Speeches
2024 Address to the Alaska State Legislature
President Stevens, Speaker Tilton, Members of the Legislature: Thank you for this hour and the privilege to be with you, though a day later than intended. It seems like nothing goes as planned in DC nowadays. Yesterday was Valentine’s Day, so I’ll begin with an update on my valentines—my family. That starts with Matt, our youngest son, who was born on Valentine’s. He’s growing the family pasta company, and he regularly reminds me of the hardships that inflation and supply chains still caus… Continue Reading
02.22.23
Address to the Alaska State Legislature
[As prepared for delivery] President Stevens, Speaker Tilton, Members of the Alaska State Legislature: Thank you for your warm welcome, and for taking this hour to discuss our state's future. I always start my remarks with a family update. I share the latest on my husband, Verne, and my boys, Nic and Matt. But, this morning, I'm looking at a different Legislature. There are many of you I don't know yet. And you don't know that my sons, who are now in their 30s, wore their first ties he… Continue Reading
10.21.22
SPEECH: Alaska Federation of Natives Annual Convention
*As prepared for delivery. Uvlulluataq! Thank you to Joe for introducing me. And thank you to Julie, the AFN Board, and all of you for the opportunity to speak today. I'm honored to be with you on the traditional homelands of the Dena'ina people. I'm also happy to be at the first in-person AFN Convention since 2019. It's wonderful to see you and to have this precious opportunity to reconnect. It's especially precious because the last few years have been hard. They have brought a… Continue Reading
02.22.22
SPEECH: Address to the Alaska State Legislature
As Prepared for Delivery President Micciche, Speaker Stutes, members of the House and Senate: Thank you for welcoming me back to the Capitol, and for the important work you are taking on for Alaska in the 32nd Legislature. Truly so much has happened since I last had the privilege of this podium. In the lowest moments, we've faced the darkness of January 6. Another impeachment. The chaotic, deadly withdrawal of U.S. forces and refugees from a collapsing Afghanistan in a destabilizing world.… Continue Reading
01.11.22
SPEECH: Preserving the Senate Filibuster
Mr. President, I've come to the Floor to speak to the importance of protecting minority rights in the Senate, and to the consequences of weakening the legislative filibuster to a 50-vote, majority-serving threshold. I'm here as perhaps the sole Senate Republican who will vote to begin debate on the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, because I continue to support necessary improvements to our election laws through the regular order process. I'm also here as a senior member of this chambe… Continue Reading
04.13.21
SPEECH: Remarks at the 14th Conference of the Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region
[As Delivered] Good morning to you or good afternoon to you, wherever you may be. Thank you for all those who are speaking, all those who are participating in these very important meetings. I think we recognize that the challenges of putting on a conference such as this are significant, and we appreciate those who have put together all aspects of this 14th Conference of the Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region. So thank you to you all. I also want to thank those who ar… Continue Reading
11.18.20
SPEECH: Remarks at the RDC’s 2020 Alaska Resources Conference
Thank you, Mike. It's good to be with all of you. Appreciate it. When you think about opportunities in our state, so much of the conversation comes back to resources and those at the RDC, the Resource Development Council, are in the thick of what is happening with regards to our state's economy. So I just want to thank all of you but I also want to do a special shout-out to the team there at RDC, those of you on the board, great and important work that you do. I know we would all much rather be… Continue Reading
10.15.20
SPEECH: Remarks at the 2020 AFN Convention
Chin'an. (Hello) Ahn Sho-Aht-Key, You-Haht Do-Ah Saw-Kooh. Yea-Na Ay-Yah-Haht. Day-Shee-than Nah-Haht-Sit-Tee. I try every year to speak a little bit more, but I shared with you, My name is Aan Shaawak'I, Lady of the Land. I am of the Raven moiety. I am of the Deisheetaan Clan, adopted. And I'm proud to be with you all today. Know that I missed you and I send virtual hugs back to all of you. I want to start by acknowledging the indigenous lands of the Dena'ina peoples where I am speaki… Continue Reading
02.18.20
SPEECH: Remarks to the Alaska State Legislature
Thank you for your warm welcome. It is always good to be home and here with you. The Alaska Legislature is a family and whenever we are together, we talk about our families. I'm blessed that both of my boys continue to thrive. Matt is a typical Alaskan entrepreneur - trying to grow his small business in a challenging economy, dealing with customers and regulations. He's also a proud new homeowner with a mortgage to prove it. Nic has finished law school, passed the bar, and has found work a… Continue Reading
02.03.20
SPEECH: Senator Murkowski on Impeachment Trial
I rise to address the trial of Donald John Trump. The founders gave this body the sole power to try all impeachments, and exercising that power is a weighty responsibility. This was only the third time in the history of our country that the Senate convened to handle a presidential impeachment, and only the second in the past 150 years. I was part of a small group that worked to secure a fair, honest, and transparent structure for the trial, based on how this chamber handled the trial of Presi… Continue Reading
10.25.19
SPEECH: Alaska Federation of Natives Convention 2019
Good morning! So, I'd like to thank the Tanana Dene (deh-neh), on whose land I am speaking this morning. Do'wkht'a. So how did I do? I've been practicing how to say, 'how are all of you,' in Athabascan. I had considerable coaching. My notes here say you pronounce it as: d as in "dog", o as in "dog" , w like "oo" in "book" , kh like a heavy "k" , t' like saying t while holding your breath, a as in "cat" --- How in the world am I supposed to put all that together? So last night at Quyana, I wa… Continue Reading
10.23.19
Unveiling of Official Capitol Portrait of Senator Ted Stevens
[Mr./Madam] Mr. President, as the senator from Missouri has stated, this is a significant day. This is a very special day here in the Congress. As later this afternoon we're going to gather to pay tribute to a truly great senator, the late Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska. His official portrait is unveiled or will be unveiled shortly by the U. S. Senate Commission on Art. So his portrait will be part of the Senate leadership portrait collection, which honors past presidents pro tempore and past lea… Continue Reading
03.15.19
SPEECH: Iditarod 2019
[As Prepared, Not Delivered] Mr. President, I come to share a story of the Last Great Race on Earth. In the middle of the night in Alaska at 3:39 AM on Wednesday, March 13th - it's pitch dark, snow coming down, the wind blowing, cold enough to see your breath [temperatures in the teens]. Front Street in Nome was packed, lined with hundreds of people cheering. People - fans, family and friends - from all over the country and across Alaska flew into this remote coastal town of less than 4,000 … Continue Reading
02.19.19
Murkowski Remarks to the Alaska State Legislature
[As Prepared, Not Delivered] Madam President, Mr. Speaker, members of the House and Senate: thank you for the invitation to be here today and for your warm welcome. It is always an honor to be with you. Especially in these chambers, where Alaskans have come together, generation after generation, to a chart a path to a better, stronger, and more prosperous future. When I served here over 16 years ago, my sons Nic and Matt were just young boys. Verne was running the pasta company. Today, M… Continue Reading
12.11.18
FLOOR SPEECH: Unveiling Arctic Legislation to Reinvigorate America’s Arctic Role
Senator Lisa Murkowski Arctic Floor Speech Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the privileges of the floor be granted to my military fellow Juan Ramirez for the remainder of his fellowship through June of 2019. Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. President, there's been a lot of discussion this evening by my colleague from New Jersey, my colleague from Rhode Island about the issue of climate change and the impact. I come from a part of the country where climate change is there. It is with us. It… Continue Reading
12.05.18
FLOOR SPEECH: Senator Murkowski Speaks on the Senate Floor Regarding the Alaska Earthquake on November 30th, 2018
Senator Sullivan and I just returned to Washington after an almost surreal 24-hour period up in the state. We went up on Sunday night, Monday morning. We hadn't anticipated being up there but the state of Alaska, more specifically Southcentral Alaska experienced a powerful earthquake on Friday. It was a, an unsettling event certainly, a frightening event to many, and it caused significant damage in the most populated part of our state. So it was last Friday morning at 8:29 in the morning when we… Continue Reading
10.20.18
SPEECH: Alaska Federation of Native Convention 2018
Go-thah-n Die-in. That means "Good Morning" in the Icelandic language. I speak to you today from the Arctic Circle Assembly meeting here in Reykjavik. The Arctic Assembly is the largest international gathering in the Arctic. More than 2000 people are here from 60 different nations, all focused on the region that the indigenous people have shared for tens of thousands of years. There was a time when we in Alaska regarded ourselves as remote and isolated. Mostly disconnected by the sea ice from… Continue Reading
09.04.18
FLOOR SPEECH: Remembering Senator John McCain
Mr. President there have been several words that have been spoken about our friend Senator John McCain and I want to join with the many words, the tributes that have been shared in these recent days since his passing. We all know the background. We all know the bio. John McCain served our nation for sixty years. Starting as an officer in the United States Navy. As a prisoner of war, in unspeakable conditions. And of course during his terms in the House of Representatives, and here in the Sen… Continue Reading
05.06.18
SPEECH: University of Alaska Southeast Commencement
* As Prepared, Not Delivered Chancellor Caulfield, Members of the Board of Regents, parents, students, and friends-good afternoon! I am so pleased to be here to celebrate with all of you. As the mother of two sons who have graduated from college, I know something of the long road that has brought each of you here today, and the joy you are feeling as we gather to help you mark your achievements. While many commencement speakers over the years, at campuses across the United States, have used … Continue Reading
03.21.18
FLOOR SPEECH: Preventing and Ending Sex Trafficking, Addressing the Epidemic of Missing and Murdered Native Women
I am pleased to join my colleagues today in urging passage of the sex trafficking bill before the body. There are many reasons why we need to deter the use of Internet resources by predators. The wisdom of this legislation should be obvious. This is legislation for the protection of our children; the most vulnerable among us. I have an additional reason for urging the adoption of this legislation and that is the protection of Native women and girls from predators. I have been talking about the … Continue Reading
