We must get our federal debt under control.

March 28 – April 1, 2022

Finding a solution to the federal government’s debt problem remains one of Senator Romney’s top priorities. This week, the Senator led the Republican effort in the Senate in negotiating a bipartisan COVID-19 preparedness bill that doesn’t increase the debt by repurposing unspent COVID relief funds. Amid the negotiations, during a Budget Committee hearing evaluating the President’s $5.8 trillion budget, Senator Romney warned the Biden Administration of the imminent damage to the economy by pursuing their agenda of reckless spending and ignoring the increasing deficit. The Senator also met with President Biden’s Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson in advance of her consideration before the full Senate. Keep scrolling for more news.

Following the release of President Biden’s $5.8 trillion budget proposal on Monday, Senator Romney cautioned:

“We have got to get our federal spending under control—and the President’s budget offers an unserious proposal to reduce our deficit that is nowhere near a long-term solution. Hardworking Americans are suffering real economic harm due to historic levels of inflation, which is a direct result of Washington’s failure to address its spending problem. The President’s budget still borrows a tremendous amount of money and does nothing to address the two-thirds of our federal spending that is automatic. Additionally, the President’s misguided plan to increase taxes on America’s job-creators will put U.S. businesses at a competitive disadvantage with countries like China, causing further harm to our economy."

During a committee hearing evaluating the President’s budget, Senator Romney warned that ignoring our increasing national debt will almost certainly lead to great economic calamity.

Full story by Ryan Bittan here.

Senator Romney met with Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, President Biden’s nominee to serve as Associate Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. After their meeting, the Senator released the following statement:

“Judge Jackson and I had a wide-ranging discussion about her experience and qualifications. Her dedication to public service and her family are obvious, and I enjoyed our meeting. I appreciate the time she spent answering my questions, which was helpful as I continue my review of her record and testimony.”

The multitude of abhorrent crimes committed by Russia—including the murder of innocent civilians in Ukraine—clearly demonstrate that Putin and the Russian government have no intention of upholding international human rights.

Senator Romney joined a bipartisan group of his colleagues in sending a letter to U.S. Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield requesting that she introduce a resolution at the United Nations (UN) to remove Russia from the UN Human Rights Council.

Fully story by Ty Goss here.

The Chinese Communist Party does not embrace the rules of the global order, including freedom of expression and respect for human rights. The U.S. has a responsibility to push back against the crackdowns on freedom in China and around the world, not only to stand with those people currently being subjugated, but to protect those who will suffer repression from the CCP or other authoritarian regimes in the future.

Senators Romney and Markey (D-MA), Ranking Member and Chairman of the Subcommittee on East Asia, held a hearing titled, “The Assault on Freedom of Expression in Asia.”

Restoring the sagebrush ecosystem in Utah and the West is critical to boosting wildfire mitigation efforts, creating jobs, and supporting the regional economy.

Senator Romney joined his colleagues in urging Interior Secretary Haaland to allocate a significant portion of the Department’s recent funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act toward sagebrush ecosystem restoration in the American West.

Future military leaders show an inspiring commitment to our country as they prepare to face new and unique challenges to our nation's defense. Senator Romney met with a bright group of West Point cadets for a wide-ranging discussion on service, leadership, and current events.

Maintaining a sufficient water supply in Utah's arid climate requires significant investments in water infrastructure. Senator Romney met with members from the Rural Water Association of Utah to discuss next steps on water projects that received funding from the bipartisan infrastructure bill. The Senator also sampled some of Utah's best tasting drinking water from Honeyville!

We’re fortunate in Utah to have such smart and exemplary youth. Senator Romney and his staff welcomed a group of students from Spanish Fork High School to the Capitol for a discussion on leadership and a tour of the building.

Community colleges are required to report graduation rates that often don’t reflect reality. Senator Romney met with Salt Lake Community College President Deneece Huftalin to discuss the Time For Completion Act, legislation to ensure reported data accurately reflect the diversity of students who attend our community colleges.