SC Alaska News

U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) has reiterated his call for Senate Democrats to support a bipartisan continuing resolution to end the ongoing government shutdown. Speaking on Alaska’s Political Pipeline on Alaska’s News Source, Sullivan emphasized the impact of the shutdown on federal programs and workers, including disruptions in air travel and delays in benefits such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Sullivan addressed concerns about flight reductions at major airports, including Anchorage and Seattle, attributing these issues to unpaid Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) workers. “Look, that announcement is a really problematic announcement now, but it's all about safety. You know, we got a briefing on this. I'm on the Commerce Committee that they're doing these reductions in major airports, including Anchorage, including Seattle, because our FAA workers are tired.

They're not getting paid. Again, we've now gone into the longest shutdown in American history. So this is the most unnecessary, useless shutdown I've ever seen in my career here. We have voted now, Wil, 14 times to reopen the government, by the way, a bipartisan vote. The Democrats are voting with us. That would cure all these issues, not just air traffic control and FAA—the delays we're going to start seeing in airports, but SNAP, federal workers not getting paid, it would solve everything.

Then, Wil, you may have seen last week the Senate voted on my bill and Senator Johnson's bill to at least pay federal workers who are required to work like FAA workers, like TSA workers.

Again, bipartisan group of senators, Democrats and Republicans said that we should do that, but you need 60 here in the Senate. Senator Schumer keeps pressuring his Democrat senators not to vote to reopen the government, not to pay federal workers who are working. I'll tell you this, people are hurting. This is not a game.

[…]The Secretary of Transportation and the FAA Administrator today made this announcement and it's based on safety. You have FAA officials who are required to work, of course, who aren't getting paid. Some are coming into work, some are having to go do Uber jobs to get paid. All of this—it's going to delay flights.

There's no doubt airlines are already talking about canceling a certain number of flights. That's going to disrupt travel across America, across Alaska. Let me go back to the point, there's a real easy fix. Vote for the bipartisan continuing resolution.”

Sullivan also discussed his views on Senate procedures such as the filibuster: “I understand [President Trump’s] frustration. I'm frustrated. He's frustrated because remember; the filibuster is this fancy word; what it essentially means in the Senate—the rule is that it requires 60 senators to move pretty much anything with the exception of a few kind of bills.

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We don't have the votes to get rid of that 60 vote rule—to get rid of the filibuster—for Alaskans that rule has been really important to us… If we didn't have the filibuster trust me Alaska would be one giant national park right now with no economy at all.

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Look what Joe Biden did when he had four years in office—70 executive orders exclusively focused on Alaska almost all to undermine our economy—to kill jobs—and they did a really good job at killing jobs… I think that 60 vote threshold in US Senate has saved Alaska from being shut down by national Democrats over many many years.”

On SNAP benefits and other critical payments affected by the shutdown Sullivan stated: “All the issues you're talking about—paying our military paying air traffic controllers paying TSA making sure we have SNAP funds every single one of these gets solved if there was a simple vote to reopen government which is what we've been trying to do.

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I voted 14 times for SNAP I'm going vote for SNAP tomorrow I've been voting reopen government with Senate Democrats We'll have more voting with us tomorrow The one guy who's making sure SNAP benefits are not getting Americans is leader Democrat Party Senate

In my view he's put politics above interests Alaskans And it's shameful Never seen anything like it.”

He further criticized Obamacare subsidies: “Obamacare as you've seen we have [in Alaska] highest premiums country Obamacare has not worked The subsidies have driven up these costs They go directly insurance companies If you remember Democrats were ones who put end date subsidies right now That was their call

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There's been lot fraud [the marketplace] I'm working bring down health care costs which way too high

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That’s been driven failed Obamacare policies And cliff we're talking about right now was put place by Senate Democrats

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I am working very diligently reforms extensions these subsidies I'm hopeful we're going able get there One final thing: Senate Majority Leader Thune President Trump Speaker House they've all said course we'll negotiations Let's open government We're holding people hostages let's get those negotiations discussions going.”