Senator Dan Sullivan

U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan’s efforts to strengthen Alaska’s military system and reopen the naval base on a remote Aleutian Island are gaining traction at the federal level. Sullivan joined President Donald Trump in the White House on May 20 when the administration announced its Golden Dome missile defense system, which is aimed at protecting Americans from intensifying Chinese and Russian threats and growing arsenals.

The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation unanimously passed a seafood bill on April 30 to fight illegal fishing. The legislation would rely on efforts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which Sen. Dan Sullivan said is already struggling to complete key fisheries surveys.Sullivan co-sponsored the Fighting Foreign Illegal Seafood Harvest, or FISH, Act with seven other senators, including Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski. Sullivan said he hopes it will help fight unfair trade practices and give a boost to Alaska’s fishing industry.

Officials with the U.S. Northern Command and the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) told state and federal officials last month that they would be interested in expanding military access on Adak Island. The announcement was made during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Feb. 13, after Sen. Dan Sullivan pressed federal officials to strengthen military presence in Alaska.