Over the last several weeks, the Senate has been working on crafting this year’s national defense authorization bill—which passed yesterday with strong bipartisan support. Senator Romney successfully secured several measures in the bill to protect against China and Russia, reaffirm Utah’s role in our national security, and improve passport services for Utahns. He also helped introduce bipartisan bills to combat the opioid epidemic and improve the water quality of the Colorado River, and met with several Utahns visiting Washington.

Two of the Senator’s public health proposals were included in a bill that passed out of the Health Committee with large bipartisan support. Later in the week, his bipartisan legislation to make it U.S. policy to oppose China being given the status of a “developing nation” in treaties and international organizations unanimously passed the Senate. The Senator also introduced legislation to support competency-based education, which has been championed at Utah-based Western Governors University.

To advance his key priorities, Senator Romney this week called on his colleagues to take the impending insolvency of federal entitlement programs like Social Security seriously; secured several of his national security measures in the Senate’s annual defense authorization bill; and introduced pieces of legislation to better monitor the spread of infectious diseases and support Utah’s river ecosystems.