Sen. Lisa Murkowski Hails Alaska Projects in Appropriations Bill

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Sen. Lisa Murkowski hailed a list of key Alaska projects Saturday she says were addressed in a $1 trillion omnibus appropriations bill, passed by the Senate, which will fund the remainder of the federal government’s 2012 fiscal year.

In a statement, Murkowski praised the bill as a balance of fiscal prudence with long-term stability.

“We need to be very critical of our spending priorities as we grapple with our nation’s debt,” said Murkowski. “But even as we tighten our belts, Alaskans deserve the basics: infrastructure, security, energy and education. This spending bill moves us in the right direction, rather than another continuing resolution that we’ve been operating off for far too long.”

A variety of Alaska projects are all funded in the budget, according to the following list provided by Murkowski’s office:

•    Denali Commission -- $10.7 million is provided to the Denali Commission

•    Port of Anchorage -- $13.7 million is provided for maintenance dredging

Civil Works Projects including investigation, operations and maintenance of following projects:

•    Matanuska River Watershed -- $96,000

•    Yakutat Harbor -- $96,000

•    Anchorage Harbor -- $13,725

•    Chena Lakes -- $2,890,000

•    Dillingham -- $967,000

•    Homer Harbor -- $444,000

•    Inspection of Completed Works - $190,000

•    Ninilchik -- $411,000

•    Nome -- $1,045,000

•    Project Condition Surveys -- $490,000

Homeland Security Funding

•    Coast Guard Funding -- $10 billion is provided for the U.S. Coast Guard, including $3.4 billion for military pay and allowances and $18.3 million for a replacement HH-60 helicopter. USCG expects to use this funding to replace an H-60 Jayhawk lost last year in a crash in Alaska. $39 million is also provided for the ice breaker program.

•    Aviation security fee increase -- The bill rejects a fee increase requested by President Obama that would have increased TSA’s fees that are paid when people buy airline tickets.

Firefighters -- $675 million is provided for firefighter grants nationwide.

Health and Human Services

•    LIHEAP -- $3.5 billion provided for LIHEAP block grants nationwide, an increase of $909 million from President Obama’s budget request.

•    Alaska Native Education Equity -- $33 million is provided for Alaska Native Education Equity program.

•    Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions -- $12.8 million is provided.

Defense and Veterans Affairs

•    Military Personnel and Pay -- 1.6% pay raise for members of the military.

•    C-17 replacement for Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson -- $225 million provided to replace the C-17 that crashed in 2010.

•    Fitness facility at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson -- $26 million is provided

•    Aviation Complex at Fort Wainwright -- $57 million

•    Cold Weather Maritime Training Facility -- $18.4 million

•    Dormitory at Eielson Air Force Base -- $45 million

•    VA healthcare in Alaska -- Language allows Alaskan veterans to use medical facilities of the Indian Health Service or tribal organizations.

•    National Youth ChalleNGe -- $5 million is provided.

The bill next heads to President Barack Obama’s desk to be signed.