Senator Dan Sullivan’s Attendance Record in Question
Senator Dan Sullivan, a Republican, has come under scrutiny due to his attendance record with a Senate subcommittee focused on issues significant to Alaskans. Notably, Sullivan ranks among the top 25% of senators with the most absences.
Since his induction into the Senate in 2015, Sullivan has been a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW) and its Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife Subcommittee. This subcommittee plays a crucial role in shaping policies impacting Alaska’s fishing industry and water conservation efforts.
Alaska’s fishery and seafood sector is a major economic driver, contributing approximately $5.3 billion annually. Sullivan’s official website highlights EPW’s work as being “vital to Alaska.”
From 2021 to 2026, Sullivan missed half of the eight subcommittee hearings, including the sole session held in 2026. This marks a significant decline in attendance compared to the period from 2015 to 2020, during which he only missed one hearing.
Among the hearings Sullivan missed in 2023 was one centered on water affordability and infrastructure—issues particularly pressing for rural Alaskans. A 2021 study by McGill University revealed that water costs in rural Alaska are ten times higher than in Anchorage. Additionally, water rates in the state are predicted to rise by up to 5% this year.
GovTrack, a nonpartisan entity that tracks federal legislation, ranks Sullivan as the 14th most absent senator between 2015 and 2025. His attendance matches that of 84-year-old Senator Mitch McConnell from Kentucky.
Due to these absences, Sullivan missed several significant votes, such as the 2025 confirmation vote for Howard Lutnik as Commerce Secretary and the 2024 vote for Michael Sfraga as the first U.S. ambassador-at-large for Arctic Affairs—a role closely connected with Alaska’s Indigenous communities.
In 2018, Sullivan missed a pivotal cloture vote on a farm bill he had previously championed. Yet, he later issued a press release celebrating the bill’s passage, titled “Sullivan Secures Important Provisions For Alaska Fishermen And Farmers In Farm Bill.”
Sullivan is currently campaigning for a third Senate term, facing Democratic challenger and former U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola. According to an August poll by Alaska Survey Research, Peltola holds a narrow one-point lead over Sullivan.
The post Dan Sullivan skipped half of fisheries hearings appeared first on American Journal News.
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