Essay Example on Senator Daniel Sullivan: Policies, Politics, and Social Media Impact

Introduction

Daniel Scott Sullivan is an American lawyer and politician serving as a junior senator in Alaska, United States, since 2015 (Senate.com, 2020). Sullivan in 2020 ran for the second term in the senate and won against his fellow contestants. Sullivan at times chairs senate hearings and supports several policies, including gun policy, social policy, health and safety, and missile defense system. The member of Congress is also active in social media, especially Twitter, where he expresses his political opinions, among other matters. Sullivan also has Facebook and Instagram accounts. This paper is an analysis of Sullivan’s role in various policies.

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Congress's Role in Various Policies

Health Care and Public Health

Sullivan opposes the Affordable Care Act. The ACA or Obamacare seeks to expand the coverage of health insurance for the uninsured in the United States. Sullivan recently caused a public exchange with Senator Sherrod Brown in repellant of the public health measure. On 17th November 2020, Sullivan did not wear a face mask during the presiding over the senate (Collman, 2020). As a measure to curb the spread of COVID-19 globally, all the senators are required to wear face masks while in the senate-house, just like in any public place. Sullivan was requested by Brown to wear a face mask and publicly refused. According to a Twitter video clip that went viral, Brown asked Sullivan to “please wear a mask” while speaking (Collman, 2020). Sullivan ignored the request saying that he does not need Brown’s instructions and does not wear a mask while speaking like most senators. Brown replied “I know you don't need my instruction, but they're clearly isn't much interest in this body in public health." (Collman, 2020). The conversation struck a hot debate in social media, especially on Twitter, where Sullivan’s supporters found no need to wear a mask while speaking in the Senate while the democrats supporting Brown felt that Sullivan was ignorant of public health.

Gun Policy

According to the report, Sullivan never voted against or in support of gun control policy. In 2014 during his campaign for Senate in Alaska, the National Rifle Association declined to support Sullivan because there was no record of him voting in regard to gun control (Senate.com, 2020).

Environmental Policy

The Alaska-nominated senator rejects the presence of scientific consensus on climate change. In his argument, Sullivan mentioned that the verdict is still there on the human contribution to climate change. He added that human activities are primary contributors to climate change. About Pebble Mine in Alaska, Sullivan opposes the intentions to expand the mines, citing the pretense in the project as his defense. Sullivan has relied on the Trump government to open the Tongass National Forest in Alaska alongside other forms of development in October 2020. Trump allowed the proceeding of the projects removing the protection that has been placed for over two decades (Senate.com, 2020).

Foreign Policy

In July 2017, Sullivan co-sponsored the Israel Anti-Boycott Act that made it illegal for Americans to encourage or take part in boycotts against Israelite settlements and Israel if protesting actions by the government of Israel (Senate.com, 2020).

Social Policy

Sullivan has not made a major contribution to social policy. However, he opposes abortion except in incest, rape, and when the pregnancy can put the mother in danger.

Missile Defense System

Sullivan called for improvements in the U.S. missile defense system in 2017. This was after Kim Jong-un, a North Korean leader, threatened the United States with an Intercontinental ballistic missile strike and performed a missile test that landed 200 miles off the coast of Japan (Senate.com, 2020).

Weekly Log of Sullivan’s Social Media Posts

Twitter

Date Post Details

10/12/2020 – Sullivan, on behalf of himself and his wife Julie, wished Jewish community people from all over the world a Happy Hanukkah Day.

8/12/2020 – Sullivan announced that he and Senator Chris Van Hollen, as co-chairs of the Senate Foreign Service Caucus, reacted to the NAESM report on illnesses experienced by U.S. diplomats in China and Cuba (Twitter, 2020). Their illness could have been caused by electromagnetic radiation.

7/12/2020 – Sullivan, in the observation of Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, honored more than 2400 who lost their lives on the brave and infamy men and women in defense of the country.

Facebook

10/12/2020 – Sullivan posted about how the Trump administration held a summit about the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, which were developed as part of Operation War Speed (Facebook, 2020).

Summary

Daniel Sullivan reran for the nominated senator in Alaska and won. He is now working in Alaska and their nominated senator after winning against Al Gross and John Wayne Howe in the 2020 elections. He has supported various policies like a missile defense system and foreign policy. Sullivan has opposed policies like health care and public health, gun policy, environmental policy, and social policy. Alaska's nominated senator often posts on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook about his political performance. Most of his Twitter posts are similar to those on Facebook. However, he is more active on Twitter than on all other social media.

References

Collman, A. (2020, November 17). Video shows GOP sen. Dan Sullivan and democratic sen. Sherrod Brown argued after the Republican refused to wear a mask while speaking in the Senate. Business Insider Africa. https://africa.businessinsider.com/politics/video-shows-gop-sen-dan-sullivan-and-democratic-sen-sherrod-brown-arguing-after-the/3lgsx68

Facebook. (2020). "Facebook/SenDanSullivan." Facebook, 2020, www.facebook.com/SenDanSullivan.

Senate.com. (2020). Meet Dan. U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska. https://www.sullivan.senate.gov/about/bio

Twitter. (2020). "Sen. Dan Sullivan (@SenDanSullivan) on Twitter." Welcome to Twitter, 2020, twitter.com/SenDanSullivan?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor.