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Murkowski, other female senators seek to reassure US allies fearing Trump during Arctic visit
- Svalbardposten
- 3 hours ago
- 4 min read
Congress has a say on president’s threats to take over Greenland, and eliminate funding and policies to mitigate climate change, Alaska senator says
By Joachim Waade
Svalbardposten
On Saturday evening, a U.S. plane landed at Svalbard Airport. Out stepped eight female U.S. senators and their staff.
"We are here with a bipartisan message about the importance of our allies and Norway is obviously one of them," said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-New Hampshire, on Monday, the last day of the visit. "The challenges in the Arctic are enormous, the Arctic is a huge region and the United States cannot solve everything alone. It is important that we can work together with our allies to solve the challenges we have in the Arctic."
She co-led the delegation with Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, which consisted of eight female senators, four from each party. In both Canada and Greenland, Shaheen and Murkowski have been concerned with ensuring allies have more bipartisan support than it may seem.
"It is no secret that President Trump has not necessarily promoted a good relationship with Canada," Shaheen said, citing that country as an example.
Svalbard residents have expressed concerns about the Norwegian archipelago’s status due to Trump stating he wants Greenland. The senators stated congressional members have expressed their strong opposition to such annexations.
"Congress has something to say and it has said no," Murkowski said.
"And yes, the president has proposed some things, but Svalbard is Norway, one of our strongest allies," Shaheen said.
Both senators also said the U.S. will help Norway if Russia eyes an incursion into Svalbard.
New dangers in the Arctic
The senators were invited by The University of Tromsø – The Arctic University of Norway to be presented with, among other things, Arctic climate research.
"When we see the Arctic warming and new dangers emerging in the Arctic, it is very important for us to get a better understanding of what those challenges are and to make sure that we have a cross-political understanding of what the United States can do," Shaheen said.
Murkowski's home state of Alaska has significant military infrastructure, which is being challenged by, among other things, thawing permafrost.
"It affects runways, water, electricity, buildings," she said. "From a security perspective, climate change is significant."
Murkowski also cited maritime activity from commercial entities, Chinese research ships and Russian tankers in the Bering Strait.
"An Arctic Ocean with less ice affects security," she said.
Shaheen added that "the research that is being done is important, no matter where you are from."
She said in her home state of New Hampshire the effects of climate change are affecting the tourism industry, skiing, agriculture and weather events, which are costly and challenging.
"We clearly have not responded in a way that slows down climate change very much," Shaheen said.
Broader monitoring
For Murkowski, this is his third visit to Svalbard. She visited Svalbard Satellite Station during the trip, where she said she’s seen many changes.
"The use is so much broader than when I first visited Svalbard," she said. "We got a presentation on how it is used for maritime surveillance, whether it is to follow shadow fleets or to identify human trafficking," she said.
Murkowski also noted Svalbard’s transition from the coal industry to the tourism industry as a significant change since her first visit. Shaheen noted what the delegation was told about invasive species in Svalbard, such as mussels, emphasizing the importance of climate research.
Trump has scaled back climate change funding and eliminated it as a policy consideration in some federal programs, as well as programs receiving federal funding. Murkowski said she believes efforts to continue prevention work must and will continue.
"I might want to frame it a little differently," she said. "You are talking about climate research. There are some in the administration who do not like that terminology. My response is it does not matter what we call it. We have to stand behind solid research that helps us."
Murkowski said the warming of the ocean affects the fishing industry, local communities and the economy of her home state.
"We need to have research that tells us what happens when the ocean gets warmer," she said.
"I do not want to get hung up on whether we fund climate research," Murkowski added. "What you are funding, for many in Alaska, is whether they can maintain the lifestyle they have had for a thousand years. It will also help the fishing industry, which is a major economic player. We are proud of our sustainable fishing industry, but we cannot sustain it if we do not have research that allows us to make good choices."
What you hear is not necessarily what you get
Both Murkowski and Shaheen emphasized that, even though the Trump administration is proposing cuts to environmental oversight, that does not mean that the cuts will be maintained in Congress, where there has been bipartisan agreement to continue funding for some environmental measures.
“It is important to remind people that there may be a direction from the government, but Congress determines what the economic priorities are," Murkowski said. "You may hear some rhetoric, but it is important to understand that the policies implemented by lawmakers are more bipartisan and representative of the American people."
• This article originally appeared in Svalbardposten. It is republished here with permission.
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