As 2024 begins, Senator Romney released a report detailing the policy and constituent services highlights from the past year. Major legislative highlights included enactment of Romney bills that equip the U.S. to better counter the rise of China, bolster the role Utah plays in our national defense, and advance efforts to bring a passport agency to Salt Lake City.
Looking back on this past year, our country and the world faced great challenges. In spite of these difficulties, I remain grateful for the opportunity to represent Utahns in the Senate and work to tackle some of these complex challenges.
Senators Romney and Manchin (D-WV) released the following statement on the United States national debt surpassing $34 trillion—which equals $100,000 for every person in the country—and called on their colleagues to prioritize passing the bipartisan Fiscal Stability Act in the new year.
This year presented both new challenges and opportunities. Ukraine continued to defend itself against Russia’s unprovoked invasion; Hamas-led terrorist attacks against the people of Israel have sparked a war in Gaza; and political divisions in America have caused greater gridlock and more partisan posturing in Washington. Withstanding these difficulties, Senator Romney pushed forward on his priorities to help support Utah’s infrastructure needs, address continued drought conditions in the West, combat the growing China threat, stabilize our burgeoning public debt, and support democracies, like Israel and Ukraine, in the face of tyranny.
I’m reminded of Abraham Lincoln’s words, during his second inaugural address when the country was in the final pangs of the Civil War: “With malice toward none with charity for all with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right let us strive on to finish the work we are in to bind up the nation’s wounds.” During this holiday season, may we commit ourselves to being agents in binding up the wounds of our time—starting in our own families, neighborhoods, and communities. It’s my wish that Utahns, and all Americans, can find long-lasting peace, joy, and hope in their lives. Ann and I wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Following a recommendation by Senator Romney, President Biden has announced his intent to nominate Ann Marie McIff Allen to serve as United States District Court Judge for the District of Utah. Judge Allen is a graduate of Brigham Young University J. Reuben Clark Law School and was appointed to the Fifth District Court—serving Iron, Beaver, and Washington counties—in August 2020 by Governor Gary R. Herbert.
As China and Russia continue to expand their military capabilities, it’s essential that we make substantial investments in our own military and other national defense priorities. This week, Senator Romney helped pass the annual defense authorization bill, which included several provisions he authored to address threats from foreign adversaries, support our servicemembers, and expand passport services in Utah. He also secured committee passage of two pieces of legislation aimed to help us better understand the impacts of smartphones in classrooms, and welcomed progress on two Utah natural resource priorities.
Senator Romney applauded the passage of two Utah priorities out of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee: the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins Recovery Act and the Great Salt Lake Stewardship Act.
Congress has passed the bipartisan and bicameral conference report for the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (NDAA), annual legislation that authorizes funding levels and provides authorities for the U.S. military and other critical defense priorities, ensuring America’s forces have the training, equipment, and resources they need to carry out their missions.
Senator Romney offered two amendments aimed at better understanding the impact of smartphones in the classroom to the Advancing Research in Education Act (AREA) during a Senate HELP Committee mark-up. Both amendments were unanimously approved by the Committee and were added to AREA, which subsequently passed out of HELP by an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 20-1.
Senator Romney joined NBC’s Meet the Press with Kristen Welker to discuss negotiations on the Senate’s supplemental aid package, which he argued must include both border security and continued aid for Ukraine and Israel.
China has ambitions to overtake the United States as the global leader, and they’re well on track to do so. This week, Senator Romney pressed the Administration’s Deputy Secretary of State nominee to enact a comprehensive strategy to address the China threat. He also welcomed a major highway infrastructure investment coming to Iron County funded by the bipartisan infrastructure bill, introduced legislation to combat the financing of terrorist groups like Hamas, and met with leaders from Utah to advance priorities for our state.