Murkowski Interior Bill Advances to Full Committee
Investments to Protect our Land, Water, and People
The Senate Interior-Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee today advanced its FY2020 appropriations bill with funding to strengthen the economy, improve water and wastewater infrastructure, and create safer and healthier communities across the state. As chairman of the Subcommittee, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) worked to address a range of challenges, needs, and opportunities in Alaska by securing provisions to develop infrastructure projects, improve access to Native healthcare, and help local governments provide vital services.
This summer Alaska received recording breaking heat and devastating fires. This bill not only invests in fire suppression, it also invests in state and volunteer fire assistance and provides increases for hazardous fuels reduction. The bill also addresses PFAS contamination by providing increases to EPA grant programs to support state-led cleanup and remediation efforts of PFAS contaminated water sources, water systems, and lands. New this year, the bill provides funding to address the crisis of missing, murdered indigenous women by providing support for cold case investigations, equipment, training, and background checks.
“In this bill, we invest in programs aimed to protect our land, water, and people, enable infrastructure projects to boost the economy, and work to help communities in Alaska provide vital, basic services that perhaps others in other parts of the nation many take for granted. We have also worked hard to shape this bill so that it reflects the priorities of members on both sides of the aisle,” Senator Murkowski said. “I’m proud of our good, bipartisan work to ensure that this Interior appropriations bill directs federal resources where they are needed most providing much-needed investments in communities all across the nation. This bill is a significant investment in the livelihoods of all Alaskans and will have a lasting impact on our state.”
Click here for audio of Senator Murkowski’s opening statement.
The Interior-Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee controls funding levels for federal agencies and departments including the Department of the Interior (DOI), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), Forest Service (FS), National Park Service (NPS), U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and Indian Health Service (IHS), as well as NEH, NEA, and our Smithsonian Institution. Murkowski, as Chairman, is able to write the Senate’s annual appropriations bill for the Subcommittee.
The full Appropriations Committee is scheduled to markup the Interior-Environment FY2020 bill on Thursday, September 26 at 10:30am ET and advance to the full Senate for further consideration.
