Senate Passes Murkowski's Interior-Environment Funding Bill

Statement

U.S. Senator Murkowski (R-AK) today applauded Senate passage of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2020. As chairman of the Interior Subcommittee, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) crafted a bill with funding to strengthen local economies, provide for basic necessities like water and wastewater infrastructure, and create safer and healthier communities. The Interior Subcommittee is responsible for funding agencies that are tasked with managing our public lands, ensuring clean water and clean air, meeting federal trust responsibilities for Native peoples, and funding cultural agencies and museums.

The Interior funding bill was part of a four-bill funding package which also included the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 Appropriations bills for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration; Commerce, Justice, Science; and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development. The bill package passed in a vote of 84-9.

"In this bill we provide much-needed support for communities across the nation by investing in programs aimed to protect our land, water, and people. We enable infrastructure projects that will boost local economies, help Alaskan communities provide vital, basic services, and prioritize health and safety. We address the crisis of missing, trafficked, and murdered indigenous women by creating a more comprehensive federal response to the issue. This includes investments in equipment, training, and background checks, as well as for cold case investigations. Following the significant wildfires this summer in Alaska and currently happening in California, we further invest in fire suppression, state and volunteer fire assistance, and provide increases for hazardous fuels reduction. The bill also provides funding for Targeted Airshed Grants, which will help communities like Fairbanks as they work to address PM 2.5 issues," Senator Murkowski said. "From unanimously passing the bill out of Committee just last month to now strong support in the Senate, I'm proud of our good, bipartisan work to ensure that this bill directs federal resources where they are needed most. This legislation will have a lasting impact on Alaska."

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