Sullivan bullish on Alaska’s future at Wasilla Chamber meeting

WASILLA — At a Tuesday gathering in Wasilla, U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan painted a brighter picture for Alaska at the federal level despite the ongoing woes with funding crises facing the state.

Sullivan gave a half-hour presentation as the guest speaker for the weekly Greater Wasilla Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Grand View Inn and Suites. Sullivan is back in Alaska for the week-long Memorial Day Senate recess. Sullivan opened his remarks acknowledging the state, as well as the country, currently faces a lot of challenges. The senator said from his perspective, his top priority is a “flat-lined economy.”

Sullivan said in decades past, America’s economic growth aim was for 3 percent annually. He said it has been almost 15 years since the country hit that milestone. The senator said he is upset with what he called “the dumbing down” of the whole idea of growth.

“It’s scary…dumbing down the whole idea of growth. The ‘new normal’ now is 1.5 percent or two maybe,” Suillivan said. “It’s a surrender.”

With that, Sullivan said he wanted to take a different tack — focusing on how to make Alaska’s economy stronger.

“I’m actually very optimistic about what we can achieve in the state, what we can achieve in the country and what we’re starting to do on that,” Sullivan said. He began by acknowledging the new crop of high school and college graduates just making it out into the real world. “You can’t help but be optimistic. You see that. Our No. 1 natural resource is our kids.”

Sullivan also turned his attention to the new administration in the White House.

“Let’s admit it…it’s a little bit unconventional,” he said. “But I will tell you this, (the Trump administration is) focused every day on growing the economy in the United States and growing the economy in Alaska.”

Sullivan said he and fellow U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski recently met with Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke and President Donald Trump for more than an hour.

“They are 100 percent focused…..on how we can help to grow the economy in Alaska,” Sullivan said.

He then turned his focus to some issues where he sees progress. Sullivan said Alaska came out quite favorably in the recently passed longterm federal highway bill. He referred to the almost $3 billion the federal government is expected to throw into the state road infrastructure budget over the next five years.

“The good thing about it is, it’s certain. It’s longterm and people can plan,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan said other areas where the new administration is benefiting Alaska is in rolling back red tape that, he said, is burying the country, especially small businesses. He also focused on a little-known law called Congressional Review Act. Sullivan said the law allows the Senate to reverse an executive order with a simple majority of 51 votes. Sullivan referred to President Barack Obama’s lame duck order to disallow oil exploration in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas as an example. He said the new Senate has already rescinded 14 similar orders, many which, he felt, are lifting economic burdens both at the national and state levels.

The third area Sullivan wanted to focus on was national security and the U.S. economy related to the military and its effect on Alaska.

Every day there seems to be a new national security challenge,” Sullivan said. “The good news is back in Washington, people are increasing seeing Alaska as a key element in our national security.”

Sullivan focused his military related comments on what he termed three pillars—Alaska serving as a hub for combat power for the Asia-Pacific and the likelihood of that becoming more important in the future. Sullivan said under the new administration, the state will continue to provide a strong platform for expeditionary forces. He said planned cuts under the former administration on the Striker Brigade out of Fairbanks have been reversed.

The third pilar Sullivan referred to was Alaska’s strength to serve as a cornerstone of the nation’s missile defense.

“It’s based right here in Alaska. If the U.S. is going to shoot down a rogue missile from North Korea…it’s going to be shot down from the state of Alaska. We protect the whole country,” Sullivan said. He said some $600 million in federal funds has been earmarked for Alaska to help with national defense projects. “It’s good for national defense and I think is also good for the economy.”

“What we need and haven’t had in at least eight years in my view, is a federal government that wants to be a partner, not an obstacle,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan wrapped up his address with comments on the growing opioid epidemic wreaking havoc not only in Alaska, but across the nation.

Sullivan met with Mat-Su Opioid Task Force members after the chamber meeting to both share related news and hear about the things being done in the Mat-Su which are gaining recognition across the state.