The United States military has learned many lessons from WW1 and WW2. We have adopted different strategies to deter oppressive or coercive regimes. The most successful strategies have always been deterrence through strength of presence. We have learned the value of operational gap studies, vulnerability assessments, and value of applying advanced technologies as a force multiplier. The United States values have always related to deterring aggression by diplomacy.

Afghanistan & Hamas

After the Biden Administration surrender in Afghanistan, we see embolden terrorist groups and/or Iranian proxies probe our defenses. These terrorist groups test our ability or our capability when responding to drone or cruise missile strikes (clearly financed and/or made by Iran). The Biden Administration’s decision to allow Iran access to their 8 billion unchecked or without proper oversight, has resulted in an emboldened Iran who thinks they can recapture an oil tanker (now used by Iraq) and that was taken (reportedly) during previous sanctions against Iran.

We see the Biden Administration appeasement strategy, which prohibits U.S. military commanders from responding effectively. As of December 2023, the Biden Administration has severely limited the U.S. Military’s ability to protect our service men and women with incredibly restrictive Rules of Engagement (ROEs). Responding by doing one or two air strikes on storage facility will not be effective. How is it, that Obama (in October 2016) sends a clear message to the Houthi Rebels when the U.S. Navy is permitted to respond by destroying multiple radar sites with Tomahawk missiles in retaliation to a Houthi Rebel attack (see blog post on foreign policy)?

The Saudi Arabian Coalition that went to war with the Houthi Rebels (2015) made about 25,000 air strikes in Yemen with U.S. weapons and aircraft. As a result of all these air strikes, many civilians died without effectively deterring the Houthi problem. These air strikes further contributed to the recruitment of extremists to the Houthi Rebel’s cause. If we have learned anything from leaders who peddle extremism, it is that preventing extremism starts with removing the person inciting the terrorist behavior. President Trump ordered the air strike on Qassem Suleimani when he received information that an immanent attack was being planned - this was the right decision. Removing the threat will always be the better decision than conducting 25,000 air strikes in Yemen that could drive more recruits into terrorism.

We are at a critical junction in U.S. history. We have multiple nation states attacking their neighbors. Understanding the cultures or governments of the middle east and their motivations (both bad and good) will be critical for a Senator from Utah. The need to have strong foreign policy experience will be imperative. When I see the botched Biden surrender in Afghanistan, it reminds me of the need to prevent politicians from making operational military decisions without proper understanding military operations. To prevent the expedited delivery of visas to our partners or interpreters in the evacuation process of Afghanistan is an epic tragedy and could have been easily resolved by a more thorough analysis by the Biden Administration.

With respect to the Hamas terrorist attack, the Biden Administration should have never sent a carrier battlegroup to Jerusalem. Instead, because the IDF & the IAF are fully capable of responding to these threats (study the 7-Day War in 1967), the U.S. should have started talks with Turkey, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. This would have the most politically advantages action for the United States. This would most certainly have prevented us from being dragged into any lasting conflict with the Houthi Rebels or Hezbollah.

Now, that we have been pulled into the conflict by the Biden Administration, we are now obligated to assist (seemingly) with the eradication of Hamas. While the U.S. has troops in the region, we should be sending a direct and clear message to Hezbollah and all the Iranian proxy groups (including the Houthi Rebels in Yemen) - that unprovoked assaults on U.S. troops will not be tolerated. We must give our commanders in the military the distinct ability to deter and protect U.S. service members.

Iran

Iran has to be dealt with effectively and decisively - more diplomatic leverage should be placed on the Iranian government to ensure terrorism from the Iranian government is not tolerated. We can most assuredly leverage other countries in the region to not provide opportunities for Iranian proxies to have funding streams to further their terrorist activities. Leaning heavily on other Sunni dominant countries that harbor known terrorist groups will be important in stemming the funding that goes to these organizations. There should be no reason Hezbollah, Hamas, or Houthi Rebels can operate businesses in NATO countries to support their terrorism. Unlike the Biden Administration failure, we can incentivize and convince Sunni dominant countries to not support terrorists through incentives and transparency.

Ukraine

Ukraine has to have assistance – that is obvious. The deterrence of Putin must remain a top priority for the United States. There is too much evidence that suggests his desire and many Russian leaders to retake much of what was lost after the Cold War. Rallying more support from Europe will prove critical in this effort as we deter the aggression from Iran terrorist proxies. What needs to happen in Ukraine is more accountability for the billions in military equipment being shipped to the region. We need to ensure we are not allowing our most prized technology to fall into the hands of those who can reverse engineer it.

It is also important to employ strategies and diplomatic measures to help influence the withdrawal of Russian forces from the region.

China

China has demonstrated they cannot be trusted. For almost 20 years, they have blatantly stolen our technology and we have done very little to deter that behavior. China listens to our military communications near our domestic military bases some of the approximately 380,000 acres the Chinese government owns.

Source: https://www.romney.senate.gov/romney-demands-answers-on-chinese-intel-center-in-salt-lake-city/

Through state sponsored programs, China even conducts espionage here in Utah. By using programs like the China Scholarship Program (CSP) to recruit and send Chinese nationals here to steal technologies from us and conduct espionage.

Source: https://cset.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/China-Scholarship-Council-Overview.pdf

Most concerning is the theft of our microprocessor technology, which is critical in facial recognition (computer vision) or military technologies. After this theft, China has most likely implemented it in China’s social credit system and military applications.

While the Philippines, South Korea, Thailand, Japan, Australia, and many other countries in the South Pacific can be used to deter China, India is one of the strongest countries in the region and have already experienced Chinese incursions in the Himalayas. We have only recently entered into military technology agreements with India – something that would have benefited us many years ago.

Most recently, China has beefed up their nuclear missile arsenal (DF-26), which is compatible with both nuclear and conventional warheads. This poses a significant problem and should be addressed to avoid a nuclear disaster. Any launch from a DF-26 could be mistaken for a nuclear attack.

China’s Belt and Road Initiative is extremely concerning. Their land grabbing in Africa has multiple purposes – it’s not only for rare earth minerals, but there are also concerns that China is launching cyber attacks from Ethiopia and launching acts of international espionage from multiple regions in Africa. In their Belt and Road Initiative, they have invested over 20 billion in Africa and 4 billion just in Ethiopia.

Source: https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/chinas-massive-belt-and-road-initiative

Currently Ethiopia is approximately 13.7 billion in debt to China, which is deeply concerning when China has a history of lending to countries with difficult repayment terms. Ask yourself why Ethiopia would be a strategic interest for China to invest in. Out of all the countries in Africa, Ethiopia is the largest investment. This is not mentioning the internal conflict that has claimed over 50,000 lives in Ethiopia since 2020.

Source: https://www.usip.org/publications/2022/01/despite-high-stakes-ethiopia-china-sits-sidelines-peace-efforts

China is providing these hard to repay loans to Nepal as well. China’s strategic plan to compel specific countries to comply by economic burdens cannot be tolerated. This sets a dangerous precedent and must be deterred.

So, when the United States is plagued with ‘Swatting Calls’ to 100s of our public schools in dozens of states, should we be asking why these calls have been found to originate from Ethiopia? Is there any incentive for China to push the gun-debate to the point that we lose more of our 2nd Amendment rights?

Source (Ethiopia Origin): https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/shooting-threat-at-cloquet-schools-deemed-a-hoax

Source: https://www.npr.org/2022/10/24/1129919258/swatting-fake-school-shooter-calls-hoax-pattern

The solution here is not placating and pandering to China by the Biden Administration, it is tough economic decisions that primarily involve incentivizing U.S. companies to use India supply chains instead of China. I won’t even mention the history China has at luring U.S. investors into fake Chinese companies or Chinese companies that over-embellish their capital or tangible assets.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/08/business/china-us-business.html

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_China_Hustle

India is one of the strongest democracies in the region. There is absolutely no logical reason why we should be incentivizing China’s approximate 20-year immoral behavior by continuing to do business with them. We have recently gone into agreements with India to share more military technology, but incentivizing investors from the U.S. to use supply chains from India is a wise and more logical choice.

Source: https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3433245/us-india-rapidly-expand-their-military-cooperation/

I support leaning heavy on microprocessor independence from Taiwan. The main reason Biden said he would be willing to defend Taiwan by putting boots on the ground is likely because of the economic impact of losing Taiwan’s microprocessor market to China. The good news is (in the attempt to address the world’s microprocessor shortage), Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is currently attempting to build facilities in Arizona – I endorse this effort.

Now is the time for stronger words and more intense debates. We cannot be afraid of being ‘canceled’ or ‘Woke’ by an establishment that is deeply embedded into the federal government and does not represent the diversity of America. It is not a time for complacency or inexperience. We need a Senator from Utah who will make hard decisions. We need a Senator who will fight the good fight and will most importantly protect the provisions in the United States constitution.

My simple position on AI would be that we need to focus on penalizing or incentivizing those who develop algorithms (machine or deep learning models). We need to ensure that those who develop AI models do not cause public harm while incentivizing and giving the latitude for tech companies to drive innovation.

We have heard many times that AI has the potential to change the world. Having experienced applying AI in the DoD, I see no issues with strategic integration within the federal government. AI’s potential to not only solve problems, but to cut bureaucracy, speed decision making, and understand critical issues is unparalleled. There are safe ways to implement AI into government while ensuring the integrity or security of networks. For deep learning or advanced models, there should be provisions related to Sandboxing or testing on closed systems until the risks are properly mitigated to an acceptable degree. As Senator for Utah, I will propose robust federal testing requirements for advanced AI models. I will advocate for criminalizing AI or algorithms that are designed to cause mental or physical harm to users - especially children. There are aspects of capitalism (left unchecked) will cause extreme societal problems. Some politicians might be afraid of protecting their constituents or children, but I am not.

Implementing Generative AI and machine learning models more widely in the federal government can be what helps reduce our national debt and time burdened bureaucracies. Implemented correctly, it will reduce spending in federal agencies, increase accountability, and provide more accountability for Congress.

Having several years of experience in applying AI and seeing the results of it, I am confident this is a primary way to cut spending in all departments of the federal government.

Biden has made this a priority of his campaign in 2025 - this was never his idea. In a Biden Administration, we all know there will be no transparency or accountability when applying AI. More DEI/ESG standards will be applied, and more socialism will creep into our Constitutional Republic. His vision for his 2nd term will be mass suppression of our 1st Amendment Rights and attempting to put his political opponents in jail.

We should be implementing AI now and ensure Congress has the right kind of oversight and accountability over it.

Our current published national debt is approximately 33.8 trillion dollars. There has to be a bipartisan consensus on not exceeding the Federal Debt Ceiling. It is estimated that we will spend approximately 300 billion on debt interest payments. While we have to protect our entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare, we also need to make common sense reforms to ensure they have a more secure longevity. We can’t keep borrowing from Social Security and expect it to be solvent for people who need it.

The alternative to ensuring these programs remain solvent is likely more taxes or more quantitative easing. This is simply not an acceptable solution.

In December 2023, I wrote the following:

“With the advent of National Asset Companies (NACs), the Biden Administration’s solution is more taxes and more avenues for espionage attempts by adversarial nation states. One of the solutions by the Biden Administration is to adopt National Asset Companies (NACs), which allows foreign interests to ‘manage’ America’s ‘natural resources.’ These NACs will have a listing on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). NACs will allow foreign countries (including China, and Russia) to actively manage, maintain, restore, and grow the value of natural assets within the United States. The United States already allows China to own land here, which allows them to buy land in Oklahoma and patrol it with guards carrying assault rifles. It allows China to buy land close to our nuclear missile sites and military bases to conduct passive listening to our military communications. This is with full recognition that China does not allow Americans to own land in China.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is poised to make a decision on whether to allow NACs to be listed on NYSE by January 2nd of 2024 (Note: comment period extended for 21 days before decision is made). The real issue is that the SEC should not be making such a decision - because of the consequence of national security, Congress should have direct oversight on whether to allow NACs to be listed on NYSE. Instead, the Biden Administration and the supporters of NACs have purposefully circumvented Congress.

China clearly has an agenda to project its own power to degrade democracies across the world. Allowing countries like China to make decisions or manage federal lands in the United States will be a mistake.

Conveniently, there has been no advertisement from the main-stream media on this topic. On the face of it, NACs sound like a good idea. However, NACs will give foreign nations management powers in our federal lands for their profit. The entire premise of NACs is to provide land in America so that an NAC can create revenue by using the land for farming as long as it is ‘sustainable.’ The term used is, “commercially sustainable” which uses ecological value of any given piece of land - this would include harvesting various types of farming including tree harvesting as long as it is sustainable.

While the language of NACs has yet to be fully understood, it appears that NACs will have the latitude to do “conservation easements” (take land away from landowners) for the sake of sustainability or conservation. These ‘conservation easements’ will be driven by a loose understanding of an adjacent properties ecological threat - meaning, if an NAC determines that the working land (adjacent to the federal land) is not sustainable or threatens the environment, it can take the land.

Some of the ways NACs will make money are associated with putting a financial value on diversity, carbon sequestration, freshwater production, food provisioning, or esthetic/cultural values. These scores combined will result in an underline asset value of the land. This may be familiar to us as we look at China’s social credit system. China’s social credit system also takes certain obtained values to assign scores to people.

While this system sounds like it is going to save the planet from humans, my concern is related to its obfuscation and the theft from legitimate landowners for the sake of the environment. NACs will effectively remove the management of federal lands by federal organizations and put the management in the hands of bureaucrats and foreign nation states who already have been taking our land from us for nefarious purposes.

While I am a proponent of preserving and protecting the environment, I am fully opposed to NACs due mainly to the lack of Congressional oversight and the potential for ecological exploitation by foreign investors.”

Since my submission to the SEC opposing the implementation of NACs on the NYSE, they have decided not to list NACs for sale to other countries.

Two points:

This should have never been a decision for the SEC - this should have had Congressional oversight, but none of our elected politicians or media reported on it.

This has been a continuing problem for the Biden Administration - they have pushed a United Nations socialist agenda very aggressively in since 2020 without advertising, voting, or soliciting to the American public.

. . .

Quantitative easing (QE) can have several effects on the U.S. dollar, including potential harm. When the Federal Reserve implements quantitative easing, it increases the money supply, which can lead to a devaluation of the domestic currency. This devaluation can make imports more expensive, increasing production costs and consumer prices.

I am not a proponent of QE because as we have implemented QE in the past most data shows it is difficult to quantify how it will affect the economy in the short and long term. Moreover, can impact bank lending - An increase in central bank reserves due to quantitative easing can reduce new bank lending by about $140 billion per year on average, with a significant effect on lending to firms. For every $1 increase in central bank reserves, around 8 cents of new bank lending is crowded out, especially lending to firms.

Furthermore, quantitative easing can influence the stock market positively. There is a positive correlation between a QE policy and a rising stock market, with some of the largest stock market gains in U.S. history occurring during QE policies.

While quantitative easing can stimulate economic activity and benefit certain sectors like borrowers and investors, it also poses risks such as devaluing the currency and impacting bank lending patterns. For these reasons I am skeptical QE is a solution to problems generated by often, what many consider, is poor policy by our federal government.

While quantitative easing hurt the value of the dollar, it also contributes to the trus the United States' ability to sanction other nations, as it has led to an increase in the supply of U.S. dollars. This has prompted countries like China to advocate for their currency as a potential replacement for the dollar in international transactions. Notably, China's efforts to promote its currency were evident during its visit to Saudi Arabia and other countries, where it sought to persuade them to consider using China’s currency over the dollar.

Ultimately, QE events result in the devaluing of the U.S. currency, which discourages international investors and can lead to inflation and higher costs to the American consumer.

While it appears that the Federal Reserve is not being politically manipulated, I have real concerns in the future that it might – especially in this political climate.

Realignment of the Federal Reserve and U.S. Treasury

There are proposals, to realign the Federal Reserve and U.S. Treasury with the principles outlined in the U.S. Constitution. This includes advocating for a more limited role of the Federal Reserve and a return to sound monetary policies that prioritize the stability of the currency and the overall economy. The emphasis should be on ensuring that the actions of these federal institutions align with the constitutional framework and the principles of fiscal responsibility, not just another agency to push political agendas.

I would consider supporting proposals to re-align or consolidate/streamline the Federal Reserve and U.S. Treasury.

Veteran’s benefits is a sensitive subject for me. As I see the VA implement more and more bureaucratic process to provide care, I also see incredibly easier and more affordable ways to provide time-critical care to veterans who need it most.

We are facing a younger veteran now that Biden surrendered to the Taliban. Many of the veterans in Utah have a full-time job or children. The VA implements Community Care requirements that put additional burdens on these younger veterans. When a veteran who has a family and may work full time is still required to travel to the Salt Lake City VA because they live within 60 miles of the SLC VA or there is a 3 month or more wait time, something is wrong. There has to be policy changes that affect unique circumstances of veterans. Cutting the bureaucracy will help eliminate the wait times and help ensure veterans get the care they need.

There are several areas of advanced care, that has substantial medical studies and is just not being considered by the VA. In one notable area, is Ketamine or MDMA treatment for veterans who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, or anxiety. If we are seeing significant results from limited studies, more pilot or utilization of these treatments can be provided to Veterans who need them. We should be fast-tracking the care of veterans who are suffering from severe cases of PTSD or depression. A study released in 2022 indicated that approximately 22 to 44 veterans commit suicide every day.

We have had approximately 7000 U.S. military personnel die in conflicts since 9/11 and 30,000 have taken their life by suicide. We must think about mental health differently and use innovative solutions that can do better for those who serve.

Reform and accountability by Congress comes through the power of the purse. Congress must stop passing continuing resolutions and instead pass appropriation bills that force reform in our federal agencies. We do NOT need another Continuing Resolution - we need Continuing accountability.

We have to take care of our veterans – this needs to be addressed and I will make this a priority in my work as Utah’s Senator.

1st Amendment

We are entering into a dangerous era when we dismiss the 1st Amendment and justify the ban of free speech when it is offensive and there is no intent of physical harm. Some in politics will have you believe that hate speech and mal/mis & disinformation should be banned or outlawed. This kind of agenda is in complete contradiction to the 1st Amendment. Making laws that prevent offensive language will hamper debate and needed discourse. There should be no changing or altering the definition of the 1st Amendment just because someone is offended. The entire reason our founding fathers titled the 1st Amendment as “Freedom of Speech” is because we have to be able to criticize each other to drive the right change in our society – without the freedom of speech, resistance from tyranny, oppression, or even routine changes to our government could never happen. Some in politics will have you believe that by preventing hate speech or offensive opinions, we are preserving democracy – that is categorically false. Whenever anyone says they want to preserve democracy by limiting your civil liberties, it is textbook government overreach and oppression.

America was built on the 1st Amendment – it was because people had the ability to speak their minds without the fear of reprisal that allowed difficult discussions to be had - this is why political speech is supposed to be protected in the United States. The authors of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution understood the tendencies of tyrannical governments because they lived through it.

The First Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees several fundamental freedoms, including those concerning religion, expression, assembly, and the right to petition. It forbids Congress from making laws that establish a religion, prohibit the free exercise of religion, abridge the freedom of speech, infringe upon the freedom of the press, or interfere with the right of the people to peaceably assemble and petition the government for a redress of grievances. While the First Amendment protects these rights, it's important to note that the protection of speech is not absolute. The Supreme Court has ruled that there are understood exceptions to the First Amendment, such as speech that presents a "clear and present danger" or is defamatory, incites violence, or constitutes obscenity (e.g., lewd). Additionally, the 1st Amendment implicitly protects freedom of association, and the Supreme Court has also ruled that the right to receive information and ideas is protected by the First Amendment. One might consider that one person’s information is another person’s disinformation – who is to decide that and what will the timeframe be? Disinformation in 2020 could be information in 2023 – it is an example of what happens after research, more evidence is found, or confessions are made that contradict a previous perceived truth.

Remember, the great nemesis to disinformation is trusted sources. When journalist turn into propagandists, we have lost journalism and our traditional media as a trusted source.

With the ‘Woke’ movement, we are forgetting the 1st Amendment’s fundamental protections affording to all citizens of the United States. We are creating a foundation and a process that will systematically dismantle parts of the Constitution that is fundamental to a free society and underpins the freedoms we all enjoy.

The 1st Amendment is what cultivates and encourages people to speak their mind and share ideas. It allows for bad ideas to be ignored and good ideas to percolate to the top. If nobody wants to speak due to fear of reprisal or criminal charges, we have lost the intent and benefit of our 1st Amendment.

As Utah’s Senator, I will defend this freedom passionately and help the other elected politicians understand, we will never be relinquishing our 1st Amendment right to free speech.

2nd Amendment

Our 2nd Amendment is also a time-honored right for U.S. citizens. We value this right specifically because we value the safety of our family or loved ones. Those who attack the 2nd Amendment will tell you to call the police – well, that is not realistic when home intruders don’t wait for the police to arrive and some of the most recent crimes that are home invasions often involve the perpetrator having a firearm.

We have been devastated by school shootings. It breaks my heart knowing that children have to deal with such trauma. The solution, however, is not to take away our 2nd Amendment right. When I served in the military, I spent many hours studying and implementing ‘deterrent’ tools for secured buildings or unique operations for special forces. I have been trained by the DoD in Physical Security, weapon system engineering, weapon testing, cyber warfare, applying surveillance or reconnaissance technologies, I am qualified expert with the M4, and have been exposed to many other technologies which has helped me understand the importance of operational risk, susceptibilities, vulnerabilities, deterrence and protecting our most prized military human assets.

As Utah’s Senator, I will fight to implement similar DoD technologies to protect our children when they go to school. Computer vision / AI technologies is a promising technology path that can help deter school shootings. If it is good enough for our military, it is good enough for our children. I am currently only in favor of controls as it relates to background checks, and to assess those who might have a history of mental illness, or gun related violent crimes. I would seek to limit pharmaceuticals that use drugs on children that cause suicidal tendencies or cause thoughts of harm. There are common sense steps to take while preserving our 2nd Amendment. There should be no reason a person can’t wait an extra few days to run these checks before they obtain a firearm.

The crisis at the border has to be dealt with appropriately. We cannot have such a porous border and believe we can remain safe within our communities. We have to ensure the U.S. Customs and Border Protection within DHS have the mandates and appropriations to obtain the objective of a secure border. We also need to process immigrants faster, and ensure they are tracked adequately.

U.S. Border Patrol has to have the tools and resources necessary to accomplish their mission - utilizing Autonomous Unmanned Vehicles (AUVs) should be a top priority - this is a ‘force multiplier’ and can help stem the attempts of illegal border crossings.

As Senator, I would be in favor of implementing faster immigration vetting, applying more advanced technologies at the border, and completing the wall.

The recent border crisis was a disaster for the Biden Administration. Every knows he could have solved the planned mass migration, but simply chose not to. What is extremely sad is the cancerous polarization that occurred in February over the ‘border bill’ that included lining the pockets of politician’s friends, billions more to Ukraine with no accountability, and no assurance that new policy is robust enough to deter the number of immigrants we have seen under Biden’s leadership.

Congress is touting it is the greatest bill of our generation, but remember Obama had control of the Lower and Upper House of Congress, promised to pass immigration reform, but conveniently failed.

The win on this border bill was some reform on the asylum process, which involves an Asylum Officer instead of a court date to see a Judge in several years.

Hill AFB

Hill Air Force Base is facing increasing problems with employee retention. While the civilian workforce attempts to remain loyal to their employer, it is becoming increasingly difficult to stem the attrition of local DoD employees. Communicating the need for retention bonus or hiring bonuses for civilian service should be considered. We have critical systems and capabilities being integrated at a pace not seen before. Having the dedicated civilian workforce adequately compensated more comparably to their contractor counterparts is an imperative.

Housing

The housing crisis in Utah will certainly benefit from proposed legislation opening up a low percentage of federal lands (as proposed by Mike Lee). However, I would like to consider some revitalization studies that could be done in areas that could benefit it the most.

We should also consider land trusts where the state of Utah purchases land and leases it to the owner to build a house for 99 years - this brings down the cost of home buying and would certainly benefit first time home buyers.

Federal Government

I am a proponent of a smaller and limited federal government. I have always appreciated Ronald Reagon as he stated, "I hope we once again have reminded people that man is not free unless government is limited. There's a clear cause and effect here that is as neat and predictable as a law of physics: As government expands, liberty contracts.”

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), China remains the primary source of fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances trafficked into the United States. While China has banned the sale of fentanyl (2019), Chinese vendors have continued to make and ship fentanyl analogs and precursor chemicals used to make fentanyl by exploiting loopholes in chemical restrictions and disguising their activities. These precursors are still being shipped to customers in the United States and to Mexican cartels who then make it in our local communities or ship them over the border.

Conveniently, China has either declined to pursue such behavior within their own country or has actively allowed the activity to continue. Either way a competent and logical response should be made to address these concerns.

If we cannot trust China to respond to this epidemic, we must do more domestically to prevent it from coming across our border. There are most certainly options, which would involve DHS Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) techniques in Autonomous Unmanned Vehicles or implementing policy changes within U.S. Customs and Border Protection at ports of entry to implement stricter inspections of packages coming from Mexico. Fentanyl and other drugs are being bought from social media apps like Snapchat – having legislative requirements for these social media apps to implement security features to deter the selling of these drugs can also be considered. Some may consider this extreme, but when in you have approximately 53,000 (2020), 67,300 (2021), and 73,500 (2022) deaths just in the United States, something extreme needs to be done. We cannot expect China to respond when we can’t even trust them from stealing our technology from us.

The United States Environmental Social Governance (ESG) framework (that includes Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion - DEI) aims to integrate environmental, social, and governance factors into business. As a consequence of not implementing ESG/DEI, there is an associated score that will result in the company obtaining a capital loan from specific lending institutions. However, even now, there is a lack of detailed transparency regarding the ESG plan, which raises concerns about its effectiveness and legalities of the mandate. It is essential to emphasize the need for clear and comprehensive disclosure of ESG criteria and performance metrics to ensure that investors and the public can make informed decisions. Without transparency, the ESG framework will effectively serve its intended purpose for Democratic overreach and continued coercion.

ESG is no different from affirmative action, which the Supreme Court has outlawed as implemented through academic institutions.

Most concerning are the performance scores given to businesses and directly tied to the businesses ability to obtain capital loans from lending institutions. The Executive Branch is mandating systemic segregation of diverse people. In order for us to heal this cultural divide, more respect, and dignity need to prevail.

ESG: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/environmental-social-and-governance-esg-criteria.asp

https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/environmental-social-and-governance-ESG

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkbGz3CYvqE

The Biden administration, in collaboration with United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), The World Health Organization (WHO), and other U.N. affiliates, have implemented ESG which pushes the use of gender pro-nouns, gender neutrality and the teaching of these topics to children as young as 5 years old. By not implementing the ESG in U.S. companies, large and small businesses can be affected through tax relief and access to specific loans from investors.

As it has been advertised and pushed, I oppose ESG mandates for businesses and most definitely oppose the strongarm tactics the Biden Administration and the U.N. uses to prevent businesses who opt out of ESG from gaining access to loans.

The U.N., since about 2004, has funded and pushed Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agendas behind the guise of good intentions. It is clear, that in meetings the United States people were not invited to, the Biden Administration adopted ESG and DEI to be on track to meet goals outlined in the U.N. 2030 Plan.

Make no mistake, what we see in places like Denmark, Norway, Ireland, and California will come to Utah if Biden is re-elected.

Governor Newsome (California) has recently signed a bill stating those school districts who refuse to teach children (regardless of the unknown harm) will lose funding. This trickle-down socialism will remove parental rights and will indoctrinate an entire generation.

In 2015, The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) data breach occurred. The breach involved two separate but related cybersecurity incidents that impacted the data of approximately 22.1 million federal government employees and contractors. The breach resulted in the loss of 4.2 million people’s information that included full name, birth date, home address, and Social Security Numbers. This breach also exposed background investigation information of 21.5 million individuals, (which included current, former, and prospective federal employees and contractors) and involved sensitive information including Social Security Numbers, family members and current addresses.

Source: https://www.opm.gov/about-us/our-people-organization/support-functions/chief-financial-officer/cybersecurity-resource-center/faqs/

After an investigation was conducted, it was found that the Jiangsu State Security Department was the recipient of all this sensitive data of federal employees.

Now, why would China want sensitive data of almost all federal employees including employees of the Department of Defense?

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2017/08/24/politics/fbi-arrests-chinese-national-in-opm-data-breach/index.html

Source: https://www.wired.com/story/china-equifax-anthem-marriott-opm-hacks-data/

With the advent of machine learning/deep learning models and Generative AI, we have a critical need to not only protect people’s sensitive data, but we also have a need to ensure companies in the United States are not taking data from us and then feeding unethical or immoral AI models with it. If there are no checks and balances with large companies like Facebook or TikTok, these kinds of companies will continue to take large voice and image data from us to use it for their discrete unknown purposes. I think we have all experienced the creepy advertisement after having a personal conversation. We need a system in place that will allow congressional oversight that doesn’t stifle innovation but verifies industry is not using our data for malicious purposes. We have to ensure that any company that takes our personal identifiable information is protecting it and has explicit permissions to sell or not to sell our personal data to 3rd parties.

Governor Newsome in California has allowed the California DMV to make approximately 50 million dollars per year by selling personal identifiable information to unknown 3rd parties. This would include a person’s name, address, and current employer. Additionally, there is seemingly no way to opt out of California’s theft of personal information. When an organization exploits the fact you need a driver’s license to drive and then sells your data without permission, there is something seriously wrong. Most concerning is that President Biden recently hinted that Governor Newsome would be a great replacement for him.

Source: https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/ca-dmv-makes-50m-selling-personal-data-report-says/2202432/

Source: https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/4313486-biden-quips-newsom-could-have-the-job-im-looking-for/

In 2024, Facebook plans to come out with their VR Meta Glasses, which will likely obtain large amounts of voice and personal image data from their consumers and anyone who they record in the world around them.

Legislation prohibiting the 3rd party selling of information – especially to malicious companies should be prevented through legislation. Explicit provision would include disclaimer and opt out provisions. These questions and problems need to be addressed by your elected representative – having the experience and knowledge in these areas will prove critical in the coming years when AI is more integrated into our society.

I am opposed to the intersex, asexual/aromantic/agender and allied groups (IA+) agenda to push ideological and gender identity topics to children or young adults. I am opposed to mandating children as young as 5-years-old learn these ideas. Yes, the federal government is pushing this through the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations (UN). Govenor Newsome in California has legislatively mandated the teaching of sexually explicit things to students as young as 5 years old and if school districts don’t comply, they will lose funding. While I value the contributions of our LGBTQ community in society when they are age appropriate, I do not support teaching children about IA+ issues to children as young as 5 years old or to parents who’s religious or parental choice conflicts with the teachings.

The IA+ community deals with Pansexual and “other” sexual orientations that is not appropriate for children. I am opposed to indoctrinating children at such a young age and will fight against the mandates from the Biden Administration that says it has to be done.

I believe the teaching of our children at inappropriate ages can do unknown harm and is a social overreach. If my government mandates the teaching of my twin kindergarteners (5-years-old) about sexually explicit topics, I take issue. Children this age only want to make friends and play.

The people I speak to in the LGBTQ community are highly skeptical and concerned about how sexual orientations keep getting added on. Every person I speak with in the LGBTQ community do not want their own children to be taught about sexually inappropriate things at young ages either.

Furthermore, many in the LGBTQ community do not think it is fair or safe to have a transgender compete in women sports.

In California, Governor Newsome signed into law that school districts are mandated to teach gender identity topics to children without parents having the right to opt-out. This is to me is inappropriate and I think it is indoctrination. As a U.S. Senator from Utah, I will fight back against this kind of social overreach. If I don’t let strangers talk to my 5-year-old twins about sex or gender dysphoria topics, I will not let my public schools - it is inappropriate and it won’t happen on my watch.

As a parent, I have a strict obligation to ensure my children are safe and have a reasonable expectation to privacy when going to the bathroom or locker room. We have to pass legislation that protects women or children and ensure they have a right to privacy. I cannot accept this and will fight to prevent further disregard for my child’s safety.

I would support the LGBTQ community to disassociate from the IA+ community and help protect children from sexually explicit material in Utah schools and exposing young women to pedophiles and/or male predators in a woman’s bathroom.

There is a solution here that involves the dynamics of our changing society - more “Family” restrooms. This ensures the safety and privacy for males, females, and others.

In my opinion, there is not a difference between 9/11 and the Oct 7th attack on Jerusalem. If a terrorist group attacked the United States like Hamas attacked Jerusalem, our response would have been the same. In fact, when comparing the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, there were significantly more civilian deaths from the U.S. Military (approximately 500,000). In many ways we tried to protect civilians, but terrorists know this and actively seek to exploit it.

Let’s get the facts straight; it was because Hamas took control in Gaza in 2006 from the Fatah political Party, that Israel had to create a blockade to the Gaza Strip. Due to Israel security concerns and continued terrorism originating from Gaza, Israel took measures to protect themselves and closed their border to Gaza.

On the topic of civilian casualties – it is a common tactic because terrorists cannot conduct their operations honorably, that they will hide behind innocent civilians or use them as shields. This dishonorable disgusting tactic is well documented in the United States Iraq and Afghanistan war.

While the estimated casualties currently in Gaza are concerning, there were far greater casualties in Afghanistan, Iraq, and the several air strikes conducted in previous administrations. In Brown University Project report (https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/), it estimates at least 244,124 civilian deaths have occurred in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan where the current estimated number of civilian deaths in Gaza are over 29,000.

Understand, there is a real difference between Palestine and Hamas. However, terrorist organizations like Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthi Rebels actively indoctrinate their children to hate Jews.

War isn’t pretty. It is gruesome and terrible. We must protect the innocent, but it is near impossible when terrorism exploits our motivation to do it. Terrorists use this knowledge against us – it is just who they are.

I would encourage people to do the research and seek out reputable sources on these issues. While these topics are hard to watch, we must consider wars in this region have been raging for thousands of years.