{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.murkowski.senate.gov/press/release/dr-michael-sfraga-officially-sworn-in-as-first-united-states-ambassador-at-large-for-arctic-affairs", "Dr. Michael Sfraga Officially Sworn In as First United States Ambassador-at-Large for Arctic Affairs", "2024-10-02", "2024", "2024-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AK", "Lisa Murkowski", "M001153", "www.murkowski.senate.gov", "murkowski", "https://www.murkowski.senate.gov/press/press-releases?PageNum_rs=11", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2014 In a ceremony yesterday at the Harry S. Truman Federal Building, Dr. Michael Sfraga was sworn in by the U.S. Department of State and officially became the United States\u2019 first Ambassador-at-Large for Arctic Affairs. Senator Murkowski, a driving force for the creation of the position and a key advocate of Ambassador Sfraga\u2019s nomination, offered her congratulations following the ceremony.\n\n\u201cCongratulations to Dr. Michael Sfraga, the first United States Ambassador-at-Large for Arctic Affairs,\u201d said Senator Murkowski. \u201cMike will bring to the post a clear-eyed view about the strategic realities of the Arctic, and help position the United States to lead in the region while protecting our national security interests. Between his decades of experience in the region, deep policy expertise, and strong relationships with Arctic leaders, there is no one better suited to be the first person in this role. I am proud to have a fellow Alaskan representing the nation at the highest diplomatic level as ambassador and I look forward to him hitting the ground running.\u201d\n\n\u201cI am humbled and grateful for the trust this administration and Senator Murkowski have placed in me to represent the region that I have dedicated my professional career to,\u201d said Ambassador Sfraga. \u201cAs Ambassador, I pledge to strengthen our relationships with our Arctic allies and partners, leverage expansion of Arctic infrastructure to increase commerce and economic growth, and promote U.S. leadership while countering our adversaries\u2019 ambitions in the region.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:55:29Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.murkowski.senate.gov/press/release/dr-michael-sfraga-officially-sworn-in-as-first-united-states-ambassador-at-large-for-arctic-affairs"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8447489235550165, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}