What Mitt Romney says he has accomplished in the Senate so far

Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, speaks to Millcreek Mayor Jeff Silvestrini at the Neff’s Canyon trailhead in Millcreek on Oct. 15, 2020. Romney has reached the halfway mark in his Senate term. He released a report Monday outlining what he says he has accomplished for Utah and the country the past three years.

Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, speaks to Millcreek Mayor Jeff Silvestrini at the Neff’s Canyon trailhead in Millcreek on Oct. 15, 2020. Romney has reached the halfway mark in his Senate term. He released a report Monday outlining what he says he has accomplished for Utah and the country the past three years. (Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)


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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Sen. Mitt Romney has reached the halfway mark in his Senate term. He released a report Monday outlining what he says he has accomplished for Utah and the country the past three years.

What Romney says: The freshman senator said in a statement that when he ran for office in 2018 he pledged to fight Utah's priorities and values.

  • "My time in the Senate has been marked by divided government, and while it has provided challenge, it has also presented an opportunity for both parties to find common ground in tackling some of the biggest issues facing our country — including COVID relief and a historic investment in our country's infrastructure."
  • "The rise in authoritarianism around the world, our growing national debt, and a changing climate will continue to pose great challenges to our country in the coming years — and such challenges demand that we work together to find effective strategies and solutions."

What Romney says he has done: The report lists legislation Romney wrote or helped negotiate, which includes areas where he says he pushed back against federal overreach on issues impacting rural counties, fighting for more access and greater local input in public land matters and safeguarding Utah's role in national security.

  • Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act: Provides $550 billion investment in the country's roads, bridges, water, broadband and energy research. It included several Romney provisions, including creation of the Wildland Fire Mitigation & Management Commission and resources to state, local and tribal governments to modernize and improve traffic signals.

Ron Atine is pictured while waiting for a tank to fill with water at a well in Goulding, San Juan County, on May 27. U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox joined Jonathan Nez, the president of the Navajo Nation, and Doreen McPaul, the Navajo Nation attorney general, to sign a federal reserved water rights settlement agreement.
Ron Atine is pictured while waiting for a tank to fill with water at a well in Goulding, San Juan County, on May 27. U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox joined Jonathan Nez, the president of the Navajo Nation, and Doreen McPaul, the Navajo Nation attorney general, to sign a federal reserved water rights settlement agreement. (Photo: Mengshin Lin, Deseret News)

  • Navajo Water Rights Act: Secures water for Utah while providing more than $200 million for projects to deliver clean drinking water to the Utah portion of the Navajo Nation.
  • A provision in the defense bill that requires the president to create a comprehensive strategy to confront the rise of China.
  • COVID-19 relief: Bipartisan $908 billion bill, including repurposed unspent Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act funds, to rescue small businesses, provide rental assistance, ensure vaccine distribution, and support health care providers.
  • Tobacco to 21 Act: Law prohibiting the sale of all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, to anyone under the age of 21.
  • John D. Dingell Conservation, Management and Recreation Act: Comprehensive, bipartisan public lands package, including consolidation of more than 100,000 acres of Utah trust lands to generate more than $100 million in revenue for Utah schools, creation of Jurassic National Monument in Emery County and the transfer of 6,200 acres from the Bureau of Land Management to the state to expand Goblin Valley State Park.
  • Wild Horse and Burro Program funding increase to $217 million.
  • Moab uranium tailings: $47.8 million to continue removal of the uranium tailings pile from outside of Moab.
  • Central Utah Project: $91 million for water for municipal use, mitigation, hydroelectric power, fish and wildlife and conservation.
  • Hill Air Force Base: $22 billion for the F-35A program; $2.6 billion for the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent; and $114.5 million for construction and acquisition of additional land.

Helping Utahns: In partnership with Sen. Mike Lee' office, Romney's office has worked on more than 4,000 cases for Utahns needing assistance with federal agencies. Romney also said his office responded to nearly 800,000 constituent comments, questions and requests on a variety of issues.

The next three years: Romney's term expires in January 2025. He has not said whether he will seek reelection.

  • "Each day, I remain honored to serve in the Senate — where your ideas inspire me to work toward solutions that will improve not just the lives of Utahns, but the lives of all Americans."
  • "There is much work to be done, but over the next three years, I pledge to continue to advance Utah priorities in Washington and to work with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to tackle important issues — big and small."

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Dennis Romboy
Dennis Romboy is an editor and reporter for the Deseret News. He has covered a variety of beats over the years, including state and local government, social issues and courts. A Utah native, Romboy earned a degree in journalism from the University of Utah. He enjoys cycling, snowboarding and running.

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