In a spirited address to the Alaska Legislature on Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, first was elected in 2014, reaffirmed Alaska’s position as the “superpower of seafood” in the United States, while highlighting the challenges and victories in the state’s fishing industry, bashing the Biden Administration for multiple adverse actions against Alaska, and criticizing President Joe Biden for not taking a tougher stance against war-mongering Iran, which has been attacking America’s assets in the Mediterranean.
He started his Wednesday morning speech by highlighting the 56 lockup orders from the Biden Administration — actions taken against the state of Alaska’s economy, since President Joe Biden took office.
“This is what I call the ‘Last Frontier Lock-Up’ — 56 orders and actions specifically targeting our state by the Biden administration, something I’m fighting against every day,” he said, while showing a map that identified every executive order Biden has made that has hurt Alaska.
“It’s an outrage. No other state in the country gets singled out like this. I handed a version of this chart to the President when the congressional delegation met with him last March on Willow. I told him, respectfully, that this was just wrong, and we needed a ceasefire in this war against Alaska,” he said.
Sullivan, now in his 10th year in the Senate and a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, emphasized the crucial role Alaska plays in the nation’s fisheries, stating, “Fish is in Alaska’s DNA.”
“I never tire of telling my colleagues that Alaska is the ‘superpower of seafood.’ Over 66% of all seafood harvested in America—commercial, sport, subsistence—comes from our state.
Sullivan recounted advocating for Alaska’s fisheries to federal officials, and touted his staff as the best equipped to address the challenges facing Alaska’s fishing communities.
One such challenge, he highlighted, was the impact of geopolitical tensions on Alaska’s seafood exports. Sullivan recalled the repercussions of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which led to sanctions on Russian seafood imports into the United States.
However, a loophole exploited by Russian and Chinese officials allowed Russian seafood to enter the U.S. market through China, undercutting Alaska fishermen and indirectly supporting authoritarian regimes.
After years of persistent advocacy by the Alaska delegation and the state, the loophole was closed by the U.S. Treasury in late December, and went into effect on Feb. 21, the day of Sullivan’s speech to the Legislature. That announcement received a round of applause from the House and Senate.
Sullivan addressed Lower 48 environmental radicals’ attempts to disrupt Alaska’s small-scale troll salmon fishery through legal challenges. He praised the collaborative efforts between the state and the federal delegation that prevented the financial harm to trollers last year.
Highlighting concerns over declining salmon populations, particularly king salmon, Sullivan pointed to the establishment of the Alaska Salmon Research Task Force. Championed by his wife, Julie Fate Sullivan, the task force aims to investigate the causes behind salmon declines and formulate strategies to restore healthy salmon runs in the state.
Finally, Senator Sullivan advocated for the inclusion of fishermen in federal support programs akin to those available to farmers. He introduced the National Seafood Supply Act as part of negotiations for the Farm Bill, aiming to provide financial security and risk mitigation measures for Alaska’s fishing operations.
Sullivan delved with as much enthusiasm and depth into issues such as energy, national security, Mexican cartels bringing fentanyl to the 49th State, Iranian aggression, the war in Ukraine, the creation of an intellectual hub in Alaska, housing, and more.
He even broke the news that Anchorage state Sen. Forrest Dunbar has recently become engaged to be married.
In closing, Sullivan expressed optimism about the future of Alaska’s fisheries, urging continued collaboration and support from both federal and state entities to ensure the prosperity can grow the state.
What’s the delio with rights and remedies? How come we don’t have swift remedy ($) when rights are usurped daily in AK?
Blah blah blah. Establishment R that we need to replace. Do better Alaska.
National security… right. You gave security to other countries and left Texas to do the hard work. You’re a RINO Dan.
Yep, nice speech in Juneau preaching to the choir. Full of high tootin’ self promoting politics as usual from one of the silent majorities in the DC Senate.
Dan Sullivans exact words on the now defunct pebble mine, ”There will be no pebble mine, no pebble mine”.
Our salmon decline, we’ll let me start. The Feds under Obama blocked hatchery fish and lake fertilization out of federal lands and it never recovered. A large portion of our hatcheries are shut down or mostly shut down. In my opinion a large portion of our fish are being intercepted on the high seas by foreign fishermen, this would include 3/4 of the Bristol bay fishery which are non alaskans that hardly leave any money here.
Did Sullivan speak to the House before or after the House voted on the education spending spree bill?
I hate the term “lock up”. Wild public land is open to all of us. We are not locked out. The real lock up is privatization. Mining and oil are the worst.
Sullivan has never once asked us for our permission to pour billions of dollars into the countries of Ukraine and Israel. Both Are Not Part Of Our Constitutional Republic nor are they part of NATO, yet he makes us pay for their government pensions, border security and economy. Wake up people Ukraine and Israel are giant money laundering schemes. Zelenskyy is a homosexual bit actor put in place by U.S. coup to do the bidding of the elites who run the global war machines. Ukraine’s elections have all been eliminated, it’s churches shut down and censorship enacted.
Our veterans are homeless and underserved all while he is on several Federal veteran boards. And do you know the VA is paying out billions to illegal aliens invading our country, true look it up. Countries are defined by their borders, but the U.S. no longer has any boarders. But how nice, he votes to give free money to illegals invading our country.
And how about free money to fishermen catching fish in Alaska. No such thing as free money!! What a joke! More money stolen from us the taxpayers. Fact, the vast amount of fish taken in Alaskan waters is caught by corporate fishing vessels whose home ports are in Washington State. These fisherman are not Alaskans and contribute little to the Alaskan economy but yet he is giving them free money? And now his wife is heading up a fisheries task force to find out where all the fish have disappeared to? What’s her education, qualifications and expertise regarding fisheries? Is she a fisherman? Who elected her to this position and how much is Mrs. Sullivan’s salary going to be? Does this position qualify her for a State/Federal pension? Yet another costly boondoggle study to add to the endless Federal and State studies.
And speaking of more homosexuals Sullivan likes to support, how nice of Sullivan to congratulate Mr Dunbar.
Folks Juneau was nothing but a grandstanding for Sullivan.
Smoke & Mirrors DAN ! You use words to thump for Alaska while you destroy Alaskans & Americans by continually being the WAR MACHINES shill and voting to send our diminishing resources to the Third Most Corrupt Country in the World (we are #1). It sure looks like your “deep convictions” are about lining you own pockets and self importance!
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