{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://www.murkowski.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=1d7d501e-218c-426a-bf06-7c0723a09685", "Murkowski: Defense Bill Highlights Alaska\u2019s Key Military Role", "2013-12-20", "2013", "2013-12", "Republican", "House", "AK", "Lisa Murkowski", "M001153", "www.murkowski.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.20.13\n\t\t\t Murkowski: Defense Bill Highlights Alaska\u2019s Key Military Role \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 Final Bill Passes, with Senator\u2019s C-23 Amendment, Military Construction Boosts and Sexual Assault Protections\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Senator Lisa Murkowski tonight voted in favor of the HR 3304 the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act to give military members a one percent raise and enact certain policies for the upcoming year \u2013 including her amendment making 8 C-23 aircraft available to the State of Alaska. The bill, which passed overwhelmingly 84-15, also contains numerous provisions that underscore Alaska\u2019s prominence for the military, given the Pentagon\u2019s focus on the Asia-Pacific region \u2013 as well as including dozens of directives that will protect sexual assault victims in the military.\u00a0 It now heads to the White House for the President\u2019s signature.\r\n\u201cNearly 80 years ago, General Billy Mitchell said that Alaska is the most strategic location in the world, and the 21st century is proving him a true visionary,\u201d said Murkowski.\u00a0 \u201cWith emerging threats in the Pacific region, Alaska lies at the frontlines of a new era in national defense and it is encouraging that the Department of Defense is investing in our ground-based missile defense, Alaska\u2019s military footprint and also providing eight valuable aircraft to our state for emergency responses like the Galena flood or the storms we\u2019ve recently seen in Western Alaska.\u201d\r\nAlaska-specific items in the NDAA bill include:\r\n\u00a0\r\n \r\nMurkowski\u2019s amendment requiring the U.S. Army to offer title to eight specific C-23 Sherpa aircraft, pre-selected by the State of Alaska to Governor Parnell free of charge in early 2014.\r\n$202 million in military construction for projects and maintenance throughout Alaska:\r\n\r\n$82 million for an electrical/mechanical building on Missile Field #1 at Fort Greely.\r\n$17.2 million to upgrade early warning radars at Clear Air Force Station.\r\n$103 million to upgrade aviation (helicopter) facilities at Fort Wainwright.\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n\u00a0Nationwide provisions with Alaskan impacts:\r\n\u00a0\r\n \r\nA one percent pay increase for all military members.\r\nThree dozen provisions to improve protection for victims of sexual assault and military sexual trauma \u2013 an effort Murkowski advocated through several pieces of legislation\u2013 including:\r\n\r\nNo longer permitting military commanders to dismiss a finding by a court martial or reduce guilty findings.\r\nEstablishing minimum sentencing standards for those found guilty of sexual assault.\r\nProviding Special Victims\u2019 Counsel to victims of sexual assault.\r\nA nationwide one-year moratorium for base realignment and closure efforts \u2013 after Murkowski warned that the military was making these decisions on economic reasons rather than strategic ones.\r\n\r\n\r\n \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?p=PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=1d7d501e-218c-426a-bf06-7c0723a09685"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.7585568130016327, "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"}