pandemic has brought home that we don't produce many goods important to our country," Murkowski said… Continue Reading
06.24.20
Murkowski Joins Hearing on COVID-19: Lessons Learned
As we continue to navigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and work to create a safer future for all Americans, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) participated in a Senate HELP Committee hearing focused on lessons learned from the COVID-19 response thus far and the actions Congress should take to improve U.S. pandemic preparedness and response capabilities. The hearing included testimony from witnesses who spoke to their experiences as state and federal officials during past pandemics as we… Continue Reading
06.23.20
Murkowski Statement on Order Affecting H-2B Workers, J-1 Visas
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) made the following statement after President Trump issued a "Proclamation Suspending Entry of Aliens Who Present a Risk to the U.S. Labor Market Following the Coronavirus Outbreak," which includes an exemption for workers seeking to enter the U.S. to provide temporary labor or services essential to the nation's food supply chain, such as the seafood industry: "The COVID pandemic has strained workers and businesses all across the nation. I appreciate the admini… Continue Reading
06.19.20
ICYMI: American Energy Innovation Act Can Boost the Economic Recovery
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, yesterday took to the Senate floor to outline how the energy industry has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic - and urged her colleagues to pass the American Energy Innovation Act (AEIA) to help boost the nation's economic recovery. Murkowski's comments followed a hearing held by ENR on Tuesday morning to discuss those impacts and hear from witnesses on how to recover from them. Click photo for video of Murkowski's floor statement Excerpts from the S… Continue Reading
06.18.20
Murkowski to NOAA: Update Tsunami Monitoring in Prince William Sound
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, recently sent a letter urging officials at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to prioritize improvements to tsunami-monitoring in Prince William Sound and throughout Alaska. State officials recently announced the discovery of potential for one of the largest landslide threats in Alaska history at Barry Arm-where an unstable slope sits above a retreating glacier and could trigger a massive tsunami if released. "The landslide and tsun… Continue Reading
06.18.20
Expanding Telehealth Services in Remote and Rural Regions
While we continue to learn about the health impacts of COVID-19 and evolve an appropriate response to the pandemic, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) participated in a Senate HELP Committee hearing focused on telehealth services and the lessons learned from the pandemic regarding this form of health care delivery. The hearing delved into significant changes made to telehealth policy by Congress, the administration, and states during the pandemic. The hearing included testimony from expert witne… Continue Reading
06.18.20
Supreme Court Blocks Effort to end DACA Program
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) made the following statement after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled today that the administration cannot end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) federal program: "Today's Supreme Court decision is truly a sigh of relief for Dreamers, but shouldn't be mistaken as an end to the issue. The decision simply clarifies the process an administration must adhere to if they seek to change what is fundamentally an administrative policy. Those who were brought t… Continue Reading
06.17.20
Bipartisan Group of Senators Introduce Keeping Women and Girls Safe from the Start Authorization Act of 2020
U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) were joined today by four of their Senate colleagues in introducing the Keeping Women and Girls Safe from the Start Authorization Act of 2020. Against the backdrop of the largest refugee crisis in recorded history, the new bipartisan legislation seeks to bolster current United States' and international efforts to address gender-based violence during humani… Continue Reading
06.17.20
Murkowski Votes for Great American Outdoors Act
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today voted in favor of the Great American Outdoors Act, which the Senate passed by a margin of 73 to 25. This conservation measure addresses deferred maintenance backlogs on federal land, including for national parks and national forests, and provides increased support for local recreational opportunities. "The Great American Outdoors Act will help address long-standing maintenance backlogs in Alaska, whether at Denali or Wrangell-St. Elias or in the Ton… Continue Reading
06.16.20
Murkowski Statement on Safe Policing Executive Order
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) today made the following statement after President Trump signed an Executive Order on Safe Policing for Safe Communities: "I appreciate the administration moving quickly to implement safe policing practices. This Executive Order contains some practical steps to raise the standards of our police, emphasizes necessary training, information sharing, and creates greater accountability. In addition, the Order recognizes the need for support with mental health, home… Continue Reading
06.16.20
Murkowski: Energy Industry Has Faced Significant Impacts, Is Critical to Economic Recovery
U.S. U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today chaired a hearing to examine the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the U.S. energy industry. Murkowski also emphasized that the industry can play a key role in the nation's economic recovery. "The decline in demand can be found just about everywhere. Less flying means less jet fuel. Less driving means less gasoline and diesel. Less commercial activity means less electricity. Less consumption means less production. Less investment today means les… Continue Reading
06.15.20
Murkowski Commends Supreme Court Holding Which Protects LGBTQ Workers
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) today released the following statement after the Supreme Court ruled that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, also protects gay or transgender people from discrimination: "People should not live in fear of being discriminated against or losing their job because of their LGBTQ status. I am pleased to see today's Supreme Court holding that existing federal civil rights law protects individuals from discr… Continue Reading
