Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan delivered remarks to a joint session of the Alaska Legislature. This marks his seventh address since taking office. He discussed several areas of opportunity where Alaskans of all political backgrounds can unite with one voice and advocate with the federal government on behalf of the state. They include effectively deploying significant infrastructure investments, approving the King Cove road to Cold Bay, upholding leases for drilling in ANWR, advancing the Willow Project in the NPR-A, the suicide crisis among Alaska-based military service members, and securing long-promised land allotments that were missed by thousands of Alaska Native veterans serving during the Vietnam War era.
Sen. Sullivan remarked:
“Last year, I spoke to all of you about how the state was under attack by the Biden administration. If you didn’t notice, I was pretty worked up at that time. The new President had already issued eight executive orders and executive actions targeting solely and specifically our state, focusing on dismantling much of the progress we made during the Trump administration on critical issues—energy projects, access to federal lands, supporting our Native communities.”
He stated that President Biden’s agenda has not helped Alaska:
“This … “anti-Alaska agenda” has not abated. In fact, the number of Biden administration executive orders and executive actions [focused on Alaska] has now hit 21. I thought about focusing my speech today on these issues. But, in the spirit of our late great congressman, I realized that today should be about where we can all work together—all of us, Democrats, Republicans, Independents—on issues that we should focus on. There are many of these issues that truly matter for our state, our future, and the wonderful people we are all privileged to represent.”
Sullivan also addressed the ongoing conflict with Russia and Ukraine:
“But the most moving meeting I had was with a number of young Ukrainian parliamentarians, mostly women—strong, smart, brave elected officials. They reminded me of many of you in this chamber. And now, you see some of them on TV showing courage in spite of the grim odds stacked against them in their country. In that meeting I had with them, they asked me this simple question: ‘If we are invaded, senator, will America help us?’ I replied, ‘Yes, we will help you.’ And I have tried to ensure that we keep this promise by relentlessly pressing the Biden administration and the Pentagon leadership to adopt a winning strategy for Ukraine.”
Transcribed audio courtesy of KTOO 360TV.
