11.22.19

Murkowski Applauds Administration’s Focus to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Crisis

Today U.S. Senator Murkowski (R-AK) issued the following statement after U.S. Attorney General Barr announced the Department of Justice is launching a national strategy to address the crisis of missing an murdered indigenous persons: "Addressing the crisis of missing, trafficked, and murdered Indigenous women has been a high priority of mine in the Senate. I applaud the administration for this announcement and for making proactive, directed initiatives to improve the federal response to this ep… Continue Reading

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11.22.19

Murkowski Raises Alaska Interests with FDA Commissioner Nominee

The nominee to serve as the next U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner, Dr. Stephen M. Hahn is moving through the vetting process in the U.S. Senate, with a nomination hearing today in the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee. During the Senate HELP Committee hearing, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski raised a range of Alaska interests with Dr. Hahn, including the epidemic of e-cigarettes and vaping, ALS research, FDA seafood advice, and labeling requirements f… Continue Reading

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11.21.19

Delegation Welcomes Draft 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) announced the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for an updated Integrated Activity Plan (IAP) for the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A). A Notice of Availability will appear in the Federal Register tomorrow, kicking off a 60-day public comment period that ends on January 21, 2020. "This is a significant step toward a new plan… Continue Reading

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11.21.19

Murkowski: Decline in Timber Revenue Means Increased Reliance on Federal Programs

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today chaired a hearing of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee to examine federal payments to local governments provided through the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) and Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) programs. As part of the hearing, the committee also received testimony on three bills: S. 430, a bill from Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) to extend the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000; S. 1643, Sen. Ron Wyden's (D-Ore.) Forest… 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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11.21.19

Senators’ Legislation to Address Crisis of Missing, Murdered and Trafficked Native Women Advances in Senate

Legislation addressing the crisis of missing, murdered, and trafficked Native women, passed out of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee with strong, bipartisan support-heading to the full Senate for consideration. The bills, Savanna's Act and Not Invisible Act, are both led by U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and aim to combat the epidemic by improving the federal government's response to the crisis. CLICK HERE for video of Senator Murkowski's remarks. Sav… Continue Reading

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11.19.19

Murkowski, Klobuchar Combat Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and Prenatal Substance Abuse

U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) recently reintroduced S.2879, the Advancing FASD Research, Prevention, and Services Act, which would authorize programs and funding to individuals and families effected by Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs), and related conditions. Specifically, the bill would create an Interagency Coordinating Committee to combat FASD as well as reestablish the Center of Excellence on FASD and related conditions. Fo… 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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11.19.19

ENR Advances Key Nominees, 15 Bills to Full Senate

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee today held a business meeting to report three nominations and 15 energy and lands-related measures to the full Senate, including legislation focused on offshore revenue sharing and the deferred maintenance backlog at the National Park Service. The nominees advanced to the full Senate for confirmation votes are: Mr. Dan Brouillette to be Secretary of the Department of Energy; Mr. James Danly to be a Member of the Federal Energy Regulatory… Continue Reading

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11.19.19

Murkowski Stresses Need to Equip DoD With Tools to Support Arctic Defense Strategy

In honor of what would have been U.S. Senator Ted Stevens' ninety-sixth birthday, U.S. Senator Murkowski (R-AK) raised attention to an issue that was significant to him-the importance of the Arctic and a strong national defense to Alaska and the nation. Senator Murkowski highlighted her legislation she introduced with U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) to create a new Department of Defense (DoD) Regional Center for Security Studies for the Arctic, which would be named in Senator Stevens' honor. T… Continue Reading

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11.18.19

Alaska Congressional Delegation Tours F-35 Plant in Texas

Today, U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski, Dan Sullivan, and Congressman Don Young, all R-Alaska, alongside military and community leaders from Interior Alaska, toured Lockheed Martin's F-35 assembly plant and were shown the first F-35As that will eventually be stationed at Eielson Air Force Base beginning in the spring of 2020. During the visit, the delegation was briefed on the overall F-35 program and its capabilities, toured the production line to get a firsthand look at the U.S. Air Force's lates… Continue Reading

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11.15.19

Bipartisan Resolution to Honor Women Veterans Passes Senate Unanimously

Resolution Text (PDF) United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Martha McSally (R-Ariz.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) today applauded the unanimous passage of their bipartisan resolution to urge the U.S. Postal Service to issue a commemorative postage stamp series honoring women veterans of the Armed Forces and calling for the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committe… Continue Reading

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11.15.19

Bill to Safeguard Funding for Protection and Safety of Olympic Athletes Advances in Senate

A group of senators, including U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, both (R-Alaska), introduced legislation this week that would safeguard funding for resources designated for the investigation of Olympic and amateur athlete abuse. The Stopping Abuse from Entering Sports, Promoting Oversight, Responsibility and Transparency (SAFESPORT) Act was authored by Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and is also co-sponsored by Senators Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), and David Perd… Continue Reading

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11.15.19

Udall, Murkowski Introduce Legislation to Address Health Care Provider Shortages in Indian Country

U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.), vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) introduced the Indian Health Service Health Professions Tax Fairness Act to help address health care provider shortages at the Indian Health Service (IHS). The legislation would exempt IHS' scholarship and loan repayment programs, two key employee recruitment and retention tools, from federal income tax requirements, allowing the service to better leverage its existing fundi… Continue Reading

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11.14.19

Murkowski: Brouillette Will Excel in New Role

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today chaired a hearing to consider the nomination of Dan Brouillette to be Secretary of the Department of the Energy (DOE). The Senate previously confirmed Mr. Brouillette to be Deputy Secretary with a strong bipartisan vote of 79-17 on August 3, 2017, and he has served in that role since then. Current Secretary Rick Perry has announced he will depart DOE on December 1. Murkowski opened the hearing by expressing her strong support for Brouillette's nominatio… Continue Reading

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11.14.19

Murphy, Murkowski Applaud Committee Passage of Save Our Seas 2.0

U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) applauded committee passage of Save Our Seas 2.0, bipartisan legislation led by U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) to combat marine debris. Murphy and Murkowski are both cosponsors of the bill. The legislation includes a Murphy-Murkowski drafted provision to fund a Genius Prize for Save Our Seas Innovation to be given out for the development of projects to rep… Continue Reading

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11.13.19

Murkowski and Colleagues Address Youth Vaping Epidemic

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) joined her colleagues on the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee today for a hearing to examine the federal response to lung illnesses and rising electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use among youth. During the hearing, witnesses spoke about the public health response to the outbreak of lung injuries linked to the use of e-cigarettes, or vaping products, and federal actions to prevent youth from using electronic tobacco products. The hearing a… 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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11.11.19

Murkowski Shares Message in Honor of Veterans

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) shared the following message with Alaskans on Veterans Day: CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO "As an Alaskan, I am honored that over 68 thousand veterans call our state home. We are proud of the men and women in uniform and forever grateful for their service. "Today we honor all veterans, in Alaska and across the nation, who have answered that call to serve. We thank our veterans for the tremendous sacrifices they have made - serving courageously across America and in… Continue Reading

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11.08.19

Murkowski Joins Committee in Addressing Tribal Workforces

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and her colleagues on the Senate Indian Affairs Committee this week held an oversight hearing focused on the PL 477 program, an innovative and comprehensive Native employment and training program. The 477 program is unique in that it allows tribes to pool funding from various federal agencies to support projects to tackle the significant unemployment conditions that impact Native communities across the U.S. The hearing included testimony from Ralph Anderson, Pr… Continue Reading