Senator Romney joined Senator Blackburn (R-TN) and seven of their Senate colleagues in introducing a bipartisan resolution expressing support for the United States national teams competing in the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, France.
The Olympic and Paralympic games provide the world an opportunity to witness the greatest qualities of the human spirit exhibited by remarkable athletes. This week, Senator Romney congratulated his fellow Utahns in bringing the 2034 Winter Games back to Salt Lake City and offered well-wishes to Team USA athletes from Utah as they compete in the 2024 Paris Games that kicked off today. He also introduced legislation to keep smartphones out of classrooms, brought a taste of Utah to Washington, and celebrated Pioneer Day.
Senator Romney joined Mrs. Romney in serving a selection of his home-state foods at a lunch he hosted for his Republican Senate colleagues. Jayson Edwards, founder and owner of Utah-based J.Dawgs, flew in from Utah with his gourmet hot dogs to personally grill for the group. In addition to J.Dawgs hot dogs with their signature “Special Sauce,” the menu included Mrs. Romney’s barbecue beans and BYU Creamery’s “Graham Canyon” ice cream.
Senators Romney and Murphy (D-CT) introduced the Smart Kids Not Smartphones Act, bipartisan legislation aimed at reducing the usage of smartphones by children in the classroom. The legislation would establish a non-competitive, non-monetary recognition award program—administered by the Department of Education—to highlight and celebrate any school that has and enforces a policy prohibiting the use of smartphones by students during instructional hours.
Senator Romney celebrated the International Olympic Committee’s vote to officially award the 2034 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games to Salt Lake City, Utah. The decision was made at the 142nd IOC session in Paris, France, today following a final presentation by the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee delegation for the Games.
I’m a classic Republican and he’s a classic Democrat; obviously, President Biden and I usually didn’t see eye-to-eye. I opposed many of his initiatives. But we did find common ground on infrastructure, Ukraine, the Electoral Count Act, adding religious liberty protections to the marriage bill, gun safety measures, and chip manufacturing. Others will judge his presidency. However, having worked with him these past few years, I respect President Biden. His decision to withdraw from the race was right and is in the best interest of the country. Ann and I send warm personal wishes to the President and First Lady.
Senator Romney secured several measures in the 2025 NDAA, which passed the Senate Armed Services Committee last month. The bill would authorize funding levels and provides authorities for the U.S. military and other critical defense priorities, ensuring America’s forces have the training, equipment, and resources they need to carry out their missions
America’s ascent was improbable: our founding was based on a war nearly lost, a set of Articles of Confederation that failed, a Constitution that was barely ratified, and a terrible second war with Great Britain. Less than a century later, we succumbed to a great civil war that claimed more than 600,000 lives.Nevertheless, America not merely endured, but achieved a level of greatness and goodness never before seen in human history. This tradition continues today—I have seen the greatness of the American spirit time and again. We innovate, we persevere, we overcome.
Passport demand in Utah is enormous, due in part to our population growth and global missionary efforts. After a years-long push by Senator Romney, the State Department announced that a passport agency is coming to Salt Lake City to provide Utahns with improved, in-person services. Senator Romney also advanced another major priority by introducing bipartisan legislation that would help prevent wildfires and expedite federal resources for when they strike. His bill incorporates recommendations made by a wildfire commission he secured into law in the bipartisan infrastructure bill.
Senators Romney and Kelly (D-AZ) introduced the Enhancing Mitigation and Building Effective Resilience (EMBER) Act, comprehensive bipartisan legislation based on recommendations from the Wildfire Mitigation and Management Commission—which Senator Romney secured in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act—to help communities across the country better assess, prevent, and manage wildfires.
Senators Romney, Hickenlooper (D-CO), Barrasso (R-WY), Bennet (D-CO), and Lummis (R-WY) today introduced the Colorado River Basin System Conservation Extension Act, bipartisan legislation to extend the System Conservation Pilot Program, which was created to test voluntary water conservation measures to manage severe drought in the Colorado River Basin.
In light of the growing illegal e-cigarette market in the United States, Senator Romney urged FDA Commissioner Robert Califf and Attorney General Merrick Garland—heads of the multi-agency task force to combat the illegal distribution and sale of e-cigarettes—to regain control of the e-cigarette marketplace and help curb the rise of youth vaping.