The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted to advance provisions secured by Senator Romney to improve passport services during a business meeting to consider the Department of State Authorization Act of 2023—continuing his longstanding efforts to bring a passport agency to Salt Lake City and improve Utahns’ access to consular services.
Senator Romney, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy, joined Senators Menendez (D-NJ) and Risch (R-ID), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, as well as Senator Van Hollen (D-MD), Chairman of the Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy, in applauding the Committee’s passage of their Taiwan Tax Agreement Act of 2023, bipartisan legislation authorizing the Biden Administration to negotiate and conclude a tax agreement between the United States and Taiwan.
Senator Romney secured several measures in the 2024 NDAA, which 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. The bipartisan Senate NDAA includes five Romney measures aimed at protecting against threats from China and Russia and reaffirming the critical role Utah plays in our national security.
Senator Romney joined his colleagues, led by Senator Budd (R-NC), in penning a letter to Attorney General Garland demanding answers regarding reports of Chinese Intelligence outposts operating inside the United States, including in Salt Lake City, Utah. The letter was also signed by Senators Tillis (R-NC), Cruz (R-TX), Cornyn (R-TX), Fischer (R-NE), Ricketts (R-NE), Schmitt (R-MO), Hawley (R-MO), and Lee (R-UT).
Senator Romney, member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, joined his colleagues in releasing the following statement marking the 26th anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover and the 3rd anniversary of the Hong Kong “National Security Law.”
Senators Romney, Sullivan (R-AK), and Peters (D-MI), today introduced the Critical Mineral Independence Act of 2023, legislation to push the Department of Defense to achieve critical mineral supply chain independence from China, Russia, and other geostrategic competitors and adversaries.
The Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee has advanced the Intergovernmental Critical Minerals Task Force Act. The bipartisan legislation authored by Senators Romney, Peters (D-MI), and Lankford (R-OK), would reduce the United States’ reliance on China and adversarial nations for critical minerals and now moves to the full Senate for consideration.
Senator Romney led his colleagues in introducing the Sentinel Nuclear Deterrence Act of 2023, legislation to strengthen and solidify the Sentinel program, which is vital to U.S. nuclear deterrence. The legislation would provide multiyear procurement authority for LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missiles, help to stabilize key supply chains, and increase program efficiency.
Senator Romney joined his colleagues in sending a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging him to take immediate action to resolve the massive, unacceptable backlog of passport applications. In the letter, the senators note countless reports from Americans in their states regarding issues and concerns with delayed wait times, lack of available in-person appointments, and an inability to communicate with passport agencies.
Senator Romney served as Ranking Member at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee nominations hearing for ambassadorships to Malaysia, Azerbaijan, Palau, and Djibouti, and Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the United States International Development Finance Corporation.
Senator Romney joined Senators Peters (D-MI), Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Lankford (R-OK) in introducing bipartisan legislation to reduce the United States’ reliance on China and other adversarial nations for critical minerals. Critical minerals and rare earth metals are used to manufacture electric vehicle batteries, military equipment, and other technology that is vital to American economic competitiveness and homeland security.
Senator Romney, along with Senators Coons (D-DE), Dr. Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Klobuchar (D-MN), Cornyn (R-TX), and Blumenthal (D-CT), introduced the bipartisan Platform Accountability and Transparency Act (PATA), a bill that would require social media companies to share more data with the public and researchers.