Mitt Romney was sworn in as Utah’s newest Senator in January 2019. He currently serves on the Foreign Relations; Health, Education, Labor & Pensions; Homeland Security & Government Affairs; and Budget committees. On the Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Romney serves as Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy. He is also a member of the Senate National Security Working Group. In 2021, he was honored with the JFK Library’s Profile in Courage Award for his consistent defense of the fundamental principles of democratic governance.
With over 11 million acres of farmland, Utah is home to one of the country’s most profitable agricultural markets. We should respect and appreciate the contribution of Utah’s agricultural industry to our economy and our security by resolving the uncertainty and federal overreach associated with public land usage, reducing the excessive number of wild horses and burros, and fostering sustainable forest and land management policies. I’m pushing for policies in the Senate that support these goals.
I favor trade policies that open markets for Utah’s agriculture exports, and I was pleased to vote in support of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which updated NAFTA to create more balanced and reciprocal trade, raised labor standards, and protected our technology and intellectual property from those who don’t play by the rules. Utah’s dairy farmers will benefit from access to new markets for exports into Canada and Mexico.
I am a strong advocate for creating sustainable and climate-friendly agricultural solutions that benefit both our planet and Utah’s farmers. I cosponsored the Growing Climate Solutions Act—which passed the Senate 92-8—to incentivize farmers, ranchers, and private landowners to participate in voluntary carbon markets and strive to reduce harmful emissions from the agricultural sector. Although preventing the catastrophic consequences of climate change is one way we can ensure future success for our agriculture industry, I also believe that Utah’s workforce is just as crucial. This is why I support states having a greater voice on the federal visa distribution process for crop, livestock, and dairy workers because they know best their unique needs.
When I ran for the Senate, the number one issue I heard about from voters was our national debt and the need to balance our budget. Since 2019, the fiscal situation has only worsened.
Washington’s spending problem existed before the pandemic and all signs point to it continuing for the foreseeable future. In order to combat the pandemic, Congress took necessary measures to provide substantial relief funds in 2020. However, there was no excuse for the federal government to run a trillion dollar deficit in 2019, and it makes even less sense to continue that trend in a post-pandemic world.
One example that shows just how out of control our deficits are is the amount that taxpayers pay in debt interest each year. Just this year, we will spend around $300 billion on debt interest payments, alone—and over time, this number is projected to grow rapidly.
Two-thirds of federal spending is done automatically, and that spending is associated with some of our major entitlement programs—like Medicare and Social Security. These programs are headed for depletion in the near future, and without bipartisan reforms, these programs will be put in jeopardy and we will never fix our debt. Any reforms to entitlement programs, however, must not affect those who are retired or nearing retirement.
I’m pushing for Congress to pass the TRUST Act—bipartisan, bicameral legislation which would create committees in Congress specifically tasked with developing solutions to rescue our major, endangered federal trust funds. The Highway Trust Fund, Medicare’s Hospital Insurance Trust Fund, and both of Social Security’s trust funds all have projected dates of insolvency in the near future. We need these programs to be set up for success long-term. If we don’t fix these trust funds, we will likely see massive tax increases on the middle-class or drastic changes to important programs. I’m working now to build support for this proposal to ensure those actions do not happen.
Aside from the TRUST Act, I have voted against budget deals that have drastically increased spending caps, supported a ban on wasteful earmarks, and still favor a Balanced Budget Amendment that would force Congress to rein in spending and fix our debt.
The United States can and should be a worldwide leader in energy production and in developing solutions to climate change. Any long-term, sustainable solution requires support from both sides of the political aisle. That’s why I’m a member of the Senate Climate Solutions Caucus, a bipartisan group seeking to advance smart climate policy. It’s imperative that we do our part to protect our planet for future generations.
The path to dramatic improvement in global climate conditions is through private sector innovation. I support funding for innovation in carbon capture, clean infrastructure, renewables development—including small modular nuclear, hydropower, geothermal, solar, and wind—and climate and energy research to reduce costs, accelerate commercialization and export to high-carbon-emitting nations.
It’s not enough to limit new global emissions; we must also manage ambient air through direct air capture technologies to remove carbon already in the atmosphere. The U.S. should play a leadership role in the development and adaptation of innovative technologies.
Even with historic investments in clean technology innovations, we must recognize that fossil fuels will continue to play a role in our energy mix. Utah accounts for one-tenth of crude oil barrels produced in the Rocky Mountain region, and with vast fossil and renewable energy resources, is a net energy supplier to other states. Our natural gas and crude oil production, particularly in the Uinta Basin, not only supports good-paying jobs in our state, but also our nation’s energy independence. I support efforts to continue to look for solutions to methane leakage while recognizing the vital role the industry plays for our rural communities.
As the American West continues to get drier, it’s critical that we continue looking for ways to shore up our resources. Utah currently faces unprecedented environmental challenges, including a historic drought and a record number of wildfires. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the bipartisan infrastructure bill I helped negotiate in 2021, secured funding for the Central Utah Project Completion Act, the Wildland Fire Management & Mitigation Act, the Western Area Power Administration, wildfire mitigation and recovery, drought contingency planning, and Utah’s water revolving funds. The bill also fully funded the Navajo Utah Water Rights Settlement Act, bringing running water to the 40% of Navajo Nation in Utah who lack it.
Utah currently faces unprecedented environmental challenges, including an historic drought and a record number of wildfires. In 2020 alone, 1,547 wildfires scorched more than 300,000 acres of Utah land and cost our communities hundreds of millions of dollars in damages. As the American West gets drier, the wildfires become a more significant threat to Utah. The wildland fire policies of the past no longer work.
I introduced the bipartisan, bicameral Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission Act—legislation that establishes a committee of federal and non-federal stakeholders responsible for studying and recommending fire protection, mitigation, management, and rehabilitation policies for forests and grasslands—to help Utah better address the threat of wildfires. This bill became law with the passage of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which I helped negotiate.
For the past two decades, we have experienced severe drought in Utah. Water is essential to the survival, livelihood, and recreation of Utahns, and we must do everything we can to ensure that it is accessible for all. In 2019, I was proud to help introduce and pass the Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan Authorization Act, which ensured the implementation of the wide-reaching Drought Contingency Plan (DCP) forged between the seven Colorado River Basin states and Indian tribes. Senator Bennet (D-CO) and I have toured the Colorado River in an effort to learn more about ways to address the historic drought.
The bipartisan infrastructure bill, signed into law in November 2021, secured $50 million for the Central Utah Project, which provides water from the Colorado River for irrigation, municipal, recreation, and industrial use. I also fought to include a provision in the same bill to improve the quality of Utah’s water systems by allocating roughly $219 million to the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and to the State Drinking Water Fund. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act also fully funded the Navajo Utah Water Rights Settlement Act—legislation that brings running water to the 40% of Utah Navajos who currently lack it.
Congress must also start planning ahead for natural disasters by including future funding for mitigation in the annual budget. I have introduced amendments to the federal budget to include disaster relief funding, so we can live within our means while better preparing for natural catastrophes.
I support policies that will return authority back to the states and empower parents, not bureaucrats in Washington. As a member of the Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee, I’m working with colleagues to tackle the true cost of higher education and student loans.
I’m proud to have co-led the Earn to Learn Act—legislation which aims to reduce student loan debt and make college more affordable for students by establishing a college matched-saving program that helps qualifying low-income students pay for tuition, books, fees, and other education-related expenses.
When it comes to student loans and college costs, many of my Democratic colleagues continue to advocate for blanket forgiveness of loans. I will continue to vigorously oppose such efforts, which would be entirely unfair to those who worked their way through college or have already paid back their loans.
Instead of reckless policies like blanket loan forgiveness, we should be focusing on working on bipartisan solutions to address the real needs of our economy. This means making sure our young people have the skills or training necessary for the jobs of the future—especially in the advanced manufacturing, tech, and engineering sectors.
I’m a sponsor of the Teacher Education for Computer Science Act, legislation that supports efforts to train more computer science teachers. This is just one example of the many actions Congress could take to make it easier for Americans to learn specific skills, get good paying jobs, and accrue little-to-no debt.
Lastly, I remain especially concerned about Democrats’ continued efforts to make Americans more dependent on the federal government, especially plans for universal, government-run pre-kindergarten and free community college—an expensive, unprecedented, and unnecessary expansion of Washington bureaucracy.
I support legal immigration, and I respect and welcome those who have followed the law and made the United States their home. Our nation is stronger and more vibrant by virtue of a strong legal immigration system. The legal immigration system should be merit-based, giving applicants credit for such things as English fluency, having trade or technical skill, personal savings, and advanced degrees so these individuals may quickly become assets to their communities and prosper in our country.
I strongly oppose illegal immigration and believe our immigration system needs significant reforms. Any long-term solution must include a physical barrier along our southern border, a mandatory E-Verify system to ensure employees are in the U.S. legally and hold employers accountable, and full enforcement of our existing immigration laws. These goals are consistent with the recommendations of frontline law enforcement officers at the Department of Homeland Security who know best what is needed to fix our immigration system. I also oppose recent proposals by the Biden Administration and Washington Democrats to extend new social benefits, like universal childcare and free community college, to illegal immigrants. These policies would only worsen illegal immigration by creating additional pull factors into our country.
While I support giving Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) individuals legal status, I oppose giving these individuals a special pathway to citizenship. I also support ending chain migration and the visa lottery program.
My top priority for our nation’s foreign policy is to ensure the safety and security of the American people. With ever-increasing challenges to our national security and interests, it is imperative that the United States promote peace through strength as the leader of the free world. Serving on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee gives me a voice on these policy decisions.
China’s quest to become the world’s leading power—economically, militarily, and geopolitically—is the central challenge of the 21st Century. As Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on East Asia, I’m working on solutions to address the threat China poses to our fundamental values of freedom, human rights, and free enterprise.
We must link arms with our friends and allies to confront China, to push the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to abandon its predatory policies, and demand that China abide by international norms and rules. Ensuring that our businesses are more competitive and successful, especially through continued investment in emerging technologies, will help the U.S. maintain its position on the world stage. We must enact policies which support the cause of freedom around the world—including holding the CCP accountable for the atrocities they commit against the Uyghur people and other ethnic minorities. Importantly, the U.S. must develop and implement a comprehensive China strategy.
We must also confront weaknesses in our cyber capabilities to protect our national security interests and reduce vulnerability from attacks.
Modernizing our military must be a top priority because a military that is second to none is critical to deterring emerging threats. A robust, modernized military, coupled with the greatest service members a country has ever produced, sends a clear message to our adversaries that any benefit they may gain from aggression will not be without cost.
With our adversaries continuing to pursue their nuclear ambitions, efforts to modernize our nuclear deterrent must remain a high priority. The Air Force is currently upgrading the U.S. land-based ballistic missile force through the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) program. As home to the GBSD program, Utah’s Hill Air Force Base is vital to our country’s military readiness and capacity to deter aggression from other nations. Hill also houses the Consolidated Mission Control Center (CMCC), which provides real-time air and ground monitoring and test functions for 5th generation aircraft. In the Fiscal Year 2020 NDAA and related appropriations bill, I fought for $1.87 billion in funding for at least 98 F-35s, with repairs and maintenance occurring at Hill Air Force Base. The legislation also included $557 million for the GBSD program. I will keep fighting to ensure Hill receives the resources it needs to prepare our Air Force to face any threat against the United States.
Our international objectives are further enhanced through our diplomacy, alliances, foreign assistance, and other soft power tools. I will continue to elevate diplomacy in our foreign relations around the world to protect the safety and security of Americans at home and abroad.
I also serve on the Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation and on the Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism, which I chaired last Congress. These subcommittees oversee vast regions where I work to protect U.S. interests and strengthen relationships with our friends and allies.
Health Care Costs
Reining in out-of-control health care expenses is one of my top priorities. Between rising premiums and skyrocketing prescription drug costs, Utahns are finding it increasingly difficult to receive necessary medicine and care. That is why I’m pushing for more transparency, accountability, innovation, and alignment of health care providers incentives so that savings are delivered directly to consumers.
I support restructuring our current rebate system so that individuals can benefit from the discounts manufacturers and middlemen negotiate behind closed doors. I also support expanding the scope of qualifying health savings account expenses so they can be applied to premiums and direct primary care costs. I have introduced a bill to add transparency and lower out-of-pocket costs by requiring insurance companies to include any rebates in the prices they charge the consumer at the pharmacy counter. This way, even in an overly complex prescription drug market, the patient can benefit from lower costs.
On drug prices, American consumers should not shoulder the world’s costs of research and development in new drugs. American pharmaceutical ingenuity has brought us life-saving vaccines in record time, medical devices, and countless other products. Our policies to lower prescription drug costs should not sacrifice our companies’ intellectual property or threaten research and development.
Vaping Crisis
With more than one quarter of high school students and 10.5 percent of middle schoolers vaping, we must take decisive action to protect a new generation from addiction and serious health risks. Flavored nicotine products are luring kids into a lifetime of addiction—some children as young as ten years old.
As a member of the Senate HELP Committee, I will continue to push the Administration and Congress to act to reverse this deadly trend. I introduced the Ending New Nicotine Dependencies (ENND) Act, which permanently bans flavors, ensures vaping cartridges are tamper-proof, and funds a robust public education campaign by applying the existing tobacco excise tax to e-cigarettes.
On December 20, 2020, my bipartisan Tobacco to 21 legislation became law, prohibiting the sale of tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, to anyone under the age of 21. Congress should also pass the Smoke-Free Schools Act, a bill I’m cosponsoring that would update the existing ban on tobacco use in schools and childcare facilities to include vaping and e-cigarette use.
In addition to legislative efforts, it’s important that the Administration work with relevant agencies and offices, including the FDA and the Center for Tobacco Products, to help end the vaping crisis. I introduced the Resources to Prevent Youth Vaping Act to require manufacturers to pay user fees to the FDA to help fund stronger oversight of the e-cigarette industry and increase awareness for the danger of e-cigarettes. I have urged Republican and Democratic administrations alike to expeditiously remove flavored products from the market and take other necessary actions to reduce youth vaping.
Opioid Addiction
A multi-front approach is needed to combat the opioid crisis.
On the supply front, we must pressure Mexico, China, and other countries to curtail the flow of illegal drugs into the U.S. and establish better detection at our borders. We also have to stop drug companies from promoting opioids to physicians, make it easier for law enforcement to shut down “drug mills” that fill obviously false prescriptions, and establish a federal database to identify multiple prescribers and abusers across state lines.
On the demand front, we must find ways to provide counseling and treatment for those who want to escape drug addiction and ensure that first responders are equipped to prevent overdose deaths. For this reason, I cosponsored the Life Budgeting for Opioid Addiction Treatment (LifeBOAT) Act which would establish a stewardship fee to provide and expand access to substance use treatment. This bill would improve access to treatment and expand substance use treatment options for Americans in need.
COVID
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, I supported efforts to provide economic stability for American workers and families impacted by the pandemic, and ensure that states and localities had the needed resources to keep communities safe. The first relief package, the CARES Act, included a provision I spearheaded to send direct cash payments to hardworking Americans. I also advocated for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and various other lending programs that kept businesses, farms, and nonprofits running, and protected millions of workers. When it was clear further relief was needed, I worked with a bipartisan group of Senators to craft the Bipartisan COVID-19 Relief Act of 2020, which provided more than $900 billion in emergency relief to American students, families, businesses, workers, and healthcare providers during the crisis.
American ingenuity brought us life-saving vaccines in record time. I supported efforts to ensure that we maintained strong intellectual property rights during efforts to quickly distribute vaccines around the world so that we can continue to rely on American manufacturers.
The FDA and NIH play a central role in the protection of public health. I introduced legislation with Senators Luján (D-NM) and Collins (R-ME), which passed the Senate, to help advance collaborative innovation between the nonprofit organizations that support these agencies’ public health missions.
I continue to press the Administration to step up its COVAX efforts with additional funding and donations of U.S.-made vaccines to support countries around the world struggling to gain control of the pandemic.
Looking around our communities, it’s not uncommon to see roads, bridges and other infrastructure in need of serious repair. And as one of the country’s fastest growing states, Utah is in need of more infrastructure investment. This is why it was important that I was able to give Utahns a seat at the table in helping to negotiate the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Our bipartisan infrastructure bill, signed into law on November 15, 2021, provided an historic $550 billion investment in our country’s physical infrastructure without raising taxes, without adding trillions to the deficit, and spending less than one-third of the President’s original plan. This bill will help Utah make smart investments in our transportation and infrastructure systems that better position us for future growth. My Smart Intersections Act—legislation to reduce traffic congestion by modernizing traffic signals—was also included.
In Utah, we are also witnessing the effects that the historic drought, combined with poor federal forest management, is having on our land. I worked to make sure the bipartisan infrastructure bill provided our state with sufficient funding for programs that aim to improve our ability to manage and mitigate wildfires and other extreme weather events. I was also able to secure in the bill my Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission Act—legislation that establishes a commission of federal and non-federal stakeholders to study and recommend fire protection, mitigation, management, and rehabilitation policies for forests and grasslands.
Another major victory for our state was that the infrastructure bill finally secured full funding for the Utah Navajo Water Rights Settlement—legislation to bring running water to the nearly 40% of Utah’s Navajo Nation who lack it.
Lastly, the bill included $65 billion to improve access to broadband. These funds will supplement the good work already being done at the state level to extend Utah’s broadband infrastructure and provide more families—especially those in rural areas—with affordable, fast, and reliable internet.
I am pro-life and pro-family, and I support policies that protect the lives of our children, born and unborn. In the Senate, I’ve been proud to cosponsor the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act to prohibit abortions after the 20-week mark, the point at which evidence suggests an unborn child is able to feel pain. I also support the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, which would ensure that a child who survives an abortion receives necessary medical care, just like any other baby. When a child is born alive, there is no question that the child should be cared for.
While most regulation of abortion takes place at the state level, I oppose abortion except in cases of rape, incest, or to protect the life of the mother, and I support longstanding federal prohibitions on taxpayer funding for abortion.
There are only a handful of states where births are outpacing deaths, and one of them is Utah. That means a lot of Utah families are having children, and it also means added expenses for those families. Too often, support for families turns into a maze of complicated, bureaucratic programs that put power in the hands of the federal government, not parents. To help even the playing field, I introduced the Family Security Act—legislation to modernize federal support into a monthly cash benefit that lets parents choose how best to support their family. The Family Security Act would also support families during pregnancy, promote marriage, and provide equal treatment for both working and stay-at-home parents.
With two-thirds of Utah held as public land, I’m fighting to secure greater local and state involvement in the decision-making and management of public lands.
I’m proud to have cosponsored the Natural Resources Management Act, a comprehensive, bipartisan public lands package that comprises over 100 individual bills, including a measure that implements transparency measures to the Equal Access to Justice Act. This legislation is the culmination of years of collaboration and cooperation between Utah county commissioners and local conservation groups, ranchers, recreationists, and others. It creates 248,000 acres of recreation areas, Jurassic National Monument in Emery County, Golden Spike National Historical Park, consolidates SITLA parcels that will generate millions in revenue for our school kids, and includes long-sought local land transfers in Emery, Uintah, Cache, and Juab counties to meet city government needs.
I support multiple use of our public lands and will work to prevent excessive land grabs by presidents and federal bureaucrats. The Antiquities Act and the Endangered Species Act should both be reformed to require state approvals and local involvement. For this reason, I introduced the Protect Utah Rural Economy (PURE) Act which would protect Utah from Presidential Antiquities Act abuse in much the same way Alaska and Wyoming are currently protected.
Utah’s national monuments, specifically Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante, have become political footballs between administrations. By unilaterally expanding the boundaries of these monuments, the Biden Administration missed an opportunity to work with state, local, and tribal leaders, as well as the Utah congressional delegation, to find a permanent, legislative solution for the boundaries and management of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante. We will not stop making sure Utahns’ voices are heard when it comes to our public lands.
The Great Salt Lake is one of the largest saline lakes in the world and serves as an important ecosystem to Utah wildlife and nearby communities that rely on it. I introduced the Saline Lake Ecosystems in the Great Basin States Program Act to facilitate an integrated regional assessment of saline lake ecosystems—filling a critical data gap that has made it nearly impossible to address a variety of problems caused by declining water levels.
As Utah’s population increases, I support expanding recreational opportunities for residents in our most urban areas. Currently, the Bonneville Shoreline Trail provides great outdoor recreational opportunities for Utahs, but several wilderness-designated areas along the trail are hampering its full use. Along with Representative Curtis (R-UT), I introduced the Bonneville Shoreline Trail Advancement Act to adjust the boundaries of the trail to ensure that construction can be fully completed and Utahns can enjoy its wide range of recreational opportunities for years to come.
The economic impacts of the suspension of oil and gas leasing on federal land would be detrimental to Utah’s rural communities and energy industries. To prevent such damage, I introduced the Protecting our Wealth of Energy Resources (POWER) Act, which would prohibit the president or his secretaries of the Interior, Agriculture, and Energy departments from blocking energy or mineral leasing and permitting on federal lands and waters without Congressional approval.
When I ran for Senate, I pledged to fight for rural Utahns in Washington. Over the last couple of years, I’ve worked to push back against federal overreach on issues impacting our rural counties, advocated for greater local input in public land matters, and more.
Broadband Access
Fast, reliable and affordable internet access is an essential resource in our modern world. Many rural communities in Utah don’t have adequate access to broadband, internet, and cellular communications, putting them at an economic disadvantage. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provided $65 billion to expand broadband access nationwide, which will expand upon the great work being done at the state level to expand Utah’s broadband infrastructure to underserved communities. I also helped secure $23 million through USDA’s ReConnect program to improve broadband access in the Uinta Basin.
National Parks/Tourism Economy
Robust local input is crucial in matters related to Utah’s public lands and other provisions impacting rural communities. As the fourth most visited national park in the country, Zion National Park (ZNP) is a pillar of the local tourism economy—helping support jobs and generate revenue. I led the Utah Congressional Delegation in opposing a reservation system which the National Park Service has proposed for ZNP that would restrict visitor access and have negative impacts on the local economy.
As Utah’s population increases, I support expanding recreational opportunities for residents in our most urban areas. Currently, the Bonneville Shoreline Trail provides great outdoor recreational opportunities for Utahns, but several wilderness-designated areas along the trail are hampering its full use. Along with Representative Curtis (R-UT), I introduced the Bonneville Shoreline Trail Advancement Act to adjust the boundaries of the trail to ensure that construction can be fully completed and Utahns can enjoy its wide range of recreational opportunities for years to come.
Utah’s national monuments, specifically Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante, have become political footballs between administrations. The Administration missed an opportunity to work with state, local, and tribal leaders, as well as the Utah congressional delegation, to find a permanent, legislative solution for the boundaries and management of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante. We will not stop making sure Utahns’ voices are heard when it comes to our public lands.
Public Lands
With two-thirds of Utah held as public land, one of my highest priorities is to secure greater local and state involvement in decision-making and management of public lands. I support multiple use of our public lands and will work to prevent excessive land grabs by presidents and federal bureaucrats. The Antiquities Act and the Endangered Species Act should both be reformed to require state approvals and local involvement. The State of Utah should assume management responsibility for select public lands when economically feasible, initially on a pilot basis. Visit our “Public Lands” issue page for more information.
Rural Services
With two-thirds of Utah held as tax-exempt public land, the Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program helps to fund local services including road and bridge maintenance, law enforcement, and emergency medical, in many of Utah’s rural counties. The Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act (SRS) program provides funding for schools and infrastructure in rural counties throughout Utah. I helped secure reauthorization of and full funding for these programs in the Fiscal Year 2020 Appropriations Bill, and introduced legislation to reauthorize the SRS program through September 2022.
Water Issues
For many years, there has been a great deal of conflict about who has the right to water that flows through Utah and the Navajo Nation as part of Utah. Advancing the Navajo Utah Water Rights Settlement Act has been a priority of mine since I came to the Senate in 2019. This legislation settles a decades-long negotiation among the Navajo Nation, federal government, and the State of Utah over water rights for Utah Navajos. The bill passed in 2020 and was fully funded with the passage of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act—helping to bring running water to the 40% of Utah’s Navajo Nation who currently lack it.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act also secured $50 million for the Central Utah Project, which provides water from the Colorado River for irrigation, municipal, recreation, and industrial use. I also fought to include a provision in the same bill to improve the quality of Utah’s water systems by allocating roughly $219 million to the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and to the State Drinking Water Fund.
For the last 21 years, Utah has been in a severe drought, with Lake Powell currently at dangerously low levels. The Colorado River is critical to the survival, livelihood, and recreation of Utahns, and we must do everything we can to sustain it. In an effort to find a bipartisan approach to address the West’s historic drought, I teamed up with Senator Bennet (D-CO) for a tour of the Colorado River along with Colorado and Utah community leaders. I’ve also cosponsored the Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan Authorization Act to ensure the wide-reaching Drought Contingency Plan forged between the seven Colorado River Basin States and Indian tribes can be implemented without delay.
Wild Horse and Burro Management
In an effort to help address the current overpopulation of wild horses and burros on federal lands, I fought for additional funding for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to help remove excess horses from rangelands. The Fiscal Year 2020 Appropriations Bill included $101.5 million to help BLM achieve the ideal management level of wild horses and burros.
Wildfire Reform
In 2020 alone, 1,547 wildfires scorched more than 300,000 acres of Utah land and cost our communities hundreds of millions of dollars in damages. As the American West gets drier, the wildfires become a more significant threat to Utah. It is essential to our state’s future that these risks be addressed, which is the reason that Senator Kelly (D-AZ), Representative Curtis (R-UT), and I introduced the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission Act. This legislation—which became law with the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act—establishes a committee of federal and non-federal stakeholders responsible for studying and recommending fire protection, mitigation, management, and rehabilitation policies for forests and grasslands. Furthermore, the bipartisan infrastructure bill secures necessary funding for Utah’s wildfire mitigation and recovery, including $300 million to fund the Emergency Watershed Program’s needs for post-fire recovery and wildfire relief.
I’ve also teamed up with Senator Bennet (D-CO) and Representative Curtis (R-UT) to introduce the MATCH Act, which includes targeted forest management reforms and needed regulatory streamlining to dramatically improve the health and resilience of our nation’s forests and rangelands. The goal is to provide federal land management agencies immediate tools to increase the pace, scale and cost efficiency of forest management projects without sacrificing environmental protections.
I support the Second Amendment. Gun laws and school safety measures should be established by each state, not imposed by the federal government. I do not support newly proposed federal gun legislation, with the exception of the removal of bump stocks for public sale and an updated background check system.
I believe tax policy should encourage investment in American businesses and families through a fair and simple system with low, competitive tax rates. Fair means higher-income individuals pay a higher rate than lower-income individuals, and simple means that the system can be easily navigated. Low and competitive rates require Congress to limit government spending and stick to a budget.
These principles guided me during my first years in the Senate as I fought against both tax cuts for the wealthy and tax hikes on the middle class. Instead, I introduced bills to force budgetary restraint and simplify the tax code. Had I been in the Senate at the time, I would have supported the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act as it provided individual income tax cuts to 80 percent of tax-filers and made our corporate tax rate competitive with the rest of the world. I oppose the Biden Administration’s efforts to raise taxes because it will send more jobs overseas, make the U.S. less competitive, and discourage wage growth in the United States.
Utah understands the benefits of foreign trade. I support free and fair trade with other countries. In some instances, nations or companies have cheated on trade agreements and the United States should take punitive action against them. Further, trade agreements must benefit American workers who have been disproportionately impacted by automation and past trade actions.
I oppose broad-based tariffs, but I will support focused tariffs on well-documented cheaters who subvert American companies and workers. As trade deals are negotiated, I will fight for policies that open markets for Utah’s agriculture exports such as the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
There are only a handful of states where births are outpacing deaths, and one of them is Utah. That means a lot of Utah families are having children, and it also means added expenses for those families. Too often, support for families turns into a maze of complicated, bureaucratic programs that put power in the hands of the federal government, not parents. To help even the playing field, I introduced the Family Security Act—legislation to modernize federal support into a monthly cash benefit that lets parents choose how best to support their family. The Family Security Act would also support families during pregnancy, promote marriage, and provide equal treatment for both working and stay-at-home parents.
Paid parental leave is another important issue for families. In Utah, and throughout the United States, a majority of working parents do not get paid when they take time off from work after the birth or adoption of a child, which can mean depleted savings, credit card debt, and student loan defaults. Along with Senator Rubio (R-FL), I introduced the New Parents Act, legislation that would create a voluntary option for paid parental leave by allowing parents to use a portion of their Social Security after the birth or adoption of a child. My plan would not raise taxes or create a new entitlement program, but rather it would give parents access to funds they have already earned.
A multi-front approach is needed to combat the opioid crisis.
On the supply front: pressure Mexico, China, and other countries to curtail the flow of illegal drugs into the U.S.; establish better detection at our border; stop drug companies from promoting opioids to physicians; make it easier for law enforcement to shut down “drug mills” that fill obviously false prescriptions; and establish a federal database to identify multiple prescribers and abusers across state lines.
On the demand front: provide counseling and treatment for those who want to escape drug addictions; and assure that first responders are equipped with necessary medications to prevent overdose deaths.
I support trade with other countries; as a net export state, Utah benefits from foreign trade. In some instances, nations or companies have cheated on trade agreements and America should take punitive action against them. Further, we have done too little to help American citizens who have been disproportionately impacted by automation and trade policies.
I oppose broad-based tariffs but I will support focused tariffs that penalize cheaters and dumping. President Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs are being narrowed to impact only the offending nations rather than our EU, Canadian, or Mexican allies. I favor trade policies that open markets for Utah’s agriculture exports.