Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski, a moderate Republican, is known for independence, pivotal votes and shaping US foreign and domestic policy.
Senator Lisa Murkowski addresses the press, emphasizing independent decision-making and Alaska’s priorities in Congress (Photo: X)
Senator Lisa Murkowski, who serves as Alaska’s senior Republican senator, recently challenged President Trump when she chose to sponsor a war powers resolution regarding limited use of the military in Venezuela.
Lisa Murkowski joined with four other Republicans and all Democrats to move a war powers resolution to constrain President Trump's actions against Venezuela from getting further military action without congressional authority for which she drew fire from President Trump.
The fact that Congress must approve future strikes introduced in Senate debate indicates the Senate concerns about unlimited use of the military by the president and pitting Murkowski against Trump in this instance when she received party hardliners anger.
Lisa Murkowski is known as one of the most senior U.S. senators in Alaska, maintained for being a moderate Republican who has developed an image for her independent voting patterns. Born in 1957 in Ketchikan in the United States, Murkowski has maintained her seat in the United States Senate since 2002. She is remembered for being one of the senators who has on occasion disobeyed her own party line when voting on policies such as those supported by US President Trump.
Lisa Ann Murkowski was born to Frank Murkowski, Ex-U.S. senator, Ex-governor of Alaska. Due to her father's involvement in the banking industry, her family relocated to several parts of Alaska. In 1980, Lisa Ann received her B.A. in economics from Georgetown University, followed by her postgraduate degree, J.D., in 1985, from Willamette University College of Law. It took her multiple attempts, but she finally managed to pass the bar, thus beginning her legal practice in Anchorage.
She was appointed to the Senate in 2002 by her father, who became the governor. She went on to win a full term in 2004, after the 2010 primary loss, she won the 2010 write in campaign. She has also served in important positions like:
She is currently Alaska’s senior senator and the Senate’s second-most senior Republican woman.
Often described as one of the Senate’s most moderate Republicans, Murkowski has occasionally voted against her party. Key instances include:
Her independent streak has drawn both praise for her courage and criticism from party loyalists.
Murkowski's politics have not been without controversy. It was also in 2007 that she was accused in a Senate ethics complaint regarding her below market sale of properties in Anchorage, an accusation that she amended in her Senate disclosure statements. However, Murkowski continues to maintain a wide base in Alaska, being re-elected in 2016 and in 2022.
She is married to Verne Martell with whom she has two children, Nicolas Martell and Matthew Martell. She is a practising Roman Catholic with strong links to her Alaskan heritage. Her estimated net worth is $1.4 million. The year is 2018.
Murkowski is an important swing senator whose imprint has been found largely in Supreme Court nomination hearings, taxation and foreign policy issues. Currently, she has been vocal against taking a broader military initiative in Venezuela without congressional approval and has been an important voice of reason in Iranian and Greenland issues involving the USA.
