Alaska scientist Mike Sfraga confirmed as U.S. Arctic ambassador-at-large

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Mike Sfraga, chair of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, speaks on April 10 at the Arctic Encounter Symposium in Anchorage. Sfraga was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the nation's first Arctic ambassador-at-large, despite opposition from most Republicans. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)

More than 1 ½ years after he was nominated, Alaskan Mike Sfraga was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Thursday as the nation’s first Arctic ambassador.

Sfraga, a geologist, chairs the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, founded the Polar Institute at the Wilson Center in Washington, D.C., is a former faculty member and administrator at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, helped found the University of the Arctic and has several other Arctic-related accomplishments.

The Arctic ambassador-at-large is charged with leading and coordinating the advancement of U.S. interests in the Arctic and strengthening cooperation among Arctic nations, according to the Department of State. During the Obama administration, Admiral Robert Papp, the retired commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, served as the State Department’s special Arctic representative, but his position was not that of a Senate-confirmed ambassador.

Sfraga’s nomination was championed by Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. She and Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, had pushed for the federal government to create the position of Arctic ambassador-at-large. President Joe Biden committed to the appointment in 2022, and he nominated Sfraga in February 2023.

Despite Murkowski’s support, Sfraga’s nomination was resisted by many of her Republican colleagues. The confirmation passed by a 56-36 vote, with seven other Senate Republicans joining Murkowski.

In a floor speech, Murkowski argued that the nation needed an Arctic ambassador and that Sfraga was the right person for the job.

“My hope is that colleagues will see not only the imperative for an Arctic ambassador at this moment in time but also to recognize that this nominee, Dr. Sfraga, is absolutely impeccable in terms of his qualifications for this position,” she said. “He is one that is known widely throughout Arctic circles as our Arctic expert, and the expert in everything from research to policy to national security.”

The United States has been the only Arctic nation lacking an Arctic ambassador, she said, adding that “is past time” to have such representation.

She listed a series of aggressive moves by Russian and Chinese military forces, including joint flights by bombers from both nations off the coast of Alaska in August, a massive Russian military exercise that included Chinese participants and resulted in flights off Alaska earlier this month and incursions by military ships into the U.S. exclusive economic zone off Alaska.

“Normally we think of the Arctic as high north, low tension, but right now it is high north and it is rising tension. And one thing that is missing … is a Senate-confirmed diplomat who will spend his or her time focused on Arctic issues, working with our allies, engaging our adversaries and sending these very clear messages that we will protect America’s interest in the Arctic,” Murkowski said.

Opposition was led by Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho, who faulted Sfraga for having traveled to Russia and China and attending events with Russian and Chinese officials and scientists.

“Based on his evasiveness during his vetting by the foreign relations committee, I believe Dr. Sfraga could pose a counterintelligence foreign malign influence threat to our nation,” Risch said in his floor speech.

Risch criticized Sfraga for, among other things, his work at UAF on cooperative agreements with Chinese academic institutions. Most of the work by Sfraga that Risch criticized in his flood speech and in prior statements predated the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Murkowski has countered such arguments by pointing out that Alaska and Russia are neighbors, that there were numerous exchanges and visits in past years when relations were better and that she herself attended some of the events for which Sfraga was criticized.

Alaska’s junior U.S. Senator, Republican Dan Sullivan, did not vote on Sfraga’s confirmation. At the time, Sullivan was at the United Nations as part of a bipartisan delegation, said spokesperson Ben Dietderich.

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Alaska scientist Mike Sfraga confirmed as U.S. Arctic ambassador-at-large

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