[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Pages 3213-3215]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                               THE ARCTIC

  Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, it is quiet around here today, this 
afternoon. We have been notified that we are not going to be having any 
further votes this week because Washington, DC, is anticipating a 
winter storm. It is March 4. I think most people here in Washington had 
hoped that winter had already come and gone, but that is not the case.
  In my home State of Alaska, this is the time of year that we welcome 
winter. We embrace winter. In fact, I am going to be going up to the 
State this Friday to attend the kickoff of our biggest sporting event, 
which is the Iditarod sled dog race, 1,100 miles, where about 70 teams 
of dogs and intrepid mushers make the trek typically between the 
Anchorage area and 1,100 miles up to Nome.
  This winter has been a little bit different. It is warmer back home 
than most of us Alaskans would like, and we have actually had to 
reroute the Iditarod for the second time in the race's history. It is 
going to be starting out of my hometown in Fairbanks, and rerouting the 
race so that it is still a thousand-mile race. But it does speak to the 
fact that we are seeing some changes up there, at least for this 
winter, in terms of our temperatures and our climate.
  We have a lot of folks around here anticipating what we are going to 
see tomorrow who are wondering what is going on with climate? What are 
we seeing? Is this temporary in nature, or are we going to start seeing 
more arctic conditions here on the eastern seaboard?
  I want to talk about the Arctic today. I want to talk about the value 
of an amazing part of the globe and the opportunities we have in the 
Arctic, the opportunities we have as an Arctic nation.
  We have a map here. This is the bathymetric chart of the Arctic 
Ocean. It is a view that perhaps most Americans are not intimately 
familiar with. You look at it and say, where on planet Earth is this?
  To locate everybody a little bit, here you have Russia, Greenland, 
Canada over here, and the United States. This is the State of Alaska 
with all of the interior arctic areas there, but an amazing mass 
located at the top of the globe, an area where, quite honestly, most 
Americans put it out of sight, out of mind. The only time they really 
think about the Arctic is when there are temperatures that make it feel 
like the Arctic.
  There are probably going to be a lot of folks here in Washington, DC, 
tomorrow who are thinking, yes, maybe we do live in an Arctic nation 
because I am feeling it here. It doesn't make any difference whether we 
have a storm coming at us or whether it is the heat of the summer in 
Washington, DC, or the fall in New England, or the warm winter 
temperatures in a place such as Arizona. Wherever you reside in this 
country, you are part of an Arctic nation. I am willing to bet that 
when the Presiding Officer was elected to represent the State of 
Colorado, he didn't think at that time that he was also elected to be a 
Senator for the Arctic. But, in fact, he is because we are an arctic 
nation. In Colorado--I suppose the Presiding Officer is probably 
thinking, tell me why the Arctic is relevant to Colorado, other than 
the fact that we also share some good winters and have an appreciation 
for the snow and colder climates. But in the State of Colorado, 30 
percent--30.5 percent of the total exports that go out of Colorado are 
exported to arctic nations.
  Now think about that. Thirty percent of what goes out of Colorado is 
exported to an Arctic nation, one of the eight Arctic nations--Canada, 
Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden. These are your 
trading partners.
  Our colleague from Wyoming was just on the floor. Let's see what 
Wyoming exports. They are about in the same category as Colorado, about 
28.3 percent of the total exports from Wyoming are exported to the 
Arctic nations. When we think about the dollars that are coming to 
Colorado or Wyoming or Maryland as a result of exports from your 
States, it causes us to

[[Page 3214]]

maybe perhaps look at the Arctic a little bit differently.
  We have an opportunity to build upon a dynamic relationship, an 
evolving part of the globe, as we prepare as a nation to assume the 
chair of the Arctic Council. This event will take place on April 25, 
just a couple of months from now. But the Arctic Council is the 
intergovernmental forum for the eight nations that have territory 
inside the Arctic Circle. Again, this is pretty much this map here: 
Canada, Russia, Denmark through Greenland, Finland, Iceland, Norway, 
Sweden, and then, of course, by virtue of the State of Alaska, the 
United States.
  The Arctic Council also includes six nonvoting permanent participant 
groups that represent the indigenous people of the Arctic. There are 
also 32 observer entities. The interesting thing with these observer 
participants, 12 of the 32 are non-Arctic nations, so areas that are 
not countries that we would think of that would have a keen interest in 
what is going on with Arctic policy. This is France, Germany, the 
United Kingdom, China, Japan.
  What is really impressive to me is that we are seeing the growth in 
the number of non-Arctic nations that are seeking observer status. Back 
in the 2013 Arctic Council ministerial meeting we had in Sweden, six 
nations were admitted as observers. Many others have indicated their 
interest as well.
  It is also interesting to note that with the admission of China, all 
five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council are now 
members or observers of the Arctic Council. Also represented are 8 of 
the world's 10 largest economies based on GDP, which is an indicator of 
the level of importance the world ascribes to the Arctic.
  What has happened with the Arctic is, again, a keen interest from all 
over the globe in what is happening. Why is that? What is going on that 
is capturing the interests, the imagination, the opportunity for 
nations all over the globe? So much of it is because this area, an area 
that for most has always been locked up in a world of ice and 
permanently frozen in time. So to even imagine the possibilities of 
what could unfold in the Arctic was so foreign that only the most 
adventurous of the explorers ever pushed out.
  It is changing up North, whether it is the northern sea route coming 
across on the Russian side, whether it is the Northwest Passage, 
whether it is nations that are looking to explore for resources, 
whether it is those involved in maritime traffic and engaging in a 
level of commerce that are looking for that shorter route that will cut 
days, weeks, off of a journey and, therefore, costs off of the expense 
of shipping. Whether it is the tourists--cruise ships are coming across 
the top. Up in Point Barrow, right up here at the top of the world, you 
have cruise ships that are moving through those waters--the ultimate 
ecotourists and those who are seeking something different.
  The Arctic is notable within the international community from an 
economic perspective. As its shipping lanes open up, we have additional 
areas that become accessible for resource development. Again, the rise 
of tourism is an example of the increased accessibility of the Arctic.
  It is also notable from a political perspective as the region that is 
not bogged down by the inertia of longstanding disputes. Think about so 
many parts of the world where there have been decades, if not centuries 
of conflict. This is a part of the world that does not have that 
overlay, if you will. It does not have the entrenched views that make 
international cooperation in other areas difficult.
  Instead, it is an area that seeks to promote collaboration and remain 
a zone of peace. Think about the conversations I am able to have with 
Secretary Kerry, as I did just a few weeks back, talking about the 
Arctic and being able to speak to the Secretary of State about how we 
can work more collaboratively, how we can keep an area as a zone of 
peace as he deals with hot spots all over the globe--to know that there 
is a cool place, not only from a physical perspective but perhaps from 
an emotional and a political perspective, where perhaps we can be 
working together to advance goals and initiatives rather than 
constantly being at issue with one another.
  It also is a region that is writing its history as we speak. This has 
been around for a long time. But what is happening at the top of the 
globe is like a clean sheet. It is an opportunity for us to write 
history. It is even more important for the United States to take a lead 
in guiding international policy decisions within this area. This is why 
I am calling on colleagues in the Senate to join me, to step up, to 
help us not only to build out policy initiatives but really to take 
that leadership role, as we should be doing as an Arctic nation.
  So I have joined together with the Senator from Maine, Mr. King, to 
form a new caucus. I know we have plenty of caucuses around here, but I 
am asking colleagues to consider joining this caucus, the Senate Arctic 
Caucus. This caucus has a mission to convene conversations among 
Members on issues relating to defense, science, energy, environment, 
commerce, trade, maritime affairs, the well-being of the indigenous 
peoples of the Arctic, to raise awareness about the importance of the 
Arctic, and to advance a coordinated effort toward investment in 
infrastructure that will benefit all Americans, including those who 
live in the Arctic.
  I should let colleagues know that when I am offering this opportunity 
to join a caucus, it is not just to say that I am paying attention to 
Arctic issues in name only. We really want to try to educate because, 
again, I think the awareness of what is happening in the Arctic has 
captivated the imagination and the attention of people around the 
world, of nations around the world. It should captivate the imagination 
and the attention of every Member in this body. So each Member will be 
receiving an invitation to join this caucus, along with a breakdown of 
each State's exports to the Arctic region, to help demonstrate why the 
Arctic matters to all 50 of the States.
  So as I have outlined to the Presiding Officer, about the benefits 
that Colorado receives and the benefits that Wyoming receives, all 
Members will be getting similar figures. It was 10 years ago when I 
started an Arctic awareness campaign. That was a long time ago. It was 
an effort to get folks--not only within the legislative body but within 
the administration--to pay attention to what was going on within the 
region.
  It started out pretty simply. I can remember that I was on the 
Foreign Relations Committee, and we had the nomination hearing for 
Condoleezza Rice to be Secretary of State. I asked her a question: So 
what are we doing in the Arctic to ensure that the Arctic remains a 
zone of peace? Or I asked something to that effect.
  I think I caught her flatfooted. The next time I saw her before the 
Foreign Relations Committee, she was up to speed and engaged. But I can 
state with some certainty here that in 2005 the State Department was 
just not prepared to have a discussion on these issues.
  Now, I am not going to claim full credit here. But move forward a 
little bit with the clock. It was good to see the movement within the 
administration. When Hillary Clinton was Secretary of State, she was 
the first Secretary of State to participate in an Arctic Council 
ministerial meeting. I think that was probably prompted by some visits 
she had made to view the Arctic, including the U.S. Arctic in Barrow, 
when she was a Member of this body. But as Secretary of State she 
traveled to Nuuk, Greenland in 2011. I accompanied her. Then in 2013 
Secretary Kerry went to the ministerial meeting in Kiruna, Sweden. In 
2015 Secretary Kerry will again participate in this year's meeting in 
Canada, where the Arctic Council chairmanship will be handed over to 
the United States.
  I started off my comments by talking about what is going on with the 
weather and people feeling like we are under an Arctic siege here right 
now in Washington. But I think it is safe to say that Arctic awareness 
is at an alltime high. But unfortunately, the investment has not 
matched the interest. One barometer of your interest when

[[Page 3215]]

you are talking about the Arctic is: How do you move in the Arctic if 
there is ice up there? You have to be able to plow through some ice. 
This is where an icebreaker comes into play.
  But icebreakers are expensive. The Coast Guard estimates that it is 
going to be about $1 billion. It takes about 10 years to build. If I 
were to ask anybody in this body how many icebreakers the United States 
has, I think you would say: Well, of course we have an icebreaker up 
there.
  We have one medium-strength icebreaker, the Healy, which does a good 
job for us. But our only Polar Class vessel, the Polar Star is on 
assignment to Antarctica for the next 5 years. We will not see her in 
the Arctic for 5 full years. The life expectancy, the useful life of 
the Polar Star is only 6 to 8 years. It takes 10 years to build a new 
one.
  We are sitting here as a nation woefully behind when it comes to 
Arctic infrastructure, if you define it by icebreaking capacity. Russia 
is cleaning our clock in terms of the number of icebreakers they have. 
They have 27. Our own Coast Guard's High Latitude Study says it is 
going to require six major icebreakers--three heavy and three medium-
sized icebreakers--to fulfill its statutory requirements.
  Even China has one icebreaker. They are building six more. India--do 
you think of India as an Arctic Nation? They are considering building 
an icebreaker. Why? Because they see the Arctic opportunity. They want 
to be part of an area on the globe that is piquing their interest for a 
host of different reasons.
  So as others in the Arctic region, whether it is Russia or whether it 
is Canada, as they continue some pretty aggressive national plans, 
combined with state investment to develop their Arctic resources and 
advance commerce in the north, the United States needs to be a 
participant. But we need to be more than a participant. We need to be a 
leader. We lead everywhere else. We led to the moon. We know more about 
the mapping of Mars than we know about mapping in the Arctic.
  We need to step it up. It is exciting to think that we can step it 
up. I am hoping that we will be able to focus our attention on these 
issues. It is not just the resources and infrastructure that will make 
the Arctic a national priority. It is not just preparing for a 2-year 
chairmanship. It is about what the vision is--the long-term vision for 
the United States' role in an emerging part of the globe. It is as 
dynamic as anyplace out there.
  But we have to be ready. We lack certain basic infrastructure needs. 
I mentioned the need for an icebreaker. I am going to be introducing 
legislation, hopefully very soon, to develop a solid foundation and put 
some building blocks in place for that investment, including a focus on 
obtaining more accurate data for charting the Arctic. We simply are so 
far behind in our hydrographic charting. We need to do better with our 
ice forecasting, with our weather observation stations, with our 
weather buoys, with our monitoring out in our oceans, with just having 
a level of communications and understanding of what we have. So, as we 
look to the area, we have at least to be able to assess the accuracy of 
Arctic weather and water forecasting. We have to be able to understand 
whether we have gaps in Arctic weather and sea-ice observing networks 
and the status of our sea-ice analysis and forecasting services.
  So we are going to be having a hearing tomorrow in the energy 
committee. We may be the only committee that is open for business. We 
may be the only Senators that are here in the building. But we are 
going to be having the first-ever hearing on the Arctic. I think it is 
fair to say that it is not only the first hearing in the energy 
committee but the first-ever hearing on the Arctic as a whole, instead 
of just bits and pieces of it.
  So I am encouraging all of my colleagues who may be locked out 
because they could not jump on a flight quickly enough or they could 
not get on the road soon enough. But we will be having, I think, a very 
informative hearing tomorrow in the energy committee to focus on what, 
again, I am calling Arctic opportunities. I do not know if the timing 
of the hearing was just prescient on my part and that we knew that this 
was going to happen. If so, I should also do part-time work as a 
weather forecaster. But I do think it is certainly timely. In fact, it 
is long past time that we focus again on an area that hosts amazing 
promise and opportunity for leadership as a nation. I would encourage 
all of my colleagues to join us in this new Senate Arctic Caucus. 
Embrace your inner Arctic self. It really is a good place to be.
  With that, I see that my colleague from Wyoming is here. He has been 
very patient. As I mentioned to the Senator from Colorado, our 
Presiding Officer right now, Colorado enjoys good benefits from the 
State of Alaska. For the fine folks in Wyoming, 28 percent of their 
total exports from the State of Wyoming do go to Arctic nations. So 
there is a connection. I look forward to working with both of my 
colleagues as members of the energy committee on these issues of great 
importance to our Nation.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Lee). The Senator from Wyoming.
  Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, first, let me congratulate our colleague 
from Alaska, who is the chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources 
Committee. That committee is in capable hands under her direction, 
whether the Arctic--all energy. She is committed to affordable energy, 
available energy, reliable energy, secure energy, and American energy.
  So we are in good stead with the new chairman who has taken over in 
January. As members of that committee, it is a great opportunity for us 
to work with her for affordable energy for all in America. We have 
opportunities for exports, and it is good to see her continued 
leadership on this and other topics.
  I appreciate her hard work.

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