US Senator Lisa Murkowski defended her yes vote on Tuesday’s sweeping federal budget bill during a 25-minute phone press conference with Alaska reporters. The bill, dubbed the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” narrowly passed the US Senate 51-50, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote.
Murkowski said her vote was secured after lengthy negotiations ensured protections for vulnerable Alaskans, increased rural hospital funding, and retained key tax benefits. “I’ve been focused on making sure that the most vulnerable in our communities are not made more vulnerable by the provisions in this bill,” she said, adding that she hadn’t slept in nearly two days due to overnight legislative debates.
Among the concessions she fought for was a provision to double funding for the Rural Hospital Program, increasing it to $50 billion. According to Murkowski, Alaska expects nearly $300 million annually over five years.
She also highlighted a two-year delay potentially extendable to 2030 on cost share penalties related to Alaska’s flawed Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) IT system. Murkowski criticized the state for failing to invest in fixing the system, calling the current penalty situation very unfortunate.
Murkowski defended tax cuts in the bill, stating they were essential to prevent automatic tax hikes when the 2017 tax rates expire. She acknowledged concerns that the cuts benefit high earners but noted provisions such as tax exemptions for tips and overtime and expanded child tax credits will benefit working Alaskans.
Energy provisions were also part of the deal. Murkowski said she helped preserve clean energy investments and protect drilling interests on the North Slope, addressing concerns over potential rollbacks from the Inflation Reduction Act.
