By: James Brooks, Alaska Beacon
Facing a potentially difficult re-election campaign, U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan came to the Alaska Legislature with praise for President Donald Trump’s administration and damnation for Democrats.
The Republican senator endured a gauntlet of protesters before he delivered his annual address to state lawmakers, saying his theme was an “Alaska comeback” brought about by the change between the Democratic presidency of Joe Biden and Trump’s Republican administration.
“We’re now beginning to see the beginnings of a real comeback and real progress on goals we’ve dreamed about collectively for decades,” he said, referring to the way the Trump administration has opened more parts of the North Slope to oil and gas drilling, and its stated support for a trans-Alaska natural gas pipeline.
He reiterated his support for the Republican-drafted budget plan known as the Big, Beautiful Bill Act. It’s since been rebranded the “Working Families Tax Cuts Act.”
That plan calls for multiple oil and gas lease sales in Alaska, new military and Coast Guard construction in the state, and large personal tax cuts.
It also offered large one-time health care funding grants to compensate for a cut to Medicaid, cut federal food stamps and imposed work requirements for both programs.
More Alaska-specific benefits in the Big Beautiful Bill were objected to by Senate Democrats and removed before the bill’s final passage, including a Medicaid increase that Sullivan had sought.
In his speech, Sullivan repeatedly criticized Democrats in the U.S. Senate.
“Alaskans should know who wants to help us and who wants to hurt us,” Sullivan said.
One of the legislators listening in the audience was state Sen. Forrest Dunbar, D-Anchorage.
“That was the most partisan speech I’ve ever heard a member of the congressional delegation give in the Alaska Legislature,” he said afterward.
“There was no critique of what the Trump administration has done in canceling projects in Alaska. There was no critique of what Trump has done, whether it comes to rule of law or democracy,” Dunbar said.
Also listening was state Sen. George Rauscher, R-Sutton. Afterward, Rauscher said he always appreciates the volume of Sullivan’s speeches and the range of subjects.
Did it feel like a campaign speech to him?
“If it felt like that, there’s probably a reason,” Rauscher said.
Until Sullivan was prompted by reporters and lawmakers, he didn’t address some of the nation’s most inflammatory issues, including the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers nationwide.
The day before Sullivan’s speech, ICE agents detained a Soldotna family, including a mother, two teenagers and a five-year-old.
Rep. Alyse Galvin, I-Anchorage, asked Sullivan about the incident. He responded that he hadn’t heard about it.
Answering reporters’ questions after his speech, Sullivan voiced soft disagreement with ICE policies nationwide, saying he supports deporting illegal immigrants with violent criminal records.
“I think that should be the focus of the administration’s efforts,” he said.
About ICE’s violent tactics in Minnesota, Sullivan said, “I put out statements, but also, importantly, weighed in with senior folks in the administration, saying, look, it’s really important to bring the temperature down on both sides — which ended up happening — and then very much that ICE needs to refine its techniques and tactics.”
Sullivan said he doesn’t believe protesters killed by ICE agents are “domestic terrorists,” as the White House has claimed.
“American citizens have the right to their Second and First Amendment rights, and I don’t think they should be targeted for that reason,” he said.
