Begich to Participate in 13 Debates and Forums in General Election

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 08/12/2023

ANCHORAGE — As an increasingly contentious GOP primary enters its final week, Mark Begich remains focused on his commitment to be transparent and accountable to all Alaskans, announcing his commitment to 13 debates and forums prior to the general election.

“Alaskans expect to have a conversation with all candidates running for office and Mark Begich will continue to make himself and his campaign accessible to all Alaskans. Mark looks forward to an informed discussion on Alaska’s issues including resource development, maintaining Alaska’s world class fisheries, empowering rural Alaska, and protecting our privacy,” said Susanne Fleek-Green, Campaign Manager for Alaskans for Begich.

As a sitting U.S. Senator, Senator Begich’s schedule remains subject to change according the U.S. Senate’s pending legislative calendar. Alaskans for Begich has been in touch with the following organizations. Begich looks forward to participating in their events to have an open and honest conversation about the issues facing Alaska.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 08/12/2023

Mark Begich continues to gain support from mayors across Alaska, lining up endorsements from 7 current and former mayors in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta region who recognize the results Begich has delivered for rural Alaska when it comes to supporting issues like fisheries, subsistence, public safety, veterans and postal service.

Endorsements Include:

Jacques Longpre, Aniak, Mayor

Daniel Schoenten, Goodnews Bay Mayor

Joseph Bell, Hooper Bay Mayor

Daniel Olrun, Sr., Mekoryuk Mayor

William F. Alstrom, Saint Mary’s Mayor

Tiffany Zulkosky, Former Bethel Mayor

Ulric J. Ulroan, Former Chevak Mayor

“Mark is proud of the support he continues to gain from Alaska’s current and former mayors, including those in the Y-K region where issues like subsistence, fisheries, public safety, care for veterans, and bypass mail are issues Mark has become a leader on during this time in the Senate,” said Susanne Fleek- Green, Alaskans for Begich campaign manager.

Begich has risen fast in the Senate leadership, securing key committee spots on the Senate Indian Affairs Committee and Senate Appropriations Committee that have helped him bring resources back to rural Alaska.

Begich’s accomplishments for the Yukon-Kuskokwim region include:

Fisheries Disaster Funds – Begich used his committee seats to secure millions of dollars in fisheries disaster funds for communities along the Y-K delta that suffered low salmon runs.

Rural Broadband – Begich delivered over $170 million in improvements to rural broadband to provide education and tele-health services .

Securing Flood Relief Resources – Begich used his leadership role on the subcommittee overseeing FEMA to secure critical resources to ease the damage done by flooding in communities along the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers.

Supporting the Voting Rights Act – Begich opposes the Supreme Court’s decision to eliminate preclearance under the Voting Rights Act and supports restoration of the law’s authority.

Indian Health Service – Begich secured a permanent reauthorization of the Indian Health Service, the first reauthorization in over twenty years. He also secured historic full funding for IHS Contract Support Costs to Alaska Native tribal facilities this year.

Safe Families & Villages Act – Begich introduced the Safe Families & Villages Act to give Alaska tribes resources and local control to empower communities to manage domestic violence.

Rural Veterans – A successful Begich initiative allows veterans in rural Alaska to receive health care at tribal health facilities, saving veterans thousands of dollars in travel costs and allowing them to get care close to home.

Alaska Territorial Guard – In 2009, Senator Begich successfully secured reinstatement of pension payments for members of the WWII-era Alaska Territorial Guard.

Postal Service Reform — Begich has fought back efforts to end Bypass Mail and pushed the U.S. Postal Service to reverse rate increases in rural Alaska, ensuring critical service to Alaskans and a lifeline for the rural Alaska economy.

Essential Air Service – 82% of Alaska communities are off the road system and Begich has protected vital transportation routes and services by protecting the Essential Air Service program.

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Cites Begich’s Bipartisanship and Advocacy for Alaska Natives

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 08/12/2023

ANCHORAGE — The Board of Directors of Bristol Bay Native Corporation, which has 9,600 shareholders throughout Alaska, has endorsed Mark Begich for U.S. Senate.

The endorsement praises Begich for his “long-standing support for and advocacy of Native issues in general, including protection of subsistence rights, Native voting rights, Small Business Administration government contracting regulations, and numerous other issues important to Alaskans.”

During his time in the Senate, Senator Begich has quickly built clout and seniority to get results for Alaska, and currently sits on both the Senate Indian Affairs Committee and the Senate Appropriations Committee.

BBNC Board Chairman Joseph Chythlook, says “Senator Begich has demonstrated his ability to work across party lines to effectively advocate for and advance issues important to the people of rural Alaska.”

Jason Metrokin, BBNC president and chief executive officer, adds that “We are looking forward to working with Senator Begich as he continues his work and support for all Alaskans.”

As chair of the Senate Oceans Subcommittee, Mark Begich has helped to protect jobs and industry in Bristol Bay. He has worked tirelessly on a variety of projects to benefit the region, including:

• Protecting Bristol Bay fishing jobs by opposing the construction of the Pebble Mine.
• Moved to place a ban on genetically modified “Frankenfish,” which would threaten Alaska wild salmon stocks.
• Secured over $88 million for rural broadband funding that brought terrestrial broadband service to the Bristol Bay region for the first-time.
• Fighting attempts to diminish the Small Business Administration’s 8(a) program that helps Alaska Native corporations diversify their businesses and create economic opportunities for their shareholders.

Bristol Bay Native Corporation’s endorsement comes two weeks after Senator Begich received the support of Sealaska Native Corporation.

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Treadwell, Sullivan and Miller and the Push to Privatization

Sullivan Would “Means Test” Seniors

ANCHORAGE — At today’s primary forum hosted by the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce, Dan Sullivan, Mead Treadwell and Joe Miller all had a message for Alaska’s seniors: You’ve spent a lifetime paying into Social Security and now we want to make dangerous changes to the program that put your economic security at risk.

The candidates put Social Security under attack by voicing support for dramatic changes including privatization, means testing, and raising the retirement age.

• Sullivan called for “means testing” of Alaska seniors before they receive Social Security benefits.
• Sullivan called for raising the age for Social Security benefits.
• Treadwell attempted to create space from his endorsement of the Ryan Budget.
• Miller called for privatization of Social Security.

“Alaskans need to know that Mark Begich is the only candidate in the race working to strengthen Social Security while Mead Treadwell, Dan Sullivan and Joe Miller all present a dangerous future for the program when Alaskans deserve their benefits after paying into the program,” said Max Croes, Communications Director for Alaskans for Begich.

Mark Begich is an outspoken advocate of strengthening Social Security benefits for individuals who have worked and paid into the program over a lifetime. Begich supports legislative proposals that would raise the cap on contributions, strengthen benefits and keep the program solvent for up to 70 years.

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Stood Idle During Push for National and Local Solutions

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 08/11/2023

ANCHORAGE — Continuing to build their appalling records on issues important to women, as outlined at alaskasenatefacts.com, U.S. Senate candidates Dan Sullivan and Mead Treadwell have failed to address the issue of sexual assault in the military and have both proven unwilling to engage in national efforts to give victims the tools they deserve to seek justice.

Both Sullivan and Treadwell have refused to comment on efforts to end military sexual assault in Alaska. As Attorney General and Lieutenant Governor each have a failed, absent record.

“Mark Begich believes we must protect victims of military sexual assault and that includes holding perpetrators accountable,” said Susanne Fleek-Green, Alaskans for Begich campaign manager.

Mark Begich has supported multiple pieces of legislation to protect victims of sexual assault in the military and ensure that perpetrators are held accountable. Specifically, he has been a leader on legislation, co-sponsoring Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s bill to take prosecution of sexual assault crimes out of the military chain of command, empower victims to seek legal recourse, and has worked to ensure that those responsible were held fully accountable for their actions. The Senate succesfully passed a bill with over ten critical changes to the military justice system including greater protections for victims.

Begichhas also repeatedly stated that there should be zero tolerance for sexual assault or domestic violence in the military or anywhere else in our communities.

For more information, visit www.alaskasenatefacts.com

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Attorney General Dan Sullivan sued to curtail subsistence rights

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 8/10/2023

ANCHORAGE — At tonight’s KTVA/ADN debate U.S. Senate candidate Dan Sullivan attempted to hide his role as Attorney General in suing Alaska Native elder and subsistence rights activist Katie John.

The lawsuit challenged the subsistence rights of Alaska Natives and was opposed by the Alaska Federation of Natives before being rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Sullivan filed the lawsuit in the 9th Circuit. See his name on the lawsuit here:

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Alaskans Deserve Answers on Government Invasion of Privacy

ANCHORAGE -After weeks of dubious calls to protect Americans’ privacy, U.S. Senate candidates Mead Treadwell and Dan Sullivan have a chance to come clean with Alaskans about their support of a national ID card.

The unpopular REAL ID law would put 240 million Americans into a database. A company connected to Mead Treadwell made millions off the ID card scheme while Dan Sullivan has done everything possible to avoid the issues.

The two Senate candidates join Joe Miller for a debate hosted by KTVA and the Alaska Dispatch News tonight.

“Dan Sullivan and Mead Treadwell talk about protecting freedoms on the campaign trail, but they won’t look Alaskans in the eye and admit their role in creating big government schemes like REAL ID that monitor Americans,” said Max Croes, Communications Director for Alaskans for Begich.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 08/07/2023

ANCHORAGE — Admist superficial calls for “limited government,” Mead Treadwell and Dan Sullivan want to put government squarely between a woman and her doctor, limit freedom and jeopordize women’s privacy.

Sullivan and Treadwell both support the recent Hobby Lobby decision and firmly believe that the government and bosses know better than a woman and her doctor. Both have stated that they would allow the religious beliefs of a corporation to come before the medical needs of a woman and give them the right to deny contraceptive coverage. Treadwell has gone so far to say that doctors should be required to report the procedures they perform to the government and justify them as “medically necessary,” exposing a woman’s medical records to the state.

These unfair and aggressive policies would undoubtedly harm women who rely on their employers for medical coverage but deny women their privacy.

Dan Sullivan

• Believes employers should have a veto over doctors’ medical advice.

• Called the Hobby Lobby lawsuit “great.”

Mead Treadwell

• Thinks doctors should report to the government on women’s health care procedures.

• Certified new regulations requiring doctors to attest that certain procedures were “medically necessary

Mark Begich is the only candidate in this Senate race who has proven himself to be an ally of Alaska women. Senator Begich denounced the Hobby Lobby decision from day one and cosponsored a bill to have the decision overturned. He believes that women have the right to make their own medical decisions and that the government has no right to come between a woman and her doctor.

Read more at AlaskaSenatefacts.com

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 08/06/2023

ANCHORAGE — Mark Begich spent the day in Kodiak where he kicked off another field office opening, hosting a full house of over 40 Alaskans to discuss the importance of Alaska’s Senate race.

The Alaska Democratic Party office will provide a space to the Kodiak community to organize volunteers and discuss the importance of the election with Alaskans.

“Mark’s campaign is based on talking face to face with Alaskans from each village, city and town across Alaska and today’s office opening provides Kodiak residents with a community space to continue growing that same momentum for Mark’s re-election,” said Max Croes, Communications Director for Alaskans for Begich.

While in Kodiak, Begich spent the time at King’s Diner, visited the docks to catch up with fishermen and stevedores, greeted seniors, and toured the Ocean Beauty processing plant.

As chairman of the Senate subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries and the Coast Guard, Begich has a unique understanding of the fisheries industry – which has 76,000 Alaska jobs directly linked to it and brings billions of dollars to Alaska each year – and has worked to secure resources for Kodiak’s Coast Guard base, a critical resource to all of coastal Alaska. He secured three fast response cutters through his role on the committe, is overseeing the reauthorization of the Magnuson Stevens Act, and is leading the fight against GMO’s.

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Candidates Boast Limiting Critical Health Care Services

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 08/06/2023

ANCHORAGE — Dan Sullivan and Mead Treadwell don’t trust women to make their own health care decisions and continue to boast about their efforts to restrict Alaska women’s access to critical health care services.

As recently as Monday, Sullivan and Treadwell proudly shared their long resumes of restricting women’s access to care, birth control and a woman’s right to choose. Treadwell and Sullivan consistently believe that employers and the government should be able to insert themselves into women’s health care decisions.

Dan Sullivan

• Says: “I do think [Roe v. Wade] was a mistake.”
• Claims opposition to legal abortion is a “core conviction of mine.”
• Supports letting employers get between Alaska women and their doctors.

Mead Treadwell

• Says “Roe v. Wade was a mistake.”
• Opposes abortion even in cases of rape, incest, or to protect the life of the mother.

Mark Begich has regularly voiced his support for a woman’s right to make her own medical decisions. He has fought to protect community health clinics across the state of Alaska, which provide cancer screenings, preventative care, and prenatal care. Begich’s efforts have garnered praise from numerous women’s groups, including Planned Parenthood and NARAL.

Read more at alaskasenatefacts.com