Press Releases
Currently showing results in the 114th Congress
Sullivan reacts to White House Spokesman’s Statement on Combat Troops in Middle East
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) released the following statement today in response to comments made by White House spokesman Josh Earnest yesterday after it was reported that another American service member was killed in action in Iraq. Earnest told reporters that "the relatively small number of U.S. service members that are involved in these operations are not in combat but are in a dangerous place." Senator Sullivan said, "My deepest sympathy and respect goes out to the fam… Continue Reading
05.02.16
Sullivan Secures Victories for Alaska’s Water Infrastructure
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) thanked members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee for approving the Water Resources Development Act of 2016 (WRDA), which includes several key provisions vital to Alaska's water and infrastructure future, and encourages the development of a future deep-water Arctic port. Under a provision secured by Senator Sullivan in WRDA 2016, a new water infrastructure grant program for small and disadvantaged communities is authorized at… Continue Reading
04.29.16
Sullivan: White House out of step with Pentagon on status of combat troops in Middle East
WASHINGTON, D.C.- American soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines, are in the line of fire in the Middle East. Some have lost their lives. U.S. fighter and bomber pilots are consistently flying combat sorties, and our special forces are engaged on the front lines in Syria. However, President Obama and others in his Administration have repeatedly made the false claim that U.S. troops serving in the Middle East are not combat troops. In a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Thursday, Senator… Continue Reading
04.29.16
Sullivan’s VA Express Appeals Bill Included in Comprehensive Veterans Accountability Legislation
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK), a member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, applauded the rollout of the Veterans First Act, a bipartisan bill combining several pieces of legislation aimed at increasing accountability of senior executives at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and improving services for our nation's veterans. Among the provisions included in the bill is S. 2473, the Express Appeals Act of 2016, legislation authored by Senator Sullivan that require… Continue Reading
04.29.16
Sullivan Cosponsors Legislation to Reform Criminal Justice System
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) has announced that he has joined a bipartisan group of senators co-sponsoring the Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act of 2015, comprehensive legislation aimed at recalibrating prison sentences for low level non-violent drug offenders, granting federal judges greater discretion at sentencing for these offenders, and ensuring protection of our communities from high level drug dealers and violent criminals. Past laws have resulted in the "over… Continue Reading
04.28.16
Obama Administration M.I.A. as Economy Posts Record Slow Growth
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) took to the Senate floor today to highlight yet another quarter of sluggish growth for the American economy. The Commerce Department today announced that the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) grew by only 0.5 percent during the first quarter of 2016. Under President Obama's administration, GDP - a key indicator of the nation's economic growth - has yet to hit three percent. Prior to the Obama administration, the longest stretch of time in which r… Continue Reading
04.27.16
Commerce Committee Prioritizes New Icebreaker, Passes Sullivan-Cantwell Provision
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) today thanked fellow members of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation for approving the Polar Icebreaker Fleet Recapitalization Transparency Act, legislation that seeks to expedite the recapitalization of the U.S. Coast Guard's icebreaking fleet. Senator Sullivan and Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) offered the bill as an amendment to S. 2829, the Maritime Administration Authorization and Enhancement Act. The amendment auth… Continue Reading
04.26.16
Military investments should help Alaska weather economic challenges
by Sen. Dan Sullivan
Alaska is facing tough economic times. Budgets are being squeezed, workers are being laid off and families are making due with less. But it's important to understand that we've been here before, and we've come out stronger because of it. It's also important to remember that just like in past recoveries, the federal government has a significant role to play in Alaska. Working together again, Alaska's congressional delegation is united on this issue. We are making sure that Alaska gets its f… Continue Reading
04.22.16
Sullivan Applauds First Production at Point Thomson
WASHINGTON, DC - Today U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) congratulated the state of Alaska and ExxonMobil for beginning production at the Point Thomson project on Alaska's North Slope, Exxon's first operated project in Alaska. The challenging field, which over the decades had numerous plans for development, contains a quarter of the North Slope's massive natural gas reserves. Development of the field is a foundational element in a project that will commercialize Alaska's North Slope natural gas. … Continue Reading
04.22.16
Alaska Delegation Praises Missile Defense Agency Announcement for Pacific Spaceport Complex – Alaska
WASHINGTON, DC - Today the Alaska Congressional Delegation welcomed the announcement by the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) that it is examining the Pacific Spaceport Complex in Kodiak as a potential site for missile defense flight testing for regional missile defense systems, such as the Theatre High Altitude Air Defense (THAAD) system. MDA today released a Notice of Intent for a Sole Source Contract for the Alaska Aerospace Corporation in Federal Business Opportunities, the federal government's o… Continue Reading
04.20.16
Sullivan Congratulates Senator Murkowski on Passage of Bipartisan Energy Bill
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) today applauded the Senate's passage of the Energy Policy Modernization Act, the first major energy policy legislation in nearly a decade. The bill was sponsored by Alaska's Senator Lisa Murkowski, chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. "In February, the energy bill hit up against seemingly insurmountable gridlock. But Senator Murkowski did not give up," said Senator Sullivan. "She did the hard work, meeting with stakeholde… Continue Reading
04.19.16
Senate Passes Major FAA Bill with Key Provisions Benefitting Alaska
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK), a member of the Senate Commerce, Science, & Transportation Committee, today welcomed the overwhelming passage of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill. The legislation contains several key provisions secured by Senator Sullivan that are important to Alaska. One of the essential focuses of the bill is on the general aviation industry, which contributes more than $1 billion to the Alaska economy. Aviation in general s… Continue Reading
04.13.16
Sullivan Commemorates the 40th Anniversary of the Magnuson Stevens Act
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, on the 40th anniversary of the passage of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) released the following statement: "It's difficult to overstate the positive impacts the Magnuson-Stevens Act has had on the state of Alaska and its importance to our fishing industry," said Senator Sullivan. "More Alaskans are employed by the fishing industry than any other industry in the state. Countless Alaska communities rely on the health and abundance of our fisheries. … Continue Reading
04.11.16
Sullivan Bill Blocks Iran’s Access to U.S. Financial System
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) has introduced S. 2757, the Iran Financial System Access Limitation Act of 2016, legislation that would prohibit Iran from accessing the U.S. financial system until Iran is no longer designated as a state sponsor of terrorism. The bill comes amidst reports that the Obama Administration's Department of Treasury is contemplating giving Iranian banks access to U.S. dollars through offshore "clearing houses," a practice which is currently prohibited.… Continue Reading
04.07.16
Army Chief on Administration’s Planned Troop Reductions: “High Military Risk"
WASHINGTON, DC - Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army General Mark Milley today testified to Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) before the Senate Armed Services Committee that the Obama Administration's plan to reduce the size of the Army to 450,000 active duty troops and 980,000 total troops represents "high military risk" in light of potential conflicts around the globe. Over the last year, Sullivan has been pressing senior Department of Defense officials on the drawdown, including the elimination of Alas… Continue Reading
04.06.16
Sullivan Applauds Senate Passage of Anchorage Land Transfer Bill
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed legislation introduced by Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) to allow for the sale of 9 acres of unused and undeveloped federal property to the Municipality of Anchorage. S. 1492 facilitates the sale of the National Archives and Records Administration property located at 400 East 40th Avenue in Anchorage to the Municipality for no less than fair market value. "After years of Senate gridlock, I am pleased to see this commonsense land transfer o… Continue Reading
04.05.16
Sullivan Reacts to DOJ’s Decision to Deny Investigation of Bill Allen
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator Sullivan (R-AK) released the following statement today after the Department of Justice (DOJ) chose to deny Alaska Attorney General Craig Richard's request to pursue charges against Bill Allen for alleged Mann Act violations: "I find it incredibly frustrating that it took the threat of violating a new federal law for the Department of Justice to finally and directly answer a question that Alaskans have been asking for years. There was ample evidence in this case to allow… Continue Reading
04.04.16
AK Delegation: Military Boost Coming to Alaska, F-35 Squadrons Officially to be Based at Eielson AFB
WASHINGTON, DC-Today the Alaska Congressional Delegation praised the news that Eielson Air Force Base was selected as the new home for the U.S. Air Force's first F-35As in the Pacific Theatre. Construction is scheduled to begin in fiscal year 2017, with the arrival of the F-35s expected in 2020. The Record of Decision was signed this morning by the Air Force, finalizing plans to base the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter at Eielson, bringing 54 new aircraft and 2,765 additional residents to Interior Al… Continue Reading
03.22.16
Supreme Court Delivers Setback to Federal Overreach
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its opinion on Sturgeon v. Frost, remanding the case back to the lower courts. In an 8-0 opinion, the court overturned the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals' decision that the National Park Service could ban the use of hovercraft in eastern Alaska's Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve. The court found the 9th Circuit's decision "surprising" and "topsy-turvy." While not a decisive victory for John Sturgeon, the Alaska moose hunter who br… Continue Reading
03.21.16
Alaska Congressional Delegation Applauds Army Decision to Keep 4-25 Brigade Combat Team Intact
WASHINGTON, DC - Alaska's Congressional Delegation today responded to the news that the U.S. Army has officially announced that it is delaying its decision to remove 2,600 soldiers from the 4-25 Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. In July 2015, the U.S. Army announced the reduction at JBER as part of a larger force-structure reduction from 490,000 to 450,000 troops. Since that announcement, a unified Alaska Congressional Delegation has fought to … Continue Reading