
The Senate on Thursday directed the Pentagon to establish a strategic Arctic port from which Navy and Coast Guard vessels could operate to demonstrate U.S. commitment to the region and further U.S. interests there. The Arctic provision is contained in the Senate’s version of the fiscal year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which was easily approved by a vote of 86 to 8 on Thursday afternoon. The bill says that “although much progress has been made to increase awareness…