WASHINGTON, June 21 -- The Congressional Budget Office issued the following cost estimate: Bill Summary Current law directs the Department of the Interior (DOI) to implement an oil and gas leasing program for federal lands located within the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. H.R. 1146 would repeal that program. CBO estimates that enacting the legislation would result in the collection of fewer offsetting receipts, but also would lower payments to Alaska, which wou  more

WASHINGTON, June 18 -- The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee issued the following statement by Chairman Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, at a hearing to examine deferred maintenance needs and potential solutions on federal lands administered by the Department of the Interior and the Forest Service: "We're here to today to examine the deferred maintenance needs of the major public land management agencies--this is a topic that I certainly care about, and that each of you, the folks on this   more

WASHINGTON, June 20 -- The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee issued the following statement by Chairman Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, at a hearing to examine opportunities and challenges for advanced geothermal energy development: "Good morning, everyone. The Committee will come to order as we begin our hearing to examine opportunities and challenges for advanced geothermal energy development in the United States. "We're going to have an opportunity this morning to talk about something  more

WASHINGTON, June 18 -- The Congressional Western Caucus issued the following news release: Congressman Jared Huffman (D-CA) has proposed an amendment #90 to the first House minibus appropriations bill (H.R. 2740) that would block funding for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to finalize an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed Pebble Mine in Alaska. The proposed amendment represents the second time federal policy makers have attempted to side-step regular order for consid  more

WASHINGTON, June 21 -- The Government Accountability Office has issued a report on the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The report (GAO-19-346) is titled "Land and Water Conservation Fund: Variety of Programs Supported, but Improvements in Data Collection Needed at BLM". The report was sent to Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, on May 31. Here are excerpts of summaries associated with the report. What GAO Found: "From fiscal years 201  more

WASHINGTON, June 21 -- Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, issued the following news release: * * * - Legislation Would Build on Successful USDA Program to Provide Free, Healthy Meals for Low-Income Children * * * U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) today announced a bill to expand access to healthy meals for kids when school is out for the summer. During the summer months, children who rely on school meals to eat face the risk of going hungry. Gillibrand  more

WASHINGTON, June 20 -- Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, issued the following news release: The House of Representatives approved a measure by Representatives Don Young (R-AK), Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Michael Turner (R-OH), Joe Neguse (D-CO), Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon (R-PR), David Trone (D-MD), Katie Porter (D-CA), and Peter Welch (D-VT) to increase federal funding for the Fisher House Foundation, a nonprofit that provides free temporary lodging near hospitals so military and veteran families can be clo  more

WASHINGTON, June 21 -- Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, issued the following news release: Today, Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) introduced S. 1936, the Protecting Access to Lifesaving Screenings (PALS) Act of 2019, to postpone recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) that would limit access to breast cancer screening for women in their 40s. It would continue the moratorium on the USPSTF recommendations, which Congress has extended  more

WASHINGTON, June 19 -- Rep. Jared Huffman, D-California, issued the following news release: Representative Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) secured several key local and national priorities in the FY2020 funding bill approved by the House of Representatives today, including a historic funding increase for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), language to acknowledge the need to dredge the Petaluma River, and a successful amendment to block funding for the current faulty permit pro  more

WASHINGTON, June 20 -- Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nevada, issued the following news release: Today Representative Dina Titus of Nevada's First Congressional District and Representative Don Young of Alaska's At-Large Congressional District introduced bipartisan legislation to help ensure that the State Department makes disability rights an international priority. The Office of International Disability Rights Act, H.R. 3373, would establish in law the Office of International Disability Rights at the U.  more

WASHINGTON, June 21 -- Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, issued the following news release: Representative Don Young of Alaska's At-Large Congressional District and Representative Dina Titus of Nevada's First Congressional District introduced bipartisan legislation to help ensure that the State Department makes disability rights an international priority. The Office of International Disability Rights Act, H.R. 3373, would establish in law the Office of International Disability Rights at the U.S. Stat  more

WASHINGTON, June 21 -- Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, issued the following news release: Today, U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced bipartisan legislation entitled the Provider Training in Palliative Care Act (S.1921). This legislation would update the National Health Service Corps program to include palliative care medicine as an eligible primary care service. "Countless patients facing serious illness or injury can benefit from the practice of palliative car  more

WASHINGTON, June 19 -- The Senate Indian Affairs Committee issued the following news release: Senator John Hoeven (R-ND), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, today convened a legislative hearing to receive testimony on the following bills: * S. 227, Savanna's Act, enhances the response to missing and murdered American Indian and Alaska Natives by improving access to Federal criminal databases; requiring data collection; and directing the Attorney General to review, revise, and   more

WASHINGTON, June 20 -- Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, issued the following statement after the Government Accountability Office released a report on the Land and Water Conservation Fund: "This report provides good information about how federal land management agencies have implemented a variety of programs supported by LWCF appropriations. "Now that Congress has permanently authorized the deposit provisions of the LWCF, it is time to examine the program and the role it will have in shaping th  more

WASHINGTON, June 20 -- Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, issued the following statement after the Government Accountability Office released a report on the Land and Water Conservation Fund: "This report provides good information about how federal land management agencies have implemented a variety of programs supported by LWCF appropriations. "Now that Congress has permanently authorized the deposit provisions of the LWCF, it is time   more

WASHINGTON, June 18 -- Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, issued the following statement after the Trump administration announced its deploying 1,000 more U.S. troops to the Middle East for defense purposes, in order to address threats in the region: "The administration has taken quick action in responding to the commander in the region's request for additional support. "We must maintain freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, but we also need to proceed carefully because a stable, peacefu  more

WASHINGTON, June 20 -- Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, issued the following news release: * * * - Bill Addresses Humanitarian and U.S. Border Security Crisis * * * U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) today voted for a funding measure to address the immediate humanitarian and security crisis at the U.S. southern border. Since May, 2019, the average daily number of unaccompanied children in U.S. Customs and border Security has grown from 870 to more than 2,300. The emergency supplemental bill, w  more

WASHINGTON, June 20 -- Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, issued the following news release: * * * - Program to Provide Essential Funding for Alaskan Communities * * * U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) announced today that the Department of the Interior is distributing more than $30 million to eligible local governments across Alaska through the Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program. The PILT program provides monetary compensation to local governments throughout Alaska that contain federal land  more

WASHINGTON, June 18 -- Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski, Dan Sullivan, and Congressman Don Young (all R-AK) sent a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue urging the Trump administration to provide relief for Alaskan fishermen and seafood processers, as it has for the domestic agriculture industry, from the devastating impacts of retaliatory tariffs inflicted on American products by China. In May, President Trump announced ro  more

WASHINGTON, June 20 -- Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, issued the following news release: U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today chaired a hearing of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee to examine opportunities and challenges for advanced geothermal energy development in the United States. Murkowski opened by highlighting the capabilities of geothermal energy. "Whether it is used for heating our homes or keeping the lights on, geothermal provides clean and always-on energy that requi  more

WASHINGTON, June 21 -- Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, issued the following news: U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today chaired a hearing of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee to examine opportunities and challenges for advanced geothermal energy development in the United States. Murkowski opened by highlighting the capabilities of geothermal energy. "Whether it is used for heating our homes or keeping the lights on, ge  more

WASHINGTON, June 18 -- Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, issued the following news: * * * - Long-Term Solutions Needed Across Four Federal Land Agencies * * * U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today chaired a hearing of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee to examine deferred maintenance needs and potential solutions on federal lands administered by the three major land management agencies within the Department of the Interi  more

WASHINGTON, June 18 -- Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, issued the following news release: * * * - Long-Term Solutions Needed Across Four Federal Land Agencies * * * U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today chaired a hearing of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee to examine deferred maintenance needs and potential solutions on federal lands administered by the three major land management agencies within the Department of the Interior--the National Park Service (NPS), the Bureau of Land  more

WASHINGTON, June 19 -- Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK), chairman of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Security, yesterday convened a hearing on drone security. The hearing examined threats and challenges posed by unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), including the status of UAS detection and mitigation technology and capabilities. The hearing also examined the legal and regulatory authorities granted to government agencies to mitigat  more

WASHINGTON, June 18 -- Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski, Dan Sullivan, and Congressman Don Young (all R-AK) sent a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue urging the Trump administration to provide relief for Alaskan fishermen and seafood processers, as it has for the domestic agriculture industry, from the devastating impacts of retaliatory tariffs inflicted on American products by China. In May, President Trump announced roug  more

WASHINGTON, June 18 -- The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation subcommittee on Security issued the following testimony by Catherine F. Cahill, director of the Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, at a hearing entitled "Drone Security: Enhancing Innovation and Mitigating Supply Chain Risks": "My name is Cathy Cahill and I am the Director of the Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration (ACUASI) at the University of A  more

WASHINGTON, June 18 -- Sen. Mazie K. Hirono, D-Hawaii, issued the following news release: Last week, U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), and Cory Gardner (R-Col.) introduced S. 1857, the Federal Energy and Water Management Performance Act of 2019, which would formally authorize the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) and establish energy and water usage reduction goals for federal buildin  more

WASHINGTON, June 18 -- Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and Ranking Member Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, issued the following joint statement after President Trump nominated seven individuals to serve on the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico: All seven currently serve on the Board, but are subject to Senate confirmation in the wake of a recent court decision. "We appreciate the President's decision to nominate  more

WASHINGTON, June 18 -- Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, chairman and ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, issued the following joint statement after President Trump formally nominated seven individuals to serve on the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico: All seven currently serve on the Board, but are subject to Senate confirmation in the wake of a recent court decision. "We appreciate the President's decisio  more