Murkowski eyes gavel for Defense Appropriations Subcommittee

By THE ALASKA STORY

Alaska US Sen. Lisa Murkowski is seeking to take the helm of one of the most powerful spending panels in Congress, signaling a potential pivot from her long-held focus on energy and natural resources to national defense.

According to Punchbowl News, Murkowski wants to succeed retiring Mitch McConnell atop the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, a post that controls billions of dollars in Pentagon funding and shapes military priorities across the globe.

The move would represent a major shift for the Alaska Republican, who has chaired the Interior-EPA Appropriations Subcommittee since 2011. In that role, Murkowski has steered federal funding tied to public lands, environmental programs, and energy development, issues central to Alaska’s economy.

But Murkowski says Alaska’s strategic military footprint makes defense spending equally critical.

“Look at my state. We have a pretty significant military presence, rightly so, because of our geography, proudly so,” Murkowski said in an interview last week with the news outlet, publicly expressing interest in the defense gavel for the first time. “These are important issues, not only for the entire country, but also immediately for Alaska.”

Alaska is home to major installations including Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Eielson Air Force Base, Fort Wainwright, and key missile defense assets. With growing tensions in the Arctic and Pacific regions, Alaska’s role in national defense has expanded in recent years.

Taking over the defense subcommittee would place Murkowski at the center of a massive budget debate. President Donald Trump has called for a $1.5 trillion Pentagon budget, an effective 50% increase over current levels. His proposal has divided Republicans and is certain to dominate the next Congress.

Control of the subcommittee would then give Murkowski significant leverage over how those funds are allocated, including military construction, procurement, and research investments that could directly impact Alaska installations.

Murkowski’s seniority positions her for the role. She is third in line on the full Appropriations Committee behind Chairwoman Susan Collins and McConnell. If Collins were to lose her competitive reelection bid this year, Murkowski could even be in position to chair the full Appropriations Committee, one of the most powerful posts in Congress.

Such an outcome would dramatically expand her influence over federal spending nationwide. The last time someone from Alaska chaired the Senate Appropriations Committee was during Ted Stevens’ tenure. Stevens served as chair from 1997 to 2001.

Murkowski has long followed a model of building seniority, securing key committee assignments, and leveraging them to bring federal dollars home. She previously chaired the full Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and has used her Appropriations role to direct hundreds of millions of dollars toward Alaska priorities.

Holding the defense gavel, potentially overseeing more than $1 trillion in annual spending, would echo the approach taken by the late Sen. Stevens.

Murkowski, who has held her seat since 2002 after succeeding her father, former Sen. Frank Murkowski, is not up for reelection until 2028.