SC Alaska News

On the 27th day of the ongoing federal government shutdown, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) addressed her Senate colleagues, urging them to remain in Washington, DC until a resolution is reached to reopen the government. In her remarks on the Senate floor, Murkowski shared stories from Alaskans affected by the shutdown and criticized both parties for their lack of progress.

Murkowski described how the shutdown has impacted Capitol Hill staff and law enforcement officers, many of whom are working without pay. She recounted a conversation with a Capitol Hill police officer whose family is feeling increased financial stress due to missed paychecks. "Every day I go home, and my wife says, ‘So? Did they open it up? Are we going to be paid?’ And he said, ‘And I tell her nope, no progress today,’" she relayed.

She also read a message from a federal employee in Fairbanks struggling with heating bills and uncertainty about future income. The constituent suggested that Congress should avoid taking long weekends while federal workers go unpaid—a suggestion Murkowski said she supports: "Maybe we in Congress should take fewer long weekends."

Murkowski noted that essential services such as SNAP and WIC payments could soon be disrupted for tens of thousands of Alaskans if the shutdown continues into November. She pointed out that food banks across Alaska are already seeing longer lines and more military families seeking help.

The senator cited several examples where constituents have faced challenges due to halted government operations: delays in Social Security survivor benefits, cancelled telehealth appointments requiring expensive travel out of state, postponed FDA approvals for critical medications, holds on maritime licensing renewals, delayed housing permits in Sitka, stalled small business loan processing in Anchorage, and an unresolved school construction issue in Sleetmute due to unavailable emergency aid.

Murkowski emphasized that these disruptions affect not just federal employees or benefit recipients but also small businesses and entire communities. She stated: "Real Alaskans are being impacted. And real Alabamans are being impacted. Americans are being impacted when we don’t do our job."

Calling on her colleagues to put aside partisan differences and work toward reopening the government, Murkowski concluded: "We do get it; we need to act to end the shutdown, and I’m going to call on all of my colleagues to stay here until we get it done."