The U.S. Senate yesterday unanimously adopted a resolution marking National Police Week and reiterating support for the men and women in law enforcement. U.S. Senator Romney co-sponsored the bipartisan resolution, led by Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Graham (R-SC) and Chair Durbin (D-IL), with 76 of his Senate colleagues.
At a Foreign Relations Committee hearing to discuss what comes next for U.S. policy towards Russia, Senator Romney recalled the success of our Soviet Union strategy and asked the witnesses to detail potential pressure points for Russia and Putin. Romney argued that we must then apply more effort to those pressure points should the U.S., in lockstep with our allies, be successful at preventing Putin’s goal of re-establishing the old Soviet Union.
Senator Romney joined a group of colleagues, led by Senators Hoeven (R-ND) and Daines (R-MT), in pressing the Bureau of Land Management to withdraw its proposed Public Lands Rule. The senators stressed the negative impact the proposal would have on western states, as the rule would undermine the multiple use requirements established by Congress and lock away taxpayer-owned lands from activities that are essential to local economies, including grazing, energy development, and tourism.
Last night, Title 42—which allowed the Department of Homeland Security to expel illegal immigrants who have no lawful basis for staying in the country—expired. Senator Romney led several of his Republican colleagues in urging the Biden Administration to complete the border wall, which would help get the national security and humanitarian crisis at the southern border under control—something the Administration has failed to do to date.
In advance of the expiration of Title 42 authorities Senator Romney led a group of 14 of his colleagues in sending a letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas criticizing the Administration’s failure to secure the border despite receiving congressionally-appropriated funds to continue construction of the border wall.
The national debt continues to grow at an alarming rate, which poses significant risks to our country’s economic stability and national security, and could jeopardize our ability to make due on programs like Medicare and Social Security. Solving the debt crisis has long been a priority of Senator Romney, and this week he called on his colleagues to move past partisanship and toward compromise.
Senators Romney, Braun (R-IN), and Marshall (R-KS) placed their support behind bipartisan railway safety legislation led by Senator Vance (R-OH). Senators Hawley (R-MO) and Rubio (R-FL) are original cosponsors. The Railway Safety Act is scheduled for a committee markup this Wednesday, May 10.
Senator Romney joined his colleagues in reintroducing the College Transparency Act (CTA), legislation which ensures that students and families have better information as they consider higher education opportunities. The CTA would modernize the college reporting system for postsecondary data by providing accurate reporting on student outcomes such as enrollment, completion, and post-college earnings across colleges and majors, while ensuring the privacy of individual students is securely protected.
Senator Romney applauded an announcement from the Department of Transportation that Utah Transit Authority would be awarded $60 million for its Light Rail Vehicle Replacement Project as part of the FTA’s Rail Vehicle Replacement program. The FTA program—established by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act—was designed to help transit agencies replace aging rail rolling stock, which would improve the reliability, safety, and accessibility of our country’s rail transit systems.
Senator Romney toured Utah businesses and met with local leaders to discuss Utah’s water challenges. Romney started the day at OxEon Energy in North Salt Lake, where he toured the firm’s facility and met with employees. He then visit Bonnell Aluminum in Clearfield for a meeting with their executive board about the company’s efforts to shore up our supply chains, followed by a discussion with its workers. Romney ended the day at the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District for a roundtable discussion with local leaders about the Jordan River Watershed and the Great Salt Lake.
Senator Romney joined Senators Menendez (D-NJ), Jim Risch (R-ID), and Van Hollen (D-MD), in unveiling the Taiwan Tax Agreement Act of 2023, bipartisan legislation to authorize the Biden Administration to negotiate and conclude a tax agreement with Taiwan. Similar to a tax treaty, this agreement would play a key role in facilitating investment between the United States and Taiwan, including in key strategic industries such as semiconductors, by making it easier for businesses in the U.S. and Taiwan to avoid double taxation while protecting against tax evasion.
At a Budget Committee hearing to discuss the recent House-passed bill that raises the debt limit and reduces spending, Senator Romney criticized the politicization of our country’s fiscal situation. He urged his colleagues to put posturing aside and come together to save the U.S. from defaulting on its debt, rein in federal spending, and address the main drivers of the debt—our entitlement programs.