Hello, Utah! I’m excited to share my highs and lows for the week with you. My high, we introduced a number of bills (more on those below), and I did want to highlight one that’s especially important for Utah because it addresses child care. Our bipartisan bill provides tax credits for hardworking families to help cover child care costs and uses incentives to get employers more engaged on this. I’m really excited about that.

I think you all could guess my low—what happened during the State of the Union. Some of my colleagues still haven’t figured out how to respond to President Trump. Look, we want him to be successful in so many ways, and we should cheer on the good things he is doing. The fact that some of my colleagues couldn’t do that was my low for the week.

Sending my best to all of you.

It’s becoming increasingly difficult to raise a family, due in large part to the high cost of child care. Quite frankly, parents deserve better. Senator Curtis joined Senators Britt (R-AL) and Kaine (D-VA) and a bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers, in introducing the Child Care Availability and Affordability Act—legislation to help working families by reducing the financial burden of child care and incentivizing businesses to invest in child care benefits for employees. 



Full story by Cami Mondeaux here.



Innovation and efficiency are critical to meeting energy demands and reducing emissions. Senators Curtis and Hickenlooper (D-CO) introduced the Co-Location Energy Act, bipartisan legislation that takes a forward-thinking approach to unlock renewable energy potential. By allowing wind and solar projects to be co-located on existing federal energy leases, the bill provides a streamlined framework for developers to evaluate and build projects on already-disturbed federal lands with the consent of the current leaseholder.

Hezbollah is directly responsible for the murder of hundreds of Americans. For too long, this Iranian-backed terrorist group has used Latin America as a safe haven for illicit financing, recruitment, and other criminal activities—fueling drug trafficking at our southern border and posing significant threats to our national security. Senator Curtis, Chair of the Foreign Relations Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, and Senator Rosen (D-NV) introduced the No Hezbollah in Our Hemisphere Act, bipartisan legislation to direct the U.S. Department of State and other federal agencies to assess and counter Hezbollah’s influence in Latin America.



Due to Utah’s dry climate, water conservation is essential to preserving our way of life. While households and communities have made significant strides in improving water efficiency, the federal tax code has yet to catch up in supporting these investments. Senators Curtis, Padilla (D-CA), and Hickenlooper (D-CO) reintroduced the Water Conservation Rebate Tax Parity Act, bipartisan legislation that would exempt homeowners from paying income tax on rebates received from utilities for water conservation and runoff management improvements.





Utah’s unique geography requires a nuanced approach to improving air quality—something that Washington hasn’t always understood. Approximately 80% of the state’s ozone comes from Earth's surface or from outside of the region—so Utahns only control 20% of the ozone in the area. Senator Curtis secured commitments from President Trump’s EPA nominees to collaborate with Utah officials and stakeholders to address the state’s unique geographic challenges in meeting federal air quality requirements.

Hardworking Americans deserve to know how and where their tax dollars are being spent, yet records concerning a $42 billion broadband deployment program remain off-limits to the public. What’s worse—the program has yet to connect even a single household to the internet since it started in 2022. Senator Curtis joined Senator Scott (R-FL) and six of their Senate Republican colleagues in introducing the Broadband Buildout Accountability Act, legislation aimed at increasing accountability and transparency for the billions of taxpayer dollars allocated for broadband expansion under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.



For decades, the transatlantic Alliance has been vital to national and global security. This week, Senator Curtis was appointed to the Senate NATO Observer Group, which monitors defense spending commitments, military upgrades, and threats to America and its European allies. Curtis met with Matthew Whitaker, nominee for U.S. Ambassador to NATO, to discuss these priorities and hear his commitment to the Alliance.





The Biden Administration repeatedly sought to close off public lands from Utahns and all Americans. Senators Curtis and Lee (R-UT) introduced a resolution that rescinds a ban on off-road vehicles in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area—a step to ensure that public lands remain accessible for the people, not dictated by Washington bureaucrats. In less than an hour, the resolution received enough signatures to be considered on the Senate floor for a vote.

In a video message, Senator Curtis shared his thoughts on President Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress:

Senator Curtis invited Fred and Anne-Marie Lampropoulos to be his guests at the President’s joint address. Mr. Lampropoulos is Chairman, President, and CEO of Merit Medical Systems in South Jordan, Utah. He has received numerous honors, including the Governor’s Medal for Science and Technology, CEO of the Year, and induction into the Utah Business Hall of Fame. A former Special Forces Officer and Honorary Colonel in the Utah National Guard, he has a distinguished record of service.

Mrs. Lampropoulos has an impressive career in communications and public affairs, is the author of two books, and has contributed to several publications. She serves on multiple boards, including OnSite Care, The Leonardo, Utah Symphony & Opera, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Hale Centre Theatre, Discovery Gateway, the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce, and KUED.

The Senate Youth Program offers outstanding high school students a unique opportunity to learn about public service firsthand in Washington. Senator Curtis met with this year’s Utah delegates to discuss their future plans.




Senator Curtis met with leaders from the Utah Credit Union Association for a discussion on how our local financial institutions are supporting Utah’s economic growth.





Senator Curtis hosted his first constituent meet-and-greet since becoming Senator in his Washington, D.C. office—coined the “Hangout at the Hive.” Stay tuned for more information on the next Hangout at the Hive!

Debt Has Always Been the Ruin of Great Powers. Is the U.S. Next? (Wall Street Journal)

Economists have long sought in vain a threshold that defines how much debt is too much. My own formulation of Adam Ferguson’s idea focuses our attention on the crucial historical relationship between debt service (interest plus the repayment of principal) and national security (expenditure on defense, including investment in research and development).

The crucial threshold is the point where debt service exceeds defense spending, after which the centripetal forces of the aggregate debt burden tend to pull apart the geopolitical grip of a great power, leaving it vulnerable to military challenge.

Read the full article by Niall Ferguson here.

U.S. senator touches on the ‘fundamental flaw’ of BEAD (Fierce Network)

Utah Republicans say Trump’s address marks the beginning of America’s ‘Golden Age’ (Deseret News)

Shutdown showdown: Congress scrambles for spending deal with two weeks until deadline (Deseret News)

Curtis responds to President's joint address to Congress (Iron County Today)

Curtis secures commitments from EPA nominees to collaborate with Utah on air quality challenges (Utah Policy)

Sen. Curtis tells EPA nominees why Utah has unique air quality needs (Deseret News)

curtis.senate.gov