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Floor Speech

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Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I have come to the floor this morning to speak about the nomination of Dr. Michael Sfraga. He is an Alaskan, and he has been nominated to be our Nation's very first Ambassador at Large for the Arctic.

We are going to have this vote very shortly, and my hope is that colleagues will see not only the imperative for an Arctic Ambassador at this moment in time but also to recognize that this nominee, Dr. Sfraga, is absolutely impeccable in terms of his qualifications for this position.

He is one who is known widely throughout Arctic circles as our Arctic expert and the expert in everything from research to policy, to national security.

We are the only Arctic Nation that lacks an Arctic Ambassador. I think colleagues are at that point in time where they recognize it is past time that we have that representation in the room when issues are as contentious as they are.

Let me just share with you a few reminders about what is happening in the Far North. We were all made aware, on July 24, when Russian and Chinese bombers flew a joint patrol for the first time off the coast of Alaska. What was unusual was not the fact that Russia and China were flying together, but it was the fact that it was the first time they had done it jointly in the Arctic.

We see the Russians regularly fly into our air defense identification zone--or ADIZ--but this was the first time to see the Chinese flying in this area with a joint mission. And we have just seen events continue to unfold throughout the summer.

Just a couple of weeks ago, September 10, Russia began a massive, weeklong, worldwide ``Ocean-24'' exercise with hundreds of warships, more than 100 aircraft, and nearly 100,000 troops. This exercise is the largest since the fall of the Soviet Union, but it also had Chinese participation.

Between its start and end, NORAD and the air forces stationed in Alaska detected, tracked, and intercepted four different Russian incursions into our Alaska ADIZ.

So we have come to expect incursions throughout the year, usually about six or seven. Think about that. In just 5 days, our air defenses were tested as much as they tend to be tested in any given year. So we are now way ahead on publicly reported intercepts this year, up to 10. We have got 3 months left.

There has also been an unprecedented level of naval activity off the coast. We saw the U.S. Coast Guard detect four Russian naval vessels 50 miles northwest of Point Hope. Just take it back a couple of years when Russian warships chased Alaska fishermen out of an area within our EEZ. That was back in August of 2020. Those are not isolated incidents either.

Last August, the Coast Guard detected and shadowed a Russian intelligence ship operating off of the Aleutians. This July, the Coast Guard detected and shadowed a Chinese surface action group within our EEZ and the Bering Sea.

We all remember the Chinese surveillance balloons that transited above Alaska and the Arctic last year.

And then just last night, I received notification from NORTHCOM of yet further intercepts of four Russian aircraft.

I hope that we can all agree that this is an unprecedented time for the region. Normally, we think of the Arctic as ``High North, Low Tension,'' but right now it is ``High North,'' and it is ``Rising Tension.''

One thing that is missing is a Senate-confirmed diplomat who will spend his or her time focused on Arctic issues, working with our allies, engaging our adversaries, and sending these very clear messages that we will protect America's interest in the Arctic.

I had a chance to talk to Dr. Sfraga just literally hours ago. We were talking about this very intercept and what we are seeing. He wanted to issue a statement as to his concern regarding what we are seeing with these air incursions into our ADIZ and into our EEZ off of Alaska shores.

He says as follows:

If confirmed as the U.S. Ambassador at Large for Arctic Affairs, I commit to do everything in my power to relentlessly push back against these malign actors in this new era of authoritarian aggression and press for more military assets and infrastructure in the Arctic region to protect America's economic and security interests.

So it is clear, we need an Arctic Ambassador. And we need this individual, Dr. Mike Sfraga, to be that Arctic Ambassador.

He was nominated in February of last year. His nomination was reported out of the Foreign Relations Committee in March, and today we have got an opportunity to confirm him.

I have mentioned that I think his qualifications are second to none. All you need to do is look at this gentleman's background: 30 years focused on the Arctic, a career of service in this area.

He is an accomplished geographer, a researcher, a teacher with a Ph.D. from the University of Alaska. He helped establish the University of the Arctic. He co-created, co-led the State Department's Fulbright Arctic Initiative. He established the Polar Institute at the Wilson Center, which has become the Arctic Public Square for high-level conversations about the Far North.

He chairs, currently, the US Arctic Research Commission, which advises us in Congress and the President on international research in the Arctic.

When I spoke to him--he is in Helsinki, and he is going be to attending the Helsinki Security Conference. Next week, he is going to be at the Warsaw Conference.

This man is in every conversation--every conversation--that surrounds the Arctic. He has the respect of those within the military, within the academic community, within policy. He is the person who knows the Arctic best.

And his vast experience means that he knows how to handle our adversaries like Russia and China--across the interagency process with allies and partners--and doing it through a position of strength.

Some have argued that perhaps his past interactions with regional players disqualify him from serving in this role.

He is an Alaskan. We share a maritime border with Russia. We used to have regular nonstop air service to Russia, believe it or not. That is part of a time when, obviously, relations were better and Putin hadn't decided to invade Ukraine. But it wasn't uncommon for Alaskans to visit and work and know people who live there.

He has also been criticized for attending international forums. Remember, he is not the only American or U.S. Government official in attendance at these meetings. I can't count the number of times I have gone as the U.S. representative to these meetings, and Mike Sfraga is there in the room, leading the conversation.

Another area of criticism is that he failed to disclose fully before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee when his application came forward. Keep in mind, he is at every conference on the Arctic happening out there.

I am told--I am told--that attendance on panels or conferences are not required for inclusion in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee questionnaire. When the committee came back and said: We know that there are other conferences you have attended. You have failed to disclose these. He went back, and he fully--fully--amended his disclosure to make sure that there were no omissions.

So he then, when he submitted that to the committee, realized, through looking at his airline records, that he had failed to disclose yet another conference. So he went back voluntarily to do it. He has made sure that everything that has been asked has been provided.

I tell you, the criticisms that Dr. Sfraga has faced, I think, are a great way to ensure that the United States never has an Arctic Ambassador or that we ultimately have to confirm an individual who has never even been there, who knows very little about it, and won't do anything to protect or advance our strategic interests. That would be a loss because the Arctic is no longer this isolated, distant region. It is the place of strategic importance, economic potential, and growing competition.

And the United States must be prepared to lead. We have to be sitting at the table. We have to have that representation that we have lacked-- that we have lacked.

Personnel is policy, and Dr. Sfraga is ready to take this on. So I urge the Senate to see through the challenges, the attacks, I think, on Dr. Sfraga.

There is nothing in his past or in his file that is disqualifying. We know exactly what we are getting. He has been a public figure. He has shared his views on the Arctic for years, and he continues, to this day, to do just that.

I urge all of my colleagues to join me in voting yes to confirm Dr. Sfraga.

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