Senator Romney introduced the One Door to Work Act, legislation which would allow states the flexibility to implement Utah’s successful model of consolidating federal workforce development and social safety net programs within a single state entity—like Utah’s Department of Workforce Services—to help unemployed workers reintegrate more quickly into the workforce.
Senator Romney issued a statement regarding Leader Mitch McConnell’s announcement that he will step down as Senate Republican Leader in November.
Senator Romney has made deterring threats posed by authoritarian regimes, like the Chinese Communist Party and Putin’s Russia, a top priority. The Senator started his week by joining a majority of his colleagues in voting to send additional aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan—allies and partners whose resistance to authoritarian aggression is critical to America’s national security and standing as leader of the free world. Later in the week, Senator Romney headed home to Utah to meet with members of the state legislature and join one of the five passport fairs he, and the Utah Congressional delegation, set up with the State Department—advancing his efforts to bring a permanent passport agency to Salt Lake City.
Senator Romney continued his longstanding effort to bring a passport agency to Salt Lake City by welcoming Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Rena Bitter, and representatives from the U.S. Department of State, to Utah. Throughout the week, the State Department, in coordination with the Utah Congressional Delegation, hosted five “passport fairs” throughout the state to provide Utahns with an opportunity to obtain passport services closer to home.
Senator Romney cosponsored the Kids Online Safety Act, bipartisan legislation to provide young people and parents with the tools, safeguards, and transparency they need to protect against online harm to minors. The bill requires social media platforms to put the well-being of children first by providing an environment that is safe by default.
Senator Romney spoke on the Senate floor to urge his colleagues to support sending additional aid to Ukraine, warning of the dire consequences that failing to do so would bring. He argued we cannot stand back and let Putin have his way with Europe—that sending weapons to Ukraine will help discourage further Russian and Chinese invasions, preserve NATO, allow America to remain the leader of the free world, and show that we honor our word to our friends and allies.
For years, Utah and the American West have seen catastrophic wildfires and other natural disasters which have, in many cases, been strikingly difficult to recover from. This week, Senator Romney introduced two key pieces of legislation—one aimed at bolstering our ability to restore water infrastructure damaged by wildfires and the other to avoid deficit spending on disaster relief by requiring Congress to plan ahead. He also pushed for his legislation to stabilize the national debt, argued against calls for socialist healthcare policies, and met with several Utahns.
Senators Romney and Braun (R-IN) reintroduced the Budgeting for Disasters Act, legislation which would require Congress to better prepare for natural emergencies by making future disaster funding fall within statutory budget limits.
Senator Romney joined his colleagues in introducing the Watershed Protection and Forest Recovery Act, bipartisan legislation to help communities and water users protect their water supply after natural disasters on U.S. Forest Service lands.
Senator Romney joined his colleagues, led by Senators Cramer (R-ND), Capito (R-WV), and Manchin (D-WV), in introducing a bicameral, bipartisan Congressional Review Act Joint Resolution of Disapproval to nullify the Federal Highway Administration’s greenhouse gas emissions performance rule and illustrate Congress’ objection to this federal overreach.
Senator Romney joined 28 of his colleagues, led by Senators Hagerty (R-TN) and Hirono (D-HI), in sending a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) encouraging him to invite Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to address a Joint Session of Congress during his Official Visit to the United States in April 2024.
The State Department, in coordination with the Utah Congressional Delegation, will hold five “Passport Fairs” throughout the state to provide Utahns with an opportunity to obtain expedited passport services closer to home. Utahns in need of a passport, or those whose passports have expired or will expire in the next year, may register for an appointment from February 13 – 17 at one of five locations. Bringing a passport agency to Salt Lake City is still a top priority of mine, but these passport fairs are an opportunity to help Utahns in the meantime.