Today, community leaders and small business owners came together at the Lake Hood Landing Strip to discuss the impact of record-high gas prices caused by Dan Sullivan’s continued support of the war in Iran. From pilots to truck drivers, these price hikes have been detrimental to the work and daily lives of Alaskans across the state.
“I saw firsthand how war in Iran has impacted fuel prices for myself and other pilots. Alaskans who rely on air travel […] may be left hanging,” said Will Nebesky, an Alaska pilot who has seen a 23% increase in fuel costs since last year. “We all feel the pain at the gas pump, but Alaskans are feeling it on the tarmac as well.”
“The rising fuel […] costs and tariffs supported by Senator Sullivan have had a major impact on our ability to function properly, and these costs are inevitably passed on to every consumer in the state of Alaska,” said Greg Wakefield, whose company’s fuel costs are expected to rise 51%. “A track record does matter – and Sullivan’s record does not address the cost of living challenges facing Alaska families and businesses. Affordability is not a catchphrase or a slogan, it’s a reality for my company, my employees, and all Alaskans.”
“The war has caused gas and oil prices to skyrocket, and it doesn’t look like they’re coming down anytime soon,” said Alaska Democratic Party Chair Eric Croft. “The politicians that did this should pay the price, in particular Dan Sullivan, who voted for the tariffs that are costing every day and [voted] over and over again for the war.”
Sullivan’s votes in D.C. have led to an impending crisis for rural Alaskans that are threatening an “energy crisis of extraordinary and unprecedented scale” in rural Alaska — a “life and death” situation driven by Sullivan’s affordability crisis. Many Alaskans’ fuel costs for the next year are already locked in at the high spring prices.
Video from the press conference can be found here.
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