Open Search
Close Search

Issue: Arctic

Arctic Today: Alaska’s US senators push for a new Arctic shipping committee

A new formal advisory committee could be one way to consolidate existing but scattered discussions about the U.S. federal approach to Arctic ports and shipping — and lead to better policies. That’s the promise behind a bill introduced last week by Alaska’s two U.S. senators, Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan (both Republicans), to create an […]

Murkowski, Wicker, Sullivan Introduce Legislation to Prioritize Arctic Maritime Transportation Opportunities, Safety, and Security

U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and  Dan Sullivan (R-AK) introduced legislation to urge the U.S. to prioritize emerging opportunities in the Arctic for maritime transportation, and ensure that increased Arctic shipping proceeds safely and securely. The Arctic Shipping Federal Advisory Committee Act addresses increasing shipping and maritime traffic by creating an advisory […]

Funding Bills Advance to Full Senate

The Senate Appropriations Committee approved both the Homeland Security and State & Foreign Operations Appropriations bills for Fiscal Year 2020, sending them to the full Senate for consideration. As a member of the Committee, U.S. Senator Murkowski (R-AK) worked to secure provisions to support the U.S. Coast Guard with the assets and infrastructure they need […]

Arctic Today: New US icebreaker to be based in Seattle

The first heavy icebreaker to be taken into service by the U.S. Coast Guard since the 1970s will be be home-ported in Seattle, Washington, the Coast Guard announced Monday. Two subsequent icebreakers, if built, will also be based in Seattle. “The Pacific Northwest has been the home of our icebreaking fleet since 1976, and I […]

Murkowski Leads Congressional Delegation Arctic-Focused Trip

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) this week led a congressional delegation to locations across the Arctic and North Atlantic to develop a better understanding of the region, further the United States’ relationship with the other Arctic nations, and visit American troops in the Far North. As part of the trip, the delegation focused extensively on […]

Arctic Today: Will the Arctic Council begin addressing national security?

This year’s Arctic Council ministerial meeting showcased increasingly complicated issues in the region — from national security to climate change and more — and the subsequently complex discussions around them. In its aftermath, attendees and observers are debating where the organization will go from here, and whether its mandates — particularly the exclusion of national […]

Alaska Public Media: As the ice goes, Arctic nations find their bonds are tested

In the end, the eight nations of the Arctic Council signed a short statement, affirming their commitment to peace and cooperation. But two major issues loomed over the Arctic Council meeting in Finland this week, and they pull at the seams of Arctic unity. Arctic Council meetings have always ended with a long declaration. The […]

Murkowski Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Bolster America’s Arctic Role

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) yesterday introduced bipartisan legislation aimed to increase the nation’s presence in the Arctic by supporting responsible research and development in the U.S. Arctic while giving those who live in the region a greater voice on policy and research. The Shipping and Environmental Arctic Leadership Act (SEAL Act), cosponsored by Senators […]

Murkowski Comments on Court Ruling on Arctic OCS

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today issued the following statement after the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska released a ruling that reinstates President Obama’s withdrawal of the vast majority of the Beaufort Sea and all of the Chukchi Sea from responsible oil and gas development. “I strongly disagree with this ruling, which […]