Return to Alaska Giveaway Menu Page
Positions of U.
S. Senators from Alaska
Ted Stevens and Frank Murkowski
Even though virtually
the entire Alaska Legislature has opposed the giveaway maritime
boundary
agreement, two long-time U. S. Senators have been strong supporters of the
giveaway.
Ted Stevens so strongly
supported the giveaway as far back as 1986 that he stated to a joint
session of
the Alaska Legislature that, "Alaskans don't belong in that fight." (See
news article
below.) At the 1991 hearing on the proposed treaty before the
Senate Foreign Relations
Committee, he testified in favor, but failed to mention
that a giveaway executive agreement was
already in operation. He also was
not able to present any resolutions or letters from any national
organization in favor of
the proposed treaty.
Frank Murkowski
initially expressed some doubts about the proposed maritime boundary
in 1985.
A Wall Street Journal editorial of November 13, 1985, had voiced alarm about the
impending giveaway of American territory to the Soviets. (See copy below.)
Senator
Murkowski wrote a letter to the editor dated December 2, 1985,
promising, "In this regard,
I am considering legislation to require our
government to give the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee a full report, which
could provide a basis for future hearings." (See copy below.)
Senator Murkowski never introduced such legislation, and the committee never
received any
report from the State Department on the proposed maritime boundary.
At the 1991 hearing
on the proposed treaty before the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee, he participated as a
member of the committee and spoke strongly in
favor of it. He was unable to present any
resolutions or letters of
organizations in favor of the proposed treaty. (Frank Murkowski
was
elected governor of Alaska in 2002, and he appointed his daughter Lisa Murkowski
to
replace himself in the U. S. Senate.)
