FAIRBANKS, Alaska (KTUU/KTVF) – Senator Dan Sullivan visited Fairbanks this week, where he sat down with Alaska’s News Source to discuss various topics from around the state and the nation.
Claiming that Alaska is coming back after former President Joe Biden’s term, Sullivan lauded an executive order from the Trump administration which he said will release Alaska’s resource potential and the Working Families Tax Cuts Act from July, which the senator argues will help Alaska as much as any other state.
Regarding the proposed Liquefied Natural Gas Pipeline running from Prudhoe Bay across the state, Sullivan said the effort to secure that project involves a combination of efforts from the state legislature and developers, and that the state needs to do everything in its power to see it come to fruition.
He said the pipeline has been a priority of the current administration, and that the senator has been meeting with potential buyers of the LNG in Asia.
“We’re also making sure the federal permitting continues to go forward in a good way, which it has,” he added.
Asked whether he would support the deployment of Alaska-based troops to other states for situations like the one that occurred in Minnesota, for which 1,500 troops from the 11th Airborne Division were put on standby before being ordered to stand down, Sullivan said both the Trump administration and protestors needed to tone things down.
“When the president was looking at those options, they always have to view those options, but I would certainly view that as a last option that hopefully we don’t have to get to in any of these situations,” he explained.
The senator said Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) needs to refine its tactics and procedures, but that local and state law enforcement needs to cooperate to avoid incidents.
“Anytime you have a situation where in a short amount of time two Americans are killed, that’s not good,” he said.
According to Sullivan, his office is still trying to get the facts about the Soldotna family that had members taken in by ICE custody Tuesday.
After securing the border, he said ICE should prioritize “getting rid of violent, criminal, illegal aliens,” then “you go further to illegal aliens with significant crimes.”
Sullivan’s Fairbanks visit included attending a meeting with military leaders at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF Museum of the North and visiting local business Flowline Alaska, Inc., which works on insulation and welding, among other pursuits.
The UAF event discussed the increasing role of the Arctic in security concerns and geopolitics.
The senator talked about the role of Greenland in those discussions, saying he believes Alaska should be a greater priority from a national security standpoint.
“Everything you hear about Greenland, ‘Oh, it’s Arctic, strategically located in the Arctic, has a lot to do with missile defense, it’s got critical minerals.’ Okay, that’s Alaska. We’re that times 10,” he argued.
Sullivan said he did not support the invasion rhetoric.
“We already have a treaty with Greenland,” he said, adding, “Let’s work with them. Let’s work with Denmark.”
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