​

President Joe Biden has failed to appeal a federal court ruling that blocked the Willow project, an oil and gas exploration plan that would have meant billions of dollars of investment and thousands of jobs for Alaskans. On several levels, Sen. Lisa Murkowski is complicit in this blow to Alaska workers and American energy independence, as she enabled the Biden administration’s energy-annihilating policies, voted to confirm the federal judge who made the initial ruling, and cast the deciding vote for Biden’s Interior Secretary who is leading the war on Alaska’s energy production.

 

In August, U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason struck down the Trump administration’s approval of the Willow project, and this week, Biden’s Department of the Interior ignored the deadline to file an appeal. These two events are notable because Murkowski enthusiastically supported Judge Gleason’s nomination to the federal bench in 2011 and also was the deciding vote in a Senate committee to advance Interior Secretary Deb Haaland’s nomination for final approval.

 

Alaska Republican U.S. Senate candidate Kelly Tshibaka today issued the following statement:

 

“Once again, Lisa Murkowski’s stances and votes against Alaska’s interests have come back to haunt all of us. By so publicly opposing President Trump, Murkowski enabled the Biden administration. By voting to confirm Judge Gleason, she set the stage for the ruling that blocked the Willow project. And by voting for Deb Haaland, she installed the Interior Secretary who let that bad decision stand.  

 

“The Willow project meant thousands of good jobs for Alaskans, and it was also important to the country as a big boost to our domestic energy production. Murkowski bragged that she had persuaded Biden to defend the project, but he clearly never intended to do that, and so she was just played by the leftists again. Murkowski put all of these pieces in place to give environmental extremists power over Alaska’s future. What did she think was going to happen?

 

“Lisa Murkowski took credit for the Willow project, but it was all a ruse. Clearly the Left couldn’t be trusted to defend an energy project, but she was fooled, and she didn’t fight for us. Once again, Alaskans pay a high price for Murkowski’s quest for popularity with Washington, D.C. insiders.

 

“When I’m a U.S. senator from Alaska, I will always stand up for Alaska interests, Alaska jobs, and Alaska energy.”

 

###