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Much of the activity in the Senate this week was focused on consideration of a large package of bills focused on increasing U.S. competitiveness with China. Senator Romney offered several amendments to the package known as the Endless Frontier Act saying, "It is becoming increasingly urgent that we develop a comprehensive strategy to counter the China threat, which has grown during the COVID pandemic as the Chinese Communist Party exerts its political leverage over other countries."
Senator Romney's amendments would require the President to develop and submit to Congress a grand strategy with respect to China, promote rare earth mineral independence from China, and call for partnerships with allies to prevent Chinese companies from profiting from stolen intellectual property. His amendments also require reporting on Chinese propaganda efforts and direct the Administration to begin negotiations of a free trade agreement with Taiwan.
Senator Romney continued to advocate for his Family Security Act—legislation that streamlines existing federal benefits into direct cash payments to parents—during a conversation about family policy with the Deseret News and the Institute for Family Studies. Instead of providing parents with a benefit that incentivizes federally-approved childcare, a monthly cash benefit would allow parents the ability to make their own decisions for their family without penalizing those parents that choose to stay at home. Parents "know better what’s right for their child than the government in Washington,” Senator Romney said.
Full article by Samuel Benson here.
There is broad recognition that we need to address the looming insolvency of our federal trust funds. Getting our country through the COVID-19 pandemic has required us to borrow trillions of dollars, which has in turn threatened essential programs like Medicare and Social Security. It is estimated that these critical trust funds will be depleted within the next 11 years. Senator Romney continues to work with a bipartisan group of colleagues to advance the TRUST Act—legislation to shore up our federal trust funds and put us on a path toward a stronger fiscal future.
Full opinion by Brian Reidl here.
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