Senators will take up bipartisan legislation that would expand the nation’s diplomacy around critical minerals and appoint the first-ever diplomat to oversee Arctic affairs.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday is holding a markup on more than a dozen bills, including language from Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, S. 1000, which would formally create a position for an ambassador-at-large for Arctic affairs.
The bill, which has 10 bipartisan co-sponsors, would authorize the president to appoint a new ambassador through the State Department — subject to Senate confirmation — to oversee all aspects of policy in the Arctic, including national security, energy and environmental protection.
Murkowski has long called for more representation of the resource-rich but fragile Arctic region, a critical crossroads for trade and national security that is facing multiplying threats from climate change and growing competition from countries like China and Russia.
