Sen. Dan Sullivan is always eager to get on Fox News, where he never faces anything resembling a question. He is quick to attack Joe Biden, attack Democrats and praise the wit and wisdom of Donald Trump.

The other day he got up early and made it clear to the world on Fox News that it is a travesty to have three college football games on the second Saturday in December, a day that should be reserved for the Army-Navy game and none other, Sullivan said.

It’s too bad he didn’t make a similar effort to communicate his views when the Anchorage Daily News set out to do a detailed account of an important Senate vote this week about Social Security,

Sullivan should have a lot to say about this bill as it would increase Social Security benefits for thousands of Alaskans penalized by provisions adopted decades ago. It’s been out in the open for a long time and there is no reason for any member of the Senate to feign indecision or to hide in the corner.

The Daily News noted that Sen. Lisa Murkowski, as co-sponsor, is trying to round up Republican support for the bill and get it to the president’s desk.

“The Social Security Fairness Act has worked to ensure that those who have dedicated their lives to serving Alaska do not face unfair penalties in retirement, which is why I have been a proud co-sponsor of this legislation throughout my time in the Senate. I urge my colleagues to join me in voting to pass the Social Security Fairness Act,” Murkowski wrote on Facebook last week.

That’s clear enough.

Sullivan, as is his practice on policies that are not rah-rah cheerleader material, can’t find a way to reveal whether he supports or opposes the measure. He can’t say he hasn’t had time to read it.

He declined to make himself available to the Daily News, the same tactic he almost always uses with Liz Ruskin of Alaska Public Media, the only experienced Alaska reporter covering Congress in Washington, D.C.

Sullivan again used his speechwriter, former journalist Amanda Coyne, as a human shield to offer mumbo jumbo instead of substance.

“Questions about Sullivan’s position on the bill went unanswered,” ADN reporter Iris Samuels wrote.

“Spokesperson Amanda Coyne instead shared a statement prepared last month, indicating Sullivan favored a more tailored response from the Social Security Administration ‘to find an Alaska solution for Alaskan public servants.’”

Last month? Favored a more tailored response?

There won’t ever be a more tailored response on the Senate floor.

Coyne alleged that Sullivan has “long fought to eliminate the reduction in Social Security Benefits for Alaska workers who qualify for retirement benefits for certain programs, such as Alaska’s PERS and TRS.”

In refusing to answer a simple question, it appears that Sullivan doesn’t want to alienate voters on a matter that will be closely watched by tens of thousands who will cast ballots in 2026 when he is up for reelection.

As the ADN notes, “Opponents of the Social Security Fairness Act say that its passage could hasten the insolvency of the Social Security program. Already, the program is expected to run out of money in nine years without congressional action to address it. The bill in question could cause the fund to run dry six months sooner, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.”

Fair enough. But injecting a dose of fairness into the system can take place and the system can be saved, though doing that will put every politician on the spot.

Murkowski and Sullivan should be pushing for ways to extend the life of Social Security by raising the level of earnings subject to Social Security taxes, cutting benefits or raising the retirement age. I favor the first option. The limit will be $176,100 in 2025.

Murkowski and Sullivan ought to make it clear to Alaskans what they would do to avert the coming crisis. Sullivan’s failure this week to state his position makes me think he won’t ever be up to facing the far more difficult task of preserving Social Security for future generations.

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