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With the growing threats we face, it is paramount that our military has the resources, equipment, and capabilities it needs to keep our nation safe. Congress passed the bipartisan and bicameral National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (NDAA), annual legislation that authorizes funding levels and provides authorities for the U.S. military and other critical defense priorities.
The legislation, which now heads to the President’s desk, authorizes a 5.2% pay raise for servicemembers—the largest raise in more than two decades. It also includes measures from Senator Romney aimed at protecting against threats from China and Russia, bolstering the critical role Utah plays in our national security, and improving urgent, in-person passport services for Utahns.
Learn more about the provisions Senator Romney drafted here.
The negative impacts of social media on the wellbeing of our children are becoming more and more evident. Nearly 60 percent of students self-reported that they are using their phones for non-education purposes during class instruction—commonly for texting and checking social media. Curbing the non-educational use of smartphones in the classroom may not only help raise students’ GPAs and increase their focus, but also help improve the mental health of our students.
Two of Senator Romney’s amendments aimed at better understanding the impact of smartphones in the classroom were unanimously approved, and subsequently passed, out of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee during a mark-up this week.
Full story by Gitanjali Poonia here.
Illegal border crossings are now exceeding 10,000 per day—almost 4 million per year. That’s more than the population of 24 states—including Utah! It’s critical that the southern border is secured to get illegal immigration back to the level that existed under the prior three administrations. At the same time, we need to continue to aid Ukraine and Israel with the resources they desperately need to defend themselves.
Senator Romney joined NBC’s Meet the Press with Kristen Welker to discuss negotiations on the Senate’s supplemental aid package, arguing that safeguarding U.S. national security means both securing the border and helping democracies under attack by authoritarians.
Senator Romney applauded the passage of two Utah priorities out of the Senate Natural Resources Committee: the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins Recovery Act and the Great Salt Lake Stewardship Act. The first will support Utah’s efforts to recover threatened and endangered fish species in the Upper Colorado and San Juan Rivers by providing the necessary tools to comply with complicated federal mandates. The second will support water conservation efforts in the Great Salt Lake Basin and help Utah fulfill its critical water needs.
Senator Romney shared the following statement after reports that Lt. Ridge Alkonis, a Navy officer imprisoned in Japan for more than 500 days, had been transferred into United States custody.
“This is welcome news after the long, drawn-out struggle that Lt. Ridge Alkonis and his family have faced. Thankful for all who worked to bring awareness to his situation and helped secure his transfer back to the United States.”
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