ANCHORAGE, ALASKA—Earlier last week, U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) recognized the Miller Family, longtime owners and operators of the Santa Claus House in North Pole, Alaska, on the Senate floor. The Santa Claus House, opened by Con and Nellie Miller more than 70 years ago, is a staple for tourism in Interior Alaska, and attracts thousands of guests every year from across the world to experience the magic of Christmas in the real North Pole. For decades, the Miller family has brought Christmas cheer all year round—all while getting involved in and giving back to the community. The Miller family and Santa Claus House were recognized as part of Sen. Sullivan’s series, “Alaskan of the Week.”

Tribute to the Miller Family 

Madam President, I am going to end my remarks on a high note and a very important one. 

I’d like to come down and do what we call the “Alaskan of the Week.” I can see the pages are already kind of excited, right, because, let’s face it, this is the most exciting speech of the week and certainly the most interesting.  

So what I like to do is come down–by the way, I know the press generally likes it because it is normally a signal that it is the end of the week.  Everybody is going home. This is usually the last speech of the week. I think this might be the last speech of the year this year. 

What we do with the Alaskan of the Week, we talk a little bit about what is going on in Alaska–I will get to that–and then I like to highlight someone who is doing something great for my State. 

It might be, you know, someone local. Our first Alaskan of the Week, I think, was a librarian who had been a librarian for 40 years–amazing woman–and then we have superstar world athletes, gold medalists in swimming, and things like that. So we just cover the whole gamut. 

Now, usually there is a poster board. I made this a very special Alaskan of the Week poster board. This might be the first time ever it has got Santa on it, and you are going to see why–a Santa-oriented speech. 

So, of course, right now, I am getting ready to head home in a couple of hours. I was just home over the weekend. There are no worries in Alaska right now about a white Christmas. Anchorage, my hometown, I think we have had close to 100 inches of snow already. Look, for us, that is a lot. I am talking about November, right. So we have a white Christmas coming, for sure. 

It is magical, of course, in Alaska. We have got reindeer. We have  got one that actually lives in downtown Anchorage. We have visitors coming. We have got a great town called North Pole, AK–North Pole, AK–and we have the Santa Claus House in North Pole, where Santa lives. By the way, this is true. This is what my Alaskan of the Week speech is all about. 

If you write a letter to Santa addressed to the North Pole, your letter will end up at the Santa Claus House in North Pole, AK. Why wouldn’t it? 

By the way, this house is not to be confused with the abode of a North Pole city council member. North Pole, AK, is a city a little bit north of Fairbanks. This city council member, by the way, his name is Santa Claus. His legal name is Santa Claus. He is a member of the city council. I know him well. Look, I am not ripping him. He is a Bernie Sanders Socialist, true. Now, why wouldn’t he be? You know, the guy gives out free gifts to everybody. That is true. He is a good guy. So, Santa, if you are watching, hello–Santa Claus, city council member, North Pole. 

But in all seriousness, Interior Alaska–this is in the interior part of our State–has the greatest, most kind people and generous. And in keeping with the spirit of Christmas, our Alaskan of the Week is the Miller family who is the owner of Santa Claus House in North Pole, AK, which has been a fixture in our State–and really for the country–for over 70 years–70 years. The Miller family founded Santa Claus House and has been running it for 70 years, making North Pole, AK, literally what it is today. They built the whole community. 

Let me help you get into the holiday spirit by describing just how magical the Santa Claus House in North Pole, AK, really is. If you drive down Saint Nicholas Drive–I am not kidding–by St. Nicholas Catholic Church, by the way, you will see a huge house lined with red trim and murals of a reindeer and Santa’s sleigh. Just outside is a barn with a real reindeer, a massive, decked-out Christmas tree, and a 42-foot-tall Santa Claus statue welcoming you to Santa’s workshop. 

The magic does not end there. Inside the house, you are greeted by a Christmas tree decorated with every ornament you can imagine, a live countdown to Christmas Day–of course. Why wouldn’t there be one every day of the year–and a professional Santa Claus ready to hear every Christmas wish from the thousands of visitors–and I am not just talking Alaskans but Americans, people from all over the world who visit Santa Claus House in North Pole, AK, every year. And you are also likely to meet and see several members of the extended Miller family working to make the Santa Claus House the winter wonderland it is. They have been doing it for four generations, keeping the spirit of Christmas alive. 

Let me take you back four generations to the original founder of Santa Claus House. That is Con and Nellie Miller. Born in 1913, Con and his mother just didn’t see eye to eye. They decided that it was best that he join the Navy. 

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