OPINION: Biden/Harris administration overplayed its hand in Alaska

Since the inception of the Biden/Harris administration, Alaska has been a high-priority target. This administration has crippled our economy by restricting resource development and has now issued 66 executive orders specifically targeting Alaska. This number should concern every Alaskan.

Our domestic energy production has weakened with the sweeping so-called “protections” that the Biden-Harris administration has issued.

Regardless of what side of the aisle you may fall, there is one thing all Alaskans have in common: We do not take kindly to Washington, D.C. elites overplaying their hand in Alaska.

Independence, grit and a maverick spirit are at the core of who we are as Alaskans. When these defining characteristics come under attack, we take notice and make our voices heard at the ballot box.

Alaskans need representation in Washington, D.C., to fight back on federal regulations that have stifled growth and brought a halt to sustainable resource development across our state.

The Biden/Harris administration jeopardized our state’s independence and halted crucial resource development efforts in Alaska when it ended exploration in the 1002 Area of ANWR and lease sales in the NPR-A.

Developing oil, gas and mineral resources in Alaska is not only vital for state revenue, it is vital to our nation’s security. As has been recognized by many, there is no stronger, more responsible jurisdiction on earth to develop natural resources than right here in Alaska. That’s why it is imperative that we prevent such sweeping executive interference from ending key development efforts in our state.

Congresswoman Mary Peltola had the opportunity to push back and fight for Alaskans. Instead, Rep. Pete Stauber from Minnesota stepped in to introduce Alaska’s Right to Produce Act — a bill that pushed back on the Biden/Harris Administration’s cancellation of ANWR oil and gas leases. When the bill came before the House Floor for a vote, Rep. Peltola declined to vote in favor.

In Congress, I will support a framework that removes Alaskan resource development from the executive discretion of the presidency and limits federal overreach while also supporting Alaska’s right to produce — rights that were promised to us at statehood.

Rep. Peltola understands the battle she is up against and has run a campaign that obfuscates her record, often taking credit for work that has been done by other members of our delegation. She has campaigned as a middle-of-the-road Democrat willing to be a voice for Alaskans, yet she offers no clear examples of how electing a Democrat to represent a pro-development state has stopped or even slowed the ongoing assault on our state’s future from her political party. After two years in Congress, she now has a record, and that record is clear: voting in lockstep with an administration that has sought to halt resource development, target our state’s economic prosperity and trample on our freedoms.

Rep. Peltola has been wrong for Alaska on numerous issues during her time in office. Her support for far-left policies such as packing the Supreme Court and lighter sentences for violent crimes is not representative of Alaskans’ values.

I am running to represent the many voices of the state and the issues that are important to hardworking Alaskans: tackling inflation and the unaffordability of daily life, addressing the worsening cross-species crisis in our fisheries, securing the southern U.S. border, protecting our individual liberties and freedoms.

It is critical not just for Alaska, but for the United States to rebuild seniority in Congress. If we are to get Alaska back on track, make our state attractive for the next generation of Alaskans, and provide a foundation for the future, we have to start now.

Peltola failed the test of leadership when she refused to support Alaska’s Right to Produce Act and proved unable or unwilling to push back on an Administration that overplayed their hand in our state.

Alaskans deserve leadership that will show up and fight for Alaska and put the people over politics. On day one in Congress, I will put Alaskans first and never stop fighting for our state and our nation.

Nick Begich III is a Republican candidate for U.S. House.

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