It’s a great day for Alaska! My ARTIST Act has passed the House and now heads to @POTUS' desk to become law. The ARTIST Act protects the right of Alaska Native ivory art to be sold anywhere in America. I have been working alongside Alaska Native Artists on this for years!
For thousands of years, Alaska Native Artists have created some of the most beautiful art in the world. The ARTIST Act ensures they will be able to share it with the rest of America!
We’re undergoing what is possibly the largest military buildup in our state’s history:
✅ $7B recapitalization effort for JBER that will create 4,000 jobs
✅ At least 3 new icebreakers homeported in AK
✅ 4 new KC-135 tankers at Eielson
✅ A new Marine ANGLICO unit
This is not only great for our national security, but great for Alaska’s economy.
Historic win for Alaska Native artists! My ARTIST Act has passed through the House and now heads to the President’s desk to be signed into law.
For eight years, I have been working on this legislation to protect the legal rights of Alaska Native artists who use lawfully harvested walrus ivory in traditional handicrafts, art, ceremonial regalia, and clothing.
Thank you to the Alaska Native leaders who first brought this issue to my attention and who worked relentlessly with me to correct this injustice. Together, we are delivering this big victory for Alaska!
More 👇 https://t.co/amiNOu8Okb
The Russians have said publicly that they are at war with Alaska fishermen, flooding markets to drive down prices. I led the effort to fight back and impose a comprehensive ban on Russian seafood imports. In a @SenateCommerce hearing I chaired, I asked Jeremy Woodrow w/ @Alaska_Seafood how this ban is impacting Alaska’s world-class seafood harvesters.
I’m leading an effort with @SenAshleyMoody to uncover improper health care billing practices that lead to high levels of medical debt, impacting Alaskans and millions of Americans across the country.
We’ve directed @HHSGov to investigate the root causes of these improper billing practices and to identify ways Congress can help fix this issue.
https://t.co/lAy4LpeT5l
I chaired a great hearing today on the ‘Blue Economy,’ covering important issues ranging from shipbuilding, to fisheries, to ocean technology.
We had four excellent witnesses, three of whom are Alaskans: Jeremy Woodrow from the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, Nathan Wardwell with JOA Surveys LLC, and Tommy Sheridan with UAF’s Alaska Blue Economy Center.
It’s always great to see Capitol Hill dominated by Alaskan experts!
ICYMI Alaska: NSA Alaska is expanding! Last week, I participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for NSA Alaska at JBER—to celebrate new investments in facility renovations and additional personnel. NSA Alaska has a critical focus on monitoring Russia’s military operations and is the only air space operations center in the United States.
Alaska is the most strategic place on the planet and critical for America’s national security. These investments are a sign that Alaska’s role in defending America is growing, and deepening. In fact, we are undergoing the largest military buildup in our state since WWII, maybe ever. This is not only great for our country’s national security, but also for Alaska’s economy!
We’re undergoing the largest military build-up in our state since WWII, maybe ever. The military investments at JBER and in bases across the state are historic, including $7 billion for a recapitalization project at JBER, which will bring 4,000 private sector jobs. At least three, and maybe more, icebreakers homeported in our state. The list goes on.
I attended a ribbon cutting at JBER for the expansion of NSA Alaska. NSA Alaska includes top Russian experts, Russian linguists, cryptologists, and is the premier watch hub for the Arctic, with a critical focus on Russia. Already this is the most impressive and professional group of Russian analysists in the world. And it’s going to get even stronger!
This is great news for our country’s national security. Great news for our state’s economy. Bad news for Russia!
Last week, during a @SASCGOP hearing, I pressed Secretary Cao, the acting U.S. Secretary of the Navy, on working with me to reopen the Navy base at Adak—1,100 miles west of Hawaii and one of the most strategic places in the world. I was able to get $115 million in the Working Families Tax Cut Act to reopen the base, but that’s just a down payment. Secretary Cao agreed to work with me on reopening the base and to come to Adak with me to tour the island himself!
It was great to see the entrepreneurial spirit and craftsmanship of our youth in the Valley at Ken’s Garden Center’s Little Sprouts Entrepreneur Day! I even got to take home some delicious baked goods.
Alaska’s Rolling Thunder veterans motorcycle club is such an important, moving presence at our annual Memorial Day ceremonies. I commend these veterans and the many Alaskans who organize tributes to our fallen heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our country. 🇺🇸
Thank you @SecRubio for bringing our allies together to address the Arctic’s importance for national security and economic opportunity. This has been a priority of mine since my first days in the Senate, and I am proud to be delivering the largest military buildup in Alaska since WWII. Keeping the Arctic secure, economically strong, and our adversaries at bay have never been more important. Alaska is not just America’s last frontier—it’s America’s first line of Arctic defense.
🚨Joint Statement on Arctic Security from the Arctic Allies:
Recognizing the security challenges and economic opportunities in the Arctic and the High North, the Arctic Allies met to discuss our efforts to build a secure and prosperous region.
The Arctic is quickly becoming a sphere of increasing geopolitical strategic importance. With Russia’s increased military activity and China’s growing strategic interest, we seek to bolster stability in the Arctic region.
We are enhancing our military presence, surveillance capabilities, and joint training in the Arctic and the High North. We do so in a coordinated and calibrated way.
We support NATO’s increased presence in the region through activities such as Arctic Sentry, Air Policing in Iceland, and Forward Land Forces Finland, as well as the ongoing strengthening of the Joint Forces Command in Norfolk, a new CAOC in Norway and the ongoing modernization of NORAD.
Today, we have agreed to deepen our dialogue on security challenges in the Arctic and the High North.
With new opportunities opening up, and new challenges emerging, close cooperation on Arctic security and economic development among our nations is more important than ever – as Europe and Canada are assuming a greater responsibility for deterrence and defense across the region.
We also recognize the importance of economic and resource development in the Arctic and have tasked our experts to coordinate more closely on these issues, including research security, investment screening, and critical infrastructure modernization and protection.
We look forward to continuing to work together to achieve our common goal of a secure, prosperous, and peaceful Arctic.
Alaska is winning. In the 1970s, the TAPS generation stepped up to power America and build something extraordinary. Today, we are also part of a moment that could be just as meaningful.
The Alaska Comeback is NOW!
Over 3,000 Alaskans came out for Fairbanks Aviation Day, an incredible event put together by UAF Community and Technical College Dean Kevin Alexander. CTC is doing an amazing job building our aviation workforce!
During my time in the Senate, I’ve fought to make flying safer in Alaska. In last year’s Working Families Tax Cuts Act, we delivered $12.5 billion for a nationwide Air Traffic Control overhaul—including 174 new weather stations for Alaska, $80M for Alaska weather observing stations, and $40M for FAA Alaska Aviation Safety Initiative projects.
We’re working to reform our broken federal permitting process so we can get vital minerals and metals we need out of the ground for our national security and to grow our economy.
“We had a mine in Alaska…it took 20 years to permit.” @SenDanSullivan joins NMA-TV to discuss permitting reform, minerals mining & efforts to reduce US dependence on China. Watch the full episode of Mining Policy Report: https://t.co/qbV3N8V1aZ #NMA_MiningPolicyReport
Great time on the North Slope and in Fairbanks with @SecretaryBurgum—one of the best Secretaries of Interior for Alaska in our history. Huge progress at Willow and first oil from Pikka, the vision of the Great Alaska Comeback is becoming a reality!
I had a great visit to the Pikka development on the North Slope with my friend Joe Balash shortly before Santos announced first oil from the project.
Joe served as my deputy at DNR, then Commissioner of DNR himself when I went to the Senate, and then the Department of Interior’s Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management. Now, Joe is a Senior Vice President at Santos, the operator of Pikka. We worked together for years on this vision of an Alaska Comeback, and first oil from Pikka demonstrates this vision is becoming a reality!