Sen. Dan Sullivan converses with Lovey Brock and Tis Peterman about regional issues during a public gathering at the Stik last Friday. It was one of several sessions the senator made during his half-day stay in Wrangell, his first visit since assuming office in 2015.
Sen. Dan Sullivan stopped into Wrangell for a lightning tour Friday, arriving on the morning jet and taking off that afternoon for Ketchikan.
His visit to Wrangell was the first since being sworn in,
making the community one of his campaign stops in October 2014 while running on the
Republican ticket. On a brief break in the session, he had earlier in the week attended training for the Marine Corps Reserves before heading back to Southeast.
"I really just wanted to get back to the community and see all you guys, see what the issues are," he told members of the City and Borough Assembly for a scheduled morning meeting. The hourlong gathering was an opportunity to press the senator for support on several issues of local interest.
City manager Lisa Von Bargen first commended Sullivan on inclusion of several items in this year's Omnibus Spending Bill, securing two years of Secure Rural Schools payments and fully funding the Payment in Lieu of Taxes program, which both will benefit Wrangell and other rural Alaskan communities. Also included in the package had been additional funding for the Alaska Native Villages Water Program and directed the Forest Service to review young growth stocks in the Tongass National Forest.
The items were among those which Sullivan and counterpart Sen. Lisa Murkowski had been putting forward since his time in the Senate. However, the senators had been split in their support of last month's omnibus appropriations package, which Sullivan pointed out he had voted against. He had been one of 23 members of the Republican majority who had split from their party over the $1.3 trillion spending bill.
"Were there good things in there for Alaska? Of course there were," he said.
His problem had been with the unknowns in the rest of the bill. Sullivan explained the expansive package had been rushed out ahead of a government shutdown deadline, and that he and his staff only had 27 hours to review 2,200 pages of legislation.
"People are still reading that bill right now and trying to figure it out. So I ended up voting against it," he said. "It was a hard vote for me, but I think the people I represent didn't want me to go to Washington and not do my due diligence."
Murkowski had cited similar concerns during a vote to
repeal the Affordable Care Act last July, where she voted against party lines. Sullivan noted the problem was not confined to one party or chamber, but was a problem of leadership. He contrasted last month's omnibus to January's tax reform bill.
"The tax bill came out, it was marked up, we had the opportunity to amend it, we debated it on the floor. To me, that's what they call 'regular order,'" Sullivan explained after the meeting in an interview.
Likewise, with appropriations bills it was customary to bring them out for consideration before adoption. Instead, a tendency of the minority leadership to filibuster items has exacerbated majority leadership's parallel tendency to negotiate amongst themselves before presenting them to members at short notice.
"It clearly needs to be fixed. It's not the way we should be funding our government at all," he commented.
One way to address this trend he approves of is to circumvent Senate procedural rules requiring the consent of 60 members to end debate. Dubbed "the nuclear option" by policy wonks, parliamentary procedure allows for a simple majority of 51 members to establish a new precedent. The procedure has already been done for executive branch and Supreme Court nominations, but legislation still currently requires a three-fifths majority to end debates.
Sullivan also touted recapitalization efforts being taken to bolster the U.S. Coast Guard, which adds $700 million to the branch's requested budget. Included in the omnibus package, the $2.7 billion procurement budget includes enough funding to finance additional high-end cutters and a new icebreaker.
On concerns in Petersburg that updated vessels will find themselves stationed in Juneau rather than surrounding communities, Sullivan said they had his support.
"The issue, not just in Petersburg but throughout Southeast, I have been very, very focused on making sure we, during this recapitalization effort, that we don't lose assets, including in Petersburg," he said. Sullivan said he has discussed the issue with Coast Guard leadership about retaining materiel in Petersburg. "From an oversight role, we continue to be very involved. And any input from people like the mayors of the different communities in Southeast have been very helpful."
Other initiatives Sullivan drew attention to on his visit is the Rebuild America Now Act, which he introduced last August.
"It's all about permitting and (National Environmental Police Act) reform," he explained. The bill has been referred to the Environment and Public Works Committee, which he currently sits on.
After receiving the borough's list of legislative priorities, Sullivan took time to visit with Wrangell Cooperative Association and held an informal input session with constituents afterward at the Stikine Inn before his flight. A key concern was with fostering entrepreneurship, something Sullivan expressed confidence that a loosening of restrictions on projects in the area would boost investment. Other topics included federal management of sea otters, support for exploring alternative energy sources and regulating firearm possession.
Pressed for time at the last, Sullivan encouraged residents to contact his office with concerns and ideas. Chere Klein at the Southeast delegation office can be reached at 225-6880, or
Sullivan's Washington DC office can be reached at 202-224-3004.
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