Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion Sen. Dan Sullivan gave a rundown of his first year in Washington, D.C., to a large crowd at the joint Kenai and Soldotna chamber luncheon Wednesday at the Kenai Visitors and Cultural Center.

Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion Sen. Dan Sullivan gave a rundown of his first year in Washington, D.C., to a large crowd at the joint Kenai and Soldotna chamber luncheon Wednesday at the Kenai Visitors and Cultural Center.

Sullivan focuses on economy, regulation reform

Economics, regulation and the military ruled the conversation during Sen. Dan Sullivan’s speech to the joint Kenai and Soldotna chambers of commerce luncheon on Wednesday.

Sullivan, who has just completed his first year in Washington, D.C., presented a crowd of about 80 with a rundown of his views on the current national political situation. Because it is the holiday season, he said he wanted to focus on the positive while still touching on future challenges.

“Believe it or not, you can sometimes get a sense that people are focused on the negative, but I thought it would be good to focus on what a lot of people do over the holidays, on our blessings,” Sullivan said. “I think a lot of us would agree as Alaskans, as Americans, we are truly blessed.”

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

Sullivan said he is not satisfied with the current economic growth in the country, which hovers around 2 percent annually. The gross domestic product, which measures the overall value of everything produced in the country, has grown far more in prior decades than it is now, and Sullivan said overregulation is limiting economic growth.

He said he plans to target overregulation in the coming year. He referenced a bill he sponsored and introduced in August called the RED Tape Act, which would require any federal agency to include sunset clauses in any new regulations. It would also direct agencies to review their rules and consider repealing them if they have become obsolete, he said.

“It’s not just the latest regulation — it’s also how long things take in Washington,” Sullivan said. “I think a lot of this is self-inflicted. Nobody should want this, because it doesn’t help our economy.”

Setting too many hurdles for businesses to jump through limits economic growth, Sullivan said. He cited a statistic from a 2010 Small Business Administration report that federal regulations cost $1.75 trillion as of 2008.

Reining in regulatory agencies would help boost economic growth, which Sullivan said will help average Americans as well as the overall economy. He also expressed concerns about the national debt, which is projected to exceed $20 trillion by the end of next year.

A federal program that does need growth is the military, Sullivan said. Growing threats from the Islamic State and the possibility of Iranian nuclear capability increase the need for national security in his mind, he said. More recruitment into the armed forces should be a priority, he said.

Sullivan, a Marine, said he would continue to push for better treatment of veterans as well.

“I am somebody that believes that in many areas, the federal government should be doing less … but in terms of taking care of our veterans, I think our government should be doing more,” Sullivan said. “I know for the veterans, it’s been a frustration. We’re definitely not there yet, but it’s something that I’m working on on a daily basis to get the attention of the senior Veterans Affairs to take better care of our veterans.”

Though he has not backed a Republican candidate for the 2016 election yet, with the primary only six weeks away, Sullivan said he had told some of the candidates that he would support them if they came to Alaska to campaign.

“I’ve been somebody who’s kept my powder dry,” Sullivan said. “I’ve told them, ‘One thing that would be really helpful for me is if you came up to Alaska to campaign.’”

 

Reach Elizabeth Earl at elizabeth.earl@peninsulaclarion.com.

More in News

Jason Criss stands for a photo in Soldotna, Alaska, after being named a qualifier for the Special Olympics USA Games on Thursday, July 10, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Soldotna athlete to compete in 2026 Special Olympics USA Games

Thousands of athletes from across all 50 states will be competing in 16 sports.

The entrance to the Homer Electric Association office is seen here in Kenai, Alaska on May 7, 2020. (Photo by Brian Mazurek/Peninsula Clarion)
HEA opens bids for real property

The deadline to submit bids is 5 p.m. on Aug. 11.

Arturo Mondragon-Lopez, Jr. (right) attends a change of plea hearing related to the October 2023 fatal shooting of Brianna Hetrick on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025, at the Homer Courthouse in Homer, Alaska. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)
Mondragon-Lopez sentenced for death of Homer woman

Arturo Mondragon-Lopez, Jr. accepted a plea deal in February for the shooting of Brianna Hetrick.

Soldotna City Hall is seen on Wednesday, June 23, 2021 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Soldotna OKs $395,000 capital plan

This year’s list of capital projects is “nominal compared to some past years,” according to officials.

A map of areas proposed for annexation by the City of Soldotna. (Provided by City of Soldotna)
Soldotna adds annexation proposal to ballot

The proposed annexation is split across five small areas around the city.

Nets are extended from North Kenai Beach in Kenai, Alaska, during the first day of the Kenai River personal use dipnet fishery on Thursday, July 10, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
‘A really good day’

Kenai River personal use sockeye salmon dipnet fishery opens.

The entrance to the Kenai Peninsula Borough building in Soldotna is seen here on June 1. (Photo by Brian Mazurek/Peninsula Clarion)
Borough assembly to consider ordinance to increase residential property tax exemption

If approved by voters in October, the ordinance would increase the tax exemption by $25,000.

Vice President Kelly Cooper speaks during a meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly in Soldotna, Alaska, on Tuesday, July 8, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Borough considers seasonal sales tax rate

Borough sales tax would be modified from a flat 3% to a seasonal model of 4% in summer months and 2% in winter months.

Most Read