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Michael Tavoliero: Why Alaska must reverse Medicaid expansion

SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR
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Michael Tavoliero: Why Alaska must reverse Medicaid expansion

By MICHAEL TAVOLIERO

The State of Alaska now faces a pivotal decision that will define its financial trajectory and societal integrity for decades. Since the administrative expansion of Medicaid in 2015, the state has been weighed down by unsustainable costs, an enlarged bureaucratic apparatus, and deepening dependence on federal systems that undermine local governance.

Recent developments, including a carve-out by Sen. Lisa Murkowski exempting Alaska from new federal Medicaid work requirements, have only further entrenched this dependency, shielding able-bodied adults from the very accountability measures that foster economic participation. To protect its fiscal health and constitutional order, Alaska must act decisively to reverse Medicaid expansion and reclaim control over its future.

Legal Authority:

Clear, tested, and available under the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in NFIB v. Sebelius (2012), Medicaid expansion is strictly optional. 

States can join or exit at will without penalty to their traditional Medicaid programs. 

Alaska’s Medicaid expansion was implemented solely by Governor Bill Walker in 2015 through informal administrative action. This action was without legislative approval or the issuance of an executive or administrative order. While a 2016 Alaska Superior Court decision upheld the legality of the expansion under federal law, the Alaska Supreme Court has never ruled on the constitutional question of whether a governor may unilaterally commit the state to long-term fiscal obligations without a legislative appropriation.

Given that the expansion was executive in origin, it can be reversed the same way. The Governor of Alaska, Michael J Dunleavy, in Trump like fashion, must take the following procedural steps to return Medicaid expansion responsibilities to the federal government:

Step 1: Policy Determination and Legal Review
Initiate an internal legal review confirming that the reversal of the Medicaid expansion is compliant with NFIB v. Sebelius and aligned with federal Medicaid guidelines.

Step 2: Draft a Revised State Plan Amendment
Instruct the Alaska Department of Health to draft a revised SPA to formally withdraw the expansion population (an estimated 40,000 to 60,000 able-bodied adults) from state Medicaid coverage.

Step 3: Submit Revised SPA to CMS
Submit the revised SPA to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) with a formal letter from the Governor stating Alaska’s intention to end Medicaid expansion and outlining the transition plan.

Step 4: Coordinate Transition with CMS
Work with CMS to ensure that affected individuals are transitioned to appropriate federal fallback programs such as ACA marketplace subsidies.

Step 5: Restructure State Medicaid Programs and Personnel
Begin the downsizing and restructuring of administrative divisions within the Department of Health, DCCED, Division of Health Care Services, and Office of Children’s Services to reflect reduced coverage and compliance requirements.

Step 6: Public Communication and Legislative Notification
Communicate the rationale, process, and benefits of the reversal to the public and the Alaska Legislature to build transparency and support.

Step 7: Monitor Legal and Political Developments
Prepare for potential legal or political challenges from interest groups invested in expansion dollars and ensure a robust defense of the executive authority to act.

Fiscal Ramifications: Real Savings, Lasting Impact Long-Term Forecast of Medicaid Enrollment and Spending in Alaska:

FY2024-FY2044, February 16, 2024, by Evergreen Economics, Page 6, states Alaska’s Medicaid costs are escalating rapidly, with general fund obligations increasing by nearly 5% annually. Left unchecked, these costs are projected to exceed $1.7 billion by FY2044.

Reversing this expansion will: 

• Eliminate the 10% match requirement for the expansion population, saving hundreds of millions over time; 

• Reduce overhead by downsizing redundant layers of administrative bureaucracy in agencies like the Department of Health, Division of Health Care Services, and Office of Children’s Services;

• Simplify Medicaid management, making room for more effective delivery of care to the truly vulnerable—Alaska’s children, elderly, and disabled, not able-bodied adults; 

• Insulate the state from future volatility in federal policy, such as reductions in match rates or block grant conversions.

These savings are not theoretical. They are calculable, practical, and necessary for stabilizing Alaska’s long-term budget and restoring fiscal sovereignty.

The Political Ramifications: Resistance from the Dependent Class 

This reform will face intense opposition. It will come not from the public at large, but from institutional beneficiaries of the status quo. 

• Public health bureaucracies, tribal health consortia, large hospital systems like Providence and ANTHC, and public-sector unions have developed entire ecosystems around the federal dollars tied to Medicaid expansion. Their resistance will be fierce, driven by the threat to their funding, power, and jobs. 

• Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s exemption for Alaska from the new national Medicaid work requirements, as included in the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill,” is a textbook case of political dependency management. Rather than requiring able-bodied Alaskans to work, seek employment, or contribute through volunteering, as every other state must, Alaska’s Medicaid population is now protected from such responsibilities.

This move deepens the dependency trap and sends a demoralizing message: that Alaskans are less capable than their peers across the country. It treats the expansion population not as citizens to be empowered, but as wards to be managed.

Gov. Dunleavy can not only lawfully reverse Medicaid expansion but also pivot politically by tying that action to a practical, dignity-centered initiative that gets able-bodied Alaskans off Medicaid and into the workforce.

What Was Promised and What Was Delivered

Internal marketing documents promoting Medicaid expansion in 2013 painted a glowing picture: increased access, improved outcomes, and a booming economy. But the outcomes failed to meet expectations: 

• In the October 2013 “Medicaid Expansion Marketing Paper”, Valarie Davidson, then Senior Director of Legal & Intergovernmental Affairs at the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium and later Commissioner of Health and Social Services under Governor Walker, promised that Medicaid expansion would bring job growth, improved care, and budget relief. In practice, however, Alaska’s healthcare system has become more costly, more bureaucratic, and increasingly disconnected from local control. 

• Administrative layers have multiplied, not shrunk. Emergency care remains overburdened. Preventable chronic diseases persist. The Alaska Department of Health has become a bloated compliance machine, while rural and mental health needs go unmet.

The expansion did not reform the system, it fed it. And now, reform cannot occur without dismantling the very framework built around this failed expansion.

The short-term financial gain for Alaska’s variety of health care providers comes at the expense of long-term fiscal sustainability and personal accountability. Healthy Medicaid recipients may receive minimal care, but their existence in the system sustains a bloated structure that grows government, stifles local innovation, and cements dependency, both socially and economically. Reversing this trend would restore incentives to work, refocus care on the truly vulnerable, and rebalance the system toward freedom and responsibility.

A New Path Forward: Freedom Over Dependency Reversing 

Medicaid expansion reversal is more than a budget cut. It is a philosophical return to Alaska’s roots of self-reliance and local control. It would: 

• Restore constitutional checks by returning such a sweeping fiscal policy to legislative and public oversight; 

• Redirect funds to front-line care, mental health support, and rural medical innovation; 

• Reduce bureaucratic sprawl, allowing community-centered care to emerge in response to real local needs; 

• Reclaim Alaska’s identity as a place of freedom, not a managed zone of compliance.

This reform will send a national message: Alaska chooses sovereignty over submission, productivity over passive entitlements, and governance over government dependency.

Conclusion: A Test of Leadership and Resolve

Gov. Mike Dunleavy has both the legal right and the moral duty to reverse Medicaid expansion. While political forces aligned with Medicaid dollars will rage, this decision offers a path to financial stability, empowered citizens, and meaningful healthcare reform.

Sen. Murkowski’s actions may shield the Medicaid bureaucracy from reform, but they cannot shield Alaskans from the consequences: rising debt, declining services, and eroded independence.

The question is no longer whether Alaska can reverse Medicaid expansion. It is whether Alaska’s leaders will. The choice is between deepening the dependency cycle or breaking it, between protecting bureaucracies or protecting Alaskans.

For the sake of Alaska’s future, Gov. Dunleavy, the answer must be clear.

Michael Tavoliero: It’s time to stop funding failure

Sullivan says no state fared better than Alaska with the One Big Beautiful Bill

Suzanne Downing
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Sullivan says no state fared better than Alaska with the One Big Beautiful Bill

US. Senator Dan Sullivan explained his vote in favor of the sweeping One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025, calling it a historic legislative victory for Alaska that delivers major advancements in energy development, tax relief, military investment, border security, health care, and more.

Sullivan said the legislation, the product of months of negotiations, includes provisions that prioritize Alaska and will benefit the state for generations. “No state fared better from this bill,” he said, pointing to the law’s broad scope and targeted focus on unlocking Alaska’s economic and strategic potential.

The bill includes mandates for extensive energy leasing across Alaska’s resource-rich lands. It requires:

  • At least four new area-wide lease sales in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) over the next decade,
  • Resumption of at least five lease sales in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A),
  • A minimum of six lease sales over 10 years in Cook Inlet.

The legislation restores leasing frameworks from the first Trump administration and increases the state’s share of resource revenue to 70 percent for future leases. This is less than the 90% for Alaska that was first proposed in the bill by Rep. Nick Begich, but is far higher than the current state share of 50%.

It also streamlines federal environmental reviews by enabling project sponsors to opt into expedited timelines through a fee-based system.

Additionally, the bill encourages increased timber harvests and long-term logging contracts on federal lands, including the Tongass National Forest, and creates an Energy Dominance Financing program to support major projects such as Alaska LNG.

The bill locks in permanent lower tax rates and averts what would have been a $4 trillion tax increase. It enhances the Child Tax Credit, expands the standard deduction used by over 90 percent of taxpayers, strengthens the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit, and maintains small business deductions that promote local economic growth.

Sullivan, who chairs the Commerce Subcommittee overseeing the U.S. Coast Guard, secured nearly $25 billion in funding for the service—the largest investment in its history. This includes funding for 16 new icebreakers and $300 million to homeport the Coast Guard icebreaker Storis in Juneau.

The bill also advances the Golden Dome initiative, bolstering homeland missile defense with new interceptors, sensors, and radar—centered in Alaska—and promotes redevelopment of Arctic infrastructure such as the Adak Naval Base.

The legislation includes what Sullivan called the most robust border enforcement package in a generation. It allocates $46 billion for physical border barriers, boosts funding for Border Patrol and law enforcement, and enhances efforts to stop the flow of fentanyl, including in Alaska.

Sullivan said the bill will direct approximately $200 million annually for five years toward modernizing Alaska’s health care system. The funding aims to stabilize rural health providers, improve outcomes, and preserve access to care in underserved communities.

The law also introduces new work requirements for Medicaid and SNAP benefits, with flexibility granted to Alaska to accommodate the state’s unique challenges. These changes are designed to preserve benefits for the truly vulnerable, including single parents and individuals with disabilities or mental illness.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025:

  • Requires BLM to hold at least 4 additional area-wide ANWR lease sales in the Coastal Plain over the next 10 years, with revenues divided 70 percent for the State of Alaska and 30 percent for the federal government starting in 2034—up from 50 percent;
  • Requires the Secretary of the Interior to expeditiously restore and resume lease sales under the NPR–A oil and gas program as directed by federal law—5 lease sales within 10 years of enactment under terms, conditions, stipulations, and areas described in the first Trump administration’s 2020 NPR-A Integrated Activity Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision—and directs that the State of Alaska receive 70 percent of revenues generated from development activity on future leases starting in 2034–up from 50 percent;
  • Requires a minimum of six lease sales over 10 years in Cook Inlet, with at least 1 million acres per sale and with revenues divided 70 percent for the State of Alaska and 30 percent for the federal government starting in 2034—up from 27 percent;
  • Reverses the Biden-era royalty hike by reinstating a lower 12.5-16.67 percent on offshore and onshore federal oil and gas leases;
  • Restores commonsense leasing rules that we saw under the first Trump administration that are a prerequisite to generating federal revenues from production in both the NPR-A and in ANWR—more lands, more leasing on a more prescriptive timeline;
  • Streamlines the NEPA environmental review process by allowing project sponsors to opt in for faster timelines through a fee-based system, halving review periods;
  • Includes a $5 billion increase for critical minerals supply chains, opening new opportunities for Alaska’s mining industry;
  • Requires increased timber harvests and long-term contracts in national forests and public lands, including in the Tongass National Forest;
  • Creates a new Energy Dominance Financing program within the Department of Energy to support enhancement and development of reliable energy infrastructure, providing another vehicle for the Alaska LNG project to accelerate development of the gasline;
  • Places a 10-year moratorium on the methane tax; and
  • Provides $1 billion for the Defense Production Act to conduct critical mineral mining operations, including in Alaska.

In tax relief, the bill:

  • Avoids a massive $4.5 trillion tax increase on Americans by extending the 2017 tax cuts;
  • Institutes a permanent $2,200 child tax credit and tax relief amounting to an estimated annual take-home pay increase of $7,600-$10,900 for a family of four;
  • Expands tax credits to make child care more affordable for the thousands of working families in Alaska that are in need of quality, affordable child care:
    • Specifically, this bill enhances the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit, the only tax credit that specifically helps working parents offset the cost of child care. This provision builds on stand-alone legislation that Sen. Sullivan cosponsored;
    • Improves the Employer-Provided Child Care Credit which supports businesses that want to help locate or provide child care for employees;
    • Expands the Dependent Care Assistance Plan which creates flexible spending accounts that allow working parents to set aside pre-tax dollars to pay for child care expenses;
  • Eliminates taxes on tips and overtime for millions of workers, and taxes on auto loan interest for new American-made vehicles;
  • Expands tax relief for small businesses, which constitute 99.1 percent of businesses in Alaska, benefiting the backbone of Alaska’s economy; and
  • Makes permanent the opportunity zone, low-income housing, and new markets tax credits—key incentives for economic development and affordable housing, and adds greater emphasis on economically disadvantaged and rural areas.

Sen. Sullivan described the final package as the result of months of “relentless, focused work on behalf of Alaskans—and it delivers significant wins for our state.”

Trump signs bill defunding Medicaid payments to Planned Parenthood. What does it mean for Alaska?
The fight for Alaska: Trump’s landmark bill unlocks state’s future in energy, jobs, security
Murkowski plays hot potato with Big Beautiful Bill, now Peltola jabs at her and Sullivan for their votes

Bob Griffin: One Big Beautiful School Choice

SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR
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Bob Griffin: One Big Beautiful School Choice

By BOB GRIFFIN 

One of the impacts of the Great Big Beautiful Bill is the ability of low- and middle-income families to be able to afford private school. 

The bill allows taxpayers to take a tax credit of $1,700/year and send it to a Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO) to fund private school scholarships, instead of sending that money to the federal government. 

The SGO’s would be able to offer scholarships to kids from families that are below 300% of the median family income in each area. That income level in Anchorage would be roughly $290,000/year– but would vary by the local median income, for a statewide average of about $270,000 in income to qualify for a scholarship. 

The impact could be huge. If one quarter of the federal taxpayers in Alaska took the $1,700 credit sending that money to an SGO instead of the federal government, that would result in $137 million going to the SGO’s, or enough to fund 19,600 scholarships of $7,000 each. A large portion of the current 5,080 private school students in Alaska would likely be eligible to receive a scholarship. In addition, 15,000 new students would be able to get a scholarship at that level. 

If the parents of 15,000 students in traditional public neighborhood schools thought an affordable  private school was a better fit for their kids and moved over, it would save $213 million/year in formula funding expense for the state of Alaska. That’s $213 million/year that wouldn’t needed to be diverted away from PFD’s. 

 This would certainly foster an environment of healthy competition that would provide our public schools a much need spur to innovate and improve parent satisfaction to avoid losing more students and having to manage the fixed cost and infrastructure problems associated with rapidly declining enrollment.

In the end it’s a win-win. Parents have more choices and traditional schools are motivated to innovate and improve the quality of their programs to keep parents interested.   

Bob Griffin is on the board of Alaska Policy Forum and served on the Alaska Board of Education and Early Development.

Bob Griffin: Why aren’t teachers more upset?
Bob Griffin: Alaska’s schools are rolling in cash, so why aren’t the results better?

Trump signs bill defunding Medicaid payments to Planned Parenthood. What does it mean for Alaska?

Suzanne Downing
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Trump signs bill defunding Medicaid payments to Planned Parenthood. What does it mean for Alaska?

In a White House ceremony on July 4, President Donald Trump signed the “Big Beautiful Bill” into law, delivering major policy victories for conservatives. Among the provisions in the bill is the defunding of Planned Parenthood by barring the organization from receiving Medicaid reimbursements for one year.

With Trump’s signature, the defunding measure now goes into effect, marking the most significant federal restriction on Planned Parenthood funding in nearly a decade.

The legislation follows the Supreme Court’s June decision in Medina v. South Carolina, which upheld states’ rights to exclude abortion providers like Planned Parenthood from their Medicaid programs. The ruling also bars patients from challenging those exclusions in federal court, effectively opening the door for national defunding efforts like the one signed into law this week.

In Alaska, the fallout could be swift and life-saving. After closing its clinic in Juneau in December and its Soldotn facility three years earlier, Planned Parenthood operates just two remaining clinics in the state — one in Anchorage and one in Fairbanks. Both of the remaining clinics rely heavily on Medicaid funding to provide a range of services, including venereal disease testing, reproductive cancer screenings, abortion, contraception, and gender transition services.

Now, with the federal government cutting off that support, the future of these clinics is in jeopardy.

Planned Parenthood Federation of America has vowed to sue the Trump administration over the Medicaid defunding, but its path forward is uncertain since the abortion organization would have to also sue the House and Senate. The Supreme Court’s ruling in Medina significantly narrowed the ability of patients and providers to challenge Medicaid exclusions in court, leaving few legal avenues open.

Planned Parenthood is transitioning to provide hormone replacement therapy for those trying to transition as transgenders. In 2021, the organization had over 35,000 hormone replacement therapy appointments at 41 of 49 of its regional branches offering transgender services by 2022. Abortions, however, are still its biggest focus.

While national attention is focused on the political and legal fallout, in Alaska, the practical consequences may soon become clear. If no alternative funding is found, the Anchorage and Fairbanks clinics could shut down in the coming months, which could spare the lives of hundreds of unborn babies per year.

Planned Parenthood’s 2023-2024 annual report stated it performed 402,200 abortions across the country In Alaska, with only two clinics and a smaller population, the number is likely a fraction of this total. In 2014, a report counted 1,547 abortions in Alaska, with Planned Parenthood as the primary abortion provider.

Planned Parenthood, which is protected by the Alaska Supreme Court’s ruling that performing abortions up until the time of a baby’s natural birth is a matter of the mother’s privacy right, may end up running out of money now that the One Big Beautiful Bill has been signed into law.

Happy Birthday, America!

Suzanne Downing
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Happy Birthday, America!

From Must Read Alaska, we wish you a joyful and meaningful Independence Day.

On July 4, we celebrate 249 years of liberty, grit, and the enduring spirit that defines our great nation. As Alaskans, we are especially proud to stand on the frontier of freedom, where independence isn’t just a word, it’s still a way of life.

To our loyal readers: Thank you for being part of this journey. Your support keeps the torch of freedom burning bright in the Last Frontier.

We are taking the whole day off to celebrate, and will see you back here on July 5.

Here’s to the land we love, the values we cherish, and the future we’ll build—together!

Alaska student reading scores climb for second year

Suzanne Downing
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Alaska student reading scores climb for second year

For the second year in a row, Alaska students are showing notable gains in reading proficiency, according to new data released by the Department of Education and Early Development. The upward trend is being credited to the Alaska Reads Act, a 2022 education reform initiative signed into law by Gov. Mike Dunleavy.

Preliminary data from the 2024–2025 school year shows a jump from 44% of students reading at grade level at the beginning of the year to 60% by the end.

That marks a six-point improvement over the previous year’s gains, when students increased from 41% to 57%. According to the department, the year-over-year growth is outpacing national averages.

“This is promising evidence for our Alaskan students and their teachers as all the hard work and focus they have put in is coming to fruition,” said Education Commissioner Deena Bishop. “This achievement shows that the Alaska Reads Act was the right policy direction for our state, and more importantly, for our youngest learners. Congratulations!”

The Alaska Reads Act focuses on early literacy by requiring evidence-based instruction, teacher training, and targeted interventions for struggling readers. Its goal is to ensure that all students are reading at grade level by the end of third grade, considered a key predictor of long-term academic success.

“These results show why it’s critical to tie clear goals and strong commitments to education policy,” said Gov. Dunleavy. “The Alaska Reads Act proves that coupling funding with real reform works. We made the right decision, and students across Alaska are seeing the benefits.”

While the current data is preliminary, education officials say the consistent year-over-year growth is a strong indicator that the state’s investment in foundational reading skills is paying off. Final results are expected to be released later this year.

Major improvement: Data shows Alaska’s youngest students advancing after Alaska Reads Act passed

Arctic District: Coast Guard renames District 17

Suzanne Downing
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Arctic District: Coast Guard renames District 17

The US Coast Guard announced today it is renaming its operational districts to reflect geographic regions rather than numbers. As part of this reorganization, Alaska’s District 17 will now be officially known as the US Coast Guard Arctic District.

The change is part of Force Design 2028, a modernization initiative aimed at aligning the Coast Guard’s structure with evolving national security and maritime needs. By replacing numerical designations with geographic ones, the Coast Guard says it seeks to increase clarity in operations, improve coordination with other federal and state agencies, and better reflect the unique challenges of each region.

The newly named Arctic District remains headquartered in Juneau and is responsible for operations across Alaska’s vast coastline and into the increasingly strategic Arctic waterways.

This is the first change in name since the Coast Guard has operated in Alaska as District 17 since 1947. The change to “Arctic District” is intended to more accurately reflect its area of responsibility and the national importance of Arctic maritime operations.

Other districts across the United States are also undergoing similar changes, replacing traditional numbered labels with names like Atlantic East, Pacific Northwest, and Gulf Coast.

The name change takes effect immediately.

Good to be Queen: LaFrance lavishes city employees in celebration of one year doing a job on Anchorage

Suzanne Downing
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Good to be Queen: LaFrance lavishes city employees in celebration of one year doing a job on Anchorage

Anchorage municipal employees will enjoy a little more time off between now and the end of the year, courtesy of Mayor Suzanne LaFrance, who announced the surprise gift of one-quarter day of extra leave time to city workers — simply to mark the one-year anniversary of her administration doing a job on Anchorage.

“There’s beautiful weather on the horizon, Friday is a holiday, and we are marking our one year anniversary as a team,” LaFrance wrote in a letter sent to all current, active municipal employees this week. “In short, it’s time to celebrate!”

For those who don’t work for the municipality, this may look like a political patronage thank-you gift for helping LaFrance get into office, or perhaps an advance on what she hopes will be their work on her reelection campaign.

The extra leave, which is non-cashable and must be used by Dec. 31, will be deposited into the accounts of all full-time, part-time, and seasonal government workers. The time off becomes available starting Thursday, July 3, just ahead of the long Fourth of July weekend.

LaFrance did not say what the cost of that is to the city, but if the city has about 2,000 employees, it could be between $80,000-$90,000, or more, depending on how much overtime needs to be paid to compensate for missing workers.

The mayor also did not cite any formal justification, such as a contract obligation or budget surplus, for awarding the paid time. Rather, it appears to be a goodwill gesture extended exclusively to municipal government employees.

The gift of leave must be coordinated through supervisors, and will not appear in workers’ formal leave statements until after the holiday weekend.

While public employees may welcome the unexpected quarter-day off, the move raises questions about equity and priorities in a city where the quality of life has taken a rapid downturn, where vagrancy and crime are at all-time highs, and at a time whe tourists are now avoiding the city due to its reputation.

LaFrance concluded her letter with warm wishes and thanks, writing, “It is truly a team effort, and it wouldn’t be possible without each and every one of you.”

But for those not on the municipal payroll, the gesture may come off as a reminder of who benefits most under LaFrance leadership — public workers or taxpayers.

The fight for Alaska: Trump’s landmark bill unlocks state’s future in energy, jobs, security

Suzanne Downing
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The fight for Alaska: Trump’s landmark bill unlocks state’s future in energy, jobs, security

After nearly 24 straight hours of political wrangling, tense negotiations, and a record-setting filibuster-style speech by Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, House Republicans on Thursday passed a domestic policy bill that not only delivers a legislative victory for President Donald Trump and House and Senate Republicans, but has big wins for Alaska. It will head to the desk of President Trump, who will likely sign it before the end of the day on July 4.

It’s a massive achievement for Trump, who has been in office for only 164 days in this term.

In fact, less than one year ago — on July 13, 2024 — Trump was shot while on stage at a rally in Butler, Penn.

Today, he has gotten his legislative priority package through both houses of Congress.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy lauded the bill as a win for Alaska:

“The passage of the Big Beautiful Bill is a huge win for Alaska. It puts up to 70% of Cook Inlet and ANWR oil revenues back into our state, restarts lease sales, and invests over $4 billion in Arctic infrastructure — including homeporting our first polar icebreaker. This is the kind of policy that secures Alaska’s future. Thank you to our congressional delegation for delivering for Alaskans,” Dunleavy said.

The 218–214 vote capped a dramatic week of behind-the-scenes and public bargaining and long nights on Capitol Hill.

The bill — Trump’s top domestic legislative priority — represents a bold conservative vision for the nation and includes changes in energy, education, immigration, and spending.

What’s in the One Big Beautiful Bill it for Alaska?

Murkowski plays hot potato with Big Beautiful Bill, now Peltola jabs at her and Sullivan for their votes

For Alaska, the legislation is particularly beneficial, in spite of what Sen. Lisa Murkowski has been handwringing over. Among the most impactful provisions are:

The bill includes measures to fast-track oil and gas permitting on federal lands and offshore leases, including in the Arctic. That could be a boon for Alaska’s economy.

Alaska stands to gain from increased funding for rural road projects, broadband expansion, and port infrastructure.

The bill expands school choice and education savings accounts, which could empower parents in Alaska to access more customized educational options, especially in underserved or remote areas.

Congressman Nick Begich III noted these benefits for Alaska, saying “Today, the Republican-led Congress sent the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to the President’s desk, and with it a blueprint for Alaska’s self-determined future. I am honored to serve and deliver for the state we love:”

— Resource Development: Mandatory lease sales open more than 30 million acres in ANWR, the National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska, and Cook Inlet. Alaska will receive a greater share of federal royalties than ever before, strengthening the Permanent Fund and future dividend payments.

— Tax Relief: Overtime and tips are no longer taxed, small businesses can fully depreciate expenses immediately, and the Trump tax cuts are made permanent. Seniors on Social Security benefit from new deductions.

— Border Security: Over $100 billion in funding will equip Border Patrol agents and deploy advanced technology to stop fentanyl before it reaches Alaska’s communities.

— Infrastructure and Safety: The bill includes the largest Coast Guard appropriation in U.S. history, funding 16 new Arctic-class icebreakers and upgrading key ports. An additional $12.5 billion is dedicated to modernizing air traffic control systems.

— Rural Health Care: Medicaid integrity reforms ensure support for the truly vulnerable, and new investments in rural hospitals aim to protect access to care across Alaska.

Begich said that it’s a transformative victory for Alaska.

“This bill solidifies Alaska’s position as a cornerstone of our nation’s energy future, mandating lease sales of at least 1.6 million acres in ANWR, 20 million acres in NPR-A, and at least 6 million acres in Cook Inlet — growing Alaska’s royalties on these lands by 40 percent getting us one step closer to fulfilling the promise guaranteed to us at Statehood. These leases will unlock tens of billions in investment, generate thousands of high-paying jobs, and restore Alaska’s right to produce. This bill also codifies a 25% increase in timber harvests on federal lands, providing our long-sought pathway for Alaska’s forest economy,” he said.

The bill will help secure the border with over $100 billion for the wall and enforcement capabilities to stop the flow of deadly fentanyl and restore the rule of law, Begich said.

“It also invests in our Alaska-based military infrastructure to reinforce our nation’s position of strength. And for our skies, this bill invests $12.5 billion to upgrade our Air Traffic Control systems – a critical investment for aviation safety,” he continued.

“The One Big Beautiful Bill delivers for hardworking Alaskans. It makes permanent tax cuts for families and small businesses, eliminates taxes on tips and overtime, and enacts common-sense reforms to strengthen safety net programs by protecting the vulnerable while ensuring greater accountability. For our seniors, the One Big Beautiful Bill delivers much needed relief with a significant tax deduction on their Social Security taxes,” Begich said.

“The One Big Beautiful Bill delivers on the America First mandate given to us last November. Alaska has always led the way, and today, we lead again with strength and a renewed purpose that our resource rich state will unlock prosperity and strength for all America. With the passage of this bill, we are restoring strength, reviving growth, and respecting the values that have made our nation so remarkable. The One Big Beautiful Bill lays the foundation for Alaska’s future and renews our hope in the American dream,” he said. “A safer, stronger, more prosperous America.”

The bill passed with no Democratic support. Only two Republican — Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky — broke ranks to oppose the legislation, citing concerns over fiscal responsibility and the legislative process. In the end, even Rep. Thomas Massie voted in favor of the bill, which he had opposed until the last minute.

House Speaker Mike Johnson led a relentless push to secure the needed votes, aided by direct involvement from President Trump, who reportedly called lawmakers individually from the White House residence throughout the night.

Democrat Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries attempted to delay the final vote with a marathon floor speech that lasted over eight hours. It was an exercise in hypocrisy: In 2021, when Republicans filibustered, Jeffries, who was an ally of former Rep. Mary Peltola, is on record calling that tactic racist:

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