The CCP most not be able to access our data.

March 20 – March 24, 2023

In Washington this week, Senator Romney continued efforts to address the needs of Utah and the country. He joined Congressman Curtis and other colleagues in reintroducing bipartisan legislation to support wildfire recovery efforts, saw momentum on his legislation to address threats posed by Chinese-owned technologies like TikTok, and met with stakeholders from Utah for conversations on supporting our state’s economy. Scroll for more news.

In the aftermath of a wildfire, many Utah communities face delays in receiving necessary funds to begin recovery efforts in a timely manner. Senators Romney and Bennet (D-CO), with Congressmen Curtis (R-UT) and Garamendi (D-CA), reintroduced their bipartisan, bicameral Making Access to Cleanup Happen (MATCH) Act, legislation to expedite disaster cleanup, save taxpayers money, and prevent further disasters.

Under PRC law, Chinese businesses must give the communist government access to any personal data collected by their products when asked. Because TikTok is owned by China-based ByteDance, the CCP can access the user data of the millions of Americans that use the app. More than 150 million Americans use TikTok, which makes the CCP’s ability to access user data a grave threat to our national security.

After TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew failed to adequately address these risks at a House committee hearing, momentum grew for the RESTRICT Act, bipartisan legislation sponsored by Senator Romney that empowers the U.S. to review, prevent, and mitigate technologies that pose undue risk to our national security.

Regional and community financial institutions are the bedrock of Utah's growing economy and integral to our excellence in supporting small businesses. Senator Romney sat down with leaders from The Utah Bankers Association to discuss the latest in Utah's banking industry.

After President Biden issued a veto rejecting a bipartisan effort by Congress to overturn a regulation allowing retirement-plan managers to consider social and environmental factors in their investment decisions, Senator Romney released the following statement:

“This is a mistake. Democrats can’t get their radical policies through Congress, so they hope asset managers will do the work for them. It is completely inappropriate to use the retirement funds of hard-working Americans to advance Washington Democrats’ ideological preferences.”

Full story by Suzanne Bates here.

Many businesses in Utah, and across the country, are facing inventory challenges due to supply chain shortages. Senator Romney discussed ideas to strengthen the post-pandemic auto dealer industry—an important part of Utah's economy—with members of the Utah Automobile Dealers Association.

Nuclear energy poses an opportunity to provide safe and reliable power, bolstering our national security. Senator Romney met with Radiant Nuclear CEO Doug Bernauer to discuss their portable nuclear reactors and partnership with Hill Air Force Base to increase the reliability of our defense systems.

Internships in Washington, D.C. provide Utah's college students unique opportunities for applied learning experiences in our nation's capital. Senator Romney met with a group of BYU Washington Seminar interns for a discussion on public service and leadership.