Op-Ed Archive
Featured
By Matt Sandgren & Devin Wiser | Monday, October 21, 2024
The eruption of protest has left many students wondering whether their voices can be heard through all the noise. As university administrators grapple with maintaining necessary order, a fundamental question remains: Can we protect free speech on campus while fostering an environment of respect?
By Senator Gordon H. Smith and Martin B. Gold | Monday, October 7, 2024
Bare majorities should not be deciding questions of fundamental change for our country. The goal should be to pass broadly popular legislation, not the most extreme policy that can get through with the narrowest possible vote. The filibuster requires senators to pursue the former approach, at least if they want their bills to become law.
By Senators Sheldon Whitehouse & Bill Cassidy | Thursday, August 1, 2024
America was founded by extraordinary individuals who engaged in spirited debate and then came together to build a more perfect union. That was true 248 years ago, and it is still our ideal today. Solution-oriented leaders who are willing to work across the aisle can work through differences through respectful, robust debate.
By Matt Sandgren | Tuesday, July 30, 2024
Sen. John Thune is not a household name in Utah. But he should be. And depending on what happens in November, Thune may soon become very well known to Utahns.
By Gordon H. Smith | Friday, May 31, 2024
The filibuster is one of the few things left in political life that encourages cooperation. It’s a critical piece of what’s made the Senate what it is — a deliberative body that actually debates and improves legislation, not just a rubber stamp for whatever Senate leaders happen to put out.
By Matt Sandgren | Friday, March 29, 2024
Those dissatisfied with rulings from the courts, especially the Supreme Court, are now targeting the judiciary itself. It’s time to push back.
By Matt Sandgren | Thursday, February 29, 2024
For over 25 years, Scott Anderson has been of Utah’s most influential and respected leaders.
By Matt Sandgren | Wednesday, February 21, 2024
Hatch-Waxman’s success cannot be denied. It gave birth to the modern generic drug industry and has saved consumers trillions of dollars since it was enacted. But no bill is perfect, and 40 years after the fact, some revisions may be in order.
By Sens. Chris Coons (D-DL) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) | Wednesday, October 25, 2023
Neither of us is calling for a go-along-to-get-along attitude that ignores the very real divisions in our country. However, we are committed to rebuilding and strengthening America. We disagree, sometimes strongly, on the best approach to do that, but we both agree that failure is not an option.
By Matt Sandgren | Tuesday, October 10, 2023
One of the most important laws Congress has enacted, the RFRA protects the rights of all Americans, regardless of faith.
By Bruce A. Percelay, Adam Hinds, Matt Sandgren, & Margaret Spellings | Friday, September 29, 2023
Business hates uncertainty. And there is no condition that can create more uncertainty than the deep divide in our country. Partisan politics has gone beyond Capitol Hill and has now leached into the business world. The question is, what can be done about it?
By Matt Sandgren | Tuesday, July 11, 2023
Hatch, McConnell and Chao have all achieved tremendous success in their public service. But they always remembered where they came from and the people they were called to serve.
By Gordon Smith | Sunday, May 14, 2023
Many people — too many people, in my view — see the legislative filibuster through a situational lens. When it leads to outcomes you like, it’s great. When it leads to outcomes you don’t like, it’s terrible. This is the wrong way to think about the legislative filibuster.
By Matt Sandgren and Benji Backer | Friday, May 5, 2023
Conservatives are not only capable of addressing environmental challenges, but are the ones best suited to do so…It’s time for conservatives to steer the conversation on climate change.
By Matt Sandgren | Thursday, March 23, 2023
There could be a genuine opportunity this year for lawmakers to make meaningful progress on police reform. Misguided calls to defund the police, reduce the size of police forces, or curtail officers’ ability to respond to threatening situations are not the answer. Instead, conversations should focus on trust, training, and accountability.
By Martin B. Gold | Thursday, February 9, 2023
In their frustration with the filibuster, critics fail to grasp its true purpose. The filibuster is not an enemy to good governance but what makes it possible in the first place. It is a bulwark against polarization, a tool for bipartisanship and the defining characteristic of the U.S. Senate as an institution.
By Gordon H. Smith | Friday, January 27, 2023
The filibuster is more important than any short-term political agenda. And if we lose it, we lose a bulwark protecting the Senate from even greater polarization
By Matt Sandgren | Thursday, November 3, 2022
A future without a filibuster is a future without bipartisanship, compromise, and meaningful deliberation — in other words, the very things that make the Senate the Senate.
By Matt Sandgren | Monday, August 22, 2022
Sen. Hatch left a legacy of partisan values and bipartisan compromise. Now over 3,000 boxes of legislative papers are being released, documenting his time in Congress.
By Sam Lyman | Friday, June 17, 2022
Our society has yet to come to terms with an obvious fact: Nearly every social ill plaguing our communities stems from (or is severely exacerbated by) not having a father in the home.
By Bruce A. Percelay, Matt Sandgren and Jason Grumet | Monday, June 13, 2022
We need to restore sane, genuine political discussion between the two parties. And we need to break down the information siloes that keep Americans living in separate realities.
By Matt Sandgren | Monday, May 16, 2022
Suicide is the leading cause of teenage deaths in. Utah — here’s what our government is doing about it
By Melanie Bowen | Thursday, May 5, 2022
Sen. Orrin Hatch has been applauded for his political career, but his highest achievements lie in how he built relationships
By Sam Lyman | Wednesday, April 27, 2022
There was no one quite like him before, and there will never be anyone quite like him again.
By Matt Sandgren | Sunday, April 24, 2022
If every member of Congress had the wisdom, character, integrity and foresight of Orrin Hatch, our country would be stronger, more prosperous, and more united today.
By Alice Marie Johnson | Sunday, February 6, 2022
By bringing attention to an overlooked aspect of criminal justice reform—the importance of family—we can bring together both Republicans and Democrats on this critical issue. Family matters. Our policies should reflect that.
By Christopher Bates | Monday, January 24, 2022
Conservatives can and should present their own vision for criminal justice reform, a vision rooted in principles that can unite a broad range of conservative-minded individuals. One such principle is a shared understanding of the importance of the family and the essential role family impacts play in the criminal justice system.
By Christopher Bates | Friday, January 21, 2022
The partisan divide in Washington seems wider than it’s ever been. There is so much to fight about and so little to agree on. One area where there’s been at least some bipartisan success in the past is criminal justice reform. And a new approach to this complex issue could help bring momentum for lasting change.
By Sam Lyman | Friday, December 17, 2021
Sometime around 2016, we entered the Bizarro World. The two political parties have switched policies, key constituencies, and even their respective positions in culture. In the political Bizarro World, what was up is now down and what was Left is now (quite literally) Right.
By Matt Sandgren | Wednesday, October 27, 2021
Whether Washington takes a heavy-handed or a light-touch approach to crypto regulation over the next few months could make a multitrillion-dollar difference over the next few years.