Labor secretary talks economy, visa program on Alaska visit

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) – Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta says Alaska’s economy should pick up given an increase in military spending and pro-energy policies of the Trump administration.

The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports Acosta toured areas of Interior Alaska with Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan on Sunday, stopping in spots in Fairbanks and King Salmon.

When reporters in Fairbanks asked if U.S. trade tensions with China threaten economic development in the state, Acosta said trade is continuing and the negotiations do not mean that there’s a bad relationship.

Acosta said the administration is also working to streamline the H2-B visa program, which gives temporary visas to foreign workers – important for the state’s hospitality and seafood processing industries.

Acosta said officials are working to make the system easier to use by allowing people to apply online.
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Information from: Fairbanks (Alaska) Daily News-Miner, http://www.newsminer.com

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