In themes familiar to Alaskans, U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan on Tuesday spoke in Alaska’s Capitol to a joint session of the Alaska House and Senate, calling on Alaskans to help him fight to keep the promise of Alaska alive, and to lean into the purpose of our state for the greater good of all of America.
He challenged legislators and all Alaskans to rise to the call of citizenship in a Republic, and to engage in the arena, hearkening back to the words of President Teddy Roosevelt in his famous “Man in the Arena” speech.
Sullivan was positive about Alaska’s potential and pivotal place in national security.
He was not so bullish on the Biden Administration, saying he felt no need to be present at President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address on Tuesday evening in Washington, D.C., when he could be with Alaskans.
“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else in world than right here, right now with the people who really matter,” he said.
He also criticized President Biden for issuing 44 executive orders relating to Alaska — more than any other state, in the two years since he took office. Sullivan described the Biden Administration’s “war on Alaska,” as running counter to Sullivan’s top priorities for Alaska: Revitalizing Alaska’s economy and growing jobs for Alaskans, and providing security to the United States in a time of rising global tensions.
“No other state has gotten this kind of unwarranted attention,” Sullivan said of Biden’s executive orders, adding that even Democrats senators are stunned when they find out how much Alaska has been targeted by the Biden Administration.
Sullivan described the Willow and Pikka oil projects on the North Slope and National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska as on the cusp of bringing a renaissance in jobs and activity to the state, not to mention over 200,000 barrels per day of oil into the Trans Alaska Pipeline System and billions of dollars in revenues to local, state, and federal coffers. If only the Biden Administration won’t spike the projects.
He praised the activation of the Army’s 11th Airborne Division, first formed in 1943, and now activated in Alaska as of 2022. He described how he has nearly nailed down a new icebreaker that will be home-ported in Juneau soon, bringing a crew of 200 and hundreds of related jobs, while also finally having an icebreaker located in the state.
Sullivan said that while America has two icebreakers, one of them is broken, which leaves just one operational. Russia, on the other hand, has 54 icebreakers, many of them with nuclear capabilities. Even Singapore has more icebreakers than the United States, he added, with a note of exasperation, considering it is one degree north of the Equator. But change he has pushed for is on the horizon, with icebreakers now being built at shipyards in America.
He warned of the rise of authoritarian governments around the world, such as in Russia and China, and how important Alaska is to protecting the nation during an era of global power dynamics he predicted will continue well into the future.
When asked during a brief question and answer period following his speech, Sullivan praised the military personnel stationed in Alaska for tracking the Chinese spy balloon that went across Alaska last week. He said that data about the aircraft was transmitted to the Department of Defense, where decisions were made to allow the spying device to continue on its path across America. Sullivan said he thought it should have been shot down earlier in its journey, rather than later. He also indicated that he needed to be careful about what he said publicly about the incident, and said that others speaking on the record have probably overshared knowledge that is or could be classified.
In addition to the usual Alaska topics of energy, mining, fishing, and tourism, Sullivan talked about the problems of addiction, domestic violence, and the mental health crisis, particularly as it impacts many young people, who are hooked on social media and are becoming depressed and suicidal.
But he ended on a positive note — where he started — by reminding lawmakers that Alaska is like no other place on earth, and that the people of the state are not too divided to be able to work together to move the state ahead. Alaskans share with each other and pull together during tough times, and have a unique generosity of spirit. He once again called for Alaskans to dig deep to create a place where a sense of purpose is preserved, and where the spirit of community is interwoven with endless possibilities.
America is not fully America without Alaska, Sullivan concluded, and Alaska has a strong purpose and a place in America.
Senator Sullivan’s speech in full can be read at this link.
What is Sullivan going to do about Biden and 44 executive orders? Whine about it but he will cave to the deep state.
Theater, not more.
Sullivan is one of those responsible for SB-21 and making Alaskans much poorer. An average Alaskan family has lost well over $20,000 due to lower dividends because we give away our oil- due to SB-21.
Sullivan is looking old and haggard in the photo with this story.
I noticed that look also. He looks like they’re slowly poisoning him with something like arsenic or that stuff they sprayed up there at Love canal.
He does what the Russian ogliarch gang tells him to do.
Senator Sullivan should look old and haggard. He has taken upon himself a burden that is difficult, as any leader does when they stay true to the reason that drove them there.
It is no less than walking across a high wire.
And I say that because, I do not believe he is worried about himself falling, it is in the audacious task of making that high wire become wider.
And I believe it is not that he is haggard because he is worried he will fall off that wire.
I believe his fear is all people near and far – will fall if he fails in not widening the path – to our collective success.
Sovereignty is important.
It defines our sovereign rights of defining our cultural success.
Concurrent success – is cross-functional communication.
Collective success is when we all respect ourselves, respect each other, and eaxh other’s sovereignty as people moreso than geographical lines.
We are all moms, dads, daughters, sons, aunties, and uncles.
I believe our hope is collective – globally.
But to be successful, we have to build upon these foundations at home – in our homeland.
We are a melting pot of amazing cultures – we need to start focusing on celebrating each other -together – here and now. We have a lot to celebrate – and correct.
I like Sullivan as well. I see him standing up for us in Congress. Not seeing that so much from the others.
Wonder when they’re going to give the military in Alaska all the benefits they promised them with the last NDAA.
Get bent Sullivan. You sold your soul to the deep state.
Mr. Galt,
Has ever an increase in amilitary defense budget thwarted military spending, or more succinctly – peace?
How about diplomacy?
Are we applying tax dollars to the original purpose of what America’s founders set out to do?.
I am an indigenous Inupiaq and Yupik woman.
The U.S. military and all its might – in my humble opinion, did not carry out the purpose of the Declaration of Independence said on paper it was going to do.
In my humble opinion – the oversight is the first two paragraphs.
“The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen United States of America.
When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and assume among the powers of the earth the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.”
These ARE the TRUTHS that are self-evident.
Those truths have become so self-evident, and they have blatantly.
That statement was not based on premonition – it was based on history.
That statement is the foundation of a “red flag” of what was likely to come again.
This statement is the cautionary tale that America was gifted as a foundational law to oppose and obliterate process of governance — in the event it ever came to pass again.
Well, dear friends, we are there.
We have the tools and law that was never in our earthly history bestowed upon any nation the way our fore-fathers gifted us.
Like some lawyer told me years ago, you have the authority, use it.
When our government has lost its purpose and is so far out of effectiveness – by means of two fundraising parties that gain power, prestige, and get rich by perpetuating chaos, those fundraising parties have become more of a detriment to society than a pillar of society.
Lets get back to basics.
I can’t wait to vote against him.
Nice to see Deep State Dan, Senator from Ohio shill for yet more military and hit other general talking points. Did he not mention the importance of guns someplace? How about a love of puppies? When things matter you can count on Dan to spend more money and vote to empower government. Why can’t we have at least one US elected official to be proud of?
Wow, we’ve heard more from Dan these last few weeks than we have for a couple of years. Too little too late I’m afraid.
Speaking of aspiring, self-rising, futuristic, globalist authoritarianists, they hire mapmakers. Guess what? Alaska is not even on their depictions. What do they know we don’t know; eh, world galavantors? Who should you trust? Juneauistical authoritarian wanna-bees reaching out? Where should you invest? Pauperize them. They dug a pit for us.
That reads like a long haiku. Nice work A.
THANKS. There was also a reading of the actual US Constitution into the record also.
What he indicated that he he couldn’t talk about in regards to the balloon tells us a lot. For perspective, realize that if the world’s largest aircraft were to fly overhead without contrailing, you would be unable to see it at 60000 feet. This thing had to be enormous. And to be able to control its flight path with precision at high altitude and such a distance is indicative of advanced technology. Easy to see why recovery might be more advantageous than destruction. Without a doubt, this was an act of aggression by a government whose goal is to destroy us. And to show us how they have the capability with a different payload. The world is engaged in an undeclared war that most people are not aware of. We are more occupied by the civil unrest, purposely created to divide us by the same powers.
Senator Sullivan is doing his best to restore Alaska as a strategic military investment, unfortunately his environmental stewardship is lacking
Nothing Sullivan does or says can make up for his betrayal of Alaska. He has lost all credibility.
My question is this – who has credibility?
Who do you trust?
It is easy to tear each other down.
But while you are participating in tearing people down.
Who do YOU TRUST?
And if the answer is noone, then WHY do you think anyone should trust you?
Being trustworthy is not in how much you can poke holes in others to see how much they can sustain to DESERVE your trust.
Being trustworthy, is more importantly using your voice to garner trust as a source of truth.
This is where journalism has lost its place in society.
Journalism and journalists were never granted freedom of speech.
And this is why.
However, Must Read Alaska – although sponsored – has created a venue of open source discussion, without completely devaluing the chilling effect of journalism.
And I say that on purpose.
The needle has been embedded for too long and dislodging that needle is the hardest part in moving it .
The first step is dismantling the democrat and republican parties.
WHEN everyone is independent – journalism for truth may actually be resurrected.
And if journalism never resurrects its purpose in society, who cares?
Voting is FREE!
Environmental stewardship WTH are you talking about.??? We haven’t built a road a railroad a pipeline since 1978, we have about 6 operating mines of any size. Nothing is happening because the greenies block everything including the material extraction you need for your green future. The bush community’s have shrunk the only growth is on the rail belt where most people apparently are over the hill as seen by low school kid counts. Closing schools, so Frankie where is all this environmental destruction you infer. ??? I’m sure not seeing it from the air. Nothing of any size is happening in alaska. We are listless. Perhaps when the Chinese cross our beach head you will wake up, We have serious security problems and your worrying about environmental stewardship, good god.
War and nationalism is for the stupid. Live your life.
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