Labor secretary talks economy, visa program on Alaska visit

FAIRBANKS, Alaska — FAIRBANKS — Alaska's economy should pick up given an increase in military spending and pro-energy policies of the Trump administration, Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta said.

Acosta toured areas of Interior Alaska with Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan on Sunday, stopping in spots in Fairbanks and King Salmon, the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported . On Monday, Acosta toured the Cook Inlet Tribal Council Employment and Training Center in Anchorage with U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, also a Republican.

"The Lower 48's economy is doing fabulously well and Alaska is starting to pick up now," Acosta told reporters in Fairbanks at the pipeline training center.

When reporters asked if U.S. trade tensions with China threaten economic development in the state, Acosta said trade is continuing and so are negotiations. China is Alaska's largest export market.

"We are working with China. And we're trading with China. At the same time, we're negotiating and we're negotiating hard," Acosta said. "The fact that you are negotiating for Americans does not mean you don't have a good relationship."

The administration is also working to streamline the H2-B visa program, Acosta said. Temporary visas for foreign workers are vital for the state's hospitality and seafood processing industries.

Officials are working to make the system simpler to use by allowing people to apply online. Acosta is also working with Congress to get long-term visa approval so employers can know in advance how many visas are available, he said.

"Every year, the fisheries don't know if they're going to receive their visas and that has real economic harm," Acosta said. "We need to work to bring certainty to the fisheries industry."

Acosta plans to visit south-central Alaska with Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski following the Fairbanks trip.

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Information from: Fairbanks (Alaska) Daily News-Miner, http://www.newsminer.com