{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://www.murkowski.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=d276723c-713d-4b0c-bccd-e96b4094e9c0", "Defense Bill Containing Key Alaska Benefits Passes Senate", "2014-12-12", "2014", "2014-12", "Republican", "House", "AK", "Lisa Murkowski", "M001153", "www.murkowski.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.12.14\n\t\t\t Defense Bill Containing Key Alaska Benefits Passes Senate \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Murkowski\u2019s Work to Support Alaska\u2019s Military Community, Boost the Nation\u2019s Defense Heads to President\u2019s Desk\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Senator Lisa Murkowski today proudly cast her vote for the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that funds America\u2019s military for the upcoming year and contains a wide array of key Alaskan priorities she worked with Congressional leadership to advance.\u00a0 The NDAA passed the Senate 89-11 and will head to the President\u2019s desk for a signature.\r\n\u201cThe provisions in the NDAA for Alaska show the importance of our state to the nation\u2019s defense \u2013 both current and long-term,\u201d said Murkowski.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m pleased that Congress passed this bill on a bipartisan basis and sent it to the President\u2019s desk for the 54th straight year.\u201d\r\nAmong the results for Alaska:\r\n \r\n$40 Million \u2013 and Certainty \u2013 for Missile Defense in Alaska: With the momentum of June\u2019s successful interceptor test, the bill contains $40 million for improvements and expansions to the missile defense system at Fort Greely.\u00a0 Of similar importance, the NDAA also blocks funding for consideration of an East Coast missile site \u2013 demonstrating the Pentagon\u2019s focus on Alaska\u2019s capacity rather than envisioning alternatives elsewhere.\r\n \r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\n(Murkowski questions MDA Director about missile test prior to June success.)\r\n \r\nLong Range Discrimination Radar Project Gets Green Light: A priority the Missile Defense Agency described as \u2018absolutely vital\u2019 to Senator Murkowski in June, this year\u2019s NDAA authorizes funding to begin design of a missile defense radar that will be built within Alaska \u2013 with a construction timeframe of roughly five years.\u00a0\r\n \r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\n(Murkowski stresses need for Long Range Discrimination Radar in Alaska.)\r\n \r\nAffirming Eielson\u2019s F-35s: The NDAA\u2019s \u2018explanatory report\u2019 that details the reasoning behind the bill\u2019s provisions clearly states that Eielson Air Force Base is the preferred location for two squadrons of F-35s and delivers full funding to keep the goal of 2019 aircraft basing on track.\u00a0 Congressman Don Young successfully included language in the House to express Congress\u2019 support for stationing the F-35 at\u00a0Eielson AFB.\r\n \r\n \r\nAdditional Considerations for Eielson AFB:\u00a0 The Defense authorization bill requires the United States Air Force to conduct an analysis of the merits of having additional KC-135 refueling aircraft at Eielson that would require more Air Force personnel to man and maintain, where this is currently only an Alaska Air National Guard operation.\u00a0 The language, which the Alaska National Guard considered their top priority for FY2015, was included by Congressman Young as an amendment in the House.\r\n \r\n \r\nNome Land Transfer: The NDAA also transfers 7 acres of land in Nome near the Port from the U.S. Air Force to the City of Nome in order to expand possible economic development opportunities.\r\n \r\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n     \n\t\n \n\t\n    \n    \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t  \n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "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": ["http://www.murkowski.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=d276723c-713d-4b0c-bccd-e96b4094e9c0"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5961378812789917, "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"}