Congressmen Cannon and Bishop brief Utah Senate on defense, public lands and research priorities

The Utah Senate met as a Committee of the Whole on Feb. 7 to hear U.S. Representatives Chris Cannon and Rob Bishop discuss federal priorities affecting the state.

Both members described a coordinated delegation effort on public‑lands and defense issues. Representative Cannon noted the importance of maintaining federal funding tied to public lands and urged attention to full funding of related programs. Representative Bishop emphasized his service on committees relevant to public lands and intellectual property and said the delegation had been meeting regularly with state leaders to present Utah’s case on defense and land‑use matters.

Lawmakers focused questions on the status of potential Defense Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) impacts and on spent-fuel and nuclear- waste proposals. Both congressmen said the process is as apolitical as possible but cautioned that outcomes depend on the facts presented to decision‑makers. Bishop and Cannon urged the Legislature and local partners — including the Utah Defense Alliance — to prepare data and support to make the case for keeping or expanding defense activity in Utah. They also discussed intellectual‑property and research funding priorities for the state’s universities and research centers.

The floor allowed senators to ask questions about specific proposals and funding timelines; the representatives said many lists and decisions were still preliminary and urged continued local engagement with the federal delegation as options solidify.