PARK CITY, Utah — As the incoming Trump Administration talks of cutting spending, Congressman-Elect Mike Kennedy walked to the podium at a recent Park City Council meeting and talked of bringing money here.
“This is going to be ground zero for our United States Olympics in the winter,” Kennedy, a Republican, told the room.
“So, what is that going to take?” Kennedy continued. “A bunch of building and infrastructure; it’s going to take a bunch of federal money.”
“And I’m very happy to be your advocate to fight for every dime that I can bring to this place to build the things that we’ll use for two weeks during the Olympics and then the next 70 years after that.”
Kennedy made the remarks on Dec. 19 – the council’s annual Ugly Sweater Night. A video recording on Park City’s municipal website captured both Kennedy’s address and a cornucopia of bedazzled knits.
No one else from Utah’s congressional delegation has made a public expression of federal financial support for the 2034 Winter Olympics. FOX 13 News requested an interview with Kennedy, who takes his oath of office Friday to represent Utah’s 3rd Congressional District, to ask what deals he would be willing to make in Congress to support the Olympics.
Kennedy instead issued a statement.
“I understand there’s always a level of give and take,” the statement read, in part, “but I will never sell out Utah or compromise our nation’s future. There’s plenty of waste in government that can be cut, and I will work to prioritize spending and deliver results for Utahns.”
Wasteful spending is a hot topic. The incoming presidential administration has pledged to eliminate it.
But Republicans, who also will control Congress in 2025, have been averse to even the spending Americans tend to like – new roads, bridges and any infrastructure that makes water or terabytes flow and toilets flush.
While then-Sen. Mitt Romney negotiated the 2021 infrastructure bill, the rest of Utah’s congressional delegation voted against it.
Leah Murray, a political science professor at Weber State University, doesn’t think Kennedy’s commitments to Park City are out of step with his party. Utah politicians have always liked federal money coming here so long as they can guide its use, Murray said.
Murray was less sure about the logistics of negotiating for Olympic money.
“Congress is like a marriage,” Murray said. “They all remember every fight they've ever had, right? So, the Democrats are going to remember if Utah's delegation didn't play ball earlier.”
Organizers of Utah’s bid for the 2034 games say private money will pay for the $2.38 billion operating budget.
But that operating budget is just one component of Olympics spending. Think of it as the circle in the Venn diagram that contains the costs of skiing, skating, hockey and other competitions, plus opening and closing ceremonies.
The bigger circle includes an estimated $188 million in spending by the federal government on security. And it could include improvement of roads, commuter rail and other types of infrastructure.
A 2001 report by the U.S. General Accounting Office found the federal government spent $1.9 billion in direct costs to the 2002 Winter Olympics and another $1.1 billion in indirect costs like highways. Those figures were before the Sept. 11 attacks increased security spending.
The money bought complaints from Congress. Then-Sen. John McCain of Arizona gave a speech on the Senate floor threatening to filibuster bills with “pork barrel” spending sought in the name of the Salt Lake City Olympics.
Then-Utah Sen. Bob Bennett defended the money, arguing the federal government had to take a role in the Olympics. Related projects like the Interstate 15 improvements, Bennett contended, were from funding pools that Utah would have been eligible for even without the Games.
The 2002 Olympics were paid for in an era when members of Congress could earmark projects without much debate or scrutiny. That practice is gone.
For 2034, Utah politicians may have to make trades in Congress, Murray said. For the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, the Utah delegation doesn’t necessarily have to champion federal money going there, “but they've got to be supportive, at least behind closed doors,” Murray said.
Park City Councilman Jeremy Rubell thanked Kennedy for speaking to town leaders. Rubell said Park City has been trying to improve its infrastructure – from burying electrical lines to increasing capacity at the water treatment plant.
Park City has other projects it would like assistance with, whether that help comes from federal, state or Olympic partners, before 2034, including improving traffic flow and bringing more sustainable energy to the town to make the 2034 Olympics more environmentally friendly.
“You kind of wrap this in, ‘Who is Park City and how do we welcome the world here?’” Rubell said.
Kennedy’s full statement:
“I’m ready to work with Utah leaders, my colleagues in Congress, and President Trump to tackle big issues. The Olympics present an opportunity to invest in infrastructure that will support families and businesses for generations, and I will work to ensure the federal government is a partner in that success.
“Hosting the Olympics is about more than just the games—it’s about showcasing Utah to the world and creating meaningful benefits for our communities. As an experienced legislator, I understand there’s always a level of give and take, but I will never sell out Utah or compromise our nation’s future. There’s plenty of waste in government that can be cut, and I will work to prioritize spending and deliver results for Utahns.
“I look forward to the conversations ahead as we work to ensure every dollar spent strengthens our state and reflects Utah’s values. I’m ready to get to work and fight for our families in Washington.”