07.29.24

Senate Appropriators Advance Three More Bills with Alaska Priorities

Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, voted to advance three bills for Fiscal Year 2025 (FY 2025) last week that contain significant investments for Alaska priorities. The measures are for Transportation, Housing and Urban Development; Commerce, Science, Justice; and State and Foreign Operations. All three were approved in committee on a strong bipartisan basis and will now advance to the Senate floor for consideration.

“Whether affordable housing, safer air travel, modern infrastructure, fisheries health, or public safety, I worked hard to address Alaska’s most pressing needs and priorities through these bills,” Murkowski said. “While the investments they contain aren’t final, yet, I will continue to push for their enactment so that communities across Alaska can realize the significant benefits they will provide.”

Highlights from the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Bill 

Infrastructure Investments 

Senator Murkowski annually prioritizes infrastructure investments, and the THUD bill funds an array of projects and programs to address Alaska’s needs across all modes of transportation, affordable housing, and critical community infrastructure.  

The bill reported today out of the THUD subcommittee continues the Senator’s track record of seeking and securing federal funding for programs and projects that are important to Alaska. This year’s measure will again provide the vast majority of the State of Alaska’s FY 2025 transportation-related spending for roads, bridges, airports, ports, and more. 

Notably, the bill builds on the important work of Alaska’s Congressional Delegation in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 to reestablish an Alaska specific program for aviation safety. The bill includes $25 million to fully fund the Don Young Alaska Aviation Safety Initiative to advance Alaska aviation safety efforts—providing new funding for the FAA’s infrastructure investments to improve the safety of Alaska’s airspace and aircraft operations.  

Murkowski added funding to continue the Denali Commission’s Access and Waterfront Programs, which address rural transportation needs and the planning design and construction of ports and harbors in Alaska’s coastal communities.  

  

The bill also provides robust funding for discretionary grant programs funded by the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIJA) that have provided significant benefits to Alaska. The measure includes $550 million in additional funding for the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Discretionary Grant program, which provides investment opportunities for road, rail, transit, and port projects. Since the enactment of the IIJA, the RAISE program has funded 10 projects in Alaska totaling approximately $125 million.  

Similarly, the THUD bill bolsters the Maritime Administration’s Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) with $200 million for FY 2025. The PIDP program has made significant investments in Alaska’s essential port and harbor infrastructure including a historic $68.7 million award to the Don Young Port of Alaska. Since the IIJA’s enactment, Alaska has received approximately $184 million across 11 projects. 

Safeguarding the Essential Air Service 

The THUD bill fully funds the Essential Air Service (EAS) program at $423 million. With 82% of Alaska’s communities off the road system, the EAS provides critical funding so that Alaskan communities have access to scheduled air service. Murkowski ensured the program was fully funded so that rural communities across the state can remain connected by air travel. 

Housing 

One of the top issues facing Alaskans is the lack of affordable housing, which Murkowski is working diligently to address. In the FY 2025 THUD bill, she ensured increases for a number of grant programs for the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Community Planning and Development (CPD), including the HOME Investment Partnership Program and the Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program. 

Murkowski was also instrumental in ensuring funding for programs in HUD’s Office of Public and Indian Housing, including Tribal HUD-VA Supportive Housing vouchers. She also oversaw a more than $100 million increase in the agency’s formula grants, which will go to new construction and rehabilitation of affordable Indian housing.   

In addition to programmatic funding to help Alaskans, Murkowski was able to secure investments specific to 44 Alaska communities, projects that have been requested and prioritized by local governments and organizations in this bill:

  • Akiachak: $1.24 million for the planning and design of a public safety facility. 
  • Akutan: $3.5 million to construct a transload dock facility at Akutan’s small boat harbor to facilitate commercial cargo loading and unloading. 
  • Anchorage: $947,000 to build a training center for childcare education, which will provide training for high school students and adults in rural communities to become certified in Early Childhood Education. 
  • Anchorage: $287,000 to Anchorage Neighborhood Housing Services to upgrade a fire alarm system for workforce housing.
  • Anchorage: $333,000 to install new sprinkler systems and fire suppression systems in licensed group homes for the Arc of Anchorage, which provides an array of disability services for Alaskans with developmental disabilities, behavioral and mental health challenges.
  • Buckland: $973,000 to finish construction of four HUD-funded homes for Buckland, which has doubled in size in the last decade. 
  • Chenega: $2.47 million to install a breakwater (wave attenuator) to protect Chenega’s harbor and shoreline from increasing winds and waves. 
  • Cordova: $1.4 million to assist in the purchase of a building, renovations, and additional shelter rooms to be used to support victims of domestic violence and sexual assault as well as to support youth and group activities. 
  • Delta Junction: $1.34 million toward the purchase of a building for a health clinic. 
  • Diomede: $500,000 to renovate a duplex for teacher housing in Diomede that was impacted by a fire in 2015. 
  • Emmonak: $5 million to construct a new 7,000-square-foot domestic violence shelter in Emmonak. 
  • Fairbanks: $1 million to construct eight units of affordable housing on Fairbanks Neighborhood Housing Services-owned lots. This will support six three-bedroom units and two two-bedroom units, plus parking and green space. 
  • Gambell: $3.75 million to construct two permanent housing for medical personnel on the island of St. Lawrence. 
  • Girdwood: $980,000 to provide utility connections for a childcare facility in a community that lacks adequate childcare.
  • Juneau: $1.5 million to provide health and safety improvements to the Fireweed Place apartment buildings, allowing for safer all-weather access for seniors.
  • Juneau: $5 million to construct 51 units of permanent low-income and recovery housing. 
  • Juneau: $500,000 to construct a warehouse to allow the Southeast Alaska Food Bank to store all donated and purchased food on-site, rather than in two rented offsite spaces. The Food Bank serves an average of 300 to 400 people every week. 
  • Ketchikan: $2 million to construct an essential services building (S'eenáa Hit Navigation Center), which will provide services for people experiencing homelessness in Ketchikan and surrounding areas. It will offer a centralized space for community providers to deliver a broad suite of services to improve unhoused individuals’ quality of life. 
  • Ketchikan: $650,000 to perform preconstruction, engineering, and design activities for a new ferry to transport passengers between Ketchikan and the Ketchikan Airport. 
  • Ketchikan: $1 million to create improved facilities for community services to seniors and Alaskans with disabilities. 
  • Kodiak: $10 million to replace the float system at the St. Herman Harbor, which provides safe moorage for over 400 commercial fishing vessels in Kodiak. 
  • Koyukuk: $2.5 million to fund dust mitigation activities on unpaved roads. Communities isolated from the contiguous highway system face significant health and environmental challenges due to the high volumes of airborne dust from unpaved roads in the summertime. 
  • Manokotak: $1.7 million to complete a feasibility study to determine the viability of constructing or improving the Snake River Road, the mooring site, and barge landing in Manokotak. 
  • Minto: $1.3 million to demolish the existing teacher housing duplex and build two new additions (bringing the total number of units to six) and renovate the building into two 3-bedroom units to address the lack of housing for educators. 
  • Nikiski: $1 million to expand the Nikiski Senior Center’s available senior housing to 16 units. 
  • Nome: $4 million to build an 18-unit housing complex that would provide housing for teachers and public safety officers. 
  • Nome: $463,000 to preserve and restore a historic building to be used as a cultural community center and camp with living quarters, youth camps, and community gatherings. 
  • Nome: $5 million to construct a Rapid Response Facility for fire and emergency response fleets. 
  • Nulato: $4 million to develop a small port with modern waterfront infrastructure on the Yukon River to improve safety, reduce erosion, and prevent flooding of streets
  • Nulato: $2.71 million to address the critical shortage of adequate, affordable housing by constructing 10 new single-family homes and housing infrastructure
  • Ouzinkie: $900,000 to design and build a standard freight and passenger loading dock alongside the boat launch ramp. 
  • Petersburg: $2 million to replace the Banana Point floating breakwater system, which is over 30 years old and decaying due to age and damage. Banana Point is on the southern edge of Mitkof Island and supports water transport between Wrangell and Petersburg. 
  • Southeast Alaska: $2.5 million to purchase five multi-purpose modular buildings that would enable first responders, usually Village Public Safety Officers, to carry out day-to-day operations and emergency response. These modules would feature office space, sleeping quarters, and a safe space for domestic violence victims and serve the communities of Angoon, Hydaburg, Kake, Thorne Bay, and Pelican. 
  • Sitka: $1 million to expand space at the domestic violence shelter and construct a 1,400-sq. foot building on the shelter property to provide housing to victims of domestic violence and office space for staff. 
  • Soldotna: $3.9 million to reconstruct Marydale Avenue from its intersection with the Kenai Spur Highway. Marydale Avenue serves as the primary access to medical, retail, government, and educational sectors in the core of Soldotna. 
  • St. Michael: $2 million to purchase and install a mobile harvest unit to support the community’s traditional subsistence practices. 
  • St. Paul: $1.5 million to renovate the St. Paul Island Fire Station and replace its roof, siding, and insulation. 
  • Thorne Bay: $1.56 million for the construction of a new Fire/EMS Building to serve South Thorne Bay residents. 
  • Togiak: $3.51 million to construct an emergency access road to provide an alternative route across wetlands from Togiak Height Road to the Togiak School. This emergency route would provide a secondary option to the designated emergency location in the event residents have to evacuate Togiak due to flooding or a tsunami. 
  • Unalaska: $5 million for the rehabilitation of Captains Bay Road, a high traffic corridor for pedestrians as well as heavy trucks in the fishing, shipping, and support industries vital to Unalaska’s economy. 
  • Wasilla: $3 million to design and extend the Wasilla Airport runway to serve larger aircrafts, including the acquisition of a 53-acre parcel for additional infrastructure. This will allow larger aircrafts, particularly cargo carriers, to use the airport in Wasilla. 
  • Wasilla: $825,000 to build a five-bedroom tribal group home, for Alaska Native children in need of care, support, or supervision.
  • Willow: $3 million to replace the Willow EMS/Fire Station and consolidate the Caswell Fire Service Area and the Willow Fire Service Area into one new fire service area to be known as the Willow Caswell Fire Service Area. 
  • Wrangell: $2.5 million to fund construction of an emergency access road to provide a second access to the Wrangell community for emergency response, medical services, and other services.

Highlights from the Commerce, Justice, and Science (CJS) Bill 

Fisheries Data Collections, Surveys, and Assessments 

One of the best tools we have to help Alaska’s fishing industry recover is to collect the best data possible so that we have a complete picture on stocks. Murkowski advocated for additional funding and helped secure a $15 million increase from FY 2024, including language requiring the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to “conduct no fewer than six surveys for Alaska bottom trawl surveys and cooperative research.” She also included report language directing the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to provide technical guidance for Councils to incorporate climate considerations in the development of fisheries regulations, implement climate-ready management actions, maintain and restore fish stocks, and support resilient fishing communities. 

Senator Murkowski included report language that recognizes how critical reducing, preventing, and researching marine debris is to the goal of protecting and preserving the integrity of our marine ecosystems and the communities and wildlife who depend on them. The language recommends for FY 2025 and beyond that the Marine Debris Program be listed as a separate, specific line item within the President’s yearly budget request and within NOAA’s yearly budget justifications.

The Senator also prioritized increasing the budget for the Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program, which will provide industry the tools to develop bycatch reduction technologies.

National Weather Service 

As Alaska grapples with natural hazards and climate change, it is important for the National Weather Service (NWS) to have access to the latest tools and technology. Murkowski included report language directing $6 million to the National Tsunami Hazards Mitigation Program, as well as language directing the NWS to maintain, upgrade, and replace the Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS), which rural and remote communities depend for reliable air service.

Public Safety, Supporting Victims, and Addressing the MMIP Crisis 

Since the passage of the Violence Against Women Act of 2022, Senator Murkowski has advocated for increased funding and new funding for programs that work to address the crisis that Alaska faces when it comes to violence against women. Murkowski secured historic levels of funding for VAWA programs and increased funding for the Sexual Assault Services Program and Transitional Housing Assistance and included report language which highlighted the importance of continued funding for the Alaska Children’s Advocacy Center Expansion Initiative. 

Senator Murkowski has been actively working to address the stability of the Crime Victims Fund. The CJS bill made available $1.9 billion through the CVF for victim services, which is critical to ensure that victim services do not see devastating cuts in FY25.  

The Senator secured $5 million for a new Special Initiative that works to address the intersection of MMIP and domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and human trafficking in Tribal communities.

Senator Murkowski also got an increase in the Grants to State and Tribal Courts to Implement Protection Order Pilot Programs, funding which she is intent on directing towards the Alaska Tribal Public Safety Empowerment pilot program.

In addition to programmatic funding to help Alaskans, Murkowski was able to secure investments specific to 14 Alaska communities, projects that have been requested and prioritized by local governments and organizations in this bill:

  • Statewide: $300,000 to promote climate resilience in coastal communities by improving weather tracking along Alaska’s northern and western coasts. This funding will help local communities better measure climate change impacts and improve methods for detecting harmful algae blooms caused by warming ocean temperatures. 
  • Statewide: $1.91 million for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to gather data on harbor porpoises to assess management changes and provide information on the species’ conservation status. 
  • Statewide: $2 million to advance the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation’s Seafood Industry Modernization Initiative, focusing on research, product development, market access, skilled trades training, and applied innovation. 
  • Statewide: $1 million to support the Tribal Domestic Violence Resource Center in Alaska, providing culturally specific training and technical assistance for victim/survivor-centered and trauma-informed programs. 
  • Statewide: $3 million for the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) to promote U.S. wild-caught Alaska seafood products to retain and expand market share among U.S. consumers. 
  • Anchorage: $150,000 to train additional forensic investigators and purchase investigative tools for the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce. 
  • Anchorage: $676,000 to complete the Anchorage Police Department’s agency-wide computer and technology upgrade, replacing outdated computers and enhancing the Department’s vehicle fleet. 
  • Anchorage: $27,000 to train youth members of the Anchorage Youth Court, a diversionary program for youth in grades 7 through 12 accused of breaking the law. 
  • Statewide: $500,000 for the Bering Sea Fishermen’s Association to provide technical expertise to tribal organizations to minimize non-Chinook (chum) salmon bycatch in coordination with the National Marine Fisheries Service. 
  • Statewide: $3.5 million for in-season genetic analysis of chum salmon bycatch in the Bering Sea Pollock Fishery, enhancing understanding and efforts to reduce chum salmon bycatch and support Western Alaska fisheries. 
  • Statewide: $2.5 million for the North Pacific Research Board to study how environmental conditions influence species of commercial and ecological importance in the Northern Bering Sea, informing fisheries management and community impacts. 
  • Prince William Sound: $355,000 for the Prince William Sound Science Center to develop and deploy updated instrumented tethered profiling robots for climate and ecosystem monitoring in Prince William Sound. 
  • Statewide: $1.99 million for the University of Alaska to develop drone-borne maritime lidar technology to improve salmon counting accuracy critical to sustainable fishing and commercial success in Alaska’s seafood industry. 
  • Valdez: $6.1 million to replace obsolete emergency services communication towers and equipment, ensuring city-wide coverage and connection to the dispatch center. 

Highlights from the State and Foreign Operations (SFOPS) Bill 
 

Investing in the Arctic  

Murkowski is a leading voice and expert on Arctic policy, both in the U.S. and abroad. In the FY 2025 SFOPS bill, she secured funding for the Office of the Ambassador-at-Large for Arctic Affairs at the State Department, the Standing Committee of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region, and the Arctic Council—all of which will help increase the United States’ engagement in the region and our standing on the international stage. 

International Fishing 

Working closely with bordering nations is critical to managing stocks and avoiding overfishing. Murkowski insisted on full funding for the Pacific Salmon Commission and increased funding for the International Pacific Halibut Commission to continue providing essential stock assessment surveys. She secured report language directing relevant cabinet Secretaries to identify ways to improve enforcement capabilities for sanctions placed on Russian seafood and fish. Senator Murkowski also secured $50 million for ocean plastic pollution cleanup. 

Minerals

Murkowski secured report language directing the Secretary of State to explain how they are prioritizing U.S-based companies and projects in their ongoing critical mineral supply chain activities and the extent to which support for international projects are being used to mitigate the impact of domestic mining restrictions.