Senators Romney and Rosen (D-NV) introduced the Combating Foreign Terrorist Drones Act of 2024, bipartisan legislation aimed at preventing foreign terrorists—such as Al Qaeda, the Islamic State, and Iran-backed groups like the Houthis—from acquiring unmanned aerial systems, or drones, to conduct attacks, collect intelligence, and deliver weapons or supplies.
Senators Romney and Shaheen (D-NH) introduced the Investing in Our Defense Act of 2024, bipartisan legislation to promote investment in technology vital to U.S. national security by strengthening the authorities of the Department of Defense Office of Strategic Capital (OSC). The legislation would allow OSC to make limited equity investments in technology and assets critical to our defense—including critical minerals.
Senator Romney joined Senator Scott (R-FL) and 20 of their Republican colleagues in issuing a statement criticizing Senate Democrats for pushing stunt legislation, the Right to Contraception Act, which fearmongers and misleads the public on the accessibility of contraception and threatens the religious freedoms and parental rights of millions of Americans.
America leads the free world, drawing strength from its alliances and partnerships. And it’s these relationships that are critical in addressing the growing threats we face from authoritarians. This week, Senator Romney pressed the Administration to deliver a comprehensive strategy on China and encouraged a NATO ally to boost its defense spending to meet commitments. On the domestic policy front, the Senator urged the Administration to withdraw a disastrous student loan bailout rule and called for stronger action to address Utah’s drought—consulting with water scarcity experts
Senator Romney, member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, joined Senators Shaheen (D-NH) and Tillis (R-NC), and a bipartisan group of colleagues in sending a letter to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urging Canada to immediately develop a plan to increase its defense spending to meet the two percent of GDP spending threshold that was agreed to by all NATO Allies at the Vilnius Summit in 2023.
At a Foreign Relations Committee hearing, Senator Romney pressed Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the Administration’s continued failure to deliver to Congress a comprehensive strategy to counter China, required by law after Romney secured his legislation as a part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2022. The Administration is now nearly one year late in delivering the strategy.
Senator Romney, member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, joined Senator Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), HELP Committee Ranking Member, and Representative Foxx (R-NC), Chairwoman of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, in urging the Department of Education (DeptEd) to withdraw its latest attempt to transfer student loan debt onto American taxpayers. DeptEd’s proposed rule will cost hardworking Americans an additional $147 billion and bring the total student loan debt transferred to taxpayers to as much as $1 trillion.
On May fifth, Sergeant Bill Hooser of the Santaquin Police Department was killed in the line of duty. His sacrifice is an important reminder to all of us. Every single day, our men and women in law enforcement put their lives on the line to protect our communities. This week, Senator Romney saw the resolution he cosponsored commemorating National Police Week unanimously pass the Senate. He also led a hearing on reducing waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government and introduced legislation to reauthorize funding for poison control centers.
The Senate unanimously adopted a resolution marking National Police Week and reiterating support for the men and women in law enforcement. Senator Romney cosponsored the bipartisan resolution, led by Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Graham (R-SC) and Chair Durbin (D-IL), with 75 of his Senate colleagues.
Senator Romney, member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, joined Senators Murray (D-WA), Tuberville (R-AL), and Luján (D-NM) in introducing the Poison Control Centers Reauthorization Act of 2024, bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the Poison Control Centers Network program through 2029. Identical legislation cleared the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously in March.
Senator Romney today joined 43 Senate Republican colleagues, led by Senators Cornyn (R-TX) and Tillis (R-NC), in introducing a joint resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act to strike down the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ rule on the definition of “Engaged in the Business” as a Dealer in Firearms, which ignores the law and congressional intent to try to require anyone who sells a firearm to register as a federal firearm licensee.
Senator Romney, Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) Spending Oversight Subcommittee, and Senator Hassan (D-NH), the Subcommittee’s Chair, today led a hearing to examine the 2024 report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on ways to reduce duplication, overlap, and fragmentation within the federal government and save taxpayer dollars. During the hearing, Romney highlighted legislation he introduced with Senator Manchin to require employees of federal agencies to return to in-person work after a recent GAO report found that 17 of 24 federal agency headquarters were operating at an average capacity of 25% or less.