Back home this week, Senator Romney met with several Utah government and business leaders—including members of the state legislature—to discuss progress on key priorities for the Beehive State, including addressing the drought and wildfires; supporting Ukraine; countering the China threat; and building up our infrastructure.
Senator Romney called on his colleagues to take a more effective approach that prioritizes investments which can lower emissions not only in the U.S., but in worse polluting countries like China. He also urged both parties to come together to work toward balancing the budget, applauded a major investment in Utah made possible by a China competition bill he supported, and met with several stakeholders from our state.
Senator Romney, joined by Senators Hickenlooper (D-CO), and Barrasso (R-WY), introduced the GRAD Act, bipartisan legislation that would improve transparency and inform the decision-making of prospective students by ensuring the reporting of graduation rates accurately reflect the success of community colleges.
At a Health Committee hearing, Senator Romney discussed the widespread shortage of health care workers in the United States, which has been exacerbated by an overwhelming backlog of immigration interviews for nurses and doctors overseas—primarily from the Philippines.
Senator Romney applauded an announcement by Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) that it has selected Lehi, Utah, for its next 300-millimeter semiconductor wafer fabrication plant (or fab). This landmark $11 billion investment marks the largest economic investment in Utah history, and was made possible by the passage of the Romney-backed CHIPS and Science Act.
Senator Romney urged the need for the U.S. to prioritize investments in innovation and technology to combat the effects of climate change, as opposed to feel-good efforts by Washington Democrats that don’t put a dent in lowering global emissions.
Senator Romney commented on a report released by the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission—which Romney secured in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act—outlining a strategy to meet aerial firefighting equipment needs through 2030.
Romney joins colleagues in calling on the Biden administration to rescind its reckless Income Driven Repayment (IDR) rule proposal, which would reduce the amount of student loan debt borrowers have to pay back by 40 percent.
Amid heightened tensions with China this week, Senator Romney continued to urge the Administration to develop a comprehensive China strategy, introduced legislation to end the unfair advantages China receives on the global stage, and pushed for American independence on critical mineral production.
At a Foreign Relations Committee hearing, Senator Romney urged the Administration to implement his legislation, which was co-sponsored by Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Menendez (D-NJ) and enacted as a part of the in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2022, requiring the U.S. to develop a comprehensive strategy to counter the China threat.
Senators Romney and Van Hollen (D-MD) introduced the Ending China’s Developing Nation Status Act, bipartisan legislation to prevent the granting of “developing nation” status to China in future treaties and international organizations.
Senator Romney announced that Major General Michael J. Turley, adjutant general of the Utah National Guard, will attend the State of the Union as his honored guest.