Alaska’s Murkowski wants to reassure Denmark, but it’s not clear Congress is with her
Sen. Lisa Murkowski was among a group of senators who met with the foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland Wednesday, trying to provide an assurance that they couldn’t get from the White House: That Greenland is safe from a U.S. military incursion.
“I think it’s important to send the message that here in the Congress, we recognize and support the sovereignty of the people of Greenland,” Murkowski, the sole Republican in the meeting, told reporters afterward.
President Trump continues to say that the United States must take Greenland, for strategic purposes.
Murkowski and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., co-sponsored a bill this week to prohibit the administration from spending any funds to “blockade, occupy, annex or otherwise assert control” over Greenland or the territory of any NATO ally.
“This is a message that I think it’s very clear, and very strong,” Murkowski said. “And, quite honestly, one that I never thought I would have to author and introduce into the United States Congress.”
Murkowski didn’t say whether any other Republicans agreed to support the bill, though Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., gave a speech on the Senate floor Wednesday saying an aggressive move on Greenland would be a calamity and gain the United States nothing.
He, like Murkowski, say seizing Greenland would shatter the NATO alliance.
Murkowski said it’d be better if the president changes his rhetoric on his own, without Congress having to pass her bill.
“I hope it’s ultimately not necessary,” she said. “But we are operating in times where we’re having conversations about things that we never thought even possible.”
Whether Congress has any appetite to rein in the president is unclear.
Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, said the legislative branch isn’t living up to its constitutional duty to check and balance presidential authority.
“Congress has abdicated its power, largely,” King said. “I’d say it’s the seventh inning. We’re behind four to three, but the game isn’t over.”
Minutes after he said that, the Senate voted to reject a resolution that would have curtailed Trump’s future use of military force in Venezuela.
Alaska’s senators, as expected, split on the issue. Murkowski, like King and all the Senate Democrats, supported the resolution, which would have required Trump to seek Congressional approval for further military action. Sen. Dan Sullivan opposed it.
The vote in the Senate on whether to block the measure was 50-50, requiring Vice President J.D. Vance to cast the tie-breaker.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Russia and China co-operating more often and more closely in the Arctic, says NORAD commander, CBC News
Denmark: ‘Fundamental disagreement’ remains with Trump over Greenland after high-level talks, The Associated Press
Finland: Finland preparing to send two liaison officers to Greenland, Yle News
Greenland: ‘Fundamental disagreement’ remains with Trump over Greenland after high-level talks, The Associated Press
Iceland: NATO chief to Arctic Allies: “We’re all frontline states now,” as Iceland’s role grows, Eye on the Arctic
Norway: “We want to be Europe’s most integrated region in terms of defence”, The Independent Barents Observer
Russia: Russia claims first-ever North Pole aerial refuelling, TASS reports, Reuters
Sweden: Sweden critical of Trump’s latest push for Greenland, Radio Sweden
United States: Analysis: U.S., NATO have long history of not being serious about Greenland. That’s about to change, CBC News
