For my high this week, I wanted to give a shout-out to the U.S. Olympic Team in the 2026 Winter Olympics—more than 70 of whom had direct ties to Utah. In Italy, Team USA brought home 33 medals, our best Winter Olympics performance in over a decade! And of course, watching both the Men’s and the Women’s Hockey teams win gold was just an over-the-top, exciting experience. I love how the Games ignited a surge of patriotism across the country. The Olympics give us so many reasons to celebrate, and now we have the privilege of cheering on our Paralympic Team next week.

My low is that Washington continues to ignore the national debt—now over $38 trillion—and deficit. The issue was hardly brought up in the State of the Union. Our debt problem impacts more than you may think—it plays a role in interest rates and borrowing costs, hampers economic growth, and contributes to inflation. If we care about affordability, we have to start caring about the debt.

I hope you all have a great weekend.

Senator Curtis shared the following video message after attending President Trump’s 2026 State of the Union address:



Read his written remarks here.



Four years after Putin’s illegal invasion, Ukraine still stands—and democracies must remain united in standing with them. Senator Curtis, member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, joined his colleagues in introducing a resolution recognizing the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The resolution reaffirms the Senate’s support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity; condemns Russia’s continued attacks on Ukrainian civilians and critical infrastructure; and underscores the importance of strong, binding U.S. and transatlantic security guarantees to secure a just and lasting peace.



Read the full story by Bridger Beal-Cvetko and Daniel Woodruff here.



Outdated federal labor rules are making it harder for rural emergency medical services providers to serve their communities. Senator Curtis and Congresswoman Maloy (R-UT) introduced the Rural Emergency Response Support Act, legislation that would give rural jurisdictions the flexibility they need to staff emergency services effectively, ensuring first responders can deliver lifesaving care without unnecessary federal barriers. 



The brave men and women who serve our nation deserve a smooth passage from active duty to civilian life. Senator Curtis cosponsored the TAP Promotion Act, bipartisan legislation to streamline the benefits process for service members before they leave active duty. The bill would allow accredited members of Veterans Service Organizations and similar entities to participate in Transition Assistance Program classes, file Benefits Delivery at Discharge claims, and complete medical evaluations before leaving service.

Senator Curtis shared the following thoughts on immigration enforcement:

“It’s a false narrative that we can’t have rule of law and compassion. And I think that’s what’s missing right now. The American people clearly want rule of law—we’ve seen the president really praised and rewarded for the work closing the border down. But I also feel like there’s this sense of ‘it doesn’t have to be this way.’ And clearly, ICE has hired a vast number of people on a very quick basis. And I think we need to look deeply into the resources we’re giving these ICE agents from a training perspective and a preparation perspective.”

Read the full story by Rob Nielsen here.



Senator Curtis shared the below statement in response to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission asserting its  jurisdiction over derivatives markets, including event contract markets commonly referred to as prediction markets:

Let’s call a spade a spade: sports prediction markets are gambling, and gambling is regulated by states, not the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. If I were the Commission, I wouldn’t bet against Utah. Some wagers just aren’t smart—and betting against Utah is one of them.

The Senator met with many Utahns this week, including elected officials from across the state, to discuss local stewardship, federal land management, energy production, and ensuring Washington policies reflect the realities facing our local communities.



Clockwise from top left: Mayor Jenny Wilson; Mormon Trails; The National Association of Surety Bond Producers; Distributed Wind Energy Association.



Clockwise from top left: Utah Medical Association; Zero Prostate Cancer; American Association of Career Schools; Clearfield Job Corps.



Clockwise from top left: Grand County Commissioner Chair Bill Winfield; Greater Houston Partnership; The American Israel Public Affairs Committee; Utah Municipal Power Agency.

One Utah veteran had his military retirement and VA benefits suspended and his bank accounts frozen after being mistakenly declared deceased. After reaching out to Senator Curtis’ office, our casework team worked to correct the error and restore his benefits. With his permission, we’re sharing his story to highlight how our office advocates for constituents when critical federal mistakes threaten their financial security.



If you can't get an answer from a federal agency in a timely fashion, or if you feel you have been treated unfairly, our office may be able to help resolve a problem or get you the information you need. While we cannot guarantee you a favorable outcome, we will do our best to help you receive a fair and timely response to your problem.

Thune declares ‘talking filibuster’ dead (Punchbowl News)

The guests to expect at this year’s State of the Union address (Deseret News)

Don’t Bet Against Utah: Utah Senator John Curtis Fires Back At CFTC on Prediction Markets (Gaming America)

Sen. John Curtis sees need for compassion with rule of law in ICE situation (Daily Herald)

ICE should be subject to ‘reasonable’ reforms, GOP Sen. John Curtis says (Salt Lake Tribune)

Curtis reacts to President’s State of the Union address (Utah Policy)

curtis.senate.gov

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