Yes you did U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) said ,
"The melting polar ice caps have opened new passageways through the Arctic ice "
Well yes that statement is goofy.
But it still looks like she is advocating for a stronger ice breaking capability in the area which seems like a no brainer.
It seems like a national defense issue.
Not sure how anyone would argue with what she is asking for?
It actually does melt for about two months in the summer, then closes in September... every year.
If you want to get sea going barges to Barrow and Prudhoe Bay (the USA’s largest Oil Field) outside of those two months, you need an ice breaker. Some years even with the melt the ice closes the passage. Then you have to have the ice breaker or have the cargo wait until the next year’s melt.