US CONGRESS · SITTING

Dan Sullivan

Senator for Alaska · Republican · United States

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

“Madam President, I rise today to pass my legislation, the Bycatch Reduction Act, which is the most comprehensive trawl bycatch reduction legislation ever to come before the U.S. Senate, ever to come before the Congress. And we have made good progress on this bill. We have been working on it for, heck, in some ways many years.”
Senate23 September 2026Source ↗

“It raises the issue and starts looking again at the issue of conflicts of interest on the council. These provisions are not ideas that came out of a Washington, DC, office; they came from Alaskans.”
Senate23 September 2026Source ↗

“For years, Alaskans across our State, everywhere--coastal communities, interior communities, villages--have been asking for action. Fishery managers have asked for more data to make informed decisions. Subsistence harvesters have asked for greater transparency. Communities have asked for greater accountability.”
Senate23 September 2026Source ↗

“Madam President, I am disappointed in my good friend Senator Markey of Massachusetts. He and I have worked on, actually, a lot of fisheries issues together. He is right; Massachusetts and the State of Alaska have important fisheries interests.”
Senate23 September 2026Source ↗

“It is heartbreaking. It is really heartbreaking to witness these families, their culture, the people who live along our great rivers not being able to put up fish every year, and they have been doing so for thousands of years. So this is an important first step.”
Senate23 September 2026Source ↗

“My daughters have all been raised in the summers on that river--every summer, my wife, my family, my in-laws, my daughters, a deep spiritual connection. Yet Alaska's salmon runs, in particular, are facing enormous challenges. Our fisheries, in general, are facing enormous challenges.”
Senate23 September 2026Source ↗

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“We are going to continue this work, building on the work from the legislation we passed for the roadmap to get back stronger salmon runs in Alaska and stronger fisheries with regard to salmon runs across species, across rivers, across the States, but this bill is a really important part of that, so I will continue to work this. If the Senator from Massachusetts and his staff have edits and amendments, I don't think it is going to impact Massachusetts at all, to be honest, but we will work with them because we are very focused. My constituents are very focused to finally see action on trawl-bycatch reduction, and this bill is the bill with action and timelines, and we are going to get it over the goal line. We are going to get it over the goal line. I yield the floor.”
Senate23 September 2026Source ↗
“One of the things we have gotten done here in the Senate, in both the Biden and Trump administrations, is to dramatically ban the importation of all Russian trawl-caught fish and now Chinese trawl-caught fish. That really helps with regard to the bycatch issue. We have been very focused on increasing the annual appropriations for the Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program that I have led on a number of times. I have even defended in court our Alaska halibut fishermen against Seattle-based Amendment 80 trawlers in a lawsuit and won that case with them.”
Senate23 September 2026Source ↗
“Madam President, I am disappointed in my good friend Senator Markey of Massachusetts. He and I have worked on, actually, a lot of fisheries issues together. He is right; Massachusetts and the State of Alaska have important fisheries interests. This one, fortunately, doesn't impact Massachusetts at all; it is solely confined to the North Pacific area. So I am a little disappointed that he is not moving forward. I want to thank all of my Republican colleagues who cleared my Bycatch Reduction Act, and we are going to keep working on it. I certainly will continue working on it with Senator Markey. Like I said, we have worked together on a number of fisheries issues over the years, and we are going to continue to work on hitting the bycatch issue with a multifaceted approach, as we have already done.”
Senate23 September 2026Source ↗
“Madam President, notwithstanding rule XXII, I ask unanimous consent that the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. 4938 and that the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration; further, that the Sullivan substitute, which is at the desk, be agreed to; that the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time and passed; and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.”
Senate23 September 2026Source ↗
“It is about giving fishermen the tools to reduce bycatch, and it protects fisheries and fish stocks that depend on them. It is about making sure Alaskans have access to the data and transparency they need to participate meaningfully in the management of our fisheries, and it safeguards the long-term sustainability, particularly of our salmon, that so many Alaskans depend on. I want to thank the countless Alaskans who have been working with me and my team for years now on these issues. We have sought and fought to reduce bycatch in many, many other ways, but this bill is a really, really important step. So I am hopeful that my colleagues are going to now pass it with me, and we will move it over to the House and get it passed and signed into law.”
Senate23 September 2026Source ↗
“It is heartbreaking. It is really heartbreaking to witness these families, their culture, the people who live along our great rivers not being able to put up fish every year, and they have been doing so for thousands of years. So this is an important first step. It is because of the task force and hundreds of conversations with Alaskans for years now that we need to take action. The Bycatch Reduction Act puts the recommendations here into action. Again, we had a very strong vote last week in the Commerce Committee. I think every Senator but four voted for my bill. I explained it, and we saw how important it was because the bill uses science, technology, innovation, accountability, and action to help support reducing trawl bycatch and strengthen subsistence traditions, sport fishing in Alaska.”
Senate23 September 2026Source ↗
“It raises the issue and starts looking again at the issue of conflicts of interest on the council. These provisions are not ideas that came out of a Washington, DC, office; they came from Alaskans. As I mentioned, this bill--the most comprehensive bycatch-reduction bill ever--builds on the work that hundreds of Alaskans did on our salmon task force to get to the goal we all want: stronger, healthier salmon runs across our State, across rivers, across species, especially given that we are seeing the devastating declines in salmon on the Yukon River and across the western interior of Alaska that have led to fishery closures, subsistence shortages, and families not being able to fish. As I mentioned, my wife's family keeps a fish camp on the Yukon River. We have watched those smokehouses, including ours, sit idle for years.”
Senate23 September 2026Source ↗
“It reauthorizes NOAA's Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program that I have been focused on during my whole time here in the Senate. It reconstitutes the Alaska Salmon Research Task Force, with Alaskans and our indigenous experts with Tribal and traditional knowledge, as a bycatch task force overseeing NOAA's activities as they relate to trawl bycatch. Alaskans overseeing NOAA is very important for our stakeholders. This legislation also strengthens transparency and accountability for trawling on the North Pacific Fishery Council. It requires NOAA to make observer coverage requirements and bycatch information more accessible to the public and easier to understand. It expands opportunities for Alaskans, fishermen, and other stakeholders to participate in the council process.”
Senate23 September 2026Source ↗
“This legislation honors the call for action that so many Alaskans have made and our Alaska Salmon Task Force Act has as well. The Bycatch Reduction Act is designed to do that, and it has a robust toolkit with several clear objectives. First, it establishes for the North Pacific Fishery Management Council standards and monitoring requirements and action and timelines to take action to reduce trawl gear contact with the sea floor and protect important marine habitats. Essentially, it requires proven tools, such as mandating certain technologies like salmon excluders on trawl vessels, to, again, reduce salmon bycatch. It invests in science and technology to continue to work on better understanding ocean conditions. It creates new gear testing facilities.”
Senate23 September 2026Source ↗
“But, most importantly, we set up task forces with regard to Tribal members on the Yukon, on the Kuskokwim to make sure we had their input. This was Alaskans coming together. It is not easy to get consensus--not easy to get consensus on issues such as fisheries and salmon--but we did that. And this laid out several different recommendations on moving forward to get to the goal we all want--a roadmap back to strong, healthy salmon runs. This is an issue I have been working on for years, and one of the recommendations was to reduce trawl bycatch. There are other recommendations that we are working on--ocean acidification and many others--but this was a big one. So we worked on this bill, again, with dozens and dozens of Alaskans.”
Senate23 September 2026Source ↗
“Why do we have really strong salmon runs in places like Bristol Bay, with their sockeye runs, and very weak king salmon runs on the Yukon River and the Kuskokwim River? So what we did in this bill is we brought the best minds in Alaska-- State, Federal, Tribal, indigenous, university, fishermen, community members--to come together and say: What is happening? Why is it happening? And what is the pathway to get to what every Alaskan wants: stronger healthy salmon runs on all our rivers, across all species? So we did this. Alaskans coming together--this body coming together-- produced this very important report, the Alaska Salmon Task Force Act. NOAA Fisheries helped. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game helped.”
Senate23 September 2026Source ↗
“For years, Alaskans across our State, everywhere--coastal communities, interior communities, villages--have been asking for action. Fishery managers have asked for more data to make informed decisions. Subsistence harvesters have asked for greater transparency. Communities have asked for greater accountability. And fishermen have asked for the tools and technology they need to reduce trawl bycatch. It is a huge issue in my State. I have talked about this bill on the Senate floor a lot. This was an issue--a bill inspired by my wife Julie, as I have already mentioned her--it was part of my Alaska Salmon Task Force Act. What does this focus on? It is focused on bringing the best minds together--a bill that I got over the goal line, passed into law in 2022--to say: What is going on with our salmon runs?”
Senate23 September 2026Source ↗
“My daughters have all been raised in the summers on that river--every summer, my wife, my family, my in-laws, my daughters, a deep spiritual connection. Yet Alaska's salmon runs, in particular, are facing enormous challenges. Our fisheries, in general, are facing enormous challenges. We have seen and continue to see huge fluctuations in salmon, crab, halibut, and other species that Alaskans depend on. We know the ocean is changing. It is an issue Senator Markey has raised a lot. We have ocean acidification issues. We know these conditions will continue to change. We also know that fishing activity, particularly bycatch, and contact between fishing gear, trawl gear, and sensitive sea floor habitats affect the health and productivity of marine ecosystem. So what are we going to do about this?”
Senate23 September 2026Source ↗
“Madam President, I rise today to pass my legislation, the Bycatch Reduction Act, which is the most comprehensive trawl bycatch reduction legislation ever to come before the U.S. Senate, ever to come before the Congress. And we have made good progress on this bill. We have been working on it for, heck, in some ways many years. I am going to talk about this. We had a great vote in the Commerce Committee last week, and I see my good friend Senator Markey from Massachusetts, whom I have worked on a number of fisheries issues with--being a Massachusetts Senator and an Alaska Senator--is on the floor today. So I am hoping he is going to actually speak in support of this bill and pass it with me. This bill has already passed all the Republicans in the Senate, who have approved it. So this is really important for my constituents.”
Senate23 September 2026Source ↗
“Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the quorum call be rescinded.”
Senate23 September 2026Source ↗
“We have a moral obligation to remember those who fought beside American servicemembers and to ensure their sacrifices are never forgotten. ____________________”
Senate5 August 2026Source ↗
“We recognize veterans such as Pasert Lee, a resident of the Mountain View neighborhood in Anchorage, AK, who served as a lieutenant under General Vang Pao and helped rescue American pilots during the war. As communist forces took control of Laos, those who had stood with the United States faced persecution, imprisonment, and even death. The beginning of the exodus of the Hmong people from their homes in Laos began following the May 1975 Communist takeover. Many Hmong families were forced to flee Laos to escape persecution. Many veterans and their families have never been able to safely return to their homeland. Mr. Lee, like most of our Hmong American veterans, has never returned home, even to visit, in fear for their lives. Their story is one of courage, resilience, conviction, and unwavering commitment to the United States.”
Senate5 August 2026Source ↗
“Thousands of American lives were saved because of the courage and perseverance of Hmong soldiers. The Hmong people paid an enormous price for their alliance with the United States. More than 40,000 Hmong fighters were killed or wounded during the conflict. For many years, the contributions of Hmong veterans remained largely unknown because the conflict in Laos was classified as the ``Secret War.'' Today, we ensure that history remembers their service and that future generations understand the sacrifices they made in defense of freedom. Alaska is proud to be home to a robust Hmong community whose members continue to serve our State through military service, business ownership, public service, education, and community leadership.”
Senate5 August 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, today we honor the extraordinary bravery, sacrifice, and devotion of Hmong American veterans who stood alongside the United States during the Vietnam war. From 1961 to 1975, Hmong soldiers fought in the CIA-backed operation known as the Secret War in Laos under the leadership of Vang Pao, risking everything to defend freedom and support American forces. Hmong forces carried out dangerous missions, gathered intelligence, disrupted enemy supply lines along the Ho Chi Minh Trail, and rescued downed American pilots.”
Senate5 August 2026Source ↗
“So I want to thank my colleagues for their leadership on this issue, and I am hopeful that our colleagues on the other side of the aisle will agree with us, and let's pass this bill and send it to the President's desk. I yield the floor.”
Senate29 July 2026Source ↗
“It is very, very common sense--simple in many ways--that if you are going to vote, you have to have a valid ID to do that. Now, this bill mandates that requirement, but it has a lot of provisional elements to this bill that accommodate States like mine that are very big, that have a dispersed population. So this bill includes those kind of accommodations. Eligible voters can access a provisional ballot. They can sign an affidavit attesting to their identity and citizenship if they don't have an ID. There are many ways in which this bill accommodates the important element of making sure that American citizens vote in American elections. And I don't think that is some kind of radical idea. I think the vast, vast majority of Americans agree with this.”
Senate29 July 2026Source ↗
“I think every American would agree that Members of Congress should be prohibited, as well as their spouses and children, from purchasing individual stocks while serving in office, particularly given that we have access to different kinds of information. You know, this has been something that I have done a number of years ago. I moved stocks into index funds to kind of get rid of this issue, from my perspective, personally. Senator Ricketts has been the lead here in the U.S. Senate on this issue. I am actually a cosponsor of his bill that is very much focused on this commonsense approach to the issue of insider trading. And then we need to go to the issue of integrity of our election system. As Senator Lee pointed out, it makes sense.”
Senate29 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, I want to commend my colleague Senator Lee and my colleagues Senator Ricketts, Senator Moreno. We are all on the floor to seek unanimous consent to a bill that actually just makes common sense. Senator Lee talked about the different provisions of the bill, but I think one thing that is important to underscore is it just passed the House. These are issues that are on the minds of the American people, and it passed the House in a bipartisan manner--a strong bipartisan manner. So I am hopeful that we can move that House bill on both of these issues that Senator Lee just talked about in a way tonight and get this bill to the President's desk. As I mentioned, Mr. President, common sense. Senator Lee talked about the insider trading provisions.”
Senate29 July 2026Source ↗
“We did it when you were in the majority. We did it when Biden was in the White House. A lot of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle know that what they are doing is wrong, and I still haven't heard a good explanation. I know the far left is driving the energy of the party on the Democratic side right now and they don't like the military and they don't like supporting our troops. I know that. But the vast majority of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, I know them. Let's get going on the NDAA. Let's get going on the defense supplemental bill. That is exactly what Senator Graham would be arguing today. I yield the floor.”
Senate29 July 2026Source ↗
“We are going to not engage at all with the Trump administration on a defense supplemental that our Department of Defense needs? We didn't do that when you guys were in the majority and President Biden was President. We rolled up our sleeves and got to work to benefit the national security of our Nation, which is what Lindsey Graham was always about. So let's honor Lindsey Graham. Let's have a strong vote on the sanctions bill that is named after him. But to my Democratic colleagues: You want to honor Lindsey Graham? Then let's start debating the NDAA. Quit blocking it. I have never seen that before in my entire time here. That doesn't help anything. All it does is undermine our national security and our troops. You are doing it. Lindsey wouldn't be for that. And let's start engaging on a defense supplemental. We need it.”
Senate29 July 2026Source ↗
“It was a bipartisan defense supplemental, primarily for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and our defense industrial base. Now we need a defense industrial base supplemental for us--for America, for our troops, for our munitions. A couple years ago when the Biden administration with Senator Schumer in the majority, that happened, and a number of us--myself and Senator Graham--were like: All right. We will roll up our sleeves and work with you guys. What is happening on the defense supplemental now? No cooperation. No one on the other side of the aisle wants to help our troops, wants to help our munitions. This is new territory. I have been here two terms and on defense issues with Senator Graham--and, by the way, many other great Senators on the other side of the aisle.”
Senate29 July 2026Source ↗
“When President Biden was President and Senator Schumer was majority leader, the Biden White House sent over a defense supplemental on Ukraine. Now, Senators like myself, Senator Graham, others, we said: All right. We will look at that. We will work on that. We will improve it. We will make it better. We think it is important for the national defense of our Nation--which it was. We put a lot in there for the defense industrial base, which we did. We beefed up stuff relating to China and Taiwan, which made it a better bill. We beefed up elements of that bill to make it stronger with regard to Israel and Iran--made it a better bill and then worked on it together. We made it a stronger bill and then Senators like myself and Senator Graham whipped other Republicans to get it passed, and we got it passed.”
Senate29 July 2026Source ↗
“I have never seen it happen, and I have never had anyone on the other side of the aisle explain to me: Why are you blocking the bill that came out of committee in a strong bipartisan way during these dangerous times? You are blocking the bill to fund our military to take care of our troops? Unprecedented. So if we want to honor Lindsey Graham, which we all do, let's not just vote for the sanctions bill, but let's get on the NDAA and start debating it. I haven't heard one Democrat Senator give a reason why they are blocking it. I have never seen this happen. This is new territory. Let me give you another one that I know Lindsey Graham would be on the floor right now advocating with me on. We need a defense supplemental, OK?”
Senate29 July 2026Source ↗
“I guarantee you Lindsey Graham would be on the Senate floor right now saying: Wait. We are moving our sanctions bill forward? Great. Bipartisan? Great. What about the NDAA--the National Defense Authorization Act--that funds our military, pay raises for our troops. It came out of the Armed Services Committee in a big bipartisan vote and then came to the Senate floor--screeching halt because the minority leader blocked it. By the way, I have been in the Senate almost 12 years. I have never seen that happen in my entire career. The bill that funds our military, that lays out the strategy and top-line number for our military during a dangerous time, is blocked by the Senate Democrats. Lindsey Graham would be on the floor raising hell about that.”
Senate29 July 2026Source ↗
“And we have got more to do. I have a very analogous sanctions bill with regard to China and Taiwan that Senator Graham was a lead cosponsor of my bill. That is coming next. But it is about honoring him, and this is a bipartisan win. Government Funding Mr. President, I think there is another way we need to honor Senator Graham, and it is not happening. It is kind of a new thing. We have got the minority whip coming to the floor, and I hope he can maybe respond to this. But it is a new thing that I have seen--I have never seen, actually, in my career, and we need to change it. And what that is, is getting on the National Defense Authorization Act to start debating it and working on a defense supplemental because we need it. Now, we are talking about honoring Lindsey Graham. I knew Lindsey Graham really, really well.”
Senate29 July 2026Source ↗
“President, as you know, one of our Nation's most important and influential Senators. He had a great sense of humor. He loved to laugh. And a lot of us here on the Senate floor are talking about his legacy and what we should be doing to honor that legacy. Well, I think one of the things we should be doing--and we are doing it right now, and it is great--is this sanctions bill against Russia, against Iran. And Senator Graham had been leading the efforts on this sanctions bill for a couple years now, and we are passing it here in the Senate in an overwhelming bipartisan fashion. Over 80 Senators voted to get on the bill last night. I know Lindsey is looking down from Heaven very proud he made this happen. I was honored to be an original cosponsor of this bill from the very, very beginning working with him on these issues.”
Senate29 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, I would like to echo and reinforce the words of my good friend Senator Barrasso, the majority whip, Senator from Wyoming, who was doing a great job yesterday and the beautiful service that we had here in the Capitol and at the National Cathedral in honor of my very good friend and Senate colleague, Senator Lindsey Graham. And, you know, the eulogies were great. It was a beautiful service. He was, as I mentioned, a dear friend, colleague, a patriot, a veteran, a staunch advocate for his State South Carolina, staunch advocate for the Senate, and a staunch advocate for a strong America. As Senator Barrasso just said, peace through strength in the sense of American freedom, not just at home but abroad. He was one of a kind--witty, brilliant. Certainly, Mr.”
Senate29 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.”
Senate29 July 2026Source ↗
“One day, I am going to be able to convince some of my Democratic colleagues: Let us do this. We don't come attacking your States. We don't write letters to all banks and all the insurance companies saying: Let's shut down Arizona. We should all be trying to lift each other up. Someday, my Democratic colleagues will do that. But until now, with Republicans in charge, we got huge opportunities in my great State, and I am very, very thankful for that. I yield the floor.”
Senate27 March 2025Source ↗
“Mr. President, like all of us, last week, I was back home in my great State--the great State of Alaska. And, actually, I try to be home every weekend, even when we are in session. But this trip back home was particularly important because I was in Juneau, AK, our State's capital, to deliver my annual address to our legislature. We have a really great tradition in Alaska where the Senators get invited to come back and give a big address to the entire State senate, to the entire State house.”
Senate27 March 2025Source ↗
“Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.”
Senate27 March 2025Source ↗
“Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.”
Senate20 February 2025Source ↗
“We support Medicare and Medicaid. It is that simple. Vote on Amendment No. 1029”
Senate20 February 2025Source ↗
“We should all agree that we want to weed out waste, fraud, and abuse in our healthcare system, including in Medicare and Medicaid, and we must maintain our safety net programs. We can do both and make them stronger. So I hope every single Member of the Senate tonight votes to support my simple amendment, which would strengthen both Medicaid and Medicare for the most vulnerable Americans. I ask for everybody's vote.”
Senate20 February 2025Source ↗
“Mr. President, I call up my amendment No. 1029 and ask that it be reported by number.”
Senate20 February 2025Source ↗
“As a member of the Naval Academy board, the contrast with the Naval Academy and Harvard couldn't be starker on issues like civil discourse, so-called safe spaces, trigger warnings, American history, and our unique and, yes, exceptional place in the world. I know we are talking about the ICC, and we should be, but our universities in our great Nation need a huge wake-up call because as we look at anti-Semitism at the ICC and the U.N., we need to be staring at it in places like Harvard and other universities where it has reached disturbing and sickening levels, and I think it is this body's responsibility to do something about it. I yield the floor.”
Senate29 January 2025Source ↗
“Anti-Semitism Finally, Mr. President, I just want to mention--we are focused on the ICC, and we are focused on the U.N., appropriately. This bill should have moved forward, and we are disappointed. But, you know what, we also need to focus at home. Since the October 7 attacks in 2023, the explosion of anti-Semitism that we have seen at our so-called elite universities--I don't call them elite; I just call them expensive universities--on the campuses of the top universities in America, has been nothing short of astonishing and disgusting.”
Senate29 January 2025Source ↗

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