Utah Valley Times

U.S. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) today joined a bipartisan group of colleagues, led by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Jerry Moran (R-KS), in calling on President Biden to establish a White House Task Force on Global Sporting Events. This task force is proposed in preparation for several major international events set to take place in the United States over the next decade, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the 2028 and 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and the 2031 Rugby World Cup. The task force would oversee event preparations and security measures, such as improving international visa processing.

"The United States will host a number of major international sporting events over the next decade," wrote the senators. "We urge the White House to establish a White House Task Force on Global Sporting Events to oversee preparation and securing the games, specifically through international visa processing, security scenario training, incident response, transportation, diplomatic security, intelligence gathering and dissemination, and securing critical protective assets."

The senators emphasized that successful preparations are necessary to facilitate smooth and secure travel for international guests. They noted that federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies must collaborate effectively to ensure safety during these events.

In addition to Romney, Klobuchar, and Moran, the letter was signed by Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Susan Collins (R-ME), Ron Wyden (D-OR), James Lankford (R-OK), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Michael Bennet (D-CO), John Boozman (R-AR), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH).

The full text of the letter is available here:

Dear President Biden,

As you know, the United States will host a number of major international sporting events over the next decade. These events have the potential to deliver tremendous economic and diplomatic benefits for our nation. We urge the White House to establish a White House Task Force on Global Sporting Events to oversee preparation and securing the games.

Major global sporting events are opportunities to strengthen our nation’s economy and demonstrate America’s leadership on the world stage. The 2026 FIFA World Cup will attract more than 5 million international visitors and is expected to generate $5 billion in economic activity. Similarly, the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games are expected to generate another $5 billion in economic activity while attracting millions of visitors from all over the world.

To ensure success, preparations must be made for smooth travel arrangements for international guests. One challenge is streamlining interview wait times for visitor visas. Currently, wait times remain high in many countries. As of June 2024, average interview wait times were nearly 300 days in some locations. We encourage your Administration to target wait times of fewer than 31 days for 80 percent of applicants by the end of 2025.

The success of these events also depends on effective collaboration among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. As seen with past incidents like the Centennial Olympic Park Bombing during the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, major sporting events pose an elevated risk for terrorist attacks requiring heightened precautions.

The creation of a White House Task Force on Global Sporting Events would help coordinate federal efforts essential for these marquee events' success. There is ample precedent for establishing such a task force for large-scale public events.

We thank your administration for efforts already underway to prepare for these historic events and appreciate your attention towards ensuring their success.