“We write as Senators with opposing views on many issues. One of us is a longtime Democrat, the other a conservative Republican. But today, we join together to call on our congressional colleagues to safeguard the American people from warrantless government surveillance,” write Senators Mike Lee and Dick Durbin. “Two hundred and fifty years ago, the Founders of this nation understood that protection from unreasonable government searches is essential to a society grounded in liberty rather than tyranny.

“We owe it to the American people to meet this moment and do our jobs to protect both national security and civil liberties. Our bill offers a bipartisan solution to do just that.”

The SAFE Act includes the following key safeguards:

1. Requires government agencies to obtain a FISA Title I order or a warrant before accessing the content of Americans’ communications collected under Section 702. This narrow warrant requirement is feasible to implement and sufficiently flexible to accommodate legitimate security needs. 
1. The bill will not require a warrant for searches of foreigners’ communications or searches to uncover connections between targeted foreigners and Americans.
2. Requiring a warrant only for accessing the content of communications when a U.S. person search has returned results would dramatically limit the number of cases in which the government must seek a warrant, ensuring that the requirement is workable in practice.
3. The requirement contains robust exceptions for exigent circumstances, consent by the subject of the search, and cybersecurity-related searches – ensuring that the warrant requirement will protect civil liberties without endangering lives or national security.
2. Bolsters the role of amici curiae who assist the FISA Court in evaluating arguments presented by the Department of Justice by creating a presumption that amici should participate in certain particularly sensitive or important matters and by increasing amici’s access to information necessary for advising the court.
3. Adopts provisions requiring additional layers of internal supervision of U.S. person queries and other measures to increase accountability, compliance, and oversight.
4. Closes the “data broker loophole” that intelligence and law enforcement agencies use to buy their way around the Fourth Amendment and statutory privacy protections by purchasing Americans’ sensitive information, including location history, from commercial data brokers.  
1. This provision strikes a compromise by allowing the government to purchase data sets that may include Americans’ information if that information cannot be identified and excluded before purchase.  In such cases, the government would be required to apply strict minimization procedures to limit the retention and use of Americans’ data.
2. Currently intelligence agencies are left to craft their own rules for purchasing sensitive information without accounting for what information they buy and how they use it.
5. Fixes the overbroad expanded definition of Electronic Communications Service Provider (ECSP) that now defines an ECSP as any service provider with equipment used to transmit or store electronic communications. This definition would subject almost any business, religious organization, or nonprofit that uses email, voicemail, or any other communications equipment to compelled government data collection under FISA.
6. Closes the Section 215 loophole that has allowed the Government to continue using a surveillance authority which expired in 2020.

Read the New York Times op-ed here.

Read more about the SAFE Act here.

Access the full bill text here.

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“For decades, a government-protected system dictated where new doctors work and what their compensation would be,” said Senator Mike Lee. “The Restoring Rights of Medical Residents Act restores the rule of law by ensuring this system is no longer exempt from antitrust scrutiny.”

Background

Medical residency is a required step for physicians seeking to practice medicine in the United States. Nearly all residency positions are filled through a centralized system operated by the National Resident Matching Program, commonly known as “the Match.”

Under this system, applicants and residency programs submit ranked preferences, and an algorithm assigns placements. Participants are bound by the results, and residents are prohibited from negotiating salary or seeking alternative offers outside the Match.

In 2004, Congress passed an antitrust exemption as part of the Pension Funding Equity Act of 2004, shielding the Match from legal challenges without hearings or debate.

The Restoring Rights of Medical Residents Act will:

• Repeal the 2004 antitrust exemption for the residency matching system
• Subject the Match to the same antitrust laws as other hiring systems
• Allow medical residents to pursue legal recourse against anticompetitive practices
• Restore competitive pressures that can improve wages and working conditions

Importantly, the bill does not eliminate or restructure the Match itself—it simply removes its antitrust exemption.

Why This Matters

• The current system has resulted in:
• Stagnant, below-market wages: First-year residents earned about $66,712 in 2024—far below comparable medical professionals
• No ability to negotiate compensation or terms
• A bottleneck in the physician pipeline: Roughly 20% of U.S. medical graduates fail to secure residency positions each year
• Artificial constraints on physician supply, worsening shortages

Access the full text of the bill here.

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The letter reads as follows:

Access the full text of the letter here.

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The resolution reads as follows:

Access the full text of the resolution here.

The letter reads as follows:

Joining Senator Lee on the letter are United States Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Jim Banks (R-IN), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), and Todd Young (R-IN), as well as Representatives Christopher Smith (R-NJ-04), Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05), Sheri Biggs (R-SC-03), Warren Davidson (R-OH-08), Chuck Edwards (R-NC-11), Scott Fitzgerald (R-WI-05), Russ Fulcher (R-ID-01), Harriet Hageman (R-WY), Mike Haridopolos (R-FL-08), Andy Harris (R-MD-01), Diana Harshbarger (R-TN-01), Clay Higgins (R-LA-03), Brian Mast (R-FL-21), Mary Miller (R-IL-15), Andy Ogles (R-TN-05), Chip Roy (R-TX-21), John Rutherford (R-FL-05), Pete Sessions (R-TX-17), Keith Self (R-TX-03), Marlin Stutzman (R-IN-03), Glenn Thompson (R-PA-15), Daniel Webster (R-FL-11), and Joe Wilson (R-SC-02).

Access the full text of the letter here.

Read exclusive coverage by the Daily Wire here.

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“The Senate often considers complex, divisive issues. Protecting the votes of American citizens is not one of them,” said Senator Mike Lee. “It is a simple task, and the American people are united: Pass the SAVE America Act.”

Watch Senator Lee speak on the Senate Floor for his SAVE America Act

The SAVE America Act would protect and preserve the right of American citizens to vote by:

• Requiring individuals to present an eligible photo identification document before voting
• Requiring states to obtain proof of citizenship in person when registering an individual to vote
• Requiring states to remove non-citizens from existing voter rolls

Under the Biden-Harris administration, at least 10 million illegal aliens poured into communities nationwide. In many states, these illegal aliens are eligible for driver’s licenses and other benefits, providing ample opportunities to illegally register to vote in Federal elections. In some jurisdictions, non-citizens are even able to vote in local elections. While only U.S. citizens can legally vote in Federal elections, Federal law has generally preempted and undermined state laws requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote in such elections.

Read the full bill text here.

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“It is imperative that Congress enact real reforms to protect our civil liberties, including warrant requirements and statutory penalties for privacy violations, in exchange for reauthorizing Section 702,” said Senator Mike Lee. “Our bipartisan Government Surveillance Reform Act stops illegal government spying and restores the Constitutional rights of all Americans.”

“Advances in technology, from AI to the explosion of Americans’ data available for purchase, have far outpaced the laws protecting Americans’ privacy and civil liberties,” said Senator Ron Wyden. “I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan bill as a leader of the Ben Franklin caucus, which stands for the proposition that liberty and security aren’t mutually exclusive.”

“If we are serious about protecting our constitutional freedoms against government overreach, a judicially-approved warrant should be required for all section 702 searches,” said Senator Cynthia Lummis. “This legislation goes a long way to restoring our Fourth Amendment rights and curbing the inexcusable intelligence agency excesses of the last two decades.”

“FISA Section 702 has been stretched far beyond its original purpose and now enables unconstitutional warrantless searches of American citizens and their private communications,” said Congressman Warren Davidson. “The bipartisan Government Surveillance Reform Act counters these abuses by requiring a warrant to search Americans’ data and by closing the data broker loophole that allows the federal government to spy on citizens by purchasing private data that would otherwise require a warrant or subpoena.”

“Now more than ever, unchecked government access to Americans’ personal information threatens their privacy, their civil liberties, and our democracy,” said Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren. “Congress should not reauthorize broad domestic surveillance authorities without putting meaningful safeguards in place. The bipartisan, bicameral Government Surveillance Reform Act offers a comprehensive and balanced solution that would prevent abuse of Americans' personal information while preserving essential national security tools that keep our country safe.”

Background

The Government Surveillance Reform Act represents the most comprehensive reform of surveillance laws in nearly half a century. The bill reauthorizes Section 702 for four years with necessary privacy reforms and constitutional safeguards, including:

• Closing the backdoor search loophole: The bill requires the federal government to get a warrant to access Americans’ private communications gathered under Section 702, with important exceptions for emergency situations.
• Closing the data broker loophole: The bill bans the federal government from buying Americans’ data from data brokers without a warrant.
• Prohibiting reverse targeting: The bill prohibits using surveillance on foreigners overseas through Section 702 as a pretext for gathering data on Americans.
• Repealing the “make everyone a spy” provision: This bill repeals a controversial 2024 expansion that allows the government to force millions of Americans and companies to secretly spy on its behalf.
• Reforming intelligence collection outside FISA: This bill protects Americans from intelligence agencies using non-statutory authorities, including by prohibiting backdoor searches and reverse targeting outside of FISA.
• Updating privacy protections for AI and other modern technologies: This bill requires federal law enforcement to get a warrant to surveil Americans’ location information, web browsing data, search and chatbot records, and car onboard and telematics data.
• Halting warrantless collection of business records: This bill protects Americans’ data from warrantless collection under an authority that expired over five years ago.
• Enhancing oversight and accountability: The bill strengthens judicial oversight, public reporting, and accountability requirements under FISA.

Read the full text of the bill here.

Read a section-by-section summary of the bill here. 

—

The Government Surveillance Reform Act is endorsed by privacy and civil liberty advocates across the political spectrum: Americans for Prosperity, Restore the Fourth, Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, Center for Democracy & Technology, Consumer Choice Center, Demand Progress, Due Process Institute, Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), Fight for the Future, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and the Project for Privacy and Surveillance Accountability (PPSA).

“The Government Surveillance Reform Act contains critical reforms to protect U. S. persons from unreasonable and warrantless government surveillance. It would rein in AI-driven misuse of NSA classified databases to spy on U. S. persons without probable cause or a warrant; it would make much less likely that Americans would be harassed or prosecuted on the basis of poor-quality data held on them by data brokers; and it would make it easier for people unfairly surveilled to get redress from the courts. We warmly encourage the Judiciary Committees in the House and the Senate to mark up a bill that takes the best parts of this bill, Senator Lee's and Senator Durbin's SAFE Act and Rep. Biggs' Protect Liberty Act, before the sunset of these authorities in April.” – Alex Marthews, National Chair, Restore the Fourth

“For years, the U.S. intelligence community has repeatedly misused its authorities under FISA, including Section 702, as well as other surveillance powers, undermining public trust and raising concerns across the political spectrum. Protecting constitutional rights and protecting national security are not opposing goals. We applaud the reintroduction of the Government Surveillance Reform Act, a bipartisan path forward that brings back a comprehensive package of reforms. This package responsibly reins in warrantless surveillance while preserving the tools needed to keep Americans safe. We commend Senators Wyden and Lee, along with Representatives Davidson and Lofgren, for once again leading this cross party effort to advance essential, rights protecting reforms.” – James Czerniawski, Head of Emerging Technology Policy, Consumer Choice Center

“The Government Surveillance Reform Act is an important step toward restoring the balance between national security and the civil liberties the Constitution was designed to protect. For too long, federal surveillance authorities have created opportunities for the warrantless collection and misuse of Americans’ communications. Few would argue that surveillance authorities are required to protect the United States from foreign threats, but we have to recognize that Americans expect that their fundamental civil liberties will be protected. Congress has routinely failed to do so, including the most recent reauthorization, which actually expanded surveillance. The reforms included in GSRA are responsible and necessary to ensure that intelligence tools aimed at foreign threats are not used to sidestep the Fourth Amendment rights of Americans.” – Jason Pye, Vice President, Due Process Institute

“The federal government should not have the ability to bypass courts and obtain the private emails, texts and calls of Americans, especially when they are purchased from shady data brokers who sell our private information to anyone willing to pay. The Government Surveillance Reform Act protects Americans’ privacy by finally closing the backdoor search loophole and closing the door on data brokers. Protecting Americans’ privacy and civil liberties from these threats cannot wait, Congress must implement these reforms ahead of the April 20 expiration date. We thank Sens. Wyden and Lee, and Reps. Davidson and Lofgren for their steadfast leadership and we urge all members of Congress to enact critically needed privacy protections before renewing the government’s spying authority.” – Hajar Hammado, Senior Policy Advisor, Demand Progress

“PPSA commends Sen. Ron Wyden, Sen. Mike Lee, Rep. Warren Davidson, and Rep. Zoe Lofgren for reintroducing the Government Surveillance Reform Act (GSRA) – a comprehensive surveillance reform bill that balances national security with Americans’ constitutional and privacy rights. This balanced and comprehensive bill enjoys bipartisan and bicameral support because Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle are alarmed by the abusive and pervasive surveillance of the American people by their own government. This well-crafted legislation should be included in the reauthorization of FISA Section 702 in April.” – Bob Goodlatte, former Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Senior Policy Advisor, Project for Privacy and Surveillance Accountability

“The Government Surveillance Reform Act includes critical protections for our privacy and our data in an increasingly vulnerable digital world. As technology advances, so too must our laws to ensure that we secure the values enshrined in our Constitution. Our spy agencies should not turn warrantless surveillance systems inward to invade Americans’ communications, and they shouldn’t sidestep the Fourth Amendment by purchasing our sensitive information from data brokers. Our values and our Constitution demand our privacy and civil liberties be protected and EPIC is proud to support a bill that does just that.” – Jeramie D. Scott, Senior Counsel and Director, EPIC Surveillance Oversight Program

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“Outdated regulations are forcing Americans to buy gas and other products from despotic regimes instead of our own producers,” said Senator Mike Lee. “America produces liquefied natural gas (LNG), but we can’t ship it to other American ports due to hundred-year-old red tape. States in need of LNG are forced to rely on Russia for their energy supply – a national security risk and lost opportunity for America’s economy. This bill will prioritize American manufacturing and energy dominance by allowing waivers for industries like LNG for whom the restrictions don’t make sense.”

The White House expressed support for alleviating Jones Act restrictions today in a statement by Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.

“In the interest of national defense, the White House is considering waiving the Jones Act for a limited period of time to ensure vital energy products and agricultural necessities are flowing freely to U.S. ports,” said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.

“Excessive red tape and outdated regulations are slowing the delivery of essential goods and making it harder for Americans to access products made right here at home,” said Congressman Ben Cline. “The Protecting Access to American Products Act offers a commonsense, practical solution by streamlining the waiver process and helping ensure that American-made goods, including American energy products, can move across the country more easily. This legislation supports domestic manufacturing, strengthens American energy supply chains, and keeps U.S. products competitive with foreign imports while still protecting American maritime jobs. I’m proud to work alongside Senator Lee to deliver reforms that protect our domestic interests while putting American families and businesses first.”

Background

Passed in 1920, the Jones Act requires all goods transported by water between U.S. ports to be carried on vessels constructed, registered, and owned by U.S. citizens. However, for some American-made products there are no compliant ships in existence that are capable of carrying these goods.

For example, Massachusetts and Puerto Rico both import liquified natural gas (LNG). It would be cheaper and safer for them to import LNG from within the United States, but since there are no Jones Act compliant LNG carrier vessels, they are forced to rely on Russia for their energy supplies. Similarly, Hawaiian ranchers are made to fly their cattle to California by plane rather than ship them by sea, and Puerto Rico depends on Venezuelan jet fuel instead of American. Economically, it is estimated that Jones Act compliance costs tens of billions of dollars annually for American businesses.

The Protecting Access to American Products Act would address this issue by allowing an expedited waiver process for American manufacturers for whom no Jones Act compliant shipping carriers exist. When an applicant cannot find a compliant vessel for their product, the corresponding federal agency would approve or deny their waiver within 60 days.

The Protecting Access to American Products Act:

• Allows Federal agencies to temporarily waive Jones Act requirements (coastwise endorsement and U.S.-flag vessel use) for transporting specific goods.
• Requires the applicant to show that no qualifying product carrier is available to transport the specified good and must demonstrate a good faith effort to locate such a vessel.
• States that each waiver expires no less than 30 days after it is issued, and extensions must be granted in 15-day increments.
• Requires agencies to approve or deny a waiver request within 60 days. If denied, a written explanation is required within 14 days. If no decision is made within 60 days, the waiver is automatically granted for 30 days.
• Requires agencies to notify Congress within 48 hours of receiving a waiver request and within 48 hours of issuing a waiver.

Access the full text of the bill here.

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The letter reads as follows:

Dear Attorney General Bondi:

Thank you for the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) work to expose the egregious corruption at the United States African Development Foundation (USADF). Despite years of severe misconduct by senior leaders of the agency, the previous administration not only failed to detect blatant corruption but refused to act on credible allegations brought to light. Under your leadership, the DOJ’s successful investigation into Mathieu Zahui, a senior USADF official pleading guilty to accepting gratuities, exposed the rogue agency and was a critical first step in serving justice.

We write to support further investigation into USADF. While the Zahui case is an important win, the institutional corruption runs far deeper than one official. Other senior officials, contractors, and grantees have been exposed by credible whistleblower testimonies and evidence, and it is unclear how much of the hundreds of millions of dollars managed by USADF fed the scheme. In a most telling sign, in March 2025, USADF officials refused to grant DOGE staffers access to the building and to its books, requiring intervention from U.S. Marshals. Democrat leaders and media applauded the “bravery” of USADF officials at the time, but now we know USADF was protecting itself from public accountability.

Zahui’s plea only scratches the surface. Bribery, kickbacks, misuse of funds, steering contracts to African organizations in which senior officials have a financial stake, illicit bookkeeping, pass-throughs from African organizations to DC staff, gross mismanagement, destruction of documents, lack of transparency and oversight, and whistleblower retaliation all converge in one agency: USADF.

We urge you to leave no stone unturned as you uncover more waste, fraud, and abuse. We cannot make peace with such reckless and deep corruption. On behalf of the American people, we thank you for your tireless efforts to bring forth justice, and we stand ready to support the DOJ’s investigation in any way we can.

Access the full text of the letter here.

See the timeline of uncovered fraud at USADF here.

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“The patriots who have put their lives on the line to serve our country deserve competent care, not bureaucratic red tape and systems that ignore their unique needs,” said Senator Mike Lee. “I’m proud to cosponsor legislation to improve efficiency in VA systems so that our veterans are heard and helped in the ways they need. These bills will prioritize veterans’ voices, help with burdensome paperwork, and ensure patients are well informed about potential medication side effects. These changes will get our veterans the competent, efficient care they’ve earned.”

The Veterans’ ACCESS Act

The Veterans’ Assuring Critical Care Expansions to Support Servicemembers (ACCESS) Act would establish existing community care access standards as the baseline standard of care for veterans seeking care in the community, increase access to life-saving treatment programs for veterans with mental health conditions or addiction, and expand the list of criteria VA is required to take into account when determining whether it is in a veteran’s best medical interest to refer a veteran to the community to include veteran preference and continuity of care.

Access the full bill text here.

Read more about the Veterans’ ACCESS Act here.

The TAP Promotion Act

Service members leaving the military are often told to prepare for civilian life long before their final day in uniform. But when it comes to filing for the benefits they earned, they must navigate a complicated system, which too often leads to delayed compensation and health care. For transitioning service members, timing matters. Delays in filing can mean months without disability payments, postponed medical appointments and access to mental health professionals, and added financial stress during an already significant life transition.

Under existing law, instructors in the military’s Transition Assistance Program (TAP), the mandatory program to prepare service members for civilian life, are not permitted to help participants fill out benefits paperwork. As a result, troops nearing separation often receive information about their U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits but cannot get hands-on assistance completing the forms required to access them.

The TAP Promotion Act allows accredited members of Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) and similar entities to participate in TAP classes, help service members file Benefits Delivery at Discharge claims, and complete medical evaluations before leaving service.

Access the full bill text here.

The Written Informed Consent Act

The average veteran utilizing VA healthcare receives nearly 30 prescriptions per year, and more than 64% of veterans using VA healthcare receive at least one duplicative prescription. Many of these drugs, specifically antipsychotics, stimulants, antidepressants, anxiolytics, and narcotics, can carry the side effect of suicidal ideation when added to a “combat cocktail.” Veteran suicide rates have increased by more than 49% since 2001.

During the first Trump Administration, VA Secretary David Shulkin mandated that written informed consent (WIC) be applied to “long-term opioids.” By 2023, the number of veterans prescribed opioids was 67%  lower than in 2012. WIC is an effective tool in ensuring that veterans are cognizant of the risks associated with certain drugs and curbing their overprescription.

The Written Informed Consent Act amends VHA Directive 1005 to apply to the following types of medication: antipsychotics, stimulants, antidepressants, anxiolytics, and narcotics. When VHA prescribes one of these types of medications to a veteran, they first need a signed consent form from the veteran stating that they have been informed of all known side effects.

Access the full bill text here.

Read more about the Written Informed Consent Act here.

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“Utah is leading the way with deregulation across all industries,” said Senator Mike Lee. “Our regulatory sandbox model is the first of its kind, successfully fostering innovation and inspiring several other states to follow our lead. The PIONEER Act will bring Utah’s successful deregulation model to business owners in every state, allowing American businesses to thrive and innovate freely.”

Background

Federal regulations cost American businesses and consumers trillions of dollars annually, chilling innovation and investment.

Utah first explored a regulatory sandbox for the FinTech industry in 2019 alongside Wyoming and Arizona. Following positive feedback, Utah extended sandbox privileges to all industries in March of 2021 – the first of its kind. Following Utah’s lead, Arizona and Kentucky also established all-inclusive regulatory sandboxes. North Carolina created a combined insurance and fintech sandbox in 2021. Overall, 14 states currently have either all-inclusive or industry-specific sandbox programs that bolster innovation and allow industries to adapt to advancing technologies.

The PIONEER Act:

• Creates the federal regulatory sandbox program under which individuals and businesses can apply to have regulations waived for a period of two years in order to incentivize business success, expand economic opportunities, create jobs, and foster innovation.
• Establishes the “Office of Regulatory Relief” within OIRA to receive applications, file decisions, and monitor the health and safety of the public.
• When reviewing an application, federal agencies must take input from a bipartisan advisory board of 10 private sector individuals (half of which represent small businesses).
• Applicants must be provided opportunities to fix issues or concerns identified in their applications, and to appeal to the Office of Regulatory Relief.
• Allows approved applicants to renew their waiver up to four times, for a potential of 10 years.
• Provides safeguards for consumer health, safety and financial well-being, and allows the Office of Regulatory Relief to end the regulatory sandbox relief if it determines that any pose a significant risk.
• Requires an annual report to Congress that details the effectiveness of the regulatory sandbox program and whether the regulatory relief has harmed or benefited consumers and businesses.

Access the full text of the bill here.

“Gig workers and independent contractors face too much red tape when starting a job,” said Senator Mike Lee. “Employers are so scared of misclassifying their employees that they often give up altogether, leaving workers out of a job and our economy worse off. The 21st Century Worker Act cuts through the red tape to give workers and employers flexibility instead of a bureaucratic headache.”

The 21st Century Worker Act is endorsed by Heritage Action, the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council, and the Competitive Enterprise Institute. 

“SBE Council applauds Senator Mike Lee for introducing S. 2159, the 21st Century Worker Act, a critical piece of legislation that promises to restore clarity and balance to federal worker classification policy. Independent contracting is a vital source of income mobility, flexibility and entrepreneurial opportunity. For many individuals, it serves as a bridge to full business ownership, allowing them to test ideas and build client networks. Small businesses likewise depend on independent contractors for projects or niche work and to scale responsibly. For years, SBE Council has raised concerns about inconsistent and expansive federal interpretations that create confusion and expose small businesses and independent contractors to legal risk. These heavy-handed classification standards discourage legitimate contracting relationships and threaten the flexibility and autonomy that millions of Americans actively choose. S.2159 replaces ambiguity with certainty by establishing a clear and consistent bright-line framework across federal labor and tax law. It creates a structure that allows workers and businesses to mutually elect classification when traditional categories do not squarely apply. The modernization of the independent contractor framework will reduce misclassification risk, protect choice, strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem, and sustain economic growth. SBE Council urges Congress to take swift action on S. 2159 to ensure federal policy supports, rather than undermines, flexible work and small business growth in the 21st century.” – Karen Kerrigan, President & CEO, Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council

“The 21st Century Worker Act addresses a real problem faced by workers and employers alike: the current patchwork of workplace laws and regulations (The Fair Labor Standards Act, National Labor Relations Act, Internal Revenue Code, etc.) creates uncertainty over whether a worker is a traditional employee or a freelancer in business for themselves. "Worker classification" standards should be clear, easy to apply and not inherently hostile to innovative workplace arrangements. The 21st Century Worker Act would create a common-sense, bright-line test across federal labor and tax statutes to settle this issue while preserving the rights of workers to seek out these new types of arrangements if they so choose. The Labor Department is currently on its fourth revising of this worker classification rule in as many presidential administrations. There is no reason to believe that the rule won't continue to be rewritten with each partisan swing of the executive branch. This volatile situation benefits neither workers nor management. Congress should take up legislation like the 21st Century Worker Act that resolves the matter once and for all.” – Sean Higgins, Research Fellow, Competitive Enterprise Institute

Background

Current federal labor policy is complex and openly hostile to flexible work arrangements. This confusion arises because different laws, including the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the U.S. tax codes, and the National Labor Relations Act, apply varying tests to evaluate whether an individual is an employee or an independent contractor.  As a result, businesses frequently avoid hiring independent contractors due to potential misclassification risks and liability.  

In 2025, independent professionals comprised 4.1% of the U.S. labor force, with an estimated 6.9 million skilled independent workers generating a combined $319 billion in revenue.  As more individuals turn to flexible work arrangements instead of traditional nine-to-five jobs, the growing demand for such options requires updated regulations that reflect current workforce preferences.

In October 2022, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that created a six-factor “economic realities” test under the FLSA.  This test emphasized economic dependence and favored employee status in gig economy and flexible work scenarios. The proposal failed to recognize that workers often prefer alternative work arrangements. Luckily, under the current administration, the DOL issued guidance in May 2025 stating they would no longer enforce the DOL ruling from the Biden administration.  However, Congress must enact a permanent solution to ensure clarity and stability.

Senator Lee’s 21st Century Worker Act establishes a clear and consistent bright line test for federal labor and tax law. By outlining the most common factors for classifying workers as independent contractors or employees, this test eliminates ambiguity and empowers businesses and workers to pursue flexible arrangements confidently.

The 21st Century Worker Act:

• Creates a bright line test by outlining the most common factors that make a worker an independent contractor and the most common factors that make a worker an employee. 
• Creates a third category for workers who do not cleanly meet the definition of an independent contractor or employee. It is impossible for the government to conceive of every possible work arrangement. This bill outlines a process for workers and businesses to mutually elect worker status in instances when a worker cannot be cleanly classified as either an independent contractor or an employee. 
• If the business and its employee cannot agree on status, the worker will be classified as an independent contractor by default.
• Commissions a GAO study to identify how harmonizing other laws with this bright-line test would impact workers and payors.

“The Founders established a national right to keep and bear arms, not to ask for permission from hostile local officials, or risk imprisonment for crossing the wrong state line,” said Senator Mike Lee. “Many states already protect the right to carry without a permit, and it’s time to reaffirm this right for all law-abiding Americans. The National Constitutional Carry Act will establish nationwide permitless carry to keep America safe and her people free.”

The National Constitutional Carry Act is endorsed by Gun Owners of America and the National Association for Gun Rights.

“In a time of war, Americans cannot afford to have the right to bear arms delayed by arbitrary state permitting processes. Public safety is threatened not only by ordinary criminals, but also bad actors working for foreign adversaries, and Americans need to be armed for the security of our free state. That’s why Gun Owners of America is proud to endorse Senator Mike Lee’s National Constitutional Carry Act. Under this GOA-backed legislation, the right to carry a firearm without a government permission slip will be fully restored, and unconstitutional states regulations on firearms, ammunition, and magazine size will be preempted.” – Erich Pratt, Senior Vice President, Gun Owners of America

"Senator Mike Lee’s Real Constitutional Carry bill is the only legislation that will restore the right of all law-abiding Americans to carry a firearm in every state without having to beg for government permission. Twenty-nine states already have Constitutional Carry, but this should be law regardless of which state you live in. The Second Amendment is not a second-class right. The National Association for Gun Rights thanks Senator Lee for introducing this bill and urges its swift passage." – National Association for Gun Rights

Read exclusive coverage by Fox News here.

Access the full text of the bill here.

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The letter reads as follows:

I write to seek your assistance in addressing a new trend in televised sports that may harm American sports fans.

I applaud President Trump and his Administration for addressing affordability for American consumers. To watch every NFL game during this past season, football fans spent almost $1,000 on cable and streaming subscriptions. In practice, this requires subscribing to multiple streaming services and maintaining high-speed internet in addition to a traditional cable or satellite bundle. The resulting fragmentation has produced consumer confusion and increasing costs for viewers attempting to watch their teams.

In 1961, Congress enacted the Sports Broadcasting Act, granting limited antitrust immunity to allow professional football teams to collectively license the “sponsored telecasts” of their games to national broadcast networks. Courts have recognized that “sponsored telecasting” refers to broadcasts financed through advertising and made available free to the public. Shaw v. Dallas Cowboys Football Club, Ltd., 172 F.3d 299, 301 (3d Cir. 1999).

The modern distribution environment differs substantially from the conditions that precipitated this exemption. Instead of a small number of free broadcast networks, the NFL now licenses games simultaneously to subscription streaming platforms, premium cable networks, and technology companies operating under different business models. To the extent collectively licensed game packages are placed behind subscription paywalls, these arrangements may no longer align with the statutory concept of sponsored telecasting or the consumer-access rationale underlying the antitrust exemption.

Accordingly, I request that your antitrust enforcement agencies examine the Sports Broadcasting Act and its applicability to current media landscape. The Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights welcomes your expertise as we evaluate whether the statute continues to serve consumers or should be revised to reflect modern market conditions.

Access the full text of the letter here.

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“This bill strikes an appropriate balance between protecting criminal investigations and notifying individuals when their private electronic communications are surveilled by the government,” said Senator Mike Lee. “Americans have a right against unreasonable searches, and that includes in their digital communications and data. I am proud to cosponsor The Government Surveillance Transparency Act.”

The legislation was introduced by U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and cosponsored by Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Steve Daines (R-MT). The House version of the bill was introduced by U.S. Representatives Warren Davidson (R-OH) and Ted Lieu (D-CA).

“Law-abiding Americans deserve to know when and how their government tries to spy on them,” said Senator Ron Wyden. “This bill establishes a clear process to ensure the government can’t conduct surveillance operations in the dark by misusing sealing orders, with commonsense protections to make sure that active investigations aren’t compromised.”

“The government should not be able to read your emails, access your personal data, or surveil your digital life in secret,” said Senator Cory Booker. “But right now, the law lets them do exactly that. Congress has a responsibility to fix it, and it’s long overdue. Every American, every New Jerseyan, has a constitutional right to know when the government has searched their personal information. This bill makes that a reality and restores the transparency every American deserves.”

“Montanans and Americans have the Constitutional right to protection from unreasonable searches and seizures,” said Senator Steve Daines. “I’m proud to work with my colleagues on the Government Surveillance Transparency Act to increase transparency and maintain integrity of investigations.”

“Americans should not be subjected to secret government surveillance that stays sealed forever, with no notice and no accountability,” said Congressman Warren Davidson. “This bipartisan bill restores constitutional balance by requiring eventual notice and ensuring transparency without compromising legitimate law enforcement needs.”

“Americans deserve transparency when the government obtains their data, but current rules allow law enforcement agencies to keep these activities hidden indefinitely,” said Congressman Ted Lieu. “The Government Surveillance Transparency Act prevents the government from keeping the public in the dark forever. By adopting common-sense transparency measures, our bill ensures Americans are eventually notified about subpoenas and court-ordered surveillance of their electronic data. I’m pleased to work with my colleagues in the House and Senate on this important, bipartisan legislation.”

The Government Surveillance Transparency Act would:

• Require law enforcement to notify targets about subpoenas and court ordered surveillance of their electronic data, similar to existing rules for wiretaps and bank subpoenas.
• Permit providers and other interested parties to challenge sealing orders, requiring the government to pay the challenger’s costs and legal fees if it loses.
• Require that surveillance applications and orders eventually be unsealed and docketed, ensuring they are available to the public and press once it no longer disrupts an investigation or puts individuals at risk.
• Require courts to publish online basic data about every surveillance order they authorize, while not revealing any personal information that could disrupt an active investigation.
• Require that law enforcement notify courts if they search the wrong person, house, or device pursuant to an order issued by the court or if a provider discloses data not authorized by the court.
• Require the Administrative Office of the Courts to expand the annual wiretap reports to include data on the surveillance of stored communications, interception of metadata, and gag orders.
• Provide grants to State and Tribal courts to implement the requirements of the bill.

Access the full text of the bill here.

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“These bills protect the Fifth Amendment right of all Americans against unjust imprisonment and keep tax dollars where they’re most efficient,” said Senator Mike Lee. “Judges need more discretion to consider each defendant’s individual and unique circumstances, and our prisons need to be able to focus resources on the most dangerous criminals. Our bipartisan legislation will protect Americans’ constitutional rights and eliminate federal waste.”

“Outdated policies stemming from the failed ‘War on Drugs’ continue to impose lengthy, one-size-fits-all sentences for many nonviolent drug offenses. It’s costly, overcrowds our prisons, and strains budgets at the expense of other important law enforcement and crime prevention programs,” said Senator Dick Durbin. “Our bipartisan bills will modernize these misguided and expensive sentencing laws and allow many nonviolent drug offenders to return to their communities more quickly, without threatening public safety. I thank my colleague Senator Lee for his longtime partnership in this effort.”

The Smarter Sentencing Act

Over half of federal inmates are serving sentences for drug offenses, and many were convicted of an offense carrying a mandatory minimum penalty. By lowering mandatory sentences for certain nonviolent drug offenses, the bill provides federal judges more flexibility to determine when the harshest penalties should apply on a case-by-case basis.

The bill does not repeal any mandatory minimum sentence, nor does it lower any maximum sentence. Rather, its approach allows judges to dole out the harshest penalties where they are warranted, while allowing judges to moderate sentences based on individual circumstances. Additionally, this bill only applies to nonviolent offenses.

Senators Lee and Durbin first introduced the Smarter Sentencing Act in 2013. Since then, several important reforms first proposed in the bill were included in the landmark First Step Act, enacted into law in 2018. The central remaining sentencing reform is reducing mandatory minimum penalties for certain nonviolent drug offenses.

The bill is cosponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Angus King (I-ME), Ed Markey (D-MA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Roger Wicker (R-MS).
The following organizations support the Smarter Sentencing Act: National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Due Process Institute, Federal Public and Community Defenders, Dream.org, Association of Prosecuting Attorneys.

Bill text is available here.

The Smarter Pretrial Detention for Drug Charges Act

Senators Lee and Durbin introduced this bill as pretrial detention rates in the federal system are increasing across all demographic groups. By eliminating the blanket presumption of pretrial detention for most federal drug charges, a tailored, individualized assessment can be conducted for each defendant on a case-by-case basis.

Under the Bail Reform Act of 1984, which governs federal pretrial detention, the release of defendants is generally presumed unless a judge finds a risk of flight or potential danger to the community. This is the appropriate standard for defendants due to the presumption of innocence.

However, this release presumption is reversed for certain criminal charges, creating a presumption of detention without regard to the circumstances and background of the accused. One example of these “presumption” charges is any drug offense that is punishable by 10 years’ imprisonment or more (the vast majority of federal drug offenses). This presumption, a relic of an antiquated and failed approach to combatting the last drug epidemic, treats nonviolent drug offenses like terrorism, hijacking, and other serious violent crimes. According to the Probation and Pretrial Services Office of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, this presumption has “become an almost de facto detention order for almost half of all federal cases.”

A 2017 Probation and Pretrial Services Office study found that this presumption does not correctly identify which defendants are higher risk. For example, it found no significant difference in rates of failures to appear between presumption and non-presumption cases, and presumption cases had fewer violent rearrests than non-presumption cases. The study concluded that the presumption of detention in drug cases has been an “unsuccessful attempt” to identify high-risk defendants based primarily on the charge and “has contributed to a massive increase in the federal pretrial detention rate, with all of the social and economic costs associated with high rates of incarceration.”

The bill is cosponsored by Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) and Roger Wicker (R-MS).

The following organizations support the Smarter Pretrial Detention for Drug Charges Act: National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Due Process Institute, Tzedek Association, Drug Policy Alliance, American Civil Liberties Union, Families Against Mandatory Minimums, Dream.org, Right on Crime, Black Public Defender Association.

Bill text is available here.

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The letter reads as follows:

Dear Dr. Ulrich,

We the Utah Congressional Delegation would like to convey our sincere gratitude to the Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah. HCI is Utah’s only National Cancer Institute and the only such center serving the Mountain West. HCI alleviates the burden of cancer diagnoses for individuals and families across our state and region.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in Utah. This year alone, more than 15,000 Utahns will receive a cancer diagnosis, and nearly 4,000 will die of the disease. HCI has distinguished itself as a national leader by making discoveries that translate directly into lifesaving clinical advancement. Pioneering work in genetics, precision oncology, population sciences, immunotherapy, and cancer prevention research has improved the lives of countless individuals and families in the region. By identifying cancer causing genes and deploying targeted strategies for early detection and treatment, the institute elevates Utah’s longstanding leadership in genetics and cancer research. These efforts are complemented by ongoing infrastructure projects, including the Huntsman Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center in Vineyard, Utah and an expansion of the region’s only center for proton therapy. HCI serves an important role as a national leader in advancing research and care innovations that seek to improve access to cancer patients in rural communities.

In response to the need for healthcare professionals in Utah, HCI trains the next generation and develops Utah’s healthcare workforce. Through strong academic partnerships and exceptional training programs, the institute prepares researchers, clinicians, nurses, and allied health professionals who will meet the future challenges of cancer prevention, treatment, and research. In many cases, the nation looks to these people as the foremost experts in their respective fields.
We are proud of and grateful for the Institute’s commitment to excellence and innovation, and we recognize its indispensable role in improving outcomes for patients and families across Utah and the Mountain West.

Access the full text of the letter here.

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WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump called on members of Congress to pass Senator Mike Lee’s signature legislation, the SAVE America Act, during the State of the Union address Tuesday night.

“Perhaps most importantly, I’m asking you to approve the SAVE America Act to stop illegal aliens and others who are unpermitted persons from voting in our sacred American elections,” said President Donald Trump. “The cheating is rampant in our elections – it’s rampant. It’s very simple: all voters must show Voter ID; all voters must show proof of citizenship in order to vote. And no more crooked mail-in ballots except for illness, disability, military, or travel – none. And this should be an easy one, by the way, it’s polling at 89% including Democrats!”

“President Trump is right – Americans demand the SAVE America Act to protect their elections from illegal voters,” said Senator Mike Lee. “If Senate Democrats want to get in the way, we can make them stand up, filibuster, and fail. Republicans should pass the SAVE America Act to secure our elections and deliver on our promises to the American people!”

The SAVE America Act is widely endorsed by everyday Americans and received a flood of support during Tuesday night’s address.

The SAVE America Act would protect and preserve the right of American citizens to vote by:

• Requiring individuals to present an eligible photo identification document before voting.
• Requiring states to obtain proof of citizenship – in person – when registering an individual to vote.
• Requiring states to remove non-citizens from existing voter rolls.

Under the Biden-Harris administration, at least 10 million illegal aliens poured into communities nationwide. In many states, these illegal aliens are eligible for driver’s licenses and other benefits, providing ample opportunities to illegally register to vote in Federal elections. In some jurisdictions, non-citizens are even able to vote in local elections. While only U.S. citizens can legally vote in Federal elections, Federal law has generally preempted and undermined state laws requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote in such elections.

Watch President Trump’s call to action here.

Read the full bill text of the SAVE America Act here.

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“The many documented abuses under FISA should provoke outrage from anyone who values the Fourth Amendment,” said Senator Mike Lee. “From warrantless searches targeting journalists, political commentators, and campaign donors to monitoring sitting members of Congress, these infringements reveal a blatant disregard for individual liberties. Our bipartisan reforms to FISA Section 702 are common sense and imperative to restoring trust in our government’s commitment to the Constitution.”

“Section 702 is a valuable tool to help keep our nation safe,” said Senator Dick Durbin. “However, it’s being used to conduct thousands of warrantless searches of Americans’ private communications. That’s unacceptable. Our bipartisan SAFE Act is a commonsense solution to continue protecting our country from foreign threats—while safeguarding Americans’ civil liberties and privacy.”

The SAFE Act reauthorizes Section 702 for two years and includes the following key safeguards:

1. Requires government agencies to obtain a FISA Title I order or a warrant before accessing the content of Americans’ communications collected under Section 702. This narrow warrant requirement is feasible to implement and sufficiently flexible to accommodate legitimate security needs. 
1. The bill will not require a warrant for searches of foreigners’ communications or searches to uncover connections between targeted foreigners and Americans.
2. Requiring a warrant only for accessing the content of communications when a U.S. person search has returned results would dramatically limit the number of cases in which the government must seek a warrant, ensuring that the requirement is workable in practice.
3. The requirement contains robust exceptions for exigent circumstances, consent by the subject of the search, and cybersecurity-related searches – ensuring that the warrant requirement will protect civil liberties without endangering lives or national security.
2. Bolsters the role of amici curiae who assist the FISA Court in evaluating arguments presented by the Department of Justice by creating a presumption that amici should participate in certain particularly sensitive or important matters and by increasing amici’s access to information necessary for advising the court.
3. Adopts provisions requiring additional layers of internal supervision of U.S. person queries and other measures to increase accountability, compliance, and oversight.
4. Closes the “data broker loophole” that intelligence and law enforcement agencies use to buy their way around the Fourth Amendment and statutory privacy protections by purchasing Americans’ sensitive information, including location history, from commercial data brokers.  
1. This provision strikes a compromise by allowing the government to purchase data sets that may include Americans’ information if that information cannot be identified and excluded before purchase.  In such cases, the government would be required to apply strict minimization procedures to limit the retention and use of Americans’ data.
2. Currently intelligence agencies are left to craft their own rules for purchasing sensitive information without accounting for what information they buy and how they use it.
5. Fixes the overbroad expanded definition of Electronic Communications Service Provider (ECSP) that now defines an ECSP as any service provider with equipment used to transmit or store electronic communications. This definition would subject almost any business, religious organization, or nonprofit that uses email, voicemail, or any other communications equipment to compelled government data collection under FISA.
6. Closes the Section 215 loophole that has allowed the Government to continue using a surveillance authority which expired in 2020.

Read the full bill text here.

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“Our federal criminal code is massively over-inflated, with thousands of crimes making it impossible for anyone to fully understand the criminal liability they face,” said Senator Mike Lee. “We cannot fix what we refuse to measure, and this bill ensures Congress and the public have the facts necessary to make smarter, safer policy decisions.”

“We need to reexamine the sprawling system of federal crimes and penalties tucked into new laws and inserted into old ones that Congress has created over decades,” said Senator Chris Coons. “This bipartisan, commonsense bill will create a database of all federal crimes, so lawmakers can determine the reforms needed to make the law fairer, saner, and more effective.”

"Criminal laws are opaque and scattered across thousands of pages of statutes and regulations, preventing Americans from understanding when they might be crossing into criminal conduct,” said Senator Ted Cruz. “Congress has a responsibility to make the criminal code knowable and accessible to enhance transparency, accountability, and clarity in federal criminal law. I’m proud to join Senators Lee and Coons in introducing this bipartisan bill.”

“Meaningful criminal justice reform requires more than good intentions—it takes a serious examination of what’s already on the books,” said Senator Peter Welch. “Congress has a responsibility to understand the full scope of the federal criminal code to promote public safety. This bipartisan legislation will increase transparency, reduce overcriminalization, and ensure due process in our criminal justice system.”

Background

Currently, the full scope of criminal liability remains unknown to citizens, businesses, and even lawmakers, as there is no complete, accessible list of all federal crimes. The federal code includes thousands of offenses. This bipartisan bill, which already passed the House of Representatives by voice vote as H.R. 2159, restores transparency and accountability to the federal criminal code.

Under the Count the Crimes to Cut Act:

• The Attorney General must report a list of all federal criminal statutory offenses, including the elements for each offense, the potential criminal penalties, prosecution data from the past 15 years, and mens rea requirements.

• Heads of key federal agencies must also conduct a report with the same requirements as the Attorney General on criminal regulatory offenses enforceable by their departments.

• Both the Department of Justice and agencies must establish publicly accessible online indexes of these offenses for easy reference.

The Count the Crimes to Cut Act will help create a modern federal criminal code that better respects constitutional principles of federalism and ensures that federal resources are used in that way that best supports public safety. The bill has been endorsed by the National District Attorneys Association, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Federal Defenders, Families Against Mandatory Minimums, the Due Process Institute, the R Street Institute, and Right on Crime.

Read the full text of bill here.

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