Lisa Murkowski doesn’t usually do the "partisan firebrand" thing. It’s not her vibe. But on September 30, 2025, the clock was ticking toward a midnight that nobody in Alaska—or the rest of the country—actually wanted to see.
The government was about to go dark.
For weeks, the Senate had been a mess of ego and "messaging exercises." You've seen it before: one side demands a trillion-dollar wishlist, the other side says "no way," and everyone goes on TV to blame the other guys. Murkowski, the moderate Republican from Alaska who has basically made a career out of being the adult in the room, was over it.
Honestly, she was frustrated. You could hear it in her voice when she talked about how the legislative branch was basically "ceding" its power to the executive. She knew that when the government shuts down, the balance of power shifts, and not in a good way.
Murkowski Backs CR: The Last-Minute Pivot
Hours before the shutdown, Murkowski threw her support behind a Continuing Resolution (CR) that she knew wasn’t perfect. Why? Because the alternative was a total collapse of federal services.
She had spent the previous ten days trying to sell a "middle path." She wanted a framework that included three bipartisan appropriations bills the Senate had already passed. She also fought like crazy for two specific things: keeping health insurance subsidies from skyrocketing and saving rural public broadcasting.
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The subsidies were a big deal. We're talking about enhanced premium tax credits that keep ACA marketplace plans affordable. Without them, about 25,000 Alaskans—and millions of others—would have seen their premiums double or triple. For Murkowski, that wasn't just a policy point; it was a disaster waiting to happen for families already squeezed by inflation.
The "Symmetrical" Failure of the Extremes
Both the House and the Senate were stuck in a loop. Democrats wanted a "pie-in-the-sky" wishlist that Murkowski flat-out called "unrealistic." Republicans were pushing a clean CR that ignored the looming insurance crisis.
Murkowski voted "no" on the partisan versions earlier in September. She told reporters she wanted to "project a message of something that can actually get us through this impasse."
But by the evening of the 30th, the "middle path" hadn't gained enough traction. The Senate was faced with H.R. 5371. It was a short-term fix to keep the lights on through late November.
She backed it. She voted "yes."
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It still failed.
What Really Happened Behind the Scenes
The vote was 51–47. In the Senate, a majority isn't enough; you need 60 to break a filibuster. Despite Murkowski and almost all Republicans (minus Rand Paul) and a few Democrats like John Fetterman and Catherine Cortez Masto voting for it, the bill died.
At 12:01 AM on October 1, the shutdown began.
Murkowski was blunt about the failure. "There is no such thing as a good government shutdown," she said. She warned that this one would be painful because neither side felt they had an "incentive" to end it. Both parties thought they were winning the PR war, while the American public was clearly losing.
The Stakes for Alaska
For a state like Alaska, a federal shutdown isn't just an inconvenience; it's a gut punch.
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- SNAP and WIC: Funding for food benefits was on a knife-edge. The state had enough for SNAP through October, but WIC (for mothers and kids) only had about a week of runway.
- Fisheries: NOAA surveys, which Murkowski fights for every year, go into limbo. No surveys, no data. No data, no fishing season.
- Public Broadcasting: The Trump administration had used "pocket rescissions" to cut $9 billion, including funds for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Murkowski was trying to restore $30 million specifically for rural stations that provide emergency warnings.
A Change in the Air for 2026
Fast forward to right now, mid-January 2026. The landscape looks a bit different.
Murkowski is still in the thick of it, but she's managed to move some "minibus" spending bills through. Just yesterday, January 15, she announced a win for a package that includes Commerce, Justice, Science, and Interior funding.
She’s bragging a bit—and rightfully so—about securing $7 million for fisheries data and $10 million for Sitka’s wastewater system. This "regular order" process is exactly what she was screaming for back in September. It’s boring, it’s slow, but it keeps the government from falling off a cliff.
The Actionable Takeaway
If you're following these budget battles, don't just look at the final vote. Look at the "middle path" negotiators. The real work usually happens in those frameworks that get rejected two weeks before the deadline.
Murkowski's stance proves that being a "yes" vote on a flawed bill is often more productive than a "no" vote on a perfect one that never passes.
Next Steps for Staying Informed:
- Track the "Minibus": Instead of waiting for one giant bill, watch for smaller packages (like H.R. 6938) which are less likely to trigger a total shutdown.
- Monitor the Subsidies: The enhanced premium tax credits are still a massive political football. If your health insurance depends on them, watch the March 14, 2026, deadline closely.
- Check Local Contingency Plans: If you're in a state with a high federal footprint (like Alaska or Virginia), check your state's "Furlough FAQ" pages now, before the next deadline hits.
The government is currently funded through late January, but the cycle never really stops. Murkowski is already accepting project requests for the 2027 fiscal year. It's a reminder that while the drama happens at midnight, the actual governance happens in the months of quiet, messy compromise.