Soon after being sworn into the Senate, final negotiations took place regarding a package of legislation dealing with management of our federal lands - including those in Utah. The bill, which was the product of years of collaboration between Utah county commissioners and local ranchers, recreationists, and conservationists, included the creation of 240,000 acres of wilderness and 248,000 acres of recreation areas, consolidation of Utah trust lands that will generate millions in revenue for our school kids, and local land transfers to meet city and county government needs. Former Senator Hatch, along with Congressmen Bishop and Curtis, worked hard on this legislation for many years, and I was pleased to help bring this measure over the finish line - but our work is not done. Partnering with Senator Lee, I helped introduce a bill that would require the approval of Congress and state legislatures in order for the President to designate national monuments. And I am continuing to push for more local control and input over how public lands in Utah are managed.



Hill Air Force Base plays a vital role in our country’s national security. In the end-of-year spending bill, I helped secure funding for military construction projects at Hill and funding for nearly 100 F-35s, with maintenance and repairs occurring at the base. The bill also included funding to modernize our missile defense system, managed in large part at Hill.

This year also saw progress on other Utah priorities - including increased funding for management of the wild horse and burro population on rangelands, wildfire suppression and prevention resources, and reauthorization of programs that support essential services and schools in our rural counties. We’re close to settling a decades-long negotiation among the Navajo Nation, federal government and the State of Utah over water rights and infrastructure for Utah Navajos.





Like many of you, I have been alarmed by the increase in vaping related lung illnesses - including 125 cases in Utah - and statistics indicating that five million kids are now vaping regularly - putting them at risk of serious health problems and a lifetime of addiction. As a member of the Senate committee that deals with health matters, I am pushing the Administration and Congress to act without any further delay to reverse this deadly trend. This fall, I introduced the Ending New Nicotine Dependencies (ENND) Act, which bans flavors, ensures that vaping cartridges are tamper-proof, and bans e-cigarettes from our schools. As part of the recent government funding bill, the President signed into law the Tobacco 21 Act, which I helped introduce, to raise the federal minimum age for purchasing tobacco products to 21. The bill also includes a requirement for HHS to take steps toward ensuring vape cartridges are tamper-proof.



Levied on everything from pacemakers to defibrillators and surgical tools, the Medical Device Tax hurts patients and stifles medical innovation. Utah’s medical device companies, which employ thousands of workers, are also negatively impacted. Luckily, this harmful tax was permanently repealed last week. Bringing more transparency to drug pricing and reducing out-of-pocket costs for consumers remains a top priority of mine. I’ve been working with my colleagues on the Health committee to advance legislation that achieves these goals.





With ever-increasing challenges to our national security and interests, it is imperative that the United States promote peace through strength as the leader of the free world. Addressing the threat that China poses to our fundamental values of freedom, human rights, and free enterprise will continue to be the principal challenge facing our nation in the 21st century. I’ve worked with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to work on a holistic strategy to combat this threat. The annual defense bill, recently signed into law, includes my provision to ensure Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. is not removed from the Commerce Department’s Entity List of sanctioned companies until it no longer poses a national security threat. Another provision I authored requires the U.S. to partner with allies in the Indo-Pacific region, Europe, and beyond, to develop a unified approach to address the rise of China. This legislation is awaiting full consideration in the Senate.

As the Chairman of the Subcommittee dealing with the Middle East, I traveled with Ranking Member Senator Murphy (D-CT) to Israel, Ramallah, Jordan, and Iraq to discuss with government and civilian leaders how the United States can support a more secure and prosperous future in the region. We’ve also held hearings aimed at strengthening U.S. Middle East policy.





Strengthening ourselves abroad also means strengthening ourselves here at home. Our nation’s debt is nearly $23 trillion - we’re spending nearly one trillion more dollars per year than we’re taking in. Last year alone, we spent almost $300 billion on interest and increasingly, the burden of these interest payments will fall on the American taxpayer. Most of our federal spending - two-thirds - is automatic. Namely, our entitlement programs and trust funds: Social Security, Medicare, our Highway Trust Fund, and the like.



Without action, these trust funds will be facing insolvency within 13 years - forcing either steep benefit cuts or drastic tax hikes. I’ve teamed up with Senator Manchin (D-WV) and a group of seven bipartisan Senate colleagues to introduce the TRUST Act, which would create congressional committees specifically tasked to develop legislation to restore and strengthen endangered federal trust funds.





Utah is one of the only states in the nation where births are outpacing the mortality rate. Growing families are a blessing - but they are also expensive. The majority of working parents do not get paid when they take time off from work after the birth or adoption of a child, which can mean depleted savings, credit card debt, or student loan defaults. As debate continues over the best paid family leave solution, I joined Senator Rubio (R-FL) on a proposal, the New Parents Act, to allow new parents to use a portion of their Social Security for paid parental leave. It wouldn’t add to the national debt, impose new taxes, or create a new entitlement program - but it does give families flexibility on how to use their own benefits to best suit their needs.

During recent negotiations over tax legislation, Senator Bennet (D-CO) and I saw an opportunity to partner on a pro-family, pro-child policy that would benefit millions of Americans. We offered a compromise plan that would have extended and reformed the Child Tax Credit, provided technical fixes to the 2017 Tax Law supported by the business community, and permanently repealed the Medical Device Tax. By making the child tax credit fully refundable, the proposal would especially help parents handle the costs of raising children, while still encouraging work as the benefit phases higher alongside income. While this plan was ultimately not adopted, it could serve as a path forward for future conservative pro-family, pro-child tax policy.