Federal
RSSFederal policy in Alaska is the set of decisions, agencies and spending from Washington, D.C. that reach the state. It covers Congress, federal agencies and courts that decide spending, regulations, military bases, public lands and benefits programs like Medicaid and food aid.
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July 2026
A cattle parasite Alaska will never see could still cost Alaskans
Screwworm can't survive an Alaska winter, but Alaskans buy beef from the herds it threatens — and we're last in line on price.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago1 min read
Matt Schultz suspends U.S. House campaign, backs Bill Hill
Matt Schultz suspended his U.S. House campaign Friday and endorsed Bill Hill to focus on defeating Nick Begich in August.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Democrats challenge Sonderling on overtime rollbacks, education transfers at HELP hearing
Senate Democrats challenged Keith Sonderling's nomination as Labor secretary over his rollback of overtime protections for millions of workers and his transfer of education programs to his department.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
A Washington pharmacy fight could hit Alaska's military families hardest
Alaska is full of military families on TRICARE — and a D.C. fight over its pharmacy contract could hit here hardest, where losing a local pharmacy means a plane ride or unreliable mail-order meds.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
U.S. Senate stalls defense bill, freezing $2.6B for Alaska
The Senate blocked its defense bill — and $2.6B in Alaska military work with it — over the Iran war and Pentagon spending. Both AK senators voted yes.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Begich votes to prohibit separate credit-card codes for gun stores
Begich helped pass a bill barring card networks from tagging gun-store purchases with a firearms-only code. In gun-heavy Alaska, that's a lot of receipts.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
EPA moves to stop Alaska's cold from shutting down diesel engines
Alaska cold can freeze a diesel's emissions fluid and cut its power mid-job. EPA wants to stop the shutdowns before someone's stranded at 40 below.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Sullivan backs a contested Trump border judge; Murkowski doesn't vote
Sullivan voted to confirm a Trump judge for a Texas border court — one who wouldn't say under oath that Biden won 2020. Murkowski didn't vote, and hasn't said why.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
More from Federal
Sen. Lindsey Graham dies; Alaska's senators mourn a colleague
Sen. Lindsey Graham has died suddenly, and Alaska's Murkowski and Sullivan — who served alongside him for years — are among those mourning a prominent Senate Republican.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Trump declares Iran ceasefire over after U.S. strikes on Iranian targets
Trump declared a ceasefire with Iran over after U.S. strikes on Iranian targets overnight, saying he no longer wants to negotiate with the country.
by Alaska News4mo ago2 min read
June 2026
A new cruise terminal could rise in a humpback whale feeding ground near Juneau
The feds want comment on a Douglas Island cruise terminal whose two years of pile driving could "harass" 10 marine mammal species in a humpback feeding ground.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
The EPA's No. 2 told Alaska's resource industry the door is open — for now
The EPA's deputy came to Anchorage to tell the resource industry the feds are clearing the way — and the message from the room was: hurry, before the politics flip.
by Melinda Communities.News4mo ago2 min read
Trump Wildlife Pick Wants Fewer ESA Lawsuits — Alaska Is Ground Zero
Trump's wildlife nominee says the Endangered Species Act drowns in lawsuits — and nowhere does that fight bite harder than Alaska, where polar bears and belugas sit atop the oil patch.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Senate panel weighs Mark Cruz nomination to lead Indian Health Service
Senate Indian Affairs Committee held confirmation hearing for Mark Cruz, nominated to lead Indian Health Service. Murkowski signaled early support. Cruz pledged to prioritize tribal consultation and address workforce shortages and $8 billion construction backlog.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Supreme Court tax-sale ruling puts spotlight on Alaska foreclosure proceeds
The Supreme Court narrowed tax-sale payouts Tuesday. Anchorage's tax-foreclosure auction is Wednesday. No, that's not a lot of time.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
New Medicaid work-reporting rule puts Alaska's paperwork system in the middle of health coverage
Alaska must implement a federal Medicaid work-reporting rule by January 2027, requiring most adults 19 to 64 to prove 80 hours monthly of work or qualifying activity.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
About Federal
Federal policy in Alaska is the set of decisions, agencies and spending from Washington, D.C. that reach the state. It takes in Congress, federal agencies and federal courts, which decide spending, regulations, military bases, public lands and benefits programs such as Medicaid and SNAP food aid.
Recurring questions include how Alaska's congressional delegation votes on nominations and bills, which federal programs reach the state, and how federal rules on emissions, permitting, immigration and food aid change what Alaskans and the state government must do. Defense and homeland security spending in Alaska, from the Coast Guard to missile defense and military land, also recurs.
The subject sits within politics and government and overlaps with the military, the federal courts and the budget. It also includes federal court cases involving the state, such as Justice Department suits over Alaska election results.
More from Federal
Federal SNAP changes could put Alaska food aid and state budget under new pressure
Federal rules will expand work requirements for Alaska SNAP recipients and tie state costs to payment errors, potentially costing Alaska $42 million to $53 million annually starting in late 2027.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
A Senate vote on the federal lands maintenance fund has major Alaska stakes
The Senate is reauthorizing the fund that pays to fix trails and visitor centers across Alaska's federal lands. Murkowski's staff stayed up.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago3 min read
SBA 8(a) proposal leaves Native corporation carveout intact
Big changes to 8(a). But not in the ways that matter in Alaska.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
Trump's announced $64 billion DHS funding would touch Alaska Coast Guard, Arctic security, and fentanyl interdiction — but the underlying bill isn't in primary federal records
Trump announced $64 billion in DHS funding that would affect Alaska's Coast Guard, Arctic security, and fentanyl interdiction, but the bill he cited does not yet appear in public federal records.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
The federal autonomous vehicle framework Congress is debating would apply to Alaska's roads — but Alaska wasn't part of the conversation
Congress is debating a federal framework for autonomous trucks that will apply to Alaska's roads, but Alaska's operating conditions like Arctic weather, wildlife, and cellular dead zones were not part of the Senate hearing.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
The promotions Warren says Hegseth is blocking would fill leadership at Alaska's strategically critical installations
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth blocked military promotions that fill command roles at Alaska installations. Senator Elizabeth Warren accused Hegseth of removing minority and female officers from the list. The delays affect leadership at JBER and Eielson. The Pentagon is reviewing officer ties to diversity policies.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
The Air Force wants to put AI data centers on Alaska military land — and the three sites tell three very different stories
Three Alaska military bases are auditioning to host the AI boom — JBER can't power it, Eielson is leaking PFAS at it, and Clear has 4,769 acres, a DDT drum dump, and all the groundwater you can drink.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min readFrom 
Judge voids H-1B fee Alaska schools said threatened rural hiring
Alaska has to hire a lot of teachers from out of the country, so an additional $100k per teacher would have been...unsustainable to say the least.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
Murkowski and Sullivan split on DACA votes in Senate budget debate
Alaska senators Murkowski and Sullivan voted opposite ways on two DACA amendments during Senate budget debate Friday, with Murkowski supporting protections and application funding while Sullivan opposed both measures.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago1 min read
Trump proposes federal AI equity stakes with public dividends
Trump proposed federal equity stakes in AI companies with public dividends, mirroring Alaska's Permanent Fund model since 1982. • Alaska's dividend fluctuates with oil markets and faces constant political pressure to redirect earnings. • Federal AI dividends would differ legally from Alaska's model, which rests on state-owned resource royalties, not private equity.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Sullivan: Russia flooding markets to drive down Alaska fish prices
Senator Dan Sullivan says a U.S. ban on Russian seafood protects Alaska fishermen from market flooding. • Reports show Russian fish still enters the U.S. through China, bypassing the ban. • Experts say global market factors also drive down Alaska fish prices.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago2 min read
May 2026
Alaska certifies first two behavioral health clinics under federal demonstration program
Alaska certified its first two behavioral health clinics under a federal program guaranteeing Medicaid funding for 24-hour crisis services and mental health treatment.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Alaska residents applying for a green card will, in most cases, now have to leave the country to complete the process.
Most Alaska green card applicants must now complete the process at a U.S. consulate abroad instead of in-country, a federal policy shift announced May 22 that will require travel, longer separations, and higher costs for families and employers.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
IHS proposes $93M sanitation cut as Alaska Native villages face sanitation gaps
Indian Health Service proposes cutting sanitation funding by 93 million dollars in Alaska Native villages that still use honey buckets. • Over 2,000 water and sanitation projects remain unfunded across Indian Country. • Senator Murkowski challenged the cut, saying sanitation prevents illness. • Congress rejected similar cuts last year and plans to fight again.
by Maggie AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
House Republicans examine $24.8M in federal attorney fees to environmental groups
House Republicans examined $24.8M in federal attorney fee awards to environmental nonprofits from 2019 to 2024. • Critics say uncapped fee-shifting laws let nonprofits bill at rates far above market rates, sometimes 700 percent markups. • Alaska mining, oil, and timber projects have faced years of litigation delays funded partly by taxpayer attorney fee awards.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago4 min read
