Utah’s new senator, Mitt Romney, talks about the job ahead

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Utah’s newest senator, Republican Mitt Romney, is speaking out ahead of his swearing-in ceremony on Thursday.

“The first item that will be considered by the Senate is, of course, that the government is (partially) shut down,” he said.

After Romney joins Congress, he says there should be an effort in the Senate to quickly get the government operating again.

“Not just for the many federal employees who deserve a paycheck, but also the many people who visit our national parks, and the businesses who cater to those parks,” he said.

Romney also told KSL Newsradio that he felt he needed to say upfront what kinds of things he was looking for from the president, and that’s why he wrote this week’s op-ed in the Washington Post.

“I think a great deal of what makes America the country we are, is the qualities of character exhibited by our presidents,” he said.

“I will work with the president on a friendly basis — we’ve known each other a long time and have friendly relations — but I will also work with him on a policy front the same way I would with any president, even one who is not in my party,” said Romney. “I hope we’ll also have many places where we can find common ground, despite the fact that we will have disagreements.”

He also told us he is not going to run again for president, and he’ll see who the alternatives are in 2020 before he decides whether he will endorse President Trump for re-election or another candidate.

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