Press Releases
New Legislation Would Provide Greater Fiscal Stability for the University of Alaska
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski, Dan Sullivan, and Rep. Don Young, all R-Alaska, last week introduced new legislation, the University of Alaska Fiscal Foundation Act, in both the Senate and House of Representatives. The legislation is supported by Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy, also R-Alaska, and would resolve the University of Alaska's (University) unfulfilled land grant to help it generate revenues that support its students and operations. The University currently has one of the… Continue Reading
09.28.20
ICYMI: Trump Announces “Alaska to Alberta” Rail Line Permit
WASHINGTON, D.C. - On Saturday, President Donald Trump published a Tweet announcing a forthcoming permit for the A2A Railway project that would connect Alaska with the Canadian province of Alberta, a story covered in the Anchorage Daily News. President Trump attributed his decision to the advocacy of U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan and Congressman Don Young (both R-Alaska). The 1,600-mile-long project would run between northern Alberta to deep-water ports in Alaska, and also connect the state to the N… Continue Reading
09.25.20
Alaska Delegation Criticizes Circuit Court Ruling Against Native Corporations
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, and Congressman Don Young (all R-Alaska) today commented on a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit determining Alaska Native Corporations (ANCs) are ineligible for tribal assistance appropriated by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The ruling overturns an earlier June 26 ruling by a U.S. District Court that concluded ANCs are eligible for the aid. "We strongly disagree with the … Continue Reading
09.25.20
Delegation Welcomes Next Step on Rulemaking to Help Southeast Alaska Build a More Sustainable Economy
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, and Rep. Don Young, all R-Alaska, today issued the following statements after the U.S. Forest Service (Forest Service) published the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a Tongass-specific Roadless Rule. The final EIS includes six alternatives, with a full exemption selected as the preferred alternative. "The Tongass is home to Alaskans who want what most Americans take for granted-the opportunity to live, work, and play i… Continue Reading
09.22.20
Sullivan Statement on Supreme Court Vacancy
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) today released the following statement regarding the current vacancy on the Supreme Court. "The historical precedent and principle of an election year nomination to the Supreme Court, dating back to the founding of our republic, is that the Senate has generally confirmed a President's nominee from its own party and not confirmed one from the opposing party. President Trump is well within his constitutional authority to nominate an individ… Continue Reading
09.18.20
Sullivan Welcomes Reestablishment of DOE Arctic Energy Office at UAF
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) welcomed an announcement yesterday by Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette that the Department of Energy (DOE) will be reestablishing its Arctic Energy Office (AEO) on the campus of the University of Alaska, Fairbanks (UAF). The AEO will drive coordination and collaboration on DOE's many activities in the Arctic region including: international cooperation on Arctic issues, research on methane hydrates, and development of advanced micro-grids… Continue Reading
09.16.20
“Visit America Act” Advances from Commerce Committee
WASHINGTON, D.C.-U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), a member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, and Angus King (I-Maine) applauded the committee's unanimous passage today of S.3831, the Visit America Act, introduced by the senators in June. The bill would set a visitation goal of 116 million annual international travelers to the United States by 2028, formally authorize the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, and create a high-ranking position within the Depart… Continue Reading
09.16.20
Commerce Committee Advances Sullivan’s Bill to Protect Alaska Native Craftsmen
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), a member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, thanked his committee colleagues today for advancing the Empowering Rural Economies Through Alaska Native Sustainable Arts and Handicrafts Act, Sullivan's bill to preempt states from banning walrus ivory, whale bone, and other marine mammal products that have been legally carved by Alaska Natives under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). Additionally, the bill pree… Continue Reading
09.15.20
Sullivan Commends Signing of Historic Abraham Accords
WASHINGTON, D.C.-U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today praised the signing of the Abraham Accords, agreements in which the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Kingdom of Bahrain normalized diplomatic relations with Israel. The accords were signed in a ceremony at the White House by President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin … Continue Reading
09.15.20
Young, Murkowski, Sullivan Introduce Bicameral, Bipartisan Bill to Ensure Fair and Accurate Census Count
WASHINGTON, D.C.- Congressman Don Young and U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan (all R-Alaska) introduced bicameral, bipartisan legislation, the 2020 Census Deadline Extensions Act, alongside Congressman Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) and U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) to provide for additional time to complete the 2020 Census. The bill extends the Census operations of nonresponse follow-up and self-response to October 31, 2020, as well as extends the Census statutory reporting deadline… Continue Reading
09.14.20
Alaska Delegation Welcomes $21 Million BUILD Grant for Anchorage International Airport
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, and Congressman Don Young (all R-Alaska) today thanked Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao for awarding a $21 million Better Utilizing Investment to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant to the Alaska Energy Authority to construct a 190,000 square foot climate-controlled cold storage facility at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (TSAIA). The Alaska congressional delegation wrote a letter to Secretary Chao in May advocat… Continue Reading
09.12.20
ICYMI: Senate Passes Sullivan-backed Veteran Suicide Prevention Legislation
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee (SVAC), celebrated the Senate's recent unanimous passage of S.785, the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act of 2019, a major veterans mental health legislative package cosponsored by Sullivan that includes hisVeterans Overmedication and Suicide Prevention Act. Also this week, Sullivan joined 34 of his Senate colleagues in sending a letter to Speaker Nancy … Continue Reading
09.10.20
Sullivan Votes for Targeted Pandemic Relief Package
WASHINGTON, D.C.-U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) today voted for the Delivering Immediate Relief to America's Families, Schools, and Small Businesses Act. The targeted pandemic relief package was blocked by Senate Democrats, failing to reach the 60-vote margin necessary for the measure to advance. "Over the past five weeks, I've heard from Alaskans about their priorities for a new COVID-19 relief bill-renewing the Paycheck Protection Program, extending the deadline to use CARES Act r… Continue Reading
09.09.20
Sullivan, Murkowski & Young Welcome Major Tariff Relief for Alaska Fishermen
WASHINGTON, D.C.-U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski, and Congressman Don Young (all R-Alaska) today thanked President Donald Trump and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue for authorizing approximately $530 million for fishermen and the U.S. seafood industry impacted by retaliatory tariffs from foreign governments, including in Alaska. "Working alongside Alaska fishermen across our state, I have been relentlessly pushing the administration to ensure that our fishermen are provided reli… Continue Reading
09.03.20
Sullivan Applauds Updated Treasury Guidance, Giving States & Local Governments More Flexibility
FAIRBANKS, AK - Today, U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Martha McSally (R-AZ) announced that the Department of the Treasury has granted additional flexibility to state, local, and tribal governments in allocating resources from the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) included in the CARES Act. This is a direct result of a request by Sens. Sullivan and McSally to the Treasury Department and the Trump administration to allow states and local governments to utilize funding to meet their specific… Continue Reading
09.02.20
Sullivan Shows Navy Secretary Alaska’s Strategic Military Advantages
KETCHIKAN, ALASKA - This week, U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) hosted Secretary of the Navy Kenneth Braithwaite for the secretary's first visit to Alaska since being appointed and confirmed. On Monday in Ketchikan, Sullivan and Braithwaite toured the Ketchikan Shipyard, visited the U.S. Navy acoustic facility on Back Island, and joined members of the community and veterans for a dinner and discussion. On Tuesday, Sullivan and Braithwaite traveled to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) fo… Continue Reading
09.01.20
Alaska Delegation Urges Alaskans to Participate in the Census
Anchorage, AK - As the deadline to participate in the 2020 Census rapidly approaches, U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski, Dan Sullivan, and Congressman Don Young, all (R-AK), are calling on Alaskans to do their part and participate. New data released by the Census Bureau shows Alaska's self-response rate remains ranked among the lowest in the nation, with only Puerto Rico at a lower self-response rate than Alaska. The deadline to participate in the 2020 Census questionnaire is September 30, 2020. "Wh… Continue Reading
08.27.20
Alaska Delegation Applauds Opening of Cold Case Office in Anchorage
ANCHORAGE, AK - The Alaska Congressional Delegation, alongside other federal, state, tribal, and local leaders, helped kick off the opening of the Operation Lady Justice Task Force Cold Case Office in Anchorage. The office will be dedicated to solving cold cases involving missing and murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives. The Anchorage office is one of seven of its kind being established across the nation to handle such cold cases and will be staffed by law enforcement, tribal law enforce… Continue Reading
08.26.20
Alaska Congressional Delegation Continues to Fight for Bypass Mail Program in Alaska
ANCHORAGE, AK -U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski, Dan Sullivan, and Representative Don Young, all R-Alaska, issued the following statement after taking part in a call with U.S. Postmaster General DeJoy, regarding his previous statements on the Bypass Mail program, while testifying at a Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on August 21. "After a productive and educational meeting with Postmaster General DeJoy earlier this week, we are pleased to see that he ha… Continue Reading
08.24.20
Alaska Congressional Delegation Announces Unemployment Assistance Relief Grant
Anchorage, AK - U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski, Dan Sullivan, and Congressman Don Young, (all R-AK), today announced that FEMA Administrator Pete Gaynor approved the State of Alaska for a FEMA grant of $19,902,565 under the Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) Program from the Disaster Relief Fund. The LWA funds are made available to states and territories, providing financial resources to help those who have lost work due to the COVID-19 pandemic and are receiving unemployment benefits. This grant funding… Continue Reading