By James Brooks, Alaska Beacon
In remarks to the Alaska Legislature on Thursday, U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan praised the work of President Donald Trump, saying the new president’s promining and prodrilling views are “great for those of us in Alaska.”
Sullivan, who walked through a crowd of anti-Trump and prodemocracy protesters en route to the speech, downplayed the chaos caused in Alaska by the Trump-empowered “Department of Government Efficiency,” which has orchestrated the firing of hundreds of Alaskan workers and halted millions in federal spending within the state.
“Our national debt of over $36 trillion has reached dangerous, unsustainable levels,” Sullivan said, adding that DOGE is “making some noble progress” in reducing the debt.
Sullivan said he doesn’t like every decision DOGE has made, and that job cuts “need to be done humanely and not randomly, but is the end goal of a smaller, more efficient federal government that lives within its means necessary at this point in time? Yes.”
Sullivan’s speech came two days after one by fellow Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski to the Legislature. Murkowski was willingly critical of some Trump actions but said that Americans chose him as their president, and she must be willing to work with him.
During his time in office, Sullivan has endorsed mining, drilling, logging and other forms of natural resource development as the best way to grow Alaska’s economy and boost the well-being of its residents.
Trump’s support of Alaska development is a huge opportunity for the state, Sullivan said.
“We’re pushing on an open door, because this president and this administration — and you can see it almost daily — they want to help us,” he said.
Hours before the speech, the Interior Department confirmed plans for widespread oil and gas leasing on the North Slope, including in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
The agency also said it would transfer land to the state for the Ambler Road and portions of the proposed trans-Alaska natural gas pipeline.
That pipeline, Sullivan said, offers “transformative possibilities” for the state’s economy, and while the effort to advance it has felt like “smashing into a wall,” Sullivan said it has been worthwhile.
On Thursday, Taiwan’s state energy company signed an agreement to buy liquefied natural gas from the AKLNG project and invest in the pipeline’s development. The terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
“The project is still not right around the corner, but the corner is in sight,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan said the U.S. Navy has begun investigating the possibility of reopening its base at Adak, and touched on a variety of other topics during his prepared remarks, including the need to restrict the drug fentanyl, improve aviation safety, and grow a national missile defense system.
After more than 45 minutes of prepared remarks, Sullivan faced questions from members of the Legislature, some of whom were prepared to interrogate him on key issues.
State Sen. Forrest Dunbar, D-Anchorage, asked whether Sullivan would oppose cuts to Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security, and asked the senator to answer “yes or no.”
Sullivan refused, but his answer implied that he’s open to cuts.
“Almost one-third of Alaskans … are on the rolls of Medicaid now. We, I think, accept that. Some see it as a good. I don’t see it as a good. I think our goal should be to increase our private-sector economy and increase the opportunities for people to move off Medicaid and get private-sector insurance,” Sullivan said.
The share of uninsured Alaskans fell over the past decade, after Medicaid eligibility was expanded, from 14.5% in 2015 to 10.5% in 2023.
Sullivan, formerly a vocal defender of American military aid to Ukraine, has grown quiet on the subject since Trump entered office. The Trump administration has repeatedly wavered on support for Ukraine and has acted more in line with Russia than the country it invaded.
Rep. Andrew Gray, D-Anchorage, asked how Sullivan is pushing back on the White House’s “whiplash-inducing change in foreign policy,” including its attitude toward Canada.
Sullivan said he considers Russia’s leader to be “brutal and expansionist” but said he believes “what the president and his team are doing right now — and they’re putting an enormous amount of effort into it — is trying to bring both sides together to stop the war and stop the killing.”
He did not address the administration’s attitude toward Canada.
Responding to a question about fired federal employees from Rep. Sara Hannan, D-Juneau, Sullivan said affected Alaskans should fill out a form about their situation and send it into his office so he can make the case for the relevant DOGE cuts to be reversed.
That form was originally written for Alaskans to complain about DOGE program cuts, Sullivan’s office said, but it can also be used for feedback on job cuts.
Responding to questions from reporters, Sullivan said he does not think the Trump administration’s actions on deportation flights represent a constitutional crisis. Murkowski, who spoke earlier in the week, offered a similar view.
Also Thursday, Trump signed an executive order with the intent to begin the process of eliminating the federal Department of Education. The department oversees federal aid for school lunches, special education, low-income schools and college grants and loans, among other programs.
Asked whether he supports Trump’s effort, Sullivan was noncommittal, saying he had not yet seen the order.
“The key question to me is, are they just dismantling everything, or is the vision to dismantle and then get the money to the Alaska State Legislature and local communities, who — mind you — have a way better sense, especially for Alaska, on how to spend the money and how to prioritize the money.”
