U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, speaks during an interview at the Juneau Empire on Monday, Feb. 18, 2019. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, speaks during an interview at the Juneau Empire on Monday, Feb. 18, 2019. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)

Alaska Voices: A tough year, but bipartisanship points the way

When Congress did set aside its differences and work together, we made some significant achievements.

  • By Lisa Murkowski
  • Wednesday, December 29, 2021 10:41pm
  • Opinion

By Lisa Murkowski

In many ways, 2021, was a difficult year in Washington, DC.

It started with a deadly riot at the Capitol, which was soon followed by an impeachment trial. The Biden administration took office and began reversing many of the policies that are crucial for responsible resource development in Alaska. Then came policy and planning failures that contributed to the horribly botched withdrawal in Afghanistan, supply chain disruptions, and inflation at levels not seen for decades. Geopolitical threats from China and Russia grew, and the COVID pandemic continued to impact our daily lives.

There has been a lot to not be thankful for in 2021. Yet, when Congress did set aside its differences and work together, we made some significant achievements that will deliver benefits for a long time to come.

The best example is the bipartisan infrastructure package, a landmark measure that I helped write, negotiate, and enact into law. It will bring billions of dollars to Alaska in the years ahead, connecting us in new ways and demonstrably improving our daily lives. If you like good roads, safe bridges, improved ferry service, flush toilets, reliable internet and clean energy, the bipartisan infrastructure package is a reason for optimism as we look to the future.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

Another victory came in the form of the Alaska Tourism Restoration Act. The Southeast economy is largely seasonal and tourism-based, and the impact from COVID travel restrictions hit them particularly hard. With many local businesses hanging on by a thread, we couldn’t let one lost season become two, and the Alaska Delegation worked together to salvage this year’s cruise season. The exemption we secured is critical, and we are now seeking to make it permanent.

In the final week of the Senate’s 2021 session, lawmakers came together to pass a robust measure to boost defense spending, provide for an important pay raise for the members of our military, and prioritize taking care of military families. The defense bill also devotes critical resources to Arctic security and codifies key aspects of the new Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies, recently announced for Anchorage, into law.

Right before the Senate adjourned for the year, we passed the ACT for ALS Act, which the President signed last week. While that bill won’t make the evening news, it provides an incredible lift for the ALS community and the advocates who worked so hard to build support for it. This measure is about hope — hope for all who are impacted by Lou Gehrig’s disease — and it will help improve treatments and quality of life as we search for a cure.

Those are a few of the silver linings that 2021 brought. And how each of those measures came to pass — through a strong commitment to bipartisanship from members of both parties — is a timely lesson for all who have the privilege of serving in public office.

In my experience, just about anyone can launch partisan attacks to slow progress and prevent consensus from forming. It’s easier to tear someone else’s bill down than to see one of your own through to the finish line. And too many in Congress are taking that to heart right now — either having no interest in bipartisanship, or no longer seeing any benefit to it, not least because they will be labeled as sellouts if they reach across the aisle.

That’s a dangerous mindset that cannot be allowed to take hold. Alaskans benefit when we work together. Bipartisanship remains the only way to get meaningful things done and ensure they endure across elections.

There is also a broader lesson here that I hope all of us can take to heart as we head into a new year.

Showing respect and kindness, even to those we may disagree with, is worth the effort. Now more than ever, we need to treat one another as friends and neighbors. The more we do that, the better off we all will be.

It’s easy to dwell on the negatives from 2021. It was a year full of them, but we can also see glimmers of hope. As we head into another uncertain new year, there is a path where civility and common decency can prevail. And it must, for the sake of Alaska and our country.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski represents Alaska in the U.S. Senate.

More in Opinion

(Juneau Empire file photo)
Opinion: Life is harder when you outlive your support group

Long-time friends are more important than ever to help us cope, to remind us we are not alone and that others feel the same way.

A silver salmon is weighed at Three Bears in Kenai, Alaska. Evelyn McCoy, customer service PIC at Three Bears, looks on. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Opinion: Will coho salmon be the next to disappear in the Kenai River?

Did we not learn anything from the disappearance of the kings from the Kenai River?

Jonathan Flora is a lifelong commercial fisherman and dockworker from Homer, Alaska.
Point of View: Not fishing for favors — Alaskans need basic health care access

We ask our elected officials to oppose this bill that puts our health and livelihoods in danger.

Alex Koplin. (courtesy photo)
Opinion: Public schools do much more than just teach the three Rs

Isn’t it worth spending the money to provide a quality education for each student that enters our schools?

Gov. Mike Dunleavy speaks to reporters at the Alaska State Capitol on Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)
Letter to the Editor: Law enforcement officers helped ensure smooth, secure energy conference

Their visible commitment to public safety allowed attendees to focus fully on collaboration, learning, and the important conversations shaping our path forward.

Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire file photo
The present-day KTOO public broadcasting building, built in 1959 for the U.S. Army’s Alaska Communications System Signal Corps, is located on filled tidelands near Juneau’s subport. Today vehicles on Egan Drive pass by the concrete structure with satellite dishes on the roof that receive signals from NPR, PBS and other sources.
My Turn: Stand for the community radio, not culture war optics

Alaskans are different and we pride ourselves on that. If my vehicle… Continue reading

U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) delivers his annual speech to the Alaska Legislature on Thursday, March 20, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)
Opinion: Sullivan, Trump and the rule of lawlessness

In September 2023, U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan established his own Alaska Federal… Continue reading

UAA Provost Denise Runge photographed outside the Administration and Humanities Building at the University of Alaskas Anchorage. (courtesy photo)
Opinion: UAA’s College of Health — Empowering Alaska’s future, one nurse at a time

At the University of Alaska Anchorage, we understand the health of our… Continue reading

U.S. Rep. Nick Begich III, R-Alaska, address a joint session of the Alaska Legislature on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
Opinion: A noncongressman for Alaska?

It’s right to ask whether Nick Begich is a noncongressman for Alaska.… Continue reading

Boats return to the Homer Harbor at the end of the fishing period for the 30th annual Winter King Salmon Tournament on Saturday, March 23, 2024 in Homer, Alaska. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)
Opinion: Funding sustainable fisheries

Spring is always a busy season for Alaska’s fishermen and fishing communities.… Continue reading

Gov. Mike Dunleavy holds a press conference on Monday, May 19, 2025, to discuss his decision to veto an education bill. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)
Opinion: On fiscal policy, Dunleavy is a governor in name only

His fiscal credibility is so close to zero that lawmakers have no reason to take him seriously.