WASHINGTON, DC – Senator Lisa Murkowski today announced she will continue the momentum she has built for Alaska in the 113th Congress, maintaining her assignments to the Energy and Natural Resources, Appropriations, Indian Affairs, and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committees – all key positions for Alaska’s unique needs.

• The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee has jurisdiction over both the Energy Department and the Interior Department, the largest land manager in Alaska. Topping Senator Murkowski’s list of goals is greater domestic production – of every form of energy. She believes no state has greater promise than Alaska. Between Alaska’s conventional reserves of fossil fuels and our endless bounty of renewable resources, the state can help move the country toward energy independence and greater economic stability.
• The Senate Appropriations Committee defines the nation’s agenda, goals and priorities through the direction of federal funds. Decisions will be made soon regarding subcommittee assignments and Senator Murkowski’s positions on them.
• The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs has jurisdiction on all federal policy that involves or impacts trust responsibilities, focusing on the many concerns of Alaska’s 229 federally-recognized tribes. Senator Murkowski’s work on this committee has assured Alaska Natives’ voices have been heard in the corridors of Congress.
• The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) has a wide array of policy matters in its jurisdiction, all with a large Alaskan footprint. Whether it is the 49th state’s concerns over health care, education policy, organized labor and aging constituents, the HELP committee has been and remains on the frontlines of many timely policy proposals.

“These Senate Committee assignments I’ve been privileged to have represent a critical intersection of Alaska’s policy concerns. I thank the Senate Republican Leadership for seeing the value my continued participation brings to Alaska and the Senate,” said Murkowski. “These committees protect the promises made to all Alaskans since statehood and strive to deliver on them; sustain and improve our economic, mental and physical health for the present, and construct and implement policies to deliver a more-fulfilling future for our people and our state’s important contributions to the nation.”