Watch the full event here: https://youtu.be/oSVMNwMLBkU

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT), the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC) and Utah political, business, and community leaders convened in a virtual town hall, where they agreed on the importance of America’s diplomacy and development programs to address critical national priorities—like competition with authoritarian governments like China’s—that impact the well-being and safety of all Americans—in Utah and across the country.

Former Congressman Peter Roskam (R-IL) led the conversation with Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT), who said: “The way we win long-term against China is to have people of the world understand what’s happening there and encourage them to clamor for freedom and democracy—which is why America’s role on the world stage is critical. We need to put a strategy in place that uses our tools of influence—including diplomacy and development—to strengthen our alliances and partnerships and dissuade China from the course they are on to become a responsible member of the international community.”

“As we heard from Senator Romney today, a key champion for U.S. global leadership and an important voice on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, America’s role in the world impacts American families every day, especially when it comes to competing globally with countries like China,” said Liz Schrayer, USGLC President and CEO. “We are grateful for his leadership, calling on the U.S. to work with our allies to ensure America’s development and diplomacy tools help the U.S. compete on a level playing field. We look forward to working with the Senator to advance our interests globally to protect Americans’ health, prosperity, and safety.”

Many of today’s participants are members of the USGLC’s Utah Advisory Committee. Co-chaired by Lew Cramer, President & CEO of Colliers International, and Jim Matheson, former U.S. House of Representatives, this strong and growing coalition brings together more than 75 business, faith, non-profit, veteran, and political leaders who understand why American global leadership matters for Utah.

America’s global leadership directly impacts Utah’s economy and local jobs. In 2019, Utah exported more than $17.3 billion worth of goods in 2019, with international trade supporting more than 410,900 jobs in the state. U.S. agencies have also worked alongside Utah companies to represent their interests overseas—financing over $119 million in exports through the Export-Import (EXIM) Bank since 2014 and $65 million in exports through the U.S. Trade and Development Agency since 1992.