Dan Sullivan

Does marine debris that reaches freshwater pose a different threat, different challenge, different way that we should think about it from a policy perspective?

Because that could be very helpful. We're not there yet.

But let me get to another question that he raised that I think is also--we can view as an opportunity and a challenge.

This is something that our children and grandchildren will be looking at us to say, 'Why did you or didn't you do something about this?'

This is a great issue for us to work together on in a bipartisan fashion.

Thank you Chairman Sullivan and Ranking Member Peters for your leadership in holding this important hearing.

How do we empower these organizations that are on the ground that are literally the front lines?

I want to thank Senator Booker for his leadership on this issue and obvious passion, and I think it's what we need.

I think there's a lot of encouragement, but I also think there's a recognition that, globally, this is not going to really happen in terms of solid results unless the U.S. is one of the key leaders.

I think we can use that, Indonesia's example, and hold that up to some of the other Asian states as the type of steps that they should be taking.

I appreciate the witnesses that we have for this hearing today.

Marine debris poses a significant threat to our natural areas, wildlife, shorelines across the United States

A bipartisan group of my Senate colleagues and I introduced the Save Our Seas Act

The majority of marine debris in the world's oceans come from five countries in Asia

It is true bipartisan effort and consideration with Senator Peters.

I think that is what I just did.

And the way that the government can help to encourage this through public-private partnerships are to set high-level requirements and not tell companies how to complete them.

I think strapping on that idea of risk to get out there and explore, I think that's the thing that will inspire our next generation.

I think we've lost some of that, but we can regain it.

It's the only non-government-owned space complex that allows you to do that in the world, correct?

We passed, and I was a big supporter recently of the Iran and Russia sanctions bill.

I think we are just scratching the surface on finally realizing how important this instrument of United States power can be to bolster our allies and push back on the Russians, to be perfectly honest.

It is essentially righting a wrong, enabling Alaska Native members to be able to develop their land as was promised by the Congress.

What are the things that we can do and we can focus on working with groups like yours to help address these populations?

State AGs, district attorneys, actually have a lot more authority under the new law that we passed 2 years ago.