Tenure
Curtis was sworn into office on November 13, 2017. Since being elected to Congress, he has held more than 100 town hall meetings, [28] including a "walking town hall" to the top of Mount Timpanogos. [29]
On October 16, 2019, Utah Policy reported Curtis had the second-highest approval rating among Utah's four U.S. Representatives. According to the Utah Policy and Y2 Analytics poll, 45% of 3rd Congressional District registered voters approved of his performance. [30]
On December 18, 2019, Curtis voted against both articles of impeachment against Trump. Of the 195 Republicans who voted, all voted against both impeachment articles.
On May 19, 2021, Curtis and 34 other Republicans voted to establish a commission to investigate the events of January 6 modeled after the 9/11 Commission. Curtis did not vote to establish the Select Committee to investigate the events of January 6 that received only two Republican votes in the House. [31]
In 2021, Curtis co-sponsored the Fairness for All Act, the Republican alternative to the Equality Act. [32] The bill would prohibit discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity, and protect the free exercise of religion.
On July 19, 2022, Curtis and 46 other Republican representatives voted for the Respect for Marriage Act, which would codify the right to same-sex marriage in federal law. [33]
- Bears Ears National Monument
On December 4, 2017, Curtis and fellow Utah representatives Rob Bishop, Chris Stewart and Mia Love introduced a bill to codify the Trump administration's reduction of Bears Ears National Monument by creating two new national monuments in the remaining areas Trump defined. [37]
On January 9, 2018, members of the Tribes of the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition testified against the bill, including Shaun Chapoose, a member of the Ute Indian Tribe and Utah Business Committee. [38]
- SPEED Act
On June 13, 2018, Curtis introduced H.R. 6088, the "Streamlining Permitting Efficiencies in Energy Development Act" or "SPEED Act". The legislation proposes streamlining the oil and gas permitting process by allowing Bureau of Land Management to expedite approval for drilling activities that pose little or no environmental harm. The bill would have amended the Mineral Leasing Act to establish procedures where an operator may conduct drilling and production activities on available Federal land and Non-Federal land. [39] [40] Community members criticized Curtis over this sponsorship, claiming it would omit the required environmental impact analysis and allow drilling on land without notifying the public or providing an opportunity to comment. [41]
- Public-Private Partnership Advisory Council to End Human Trafficking Act
On December 12, 2018, Curtis introduced H.R. 7271, the "Public-Private Partnership Advisory Council to End Human Trafficking Act", the companion bill to Senator Orrin Hatch's legislation. The bill creates a Public-Private Advisory Council to provide a direct line to federal government agencies to streamline bureaucratic hurdles while empowering nonprofits and nongovernmental organizations in fighting human trafficking. [42]
- Government Shutdown Prevention Act
On January 16, 2019, Curtis and Lloyd Smucker introduced the Government Shutdown Prevention Act. The legislation aims to end political game-playing and fix Congress's dysfunctional budget process. If passed, it would automatically continue government funding through a continuing resolution. The bill would implement a five percent spending penalty when the continuing resolution begins. Federal spending would be reduced by two percent 60 days after the first day of the fiscal year and by an additional two percent each subsequent 60-day period. [43] Curtis said, "The American people expect Congress to do its most basic job: pass a budget and fund the government. If we can't, then we shouldn't get paid." Curtis asked the Clerk of the House to withhold his pay until Congress fully funded the government. He believes that Republicans and Democrats should be held accountable to find common ground to solve funding impasses. [44]
- Transparency in Student Lending Act
On January 28, 2019, Curtis introduced the Transparency in Student Lending Act, legislation to improve the information provided to students and families taking on federal loans to finance higher education. The bill would require the disclosure of the annual percentage rate (APR) for federal student loans before disbursement. The APR assists borrowers by showing the true cost of a loan, helping students and their families make more informed financial decisions. Curtis said, "As the primary provider of the vast majority of student loans and education financing options, the federal government should provide a transparent and full accounting of associated costs and fees for borrowers. I represent the youngest Congressional district in the country with an average age of 26 years old; these students must be equipped to make the right decisions for their families and their futures." [45]
- Bicameral Congressional Trade Authority Act
On February 1, 2019, Curtis introduced the Bicameral Congressional Trade Authority Act of 2019. The bill would require the president to submit to Congress any proposal to adjust imports in the interest of national security under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. A companion bill was introduced in the Senate. [46] Curtis said the trade war was mostly hurting small businesses and that he had "heard for months almost daily, if not daily, weekly from businesses it's hurting and unfortunately it's having a disproportionate impact on small businesses. And 99 percent of the businesses in my district are small businesses. We need to quickly resolve this because they're the ones who are least able to sustain it. This bill ensures their priorities will be incorporated." [47]
- Natural Resources Management Act
On March 11, 2019, the Natural Resources Management Act, considered a highly significant public lands bill, was signed into law. The act consists of about 100 bills joined into one, including two proposals carried by Curtis. [48]
On February 26, 2019, Curtis spoke on the House floor, advocating for the Natural Resources Management Act. "The Emery County bill has been a locally driven effort and will bring long-term certainty to the area through various designations and expanding Goblin Valley State Park for better management," he said. "It will also generate millions of dollars to help Utah's schoolchildren through school trust land exchanges." The House passed the largest public lands bill in decades, establishing hundreds of thousands of acres of wilderness across the nation, including a vast swath of Utah, and allowing the creation of a new national monument. [49]
The Natural Resources Management Act is a public lands package that comprises over 100 individual bills, including ten locally driven pieces of legislation that directly impact Utah. [50]
In May 2018, Curtis drew criticism after introducing the Emery County Public Land Management Act of 2018. Opponents argued the bill omitted approximately 900,000 acres of wilderness in its proposed designation, including Labyrinth Canyon and Muddy Creek. Conservation groups accused Curtis of removing the existing Wilderness Study Area protection to facilitate coal mining. [51] One of these opponents, the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA), ultimately supported the legislation. [52] [53] [54]
On June 25, 2018, it was announced that the congressional subcommittee overstated environmental groups' support for the Emery County Public Land Management Act of 2018. An aide to Curtis stated there was a mix-up and the record would be corrected. Seven environmental organizations were named as supporting the legislation in a June 18 background memo ahead of a hearing before the Federal Lands Subcommittee, but just one of the groups named said it was accurate to call it a supporter. [55]
- Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act
On July 10, 2019, Curtis spoke on the House floor to advocate for HR 1044, the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2019, legislation he co-authored to eliminate the per-country caps for employment-based visas and shift to a first-come, first-served process. Curtis, whose district is home to several high-tech businesses, said he regularly hears from leaders of those companies that they "do not have enough high-skilled workers … and demand continues to outstrip supply." [56] He added, "this legislation will create a first-come, first-serve system providing certainty to workers and families and enabling US companies to flourish and compete in a global economy as they hire the brightest people to create products, services, and jobs—regardless of where they were born." After he spoke, the legislation passed the House, 365-65. [57]
- House Foreign Affairs Committee
Curtis participated in a panel discussion at a U.S. Global Leadership Coalition forum on April 5, 2019, highlighting the importance of American diplomacy and foreign aid in bolstering U.S. national security and creating economic opportunities for Utah businesses. "As a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, I am committed to supporting the vital U.S. government programs that protect our nation's interests abroad", he said. "Our global ties help to open new markets for U.S. businesses and create jobs for Americans, while U.S. diplomats and development workers overseas are preventing conflicts and wiping out diseases before they reach our borders." [58]
- House Natural Resources Committee
On February 13, 2019, Curtis invited the National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands Subcommittee to join the Clean Air Challenge and find common ground to address Utah's and the country's environmental issues. Curtis then introduced the Provo Clean Air Toolkit, which contains strategies Utahns can use to improve the quality on personal levels and businesses can use on larger scales. He then asked the subcommittee to take the "Provo Clean Air Challenge Pledge" with him and the rest of Utah to pass along the clean-air initiative. [59]
