{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.murkowski.senate.gov/press/release/alaska-congressional-delegation-welcomes-277-million-in-fishery-disaster-funding-for-alaska", "Alaska Congressional Delegation Welcomes $277 Million in Fishery Disaster Funding for Alaska", "2024-09-23", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "AK", "Lisa Murkowski", "M001153", "www.murkowski.senate.gov", "murkowski", "https://www.murkowski.senate.gov/press/press-releases?PageNum_rs=11", "scraper", "Washington, DC \u2013 U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan (both R-AK) and Representative Mary Sattler Peltola (D-AK) welcomed the announcement of $277 million in funding for Alaska fishery disasters from the U.S. Department of Commerce. Funding for a number of salmon and crab fisheries from 2020-2023 will be transmitted to the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission for distribution to fishermen, their crews, seafood processors, and communities impacted by these fishery disasters.\n\n\u201cThere is no question that fisheries and coastal communities in Alaska need help as they navigate catastrophic fishery collapses,\u201d Senator Murkowski said. \u201cAlthough I am grateful our fishermen and communities will finally see some relief, for many it might be too little too late. After years of waiting, some have already moved onto other professions, and in some cases have even left the state. I will continue working with my colleagues to pass legislation to streamline the process so these regulatory delays are a thing of the past. I am hopeful this assistance will help Alaska\u2019s hardworking fishermen recover from a devastating few years so they can get back on the water and return to their active role in this critical industry.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019m glad to see this significant batch of federal relief dollars finally being distributed to our hard-working fishermen and coastal communities,\u201d said Senator Sullivan. \u201cThese Alaskans should never have had to wait this long to see this relief processed\u2014a frustration I raised with Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and NOAA Fisheries Director Janet Coit on numerous occasions in recent months. The Commerce Department must address the serious disruptions caused by their new financial management system and other bureaucratic hurdles. I have put forward legislation with Senator Rick Scott to enact timelines on the executive branch\u2019s approval process for these disasters to ensure our fishermen are receiving the relief dollars they are due in a timely fashion. We need this funding to expeditiously reach Alaskans so that they can weather these disasters over the long-term and continue to responsibly harvest the freshest, most sustainable seafood in the world.\u201d\n\n\u201cOur fishermen and fishing families have suffered enough the last few years \u2013 when disaster strikes, it only sets us back further,\u201d said Rep. Peltola. \u201cThis funding is critical in helping our fisheries recover and support the communities all over Alaska, and beyond, that rely on their seafood product output.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:46:43Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.murkowski.senate.gov/press/release/alaska-congressional-delegation-welcomes-277-million-in-fishery-disaster-funding-for-alaska"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.952534144744277, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}