S.Amdt. 3835

This amendment, submitted by Ms. Murkowski, aims to add a new section to the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to create the position of Ambassador-at-Large for Arctic Affairs within the Department of State.

The purpose of this change is to establish a specific role to represent the United States in Arctic affairs. Key details include:

• Appointment: The President appoints the Ambassador with the advice and consent of the Senate.
• Responsibilities: The Ambassador reports to the Secretary of State and coordinates foreign policy and programs in the Arctic region.
• Focus Areas: The role covers national security, cooperation between Arctic countries, economic development, natural resource management, environmental protection, scientific research, and the involvement of Arctic indigenous peoples.
• Scope: The amendment defines the Arctic region to include areas north of the 66.56083 parallel, specific U.S. territories, contiguous seas (including the Arctic Ocean and Bering, Beaufort, and Chukchi Seas), and the Aleutian Chain.
• Arctic Countries: It identifies the permanent members of the Arctic Council as the United States, Canada, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia.