01.11.19

Sullivan Named Chair of Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Security

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) today announced that he has been selected to serve as chairman of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Security in the 116th Congress.  This new subcommittee will provide oversight of the Coast Guard, Maritime Administration, Transportation Security Administration, the Merchant Marine, and other national security issues including drones, digital networks, and cybersecurity.

“I’m honored to assume the chairmanship of this important subcommittee tasked with oversight of our national security as it relates to economic security,” Senator Sullivan said.“This subcommittee is particularly relevant to Alaska, with our dependence on maritime transportation, home to the largest Coast Guard base in the nation and more ocean coastline than the rest of the United States combined. This new subcommittee provides a platform to provide an added focus on security and safety issues that are essential to economic prosperity. In addition to this exciting new opportunity, I look forward to continuing my bipartisan work on the Commerce Committee, with particular focus on Arctic readiness, addressing the threat of marine debris to our coastal communities and ecosystems, and ensuring Alaska’s fisheries thrive for generations to come.”

“Sen. Sullivan has vigorously championed the interests of the Coast Guard, most recently helping to get the Coast Guard Reauthorization Act and the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act across the finish line,” said Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) “Additionally, he is a champion of building new Polar Security Cutter icebreakers to replace an aging fleet in the high north. His leadership in these areas make him well suited to chair this new subcommittee.”

###