In his annual address to the Alaska Legislature, U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan harkened back to memories of Ted Stevens, Bob Bartlett and Ernest Gruening.
For many Alaskans, it’s the future, not the past, that contains the most reasons for worry and hope. In an exclusive interview with the Empire, Sullivan offered his thoughts on issues facing Juneau and the nation.
This report was compiled from Sullivan’s interview with the Empire, his address to the Alaska Legislature, and his meeting with the state’s political reporters after the address.
On Juneau Access:
This spring, the Alaska Department of Transportation will finish its environmental assessment process for the road out of Juneau. A decision on the project — whether to continue it immediately, cancel it or simply put it on hold — will be up to Gov. Bill Walker.
Sullivan declined to speak specifically about the project, saying only, “I think infrastructure, roads and connections for the state are very important for the economy.”
He added that he believes “connecting our roads throughout the state is really important” in order to improve the state’s economic fortunes.
On the heroin and opioid addiction problem in Juneau:
“It can have a huge impact on you, and I’ve seen that,” he told lawmakers.
In the time since his last address to the Legislature, he received a visit from eight Juneau women who wanted to talk to him about opioid addiction.
“It was probably the most impactful meeting I’ve had as a U.S. Senator in the past year,” he said.
On Jan. 28, Sullivan became one of 42 cosponsors of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016, which would allow more grants to pay for treating people addicted to heroin or opioid painkillers.
“This opioid issue, to be honest, hit me like a ton of bricks,” he told reporters.
On replacing U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia:
In response to questions from lawmakers and reporters, Sullivan said he’s not on the Senate’s Judiciary Committee (which oversees confirmation hearings before the full Senate votes), “but I support what they’re doing.”
In late February, the chairman of that committee, Nebraska Republican Charles Grassley, said President Obama should wait until after the November election, and he will not hold a nomination hearing for anyone the president suggests to fill the spot left vacant by Scalia’s death.
“The president clearly has the authority to put forward a replacement,” Sullivan said, referring to the U.S. Constitution, but added that Congress also has the power “to provide advice and consent or withhold it.”
On the Republican presidential race:
In Monday’s press conference, and again with the Empire, Sullivan declined to say who he supports for the Republican presidential nomination. Sullivan received the support of several of the contenders during his 2014 campaign to defeat incumbent Sen. Mark Begich.
“That’s always kind of a tough situation, where people have been supportive,” he told reporters.
“I’m planning on supporting whoever the nominee is,” he added.
He said he does support Sen. Lisa Murkowski, his senior Senate counterpart from Alaska, in her drive for re-election this fall.
“She’s one of the most important, powerful people in the country on energy issues that impact our state, and I think she’s doing a very good job on that,” he said. “I’m supporting all the incumbent Republican senators.”
On reauthorizing the federal Magnuson-Stevens fishery act:
Last year, the House passed a bill introduced by Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, to renew the legislation that establishes management of the nation’s federal-waters fisheries.
Sullivan said he views Alaska as a “superpower of seafood” because it produces 60 percent of all American seafood.
Last week, the Senate had its first hearing on a reauthorization bill, and he believes the Senate’s final work probably needs unanimous approval.
“The overall consensus (in Alaska) — and I don’t want to speak for everyone — is first, do no harm,” he said.
On icebreakers and Arctic issues:
Sullivan said the first task for any legislator concerned about the Arctic is “convincing your colleagues that this is an important issue. We’ve worked really hard on that.”
“I think we’re making significant progress on that front,” he said.
With regard to backing for new Arctic icebreakers, he said getting federal agencies to agree on funding is a first step. “There’s a little bit of pointing the finger between the Coast Guard and the Navy on this issue. That’s unacceptable,” Sullivan said. “It’s in the national interest of the United States of America.”
On the 4/25th Infantry Brigade in Anchorage:
Last year, the U.S. Army announced it would withdraw approximately 3,000 soldiers from Alaska as it shrank the 4th Airborne Brigade Combat Team of the 25th Infantry Division.
Last month, the Army announced it was forestalling the move for at least a year while it analyzed the effects of the decision.
“There’s probably no other issue that I’ve worked more on than that issue,” Sullivan said. “Every step, I was intimately involved with, and perfectly blunt.”
As a member of the Senate’s Armed Services Committee, Sullivan said he “started using my perch … to aggressively make the case that this was a misguided strategic decision. … I’ve probably raised it 100 times, and that’s in public. You should see what I do in private,” he said. “It’ll be over my dead body that the initial plans (to withdraw the unit) go forward.”
On splitting the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals:
It makes no sense, Sullivan said, for a single appeals court to oversee 20 percent of the U.S. population and 40 percent of its landmass.
“The outlier and radical position is to not split it,” he said. “We think we have the arguments on our side, and we’re going to really, really hammer this home.”
On what Alaska should expect before President Obama leaves office:
In her address to the Legislature, Sen. Murkowski warned lawmakers to expect unpleasant surprises from the Obama administration in its final months.
“I completely share Sen. Murkowski’s concerns,” Sullivan said.
Asked for specifics, he said it is possible for the president to use the federal Antiquities Act and establish national monuments to protect various areas of the state from development.
“ANWR is always a target,” Sullivan said of the oil-rich coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. “I think it would be illegal, but that hasn’t stopped them in the past.”
Actions could also include the Chukchi or Beaufort seas, where oil and gas activity has been stopped.
“On a lot of their big announcements, the people who are supposed to represent the state get no heads up,” Sullivan said. “We’re going to try (to get advance notice), but to be honest, they’ve tried to keep some of this under wraps until they spring it on us in the past.”
• Contact reporter James Brooks at james.k.brooks@juneauempire.com.
