Newsletters

It cannot be understated: America today faces formidable challenges—our mounting national debt, rising authoritarian power and influence around the world, unchecked growth of AI technologies, and increasingly dramatic climate conditions. This week in Utah, Senator Romney met with entrepreneurs, students, and higher education leaders to discuss the challenges we face that require serious attention from Americans and lawmakers. He also commemorated the horrific terrorist attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, and met with a Paralympian bronze medalist from Utah.

Utah—out of all 50 states—has the highest number of children in each family. And in today’s economy, families are facing great financial strain. This week, Senator Romney introduced legislation that would support families raising kids by expanding the Child Tax Credit without adding to the debt. He also introduced legislation to help the federal government assess its ability to respond to economic shocks and to continue oversight of funds tied to COVID-era programs.

With each passing day, China works to expand its geopolitical, military, and economic dominance in the world—seeking to overtake America as the global leader. To address the growing China threat, Senator Romney this week introduced legislation that would counter the CCP’s Belt and Road Initiative, root out its influence in our educational institutions, strengthen our security alliances, and sanction supporters of China’s maritime militia. He also saw his bill to reduce the United States’ dependence on China for critical minerals unanimously pass the Senate and introduced bipartisan legislation to repeal a COVID-era tax credit that has become riddled with fraud.

Americans stand united in respect, admiration, and pride for the athletes of Team USA. This week, Senator Romney joined a bipartisan resolution expressing support for the American Olympians competing in Paris, saw his bill to safeguard children from the harms of social media pass the Senate, and introduced legislation to stop the Biden Administration’s unfair student loan cancellation schemes.

The Olympic and Paralympic games provide the world an opportunity to witness the greatest qualities of the human spirit exhibited by remarkable athletes. This week, Senator Romney congratulated his fellow Utahns in bringing the 2034 Winter Games back to Salt Lake City and offered well-wishes to Team USA athletes from Utah as they compete in the 2024 Paris Games that kicked off today. He also introduced legislation to keep smartphones out of classrooms, brought a taste of Utah to Washington, and celebrated Pioneer Day.

America’s ascent was improbable: our founding was based on a war nearly lost, a set of Articles of Confederation that failed, a Constitution that was barely ratified, and a terrible second war with Great Britain. Less than a century later, we succumbed to a great civil war that claimed more than 600,000 lives.Nevertheless, America not merely endured, but achieved a level of greatness and goodness never before seen in human history. This tradition continues today—I have seen the greatness of the American spirit time and again. We innovate, we persevere, we overcome.

Passport demand in Utah is enormous, due in part to our population growth and global missionary efforts. After a years-long push by Senator Romney, the State Department announced that a passport agency is coming to Salt Lake City to provide Utahns with improved, in-person services. Senator Romney also advanced another major priority by introducing bipartisan legislation that would help prevent wildfires and expedite federal resources for when they strike. His bill incorporates recommendations made by a wildfire commission he secured into law in the bipartisan infrastructure bill.

A lack of adequate safeguards against unlawful employment in the U.S. job market is one of the leading causes of illegal immigration. To address this, Senator Romney introduced bipartisan legislation to mandate that all employers only hire legal workers. He also introduced several bipartisan bills to strengthen America’s national security amid increased threats from terrorist organizations and China, and garnered support for his bill to bring Utah’s successful workforce program model nationwide.

America leads the free world, drawing strength from its alliances and partnerships. And it’s these relationships that are critical in addressing the growing threats we face from authoritarians. This week, Senator Romney pressed the Administration to deliver a comprehensive strategy on China and encouraged a NATO ally to boost its defense spending to meet commitments. On the domestic policy front, the Senator urged the Administration to withdraw a disastrous student loan bailout rule and called for stronger action to address Utah’s drought—consulting with water scarcity experts

On May fifth, Sergeant Bill Hooser of the Santaquin Police Department was killed in the line of duty. His sacrifice is an important reminder to all of us. Every single day, our men and women in law enforcement put their lives on the line to protect our communities. This week, Senator Romney saw the resolution he cosponsored commemorating National Police Week unanimously pass the Senate. He also led a hearing on reducing waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government and introduced legislation to reauthorize funding for poison control centers.

In just over a decade, cuts to Social Security and Medicare benefits will happen automatically—and the longer we wait to fix these programs, the worse it will get. This week, Senator Romney renewed calls for bipartisan action on the country’s wilting entitlement programs—including his legislation to create a bipartisan fiscal commission to tackle the burgeoning national debt before it’s too late. He also introduced bills to require federal employees to return to in-person work and to improve U.S. coordination with our allies in the wake of China’s increased aggression, and met with several groups from Utah to discuss important priorities for our state.

Countering the China threat, tackling the national debt, and mitigating wildfires have been among Senator Romney’s top priorities since the beginning of his Senate term. This week, Senator Romney continued to advance these efforts. He led a hearing on U.S. policy in Taiwan and China’s ambitions in the Indo-Pacific, was recognized for his efforts to lower the public debt and stabilize the nation’s finances, and met with fire chiefs from Utah as he works to craft modernized wildfire legislation. He also pressed federal agencies on their inaction to understand and contain the recent outbreak of the bird flu virus.