Senate Committee Approves Three More FY24 Appropriations Bills
Murkowski Secures Wins for Housing, Energy, and Infrastructure Needs in Alaska
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, secured investments for Alaska in the Energy and Water; Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD); and State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs (SFOPS) Appropriations Act of 2024, which were approved by the committee will now advance to the full Senate for consideration.
Within these three bills, Murkowski secured wins for Alaska’s energy, water, and Arctic-related projects that invest in clean power, national security, and infrastructure in rural communities, as well as measures to enhance Alaskans’ access to housing and childcare while supporting vulnerable Alaskans.
Following yesterday’s full committee markup, a total of eight appropriations bills are on now their way to the Senate floor for full consideration.
“From investing in hydropower and nuclear energy to building community resilience, the Energy and Water bill will provide important support to critical Alaska projects,” said Senator Lisa Murkowski. “As Alaska continues to grow our reputation and status as a leader in the energy sector, these investments will ensure we have strong infrastructure and support in place.
“The THUD bill provides investments to communities that will provide desperately needed housing and childcare opportunities. It’s absolutely vital Alaskans can grow their families knowing these foundations are in place.
“We also ensured that there will be significant support to Arctic affairs efforts through the SFOPS bill—providing funds that will ensure the U.S. remains strong as an Arctic leader.”
FY24 Energy and Water, THUD, and SFOPS Appropriations Bill Highlights:
Supporting Energy Projects in Alaska
As a leading voice on energy issues, Senator Murkowski continues to lead on providing support to Alaskan energy projects. In this bill, Senator Murkowski led on including a loan guarantee for the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline and provided support for tidal energy projects. She ensured that support for critical mineral activities was included in the bill, and provided $1 million for the Arctic Energy Office to support energy projects in rural communities and throughout the Arctic. Between funding from this appropriations bill and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Senator Murkowski worked to provide millions for advanced small modular reactors.
Senator Murkowski also secured the following CDS requests to support energy projects across Alaska:
- Juneau: $500,000 for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct a General Investigation study to replace the Juneau Auke Bay Wave Attenuator.
- Kenai Peninsula Borough: $2.74 million for the Kenai Peninsula Borough to collect methane gas while increasing energy efficiency and analyze the feasibility of the technology in small communities.
- Yukon-Kuskokwim Region: $1.60 million to identify and analyze the feasibility of energy needs for all Yukon-Kuskokwim Regional Tribes.
- Metlakatla: $166,000 for the Metlakatla Indian Community for a study to evaluate and mitigate impacts from rising sea levels on hydropower systems at Purple Lake.
- Sitka: $514,000 for the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association to research and identify decarbonization and clean energy transition options for vessel owners and shoreside businesses.
- Kotzebue: $3 million for the Kotzebue Electric Association to deploy energy storage for resiliency and enable grid formation in an isolated microgrid.
Investing in Alaska’s Infrastructure
Senator Murkowski has worked to provide significant investments to infrastructure projects in rural Alaska, building out and modernizing roads, bridges, ports, and airport projects. She included support for the Denali Commission to continue supporting infrastructure projects in rural communities across the state. Through the THUD bill, Senator Murkowski secured funding that supports Alaska’s airports, roads, bus, rail, and port infrastructure.
Senator Murkowski also secured the following CDS requests to strengthen Alaska’s infrastructure and provide investments to projects in rural communities in both the Energy and Water and THUD bills:
- St. George: $3.5 million for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to work on the St. George Harbor Improvement project.
- Hooper Bay: $5 million for the Native Village of Hooper Bay to construct a road and barge landing.
- Fairbanks: $3 million to the State of Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection to replace Wildland Firefighter Response Facilities.
- Ketchikan: $1.8 million for the Ketchikan Gateway Borough to make airport improvements.
- Whittier: $3 million to the Alaska Department of Transportation to help construct the Shotgun Cove Road Construction.
- Kodiak: $2.5 million to the Alaska Department of Transportation to fund the Anton Larsen Bay Road project.
- Anchorage: $2 million for the Alaska Railroad Corporation to fund avalanche mitigation activities.
- Anchorage: $5 million to the Port of Alaska, Anchorage to fund construction activities for an Intermodal Freight Transfer Facility.
Expanding Housing, Childcare, and Community Development Access for Alaskans
Senator Murkowski listened to the needs of Alaskans and worked to secure dozens of CDS allocations for housing and childcare facilities in the state. From improving access to housing for elders in rural communities, establishing housing for public safety officials, to renovating and building childcare facilities—Murkowski is delivering critically-needed housing and childcare opportunities for communities across Alaska by securing the following CDS requests:
- Statewide: $3.3 million for the Alaska Department of Public Safety to establish rural public safety housing.
- Anchorage: $1 million to the Anchorage Community Land Trust to construct a shared commercial kitchen facility.
- Togiak: $3.43 million for the Bristol Bay Housing Authority to provide housing for foster care families.
- North Pole: $2.5 million for the City of North Pole to support utility lines for affordable housing.
- Valdez: $3 million for the City of Valdez to renovate a child care building.
- Anchorage: $4 million for the Cook Inlet Housing Authority to construct affordable elder housing.
- Gakona: $2.06 million for the Copper Valley Development Association to build a secure facility for victims and itinerant professionals.
- Fairbanks: $1 million for the Fairbanks Neighborhood Housing Services to rehabilitate rental units.
- Craig: $373,000 for Helping Ourselves Prevent Emergencies (HOPE) to remodel the HOPE office and housing units.
- South Naknek: $3 million for the Bristol Bay Housing Authority to construct affordable housing through the Koyukuk River Housing Project.
- Utqiagvik: $2 million for the Arctic Slope Native Association to complete an 18-unit building for medical staff.
- Juneau: $2 million for the Juneau Housing First Collaborative dba the Glory Hall//Forget-Me-Not-Manor
- Sitka: $2.17 million to the Sitka Community Development Corporation to build an apartment complex.
- Kokhanok, Nondalton, and McGrath: $2 million for the Southcentral Foundation to construct rural health care workforce housing.
- Yakutat: $2.016 million to the Tlingit Haida Regional Housing Authority to modernize affordable housing.
- Fairbanks: $5.6 million for the University of Alaska System to build a child care facility.
- Fairbanks: $1.5 million for the University of Alaska System to create an indigenous studies center.
- Talkeetna: $5 million for the Upper Susitna Seniors to expand the Upper Susitna Senior Center.
- Bethel: $3 million to the Yukon-Kuskokwim Heath Corporation to construct employee housing.
- Anchorage: $1.5 million to the Mountain View Community Resource Center.
Supporting Vulnerable Populations in Alaska
Senator Murkowski is dedicated to supporting survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault while investing in projects that work to stop the violence from occurring in the first place. She worked to include the following CDS requests to protect survivors and other vulnerable populations including those with disabilities and young Alaskans:
- Haines: $5 million for the Haines Borough to construct a safety and training center.
- Anchorage: $380,000 for the Abused Women's Aid In Crisis to make facility improvements.
- Juneau: $98,000 for the non-profit organization, AWARE, for facility and safety improvements to continue providing safe shelter and supportive services for survivors of domestic or sexual violence.
- Haines: $99,000 for the nonprofit Becky’s Place for facility improvements to continue assisting women and children who have been subjected to domestic violence or sexual abuse.
- Fairbanks: $1 million for the Interior Alaska Center for Non-Violent Living to renovate a domestic violence shelter.
- Girdwood: $1.5 million to the Challenge Alaska center to make capital improvements, including accessibility upgrades.
- Ketchikan: $1.65 million to the SeaLevel Community Youth Center to establish a youth center.
- Anchorage: $400,000 to the Standing Together Against Rape (STAR) program to expand STAR's office.
Supporting Arctic Affairs Efforts
In the SFOPS bill, Senator Murkowski included several provisions that will support Arctic Affairs, including $2 million for the office of the Ambassador-at-large for Arctic Affairs. She provided bilateral economic assistance for the Arctic Council Secretariat and the Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region and worked to support the Arctic Winter Games and Arctic Youth Ambassadors Programs.
