Congressman Don Young

Today, Anchorage Baptist Temple will host a public memorial service for Alaska Congressman Don Young from 11AM - 12:30PM.

The service will be streamed live by Anchorage Baptist Temple on its website, social media platforms and KCFT Channel 35. In addition, Alaska News Source will live-stream the service on their website, Facebook and through their television affiliate KYES Channel 5.

What: Memorial service for Congressman Don Young.
When: Saturday, April 2, 2022
Time: 11:00AM AK time
Where: Anchorage Baptist Temple

Attending in person: Congressman Young’s family, friends, and staff invite you to a service in Anchorage memorializing his life and legacy. This event is open to the public and we encourage anyone who wants to honor Congressman Young’s many accomplishments on behalf of Alaska to join us at Anchorage Baptist Temple on April 2nd. Doors open at 9am.

Watch Congressman Don Young's Alaska Memorial Service Live:

Anchorage Baptist Temple Website:

https://abt.church/sermons/

Anchorage Baptist Temple Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/abtchurch/

Alaska News Sources Website (Streaming begins at 10:45AM):

https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/

Alaska News Source Facebook (Streaming begins at 10:45AM)

https://www.facebook.com/AlaskasNewsSource/

KYES Channel 5 (Streaming begins at 10:45AM)

Tomorrow, Tuesday, March 29, 2022, C-SPAN will be covering Congressman Don Young’s Lying in State ceremony in Statuary Hall in the United States Capitol. Their live coverage will allow Alaskans and those around the nation to watch as Congressman Young is memorialized by family, friends, staff, and other dignitaries.

Coverage starts at 7:00am AK time/11:00am ET on Tuesday, March 29th.

Click here to be notified when the program airs on television and on C-SPAN’s website: https://www.c-span.org/video/?518994-1/representative-don-young-lying-state

Following the ceremony, the entire program will be re-broadcast on C-SPAN at 4:00pm AK time/8:00pm ET.

The following details on public services in Anchorage for the late Congressman Don Young were released:

What: Memorial service for Congressman Don Young.
When: Saturday, April 2, 2022.
Time: 11:00am AK time.
Where: Anchorage Baptist Temple.

Congressman Young’s family, friends, and staff invite you to a service in Anchorage memorializing his life and legacy. This event is open to the public and we encourage anyone who wants to honor Congressman Young’s accomplishments on behalf of Alaska to join us at Anchorage Baptist Temple on April 2nd.

Live stream details are forthcoming.

Congressman Don Young, the Dean of the House and longest-serving Republican representative, will lie in state in National Statuary Hall in the United States Capitol on Tuesday, March 29, 2022.

An Arrival Ceremony will be held on the East Front House Steps at 10:30 AM ET. A Congressional Tribute will be held in Statuary Hall of the U.S. Capitol at 11:00 AM ET.

Please note that the Congressional Tribute is only open to a limited number of invited Members of Congress and Congressman Young’s family, friends, and staff.

Statuary Hall will open from 12:00 PM ET until 2:00 PM ET to guests invited by the Young family, Members of Congress, and Congressional staff to pay respects.

Live stream details will be available early next week.

Information regarding events in Alaska is forthcoming. Visit this page for the most up-to-date information.

Our office is grateful to the U.S. Capitol and the White House for lowering flags to half staff following the passing of the 45th Dean of the U.S. House of Representatives. 🇺🇸

It’s with heavy hearts and deep sadness that we announce Congressman Don Young (R-AK), the Dean of the House and revered champion for Alaska, passed away today while traveling home to Alaska to be with the state and people that he loved. His beloved wife Anne was by his side.

A fierce defender of Alaska since elected to Congress in 1973, nearly everything that has advanced for Alaska is a result of Don Young’s tenacious work. From the Trans-Alaska pipeline, to the Ketchikan Shipyard, to the Magnuson Stevens Act, which transformed the American fishing industry, to the numerous land exchanges he fought for, Don Young’s legacy cannot be overstated.

“Every day, I try to do something for somebody and some group,” Congressman Young once said. “And every day I try to learn something new. We all go into the ground the same way. The only thing we leave behind are our accomplishments.”

Don Young’s legacy as a fighter for the state will live on, as will his fundamental goodness and his honor. We will miss him dearly. His family, his staff, and his many friends ask Alaskans for their prayers during this difficult time.

In the coming days, we will be sharing more details about plans for a celebration of his life and his legacy.

I’m grateful to the United States Coast Guard (USCG) for updating their mental health policies to reflect those of the other branches of our Armed Services. Alaskans know how crucial the USCG is to keeping our waters safe and secure. These high-stress scenarios often impact servicemembers differently. Mental health is vital to the well-being of our brave men and women; nobody should fear discharge for seeing the care they need to fulfill their mission.

I worked hard to include language in Coast Guard reauthorization legislation to protect those seeking mental or behavioral health care from discharge, and I applaud the USCG for taking action to modernize their mental health policies.

Happy St. Patrick's Day, Alaska!

Today we celebrate Irish culture in our state and across the world.

Have fun and be safe!

🚨BREAKING🚨

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has UPHELD the King Cove land exchange!

Today is a good day for the State of Alaska and a hard-fought victory for the people of King Cove. For years, I have stood with this community in support of the land exchange to allow a potentially life-saving road to be built. This decision in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals is further proof that the land exchange is on solid legal footing.

Today’s news comes one year after the Biden Administration announced their support for the road in court, following a legal challenge to the Trump Administration's approval of the exchange.

The proposed single-lane gravel road enjoys bipartisan support across two Administrations for good reason: in the event of medical emergencies, natural disasters, or any other crisis, access to surface transportation can mean the difference between life and death for residents of King Cove.

I remain confident that this road will be fully authorized and will continue working to ensure that King Cove's families can stay connected to the rest of our state and enjoy the safety and security they deserve.

I want to thank Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for the leadership he has shown in the face of tremendous violence.

I'm grateful that he took the time to address Congress amid this crisis, and I hope my colleagues took his urgent message to heart.

My full statement on his address ⬇️

It's a busy day in Congress! Today, one of my first meetings was with City and Borough of Juneau Mayor Beth Weldon and a group of Alaskan advocates for the Centennial Hall Civic and Arts Center Expansion Project.

As Juneau's profile as a true destination for conventions, arts, and tourism grows, so too must our capacity to host people from all over the world. The Centennial Hall Civic and Arts Center Expansion Project is an impressive initiative, and I am grateful to Mayor Weldon and her group for updating me on its progress.

Thank you for stopping by!

Congratulations to Eureka's Brent Sass – 's champion!

Brent is a remarkable Alaskan who has always shown both incredible dedication to mushing and tireless commitment to his dog team. Alaska is proud of you, Brent. We look forward to seeing what's next!

The Iditarod has a new champion: Brent Sass arrives first to Nome - Alaska Public Media The 42-year-old musher took command of this year’s race around the halfway point and never gave it up.

NEW:

I successfully secured funding for ten specific projects in Alaska as part of the FY 2022 appropriations bill!

These Community Project Funding initiatives support several priorities, including improvements to the Mendenhall Wastewater Treatment Plant, the Lowell Creek Flood Diversion project, the Kodiak fire station, Covenant House's Bridge to Success Program, and more.

I have worked closely with local leaders across Alaska to ensure that the concerns of their communities are heard loud and clear in Washington, D.C., and I'm proud of everything our collaboration has accomplished.

Here's a full list of the Alaskan projects and their funding amounts:

✅ Tongass Sewer Force Main Rehabilitation Phase II – Jefferson St to Pump Station 4: $1,250,000

✅ Mendenhall Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvements: $800,000

✅ Lowell Creek Tunnel Flood Diversion, Army Corps of Engineers: $3,000,000

✅ Covenant House Bridge to Success Program: $500,000

✅ Village Within a City, North Pacific Rim Housing Authority and Chugach Heritage Foundation: $3,000,000

✅ Kiana Fire Emergency Response and Equipment Building: $3,350,000

✅ City of Kodiak's Fire Station: $7,000,000

✅ University of Alaska Fairbanks - Kuskokwim Health Sciences Facility Health Facilities Construction and Equipment: $2,000,000

✅ Aleutians East Borough, Cold Bay Clinic Replacement Project: $2,000,000

✅ Salmon and People: Engaging Diverse Communities in Stewardship of Wild Salmon in Cook Inlet: $750,000

Read more here ⬇️

House Passes FY 2022 Government Funding Package With Crucial Alaska Provisions Secured by Congressman Don Young To share your ideas for infrastructure investments as part of Congressman Young's Alaskan Infrastructure Roundtable, click here.

I greatly appreciated the opportunity to address members of the American Gas Association’s Energy Council. This impressive group of leaders includes voices from several states, including Alaska’s-own State Senators Bert Stedman and Click Bishop.

We had a wide-ranging discussion covering several topics, including Alaska’s abundant natural resources, ending our dependence on foreign oil, and improving renewable energy storage technologies.

I’m grateful to everyone who attended this meeting, and I look forward to our continued work together on behalf of America’s energy economy!

President Biden's so-called American Rescue Plan was signed into law one year ago this week.

I was a strong NO vote on this $2 trillion boondoggle, and warned about its potential to cause inflation and price increases across the board.

Sadly, the President did not heed my warnings.

Inflation is a cruel tax that hits the poor and those on fixed incomes the hardest. Alaskans know that goods in our state are already expensive, and I'm hearing from countless families about the surge in basic necessities.

A concerned Alaskan in Utqiaġvik (Barrow) sent my office this picture of the price of diapers.

How can President Biden and his Administration insist that their policies are helping while working families in Alaska are paying $100 for diapers!?

We must get our economy back on track, and I continue working in Congress to bring fiscal sanity to my colleagues across the aisle.

I applaud President Biden for following my lead and taking action to ban Russian seafood imports. A ban is a crucially important move, which is why I've been advocating for one so strongly and introduced legislation to implement this seafood prohibition.

We must continue to sanction every sector of Putin's economy to bleed his war machine dry.

My full statement⬇️

This week, I met with some very good and hardworking pups who visited Capitol Hill with America's VetDogs!

Since 2003, America’s VetDogs has trained and placed service dogs with veterans and first responders with disabilities at no cost. Raising and training service dogs is certainly not cheap. That’s why I’m putting my support behind the bipartisan Working Dog Commemorative Coin Act, which will authorize the Treasury to mint a three-coin commemorative series to honor working dogs.

Proceeds from these coins will raise money to provide lifesaving service dogs at no cost. This is an important effort, and I’m proud to support it.

$39 MILLION more from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is on its way to Alaska!

This vital funding from the USDA’s Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Program will help communities prevent erosion, improve the water supply, and keep our homes and businesses safe from flooding.

Alaska has already received well over $1 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. I want to underscore what I find myself saying on a nearly weekly basis as funding is rolled out: this legislation is a game-changer for Alaska!

Read more here⬇️

Delegation Announces USDA Investment of More than $39 Million in Watersheds and Water Supply To share your ideas for infrastructure investments as part of Congressman Young's Alaskan Infrastructure Roundtable, click here.

On , we celebrate the contributions of women everywhere. I especially think of my mom. She was a strong woman who always supported our family and helped make me successful.

We were very blessed to have her for as long as we did, and I hope I’ve made her proud.

On this day in 1973, it was my humble honor to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. I love Alaska with all of my heart, and I have always put our state first. Over the years, we have accomplished big things for our state, and there are still many victories to come. Serving as Congressman for ALL Alaska is truly the privilege of a lifetime. I look forward to continuing to stand up for Alaskan families in the 117th Congress and beyond.

May God Bless Alaska!

In Congress, supporting my fellow veterans has always been one of my highest priorities. Last night, I helped the House pass the Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act.

This legislation takes urgent action to address the lingering impacts of toxic burn pit exposure that continue to affect too many veterans, particularly those who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. When they sign up to defend our nation, our servicemembers make a promise to protect us. In turn, our country makes a promise to support them long after their service ends.

The term "burn pit" refers to the open-air combustion of waste, trash, plastics, fuel, and other toxic chemicals. Burn pits were commonly used by the U.S. Military in the Middle East. Tragically, we've seen countless post-9/11 veterans develop cancer, emphysema, blood conditions, and more.

It's clear that exposure to these toxic burn pits harmed our soldiers and continues to impact veterans.

The bill we passed in the House expands health care to over 3.5 million veterans who were exposed to toxic burn pits during their service. It also creates new presumptions of service connection to 23 different respiratory illnesses and cancers linked to burn pit exposure. Finally, it streamlines the VA review process for establishing exposure presumptions and requires the VA to conduct outreach and offer support to exposed veterans. As a member of the Burn Pits Caucus, I am proud to have supported this legislation, which included seven other bills I served as a cosponsor of.

While we can never repay the debt of gratitude we owe to the brave men and women of our Armed Forces, offering care and resources to those exposed to burn pits is a significant step in the right direction.

With more coastline than all of the states in the Union combined, many Alaskans experience firsthand how essential the Coast Guard’s mission in Alaska is to protecting our waters, defending our borders, and frequently, serving as first responders to maritime emergencies.

This week at the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee markup of annual legislation reauthorizing the Coast Guard, I successfully fought for and secured several provisions of importance to Alaska.

✅Here's a full list of the Alaska-specific provisions I secured in the bill✅

✅St. Paul Island Coast Guard Presence✅

My provision extends the timeline by which the Coast Guard must convey part of their property on St. Paul Island to the TDX Corporation. This extension is meant to give the Coast Guard more time to commit to substantively using the island as a forward operating location and make improvements to the infrastructure in place to support their mission.

✅Point Spencer/Port Clarence✅

This provision makes modifications to the Port Coordination Council to that directs the council in conjunction with the State of Alaska and Coast Guard to develop plans for the development of infrastructure at the site. Additionally, the provision authorizes $5 million for new oil spill prevention and response infrastructure at Point Spencer.

✅Alaska Oil Spill Planning Criteria:✅

This provision creates new uniform criteria for oil spill response planning for Western Alaska improving oil spill response capability. The current criteria is designed for the Lower 48 and is inappropriate for the extreme distances and harsh environment of Western Alaska.

✅Notification of Communication Outages✅

The bill requires the Coast Guard to submit a report to Congress detailing a plan to notify mariners of radio outages for towers owned and operated by the Coast Guard in District 17 and identifying technology gaps necessary to implement such plan. The Coast Guard operates an expansive VHF radio tower network across Alaska. The VHF radio network is necessary for emergency “Channel 16” communications and for ship-to-ship communications.

✅Indemnity for Oil Spill Response Providers✅

The bill provides a $50,000 indemnity per incident to Oil Spill Response Organizations (OSROs) for their cleanup activities during spill response activities. Currently the Coast Guard does not offer indemnity protection to oil spill response providers resulting in fewer on call oil spill response providers.

As a lifelong sportsman, I’ve always supported the crucial work Safari Club International (SCI) does to promote outdoor recreation and conservation for people of all ages and backgrounds.

This weekend, I had a great time at SCI Alaska’s 2022 banquet. The annual banquet brings together hunters, athletes, and local exhibitors to celebrate the outdoor activities we all love. It was my honor to update attendees on my work in Congress to protect recreational access to our lands.

I enjoyed seeing so many friends, including my good buddy and former staffer, Senator Josh Revak!