Sen. Mitt Romney used his final, sometimes emotional speech on the floor of the Senate to call for bipartisanship to prevail over the nation's political divisions. "There are some today who would tear at our unity, who would replace love with hate, who would deride our foundation of virtue or who debase the values on which the blessings of heaven depend," the 2012 GOP presidential nominee said Wednesday, per CBS News. "I have learned that politics alone cannot measure up to the challenges we face," he added. "A country's character is a reflection not just of its elected officials, but also of its people. I leave Washington to return to be one among them."
One regret is not solving the national debt, Romney said, pointing out that but for the expense of interest, the nation could afford to spend twice as much on Social Security benefits, for instance. He blamed "the scourge of partisan politics" for that failure, per the Washington Post. He touted his work on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Electoral Count Reform Act, gun safety, and religious protections in marriage. "I will leave this chamber with a sense of achievement, but in truth, I will also leave with the recognition that I did not achieve everything I hoped," Romney said.
The Utah Republican announced in September 2023 he wouldn't seek reelection, saying it was time for the next generation to take over but adding that he lacked faith in the leadership of President Biden and Donald Trump. Romney repeatedly has criticized the president-elect. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell spoke before Romney did, saying Romney's "repeated success in public office is a testament to his transcendent appeal of his character." Romney was governor of Massachusetts before his election to the Senate, and McConnell said it might seem curious that he'd run for the Senate after that and his presidential run. "It wasn't about what he had left to prove," McConnell said, "but what he had left to give." (More Mitt Romney stories.)
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