A bipartisan group of eight women senators departed Friday on a diplomatic mission to Arctic nations, seeking to reassure U.S. allies at a time when President Donald Trump has taken an aggressive, go-it-alone stance in the region.
The delegation is led by Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, who crafted the trip to address rising concerns about American commitments to North American and northern European partners. The group includes four Democrats and four Republicans: Sens. Cindy Hyde Smith, Katie Britt and Cynthia Lummis from the GOP, and Maggie Hassan, Kirsten Gillibrand and Catherine Cortez Masto from the Democratic side.
What the Right Is Saying
Murkowski framed the trip as an opportunity for senators to experience the strategic importance of the Arctic region firsthand. "I want them to experience, first of all, the awesomeness of the Arctic," she said. She expressed hope that colleagues would come away from the trip "excited and intrigued and hopefully inspired."
Republican members of the delegation highlighted military readiness concerns in the region. The group will witness the unique challenges of conducting operations in extreme cold and remote conditions, including visiting military sites that require specialized infrastructure.
Both Murkowski and Shaheen have worked to stabilize relations with allies despite the Trump administration's actions. They are among the lawmakers pushing legislation that would prevent the United States from attacking fellow NATO members, language they are seeking to include in this year's defense authorization bill.
What the Left Is Saying
Shaheen told the Associated Press that the delegation aims to reassure allies that the United States recognizes the importance of partnerships in the Arctic and beyond. "We will reassure our allies that we recognize and appreciate the importance of our allies and partners in the Arctic as in so many other areas," she said, adding that the group would discuss what Congress can do to support those relationships.
Democratic senators on the trip emphasized climate change's impact on Arctic communities as a core concern. Murkowski noted the delegation wants to understand what it means to visit remote, isolated communities with no road access and see how military installations require airplane hangars because aircraft cannot be kept outside overnight in Arctic temperatures.
Shaheen cited research suggesting that when women are at the negotiating table, agreements tend to last longer. "There are very real reasons why we need to make sure that women are at the table," she said, adding that female representation in government leads to more stable societies and investments back into communities.
What the Numbers Show
The eight senators represent a cross-section of both parties equally split at four Democrats and four Republicans. The delegation will visit four Arctic or sub-Arctic regions: Canada, Greenland (an autonomous territory of Denmark), Svalbard (a Norwegian archipelago that is one of the northernmost inhabited areas on Earth) and Iceland.
Iceland's parliament is comprised of roughly 46% women, ranking among the highest globally for female political representation. The Pentagon announced this week that the United States would pause participation on a joint board with Canada for continental defense that dates back to World War II.
NATO has recently sought to foster cooperation in the High North through joint military exercises as China and Russia increase their activities in the region. Climate change continues to thin Arctic ice, potentially creating a northwest passage for international trade while reigniting competition over access to mineral resources and strategic undersea cable projects.
The Bottom Line
The all-women delegation arrives amid heightened tensions between the United States and its traditional allies over defense commitments. The timing reflects frustration among some lawmakers that the administration's unilateral approach risks undermining decades of cooperative security arrangements in a region of increasing strategic value.
What remains to be seen is whether bipartisan congressional diplomacy can offset policy divergences between Capitol Hill and the White House on NATO support and Arctic engagement. Shaheen said senators would assess whether new policy directives are needed upon their return.