<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0">
  <channel>
    <title>Mike Lee US Senator for Utah</title>
    <link>https://www.lee.senate.gov</link>
    <description/>
    <atom:link xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" href="https://www.lee.senate.gov/feeds/rss" type="application/rss+xml" rel="self"/>
    <language>en</language>
    <pubDate>Thu, 04 Jun 2026 00:20:58 +0000</pubDate>
    <lastBuildDate>Thu, 04 Jun 2026 00:20:58 +0000</lastBuildDate>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Lee Cosponsors Bipartisan Email Privacy Act to Protect Americans from Warrantless Searches]]></title>
      <link>https://www.lee.senate.gov/2026/6/lee-cosponsors-bipartisan-email-privacy-act-to-protect-americans-from-warrantless-searches</link>
      <description><![CDATA[WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) cosponsored the bipartisan Email Privacy Act with Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) to protect Americans from warrantless searches of their emails and other personalized digital records. The House version of this legislation was introduced by Representatives Warren Davidson (R-OH-08) and Suzan DelBene (D-WA-01).]]></description>
      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>WASHINGTON &ndash; U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) cosponsored the bipartisan <a href="https://www.lee.senate.gov/services/files/5E8EE8AA-E44C-4B76-9116-ECCF83D773C9" target="_blank"><em>Email Privacy Act</em></a> with Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) to protect Americans from warrantless searches of their emails and other personalized digital records. The House version of this legislation was introduced by Representatives Warren Davidson (R-OH-08) and Suzan DelBene (D-WA-01).</p>
<p><em>&ldquo;Americans should not lose their Fourth Amendment protections simply because their private communications are stored with a third-party provider,&rdquo; </em><strong>said Senator Mike Lee.</strong> <em>&ldquo;By eliminating the outdated 180-day rule and requiring the government to obtain a warrant for the contents of emails and other electronic communications, this legislation brings ECPA into line with the realities of the 21st century.&rdquo; </em><br /> <br /><em>&ldquo;Right now, the only thing standing between the government and warrantless access to all of the old emails in your inbox is a federal appeals court decision,&rdquo; </em><strong>said Senator Ron Wyden.</strong> <em>&ldquo;That's not good enough when it comes to Fourth Amendment protections for one of the fundamental forms of communication right now. I&rsquo;m proud to partner with a bipartisan coalition to put clear protections for Americans' rights into black-letter law.&rdquo; </em><br /> <br /><em>&ldquo;The Fourth Amendment is clear: the government must get a warrant before searching an individual&rsquo;s private property, including written communications. As today&rsquo;s world has grown increasingly digital, that principle should apply just as strongly to an email inbox as it does to a desk drawer or file cabinet,&rdquo; </em><strong>said Congressman Warren Davidson.</strong> <em>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s exactly why I&rsquo;m proud to cosponsor the Email Privacy Act&mdash;to ensure our freedoms carry into the digital world and that all communications are protected as the Founders intended. Congress must pass this commonsense legislation so Americans&rsquo; rights are fully respected in the 21st century.&rdquo;</em></p>
<p><em>&ldquo;The current law governing online privacy standards is egregiously out of date, leaving millions of Americans&rsquo; private communications and data vulnerable,&rdquo;</em><strong> said Congresswoman Suzan DelBene.</strong><em> &ldquo;Our laws must reflect the capabilities of modern technology rather than being stuck in the past. Personal email communications and physical documents should be protected with the same level of security. This bill makes critical changes that will update email privacy standards and modernize Americans&rsquo; civil liberties.&rdquo;</em></p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Background</strong></span></p>
<p>Currently, law enforcement can obtain private email communications older than 180 days without a warrant because the law is based on outdated storage capabilities. Congress passed the Electronic Communications Privacy Act in the 1980s to establish email privacy standards. In the four decades since, email usage and storage have evolved significantly while protections have not.<br /> <br />The <em>Email Privacy Act</em> would protect Americans&rsquo; digital communications by requiring warrants to access emails regardless of their origin date. The bill also allows email providers (Gmail, Yahoo!, Hotmail, iCloud, etc.) to notify users when their data has been accessed, and updates voluntary disclosure language.</p>
<p>The bill is endorsed by Americans for Prosperity, Americans for Tax Reform, Association for Competitive Technology, the American Civil Liberties Union, Center for Democracy &amp; Technology, Computer &amp; Communications Industry Association, Consumer Choice Center, Consumer Technology Association, Demand Progress, Due Process Institute, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Engine, Fight for the Future, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, Institute for Policy Innovation, Internet Infrastructure Coalition &ndash; I2Coalition, NetChoice, Project On Government Oversight, R Street Institute, Restore the Fourth, Software &amp; Information Industry Association, TechFreedom, and U.S. Chamber of Commerce.<br /> <br /><em>Read the full bill text <a href="https://www.lee.senate.gov/services/files/5E8EE8AA-E44C-4B76-9116-ECCF83D773C9" target="_blank">here</a>.</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><br /><em>###</em></p>]]></content:encoded>
      <category>Press Releases</category>
      <guid>https://www.lee.senate.gov/2026/6/lee-cosponsors-bipartisan-email-privacy-act-to-protect-americans-from-warrantless-searches</guid>
      <pubDate>Wed, 03 Jun 2026 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Supreme Court Protects Separation of Powers Following Lee Amicus Brief]]></title>
      <link>https://www.lee.senate.gov/2026/5/supreme-court-protects-separation-of-powers-following-lee-amicus-brief</link>
      <description><![CDATA[WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) lauded the United States Supreme Court’s decision to maintain the separation of powers by keeping activist judges from coopting the role of Congress in the case of Daren K. Margolin, Director of the Executive Office for Immigration Review v. National Association of Immigration Judges. ]]></description>
      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p dir="ltr">WASHINGTON &ndash; U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) lauded the United States Supreme Court&rsquo;s decision to maintain the separation of powers by keeping activist judges from coopting the role of Congress in the case of <em>Daren K. Margolin, Director of the Executive Office for Immigration Review v. National Association of Immigration Judges.</em> Following Senator Lee&rsquo;s urging in an <a href="https://www.lee.senate.gov/services/files/70C3D43E-617D-4EFF-885F-36D453E5833A" target="_blank">amicus curiae brief</a>, the Supreme Court reversed a ruling by the Fourth Circuit that would have potentially undermined a policy requiring federal immigration judges to obtain approval before taking on speaking engagements in their official capacity.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m glad to see the Supreme Court maintain the separation of powers keeping rogue activist judges from undermining the work of the executive branch,&rdquo; </em><strong>said Senator Mike Lee.</strong> <em>&ldquo;Our federal immigration judges should be focused on their jobs, not making themselves celebrities via unapproved speaking engagements targeted at undermining the very purpose of their work. When litigants seek to improperly challenge such approval policies in federal court, judges should also respect the administrative processes established by Congress for these types of claims. I&rsquo;m proud to have spoken for Congress in an amicus curiae brief and pleased to see the Supreme Court listen.&rdquo;</em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Background</strong></span></p>
<p dir="ltr">The amicus brief argued that&mdash;contrary to the proceedings in this case&mdash;legal challenges to this approval policy should be channeled through the appropriate administrative process established by Congress. Justices Thomas and Barrett, in a separate writing, signaled agreement with this reasoning, stating that &ldquo;[s]tatutes change only when Congress changes them, not when judges decide that they no longer vindicate Congress&rsquo;s purposes."&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Read the full amicus curiae brief <a href="https://www.lee.senate.gov/services/files/70C3D43E-617D-4EFF-885F-36D453E5833A" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Read the Supreme Court&rsquo;s decision <a href="https://www.lee.senate.gov/services/files/BC8B5723-6134-40ED-B743-EA3F917D39B2" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><em>###</em></p>]]></content:encoded>
      <category>Press Releases</category>
      <guid>https://www.lee.senate.gov/2026/5/supreme-court-protects-separation-of-powers-following-lee-amicus-brief</guid>
      <pubDate>Fri, 29 May 2026 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Lee Introduces Transparency Protections for Military Servicemembers Unknowingly Using Restricted Supplements]]></title>
      <link>https://www.lee.senate.gov/2026/5/lee-introduces-transparency-protections-for-military-servicemembers-unknowingly-using-restricted-supplements</link>
      <description><![CDATA[WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) today introduced legislation protecting military servicemembers from prosecution for accidental violations of ever-changing supplement ingredient rules. The Protecting Enlisted and Recruits from Excessive and Catastrophic Trials (PERFECT) Act institutes needed transparency by requiring the Secretary of War to publish a full list of prohibited ingredients every 90 days, and provides commanding officers flexibility to determine whether first-time violations were accidental and in good faith. This does not apply to dangerous or illicit drugs such as heroin or cocaine. Representative Warren Davidson (R-OH-08) introduced the House version of the bill.]]></description>
      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>WASHINGTON &ndash; U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) today introduced <a href="urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.lee.senate.gov/services/files/21A55460-45B0-4A08-99C8-3163AFDA27AD__;!!BSgrhSFG!DgcZnMa2MsXQAtyxs_DwcaabTiYr1vfoKOrGvBb1JJYcGM9luABk8FwAeioi2gQUe_4Wg0DXTYj1mFp9XjDjnfn10LMsHykRPTivaCPp$" target="_blank">legislation</a> protecting military servicemembers from prosecution for accidental violations of ever-changing supplement ingredient rules. The <em>Protecting Enlisted and Recruits from Excessive and Catastrophic Trials (PERFECT) Act</em> institutes needed transparency by requiring the Secretary of War to publish a full list of prohibited ingredients every 90 days, and provides commanding officers flexibility to determine whether first-time violations were accidental and in good faith. This does not apply to dangerous or illicit drugs such as heroin or cocaine. Representative Warren Davidson (R-OH-08) introduced the House version of the bill.</p>
<p><em>&ldquo;Firing our upstanding military servicemembers for unknowingly taking the wrong supplement makes no sense, particularly when its ingredients are fully legal for civilians and likely even purchased on base,&rdquo; </em><strong>said Senator Mike Lee.</strong> <em>&ldquo;The list of prohibited ingredients for servicemembers is very long, ever-changing, and difficult to access. Our troops need better transparency to avoid breaking these rules in the first place, and they deserve some flexibility for first offenses and honest mistakes. This bill will bring improved transparency to prevent violations, and allow commanding officers to judge good faith when it comes to their own troops.&rdquo;</em></p>
<p><em>&ldquo;Our trained servicemembers should not be kicked out of the military for the honest mistake of taking the wrong legally available supplement they bought at GNC,&rdquo; </em><strong>said Congressman Warren Davidson.</strong><em> &ldquo;Treating an innocent oversight the same as possession of a Schedule I drug is disproportionate and wrong. The PERFECT Act gives COs the flexibility to handle first offenses in-unit and updates the confusing DOD portal that left servicemembers searching ingredient by ingredient and in the dark about newly banned supplements.&rdquo;</em></p>
<p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">The <em>PERFECT Act:</em></span></strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Requires the Secretary of War to publish a full list of prohibited ingredients every 90 days, allowing servicemembers to view the full list rather than only using a search feature.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Allows commanding officers to elect not to subject servicemembers to discipline or separation if:</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<ul>
<li>The offense was the first such offense by the servicemember</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<ul>
<li>The servicemember agrees to participate in education, counseling, or drug testing</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<ul>
<li>The commanding officer determines that the servicemember was acting in &ldquo;good faith,&rdquo; meaning at least one of the following apply:</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<ul>
<ul>
<li>The servicemember had no knowledge that the dietary supplement contained a prohibited ingredient</li>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<ul>
<ul>
<li>The supplement was purchased from a retail facility affiliated with the Department of War</li>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<ul>
<ul>
<li>The servicemember reasonably relied on the published list but failed to identify that the ingredient was prohibited due to a misspelling or variation in the name of such ingredients (some manufacturers of prohibited ingredients create chemical analogs or change the name of ingredients, and some use umbrella ingredient names that obscure constituent ingredients identities)</li>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<ul>
<ul>
<li>The servicemember demonstrates reasonable belief that such supplement does not contain a prohibited ingredient.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<ul>
<li>Note: This flexibility does not apply to servicemembers found to be in possession of dangerous or illicit drugs that appear on the Controlled Substances Act, such as heroin, marijuana, cocaine, etc.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: center;"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.lee.senate.gov/services/files/21A55460-45B0-4A08-99C8-3163AFDA27AD" target="_blank">Bill Text</a> | <a href="https://www.lee.senate.gov/services/files/3696DBFA-DCCB-46BE-9A33-5B8FA4220036" target="_blank">One-Pager</a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><br />###</p>]]></content:encoded>
      <category>Press Releases</category>
      <guid>https://www.lee.senate.gov/2026/5/lee-introduces-transparency-protections-for-military-servicemembers-unknowingly-using-restricted-supplements</guid>
      <pubDate>Thu, 21 May 2026 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[“Horrifying Misuse of American Tax Dollars” – Lee Calls to Slash UN Agency Employing Hamas Terrorists, Hiding Hostages and Weapons]]></title>
      <link>https://www.lee.senate.gov/2026/5/horrifying-misuse-of-american-tax-dollars-lee-calls-to-slash-un-agency-employing-hamas-terrorists-hiding-hostages-and-weapons</link>
      <description><![CDATA[WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) joined Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) and a large Senate Republican coalition urging President Trump to defund a United Nations (UN) agency employing and aiding Hamas terrorists. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) employs several terrorists who participated in the initial attacks by Hamas on October 7th, as well as many others with ties to Hamas, and has repeatedly aided the terrorist organization by hiding hostages and weapons and teaching a pro-terrorism, antisemitic curriculum.

]]></description>
      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p dir="ltr">WASHINGTON &ndash; U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) joined Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) and a large Senate Republican coalition <a href="https://www.lee.senate.gov/services/files/D7D7E07B-33CE-457E-AC64-046B8E704FF9" target="_blank">urging</a> President Trump to defund a United Nations (UN) agency employing and aiding Hamas terrorists. The <em>United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)</em> employs several terrorists who participated in the initial attacks by Hamas on October 7th, as well as many others with ties to Hamas, and has repeatedly aided the terrorist organization by hiding hostages and weapons and teaching a pro-terrorism, antisemitic curriculum.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>&ldquo;As if the UN were not already useless and expensive, it is now using American tax dollars to hide hostages and weapons for the Hamas terrorists it employs. Yes, really!&rdquo; </em><strong>said Senator Mike Lee.</strong> <em>&ldquo;$70 million is funneled yearly from the United Nations to a group in Gaza employing multiple terrorists from the October 7th attacks and their friends. These American-paid employees have used our tax dollars to hide their hostages and weaponry and teach a pro-terrorism, antisemitic curriculum. Americans do not support this horrifying misuse of tax dollars &ndash; it must end now.&rdquo;</em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">The letter reads as follows:</span></p>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Dear President Trump,</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>We strongly support your administration&rsquo;s efforts to preserve Israel&rsquo;s long-term security and ensure that Gaza has a future free of Hamas&rsquo;s terrorist influence. Your strong leadership has been instrumental in advancing a comprehensive 20-point peace plan that demands Hamas disarm and play no role in Gaza governance. Achieving stability in Gaza requires ridding Gaza of the military, social, and political infrastructure that fed Hamas&rsquo;s power. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is one such structure that must be dismantled, not just in Gaza but across the region.</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Established in 1949 as a temporary relief agency, UNRWA operates across Gaza, Judea and Samaria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. In defiance of its mission, extensive reports, investigations, and intelligence assessments have confirmed UNRWA&rsquo;s systemic infiltration by Hamas and other U.S.-designated terrorist organizations. Yet America continued to fund UNRWA.</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Israel found that at least twelve UNRWA employees participated in the Hamas-led October 7 attacks, and that roughly ten percent of the agency&rsquo;s employees in Gaza have ties to terrorist groups. Recently, a USAID Office of Inspector General (OIG) investigation identified three additional UNRWA employees who participated in the attacks as well as 14 others affiliated with Hamas. The USAID OIG is expanding its probe to examine more than 100 UNRWA employees for potential ties to Hamas and involvement in the attacks.</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Since October 7, Hamas has repeatedly diverted UNRWA&rsquo;s supplies, used its facilities to hide weapons stockpiles and tunnel infrastructure, and even used its buildings to hold hostages. UNRWA&rsquo;s educational curriculum glorifies terrorism and antisemitism. Yet while the United States has suspended direct funding and Israel has banned the agency from operating on its territory, UNRWA remains active in Gaza. UNRWA continues to receive $70 million annually from the United Nations regular budget &ndash; of which the United States provides roughly a quarter.</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>We strongly urge your administration to take decisive action to fully dismantle UNRWA and eliminate it from the UN budget. Any aid organization in Gaza or otherwise must be demonstrably free of ties to terrorism and committed to transparency, accountability, and peace. We must ensure this failed system doesn&rsquo;t continue reinforcing the conditions that have fueled terrorism for generations. The time to act is now.</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Thank you for your attention to this matter. We stand prepared to assist.</em></div>
<p dir="ltr"><span>The letter is cosigned by Senators Jim Banks (R-IN), John Barrasso (R-WY), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Katie Britt (R-AL), Ted Budd (R-NC), Susan Collins (R-ME), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Ted Cruz (R-TX), John Curtis (R-UT), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), John Hoeven (R-ND), James Lankford (R-OK), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Dave McCormick (R-PA), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Rick Scott (R-FL), Tim Scott (R-SC), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), and Roger Wicker (R-MS).</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Read exclusive coverage by <em>The New York Post</em> <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/05/19/us-news/sen-tom-cotton-leads-24-gopers-in-urging-trump-to-dismantle-unrwa-cut-it-from-un-budget/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Read the full text of the letter <a href="https://www.lee.senate.gov/services/files/D7D7E07B-33CE-457E-AC64-046B8E704FF9" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span></span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><em>###</em></p>]]></content:encoded>
      <category>Press Releases</category>
      <guid>https://www.lee.senate.gov/2026/5/horrifying-misuse-of-american-tax-dollars-lee-calls-to-slash-un-agency-employing-hamas-terrorists-hiding-hostages-and-weapons</guid>
      <pubDate>Tue, 19 May 2026 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Lee Cosponsors BLUE Act with Protections Against Doxxing Police Officers]]></title>
      <link>https://www.lee.senate.gov/2026/5/lee-cosponsors-blue-act-with-protections-against-doxxing-police-officers</link>
      <description><![CDATA[WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) cosponsored the Blocking Leaks Undermining Law Enforcement (BLUE) Act during National Police Week with Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) to protect law enforcement officers from being doxxed. This legislation would shield federal law enforcement officers and their families from credible violent threats by prohibiting the sharing of their personal information and location with intent to obstruct, interfere with, or retaliate against their lawful duties.]]></description>
      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p dir="ltr">WASHINGTON &ndash; U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) cosponsored the <a href="https://www.lee.senate.gov/services/files/54628152-23C8-4BBF-9D97-989CC8BFEC2B" target="_blank"><em>Blocking Leaks Undermining Law Enforcement (BLUE) Act</em></a> during National Police Week with Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) to protect law enforcement officers from being doxxed. This legislation would shield federal law enforcement officers and their families from credible violent threats by prohibiting the sharing of their personal information and location with intent to obstruct, interfere with, or retaliate against their lawful duties.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>&ldquo;Violent anti-police protestors are purposely endangering our law enforcement officers and their families with doxxing and threats,&rdquo; </em><strong>said Senator Mike Lee.</strong> <em>&ldquo;To protect the patriots who keep us safe, the BLUE Act will outlaw sharing their personal information with the intention of obstructing or retaliating against their police work. As politicized threats against their lives increase, this change will provide the legal shield that our law enforcement officers and their families need to continue protecting Americans every day.&rdquo;</em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>&ldquo;It is despicable that radical left-wing protesters are routinely attacking federal law enforcement officers who risk their lives every day to protect Americans,&rdquo; </em><strong>said Senator Rick Scott.</strong> <em>&ldquo;Democrats continue protecting criminal illegal aliens and their radical left-wing defenders instead of the law enforcement officers keeping our communities safe. Trump Derangement Syndrome and years of &lsquo;defund the police&rsquo; rhetoric has gone too far, and the BLUE Act protects law enforcement officers doing their jobs and keeps their families&rsquo; identities safe. I proudly stand with federal law enforcement and against the lunatics putting public safety at risk.&rdquo;</em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>The BLUE Act is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Ted Budd (R-NC), James Lankford (R-OK), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), and Mike Rounds (R-SD), and endorsed by the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA).</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s increasingly clear that the Radical Left doesn&rsquo;t believe in law and order and will do anything to stop the law from being enforced,&rdquo; </em><strong>said Senator Tommy Tuberville.</strong> <em>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve seen repeated attacks on our brave law enforcement officers, including the ICE agents who are carrying out President Trump&rsquo;s agenda to remove illegal criminals. Revealing officers&rsquo; personal locations&mdash;whether they&rsquo;re on duty or not&mdash;is extremely dangerous to their safety. If you do anything to put a law enforcement officer in harm&rsquo;s way, your butt needs to be thrown in jail. As we recognize National Police Week this week, I&rsquo;m proud to join the BLUE Act with Sen. Rick Scott to further protect those who put their lives on the line to keep us safe.</em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>&ldquo;Attacks on federal law enforcement are at an all time high, with perpetrators becoming increasingly more brazen in targeted physical and doxing attacks on officers and their families. That is why we are grateful to the leadership of Sen. Scott to advance the &lsquo;BLUE Act&rsquo; during National Police Week.&nbsp; This is a common sense bill to ensure appropriate penalties for those who seek to undermine public safety, and we urge Congress to swiftly send it to President Trump&rsquo;s desk.&rdquo; </em><strong>&ndash; Mathew Silverman, National President, Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA)</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>The <em>Blue Act</em>:</strong></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span></span><span>Creates a new criminal prohibition: Makes it illegal to share certain protected information about a federal law enforcement officer when done with intent to obstruct, interfere with, or retaliate against their official duties or proceedings.</span></li>
<li><span></span><span>Expands what information is protected: Clarifies that, for federal law enforcement officers, protected information includes not just personal details but also their current or expected physical locations, whether on or off duty.</span></li>
</ul>
<p dir="ltr"><em>Read exclusive coverage by Townhall <a href="https://townhall.com/tipsheet/josephchalfant/2026/05/13/exclusive-sen-rick-scott-to-introduce-bill-criminalizing-the-doxxing-of-federal-law-enforcement-n2675986" target="_blank">here</a>.</em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>Read the full text of the bill <a href="https://www.lee.senate.gov/services/files/54628152-23C8-4BBF-9D97-989CC8BFEC2B" target="_blank">here</a>.</em></p>
<p dir="ltr"></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><span>###</span></p>
<div><span>&nbsp;</span></div>]]></content:encoded>
      <category>Press Releases</category>
      <guid>https://www.lee.senate.gov/2026/5/lee-cosponsors-blue-act-with-protections-against-doxxing-police-officers</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 18 May 2026 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Lee, Colleagues Demand Answers from Brown University on Failure to Prevent On-Campus Killings]]></title>
      <link>https://www.lee.senate.gov/2026/5/lee-colleagues-demand-answers-from-brown-university-on-failure-to-prevent-tragedy</link>
      <description><![CDATA[WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT), along with a coalition of his colleagues in the House and Senate, demanded answers from Brown University regarding the shocking negligence resulting in a recent on-campus killing. The university sacrificed safety equipment to pacify woke ideologues and adopted a blatantly anti-police posture, leaving students hopelessly vulnerable to an on-campus attack that killed two students and injured nine – all while Brown’s alert system lagged for a stunning and deadly seventeen minutes.]]></description>
      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>WASHINGTON &ndash; U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT), along with a coalition of his colleagues in the House and Senate, <a href="https://www.lee.senate.gov/services/files/90138236-18EC-484C-9063-92689239D22E" target="_blank">demanded answers</a> from Brown University regarding the school's shocking negligence resulting in a recent on-campus killing. The university sacrificed safety equipment to pacify woke ideologues and adopted a blatantly anti-police posture, leaving students hopelessly vulnerable to an on-campus attack that killed two students and injured nine &ndash; all while Brown&rsquo;s alert system lagged for a stunning and deadly seventeen minutes.</p>
<p><em>&ldquo;Brown University abandoned its students, choosing to virtue signal rather than protect them from being killed on their own campus,&rdquo; </em><strong>said Senator Mike Lee.</strong> <em>&ldquo;In the last five years alone, Brown University has ignored attack threats, undermined their own campus police force, and apologized for using security cameras when woke activists called them a &lsquo;tool of oppression&rsquo; &ndash; all while dorms were broken into and robbed year after year. This is shockingly ridiculous and abhorrently negligent. The tragic on-campus killings in December may have been averted had Brown not chosen optics over their students&rsquo; safety. I demand answers and accountability for these victims and their families.&rdquo;</em></p>
<p>Senators Katie Britt (R-AL), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) and Representatives Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Robert Aderholt (R-AL), Mike Lawler (R-NY), Barry Moore (R-AL), Mike Rogers (R-AL), Dale Strong (R-AL), and Gary Palmer (R-AL) are the letter&rsquo;s additional signees.</p>
<p><em>&ldquo;We write as concerned Members of the United States Congress to express profound outrage and demand accountability for the tragic and preventable murders that occurred on the Brown University campus on December 13, 2025. The deaths of Ella Cook, Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, and the wounding of nine others were not unforeseeable tragedies. Public reporting, sworn testimony, police union statements, Brown&rsquo;s public records, and the assailant&rsquo;s own words clearly establish that these deaths were made possible by more than a decade of deliberate policy decisions that prioritized activists&rsquo; radical demands over student safety,&rdquo; </em><strong>wrote the members of Congress.</strong></p>
<p>The members of Congress go on to recount Brown University&rsquo;s consistent caving to far-left, anti-law enforcement activists, putting the safety and security of their students at risk, noting the following:</p>
<p><em>&ldquo;After more than a decade of poor choices, Brown leadership&rsquo;s decisions left its campus and students vulnerable on December 13, 2025. The University had only five officers on duty, a system of non-functional or unstaffed security cameras, and ignored multiple warnings from campus employees about the assailant. These alarming failures, compounded by an incomprehensible 17-minute delay in activating the BrownAlert system, allowed the assailant to fire off 44 unchallenged shots &ndash; killing two innocent students and injuring nine others. Brown&rsquo;s mistakes were not isolated lapses; they were the predictable outcome of an institutional culture so corroded that it treated legitimate law enforcement and physical security as ideological threats rather than essential protections.&rdquo;</em></p>
<p>Read exclusive coverage by <em>The Free Press</em> <a href="https://www.thefp.com/p/brown-university-shooting-congress-letter" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>
<p>Read the full text of the letter <a href="https://www.lee.senate.gov/services/files/90138236-18EC-484C-9063-92689239D22E" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>
<p></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">###</p>]]></content:encoded>
      <category>Press Releases</category>
      <guid>https://www.lee.senate.gov/2026/5/lee-colleagues-demand-answers-from-brown-university-on-failure-to-prevent-tragedy</guid>
      <pubDate>Thu, 14 May 2026 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Lee Introduces Repeal of Inflated Government Spending Models]]></title>
      <link>https://www.lee.senate.gov/2026/4/lee-introduces-repeal-of-inflated-government-spending-models</link>
      <description><![CDATA[WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) today introduced legislation to repeal the outdated Davis-Bacon Act to curb inflated government spending on construction projects. U.S. Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX), Rick Scott (R-FL), Tim Scott (R-SC), Katie Britt (R-AL), Ron Johnson (R-WI), James Lankford (R-OK), and Ted Budd (R-NC) cosponsored the legislation. Representative Eric Burlison (R-MO-07) introduced the House version of the bill.]]></description>
      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>WASHINGTON &ndash; U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) today introduced <a href="https://www.lee.senate.gov/services/files/A8DA96F8-1FDD-41A6-8344-9614AE57FBC5" target="_blank">legislation</a> to repeal the outdated Davis-Bacon Act to curb inflated government spending on construction projects. U.S. Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX), Rick Scott (R-FL), Tim Scott (R-SC), Katie Britt (R-AL), Ron Johnson (R-WI), James Lankford (R-OK), and Ted Budd (R-NC) cosponsored the legislation. Representative Eric Burlison (R-MO-07) introduced the House version of the bill.</p>
<p><em>&ldquo;When big government offers to help, it usually creates more problems than it fixes. The Davis-Bacon Act is no exception,&rdquo; </em><strong>said Senator Mike Lee.</strong> <em>&ldquo;It is an antiquated piece of legislation that hurts middle class workers and every American taxpayer. Repealing this single bill would save tens of billions of tax dollars. It is high-time that Congress passes the Davis-Bacon Repeal Act.&rdquo;</em></p>
<p><em>"Texans reject government interference in the labor market,&rdquo; </em><strong>said Senator Ted Cruz.</strong> <em>&ldquo;Repealing the Davis-Bacon Act will save billions of taxpayer dollars, expand competition, and ensure that federal projects are awarded based on merit, not dictated by bureaucrats in Washington.&rdquo;</em></p>
<p><em>&ldquo;For too long, government&rsquo;s burdensome regulations bog down good work and our small businesses while hardworking Americans pay the price, which is why the Davis-Bacon Act must go,&rdquo;</em><strong> said Senator Joni Ernst.</strong><em> &ldquo;I&rsquo;m proud to join Senator Lee&rsquo;s effort to repeal this outdated red tape and save taxpayers over $17 billion.&rdquo;</em></p>
<p><em>&ldquo;The Davis-Bacon Repeal Act is a necessary step toward ensuring our federal construction policies reflect today&rsquo;s economic realities,&rdquo; </em><strong>s</strong><strong>aid Senator Tim Scott.</strong> <em>&ldquo;The current law drives up project costs, imposes unnecessary administrative burdens, and limits opportunities for small businesses and entry-level workers to compete. At a time when we should be building more and maximizing every taxpayer dollar, this approach falls short. Repealing the Davis-Bacon Act will help lower costs, expand competition, and ensure our federal investments deliver greater value for the American people.&rdquo;</em></p>
<p><em>&ldquo;The Davis-Bacon Act is a nearly century-old, outdated law,&rdquo; </em><strong>said Senator Katie Britt.</strong> <em>&ldquo;It drives up federal costs, hurts American workers, and unfairly advantages organized labor. Repealing this antiquated law would provide relief for taxpayers and improve government efficiency by instituting more accurate prevailing wage calculations on federal construction projects.&rdquo;</em></p>
<p><em>&ldquo;The Davis-Bacon Act is an outdated mandate that limits opportunities for small contractors and drives up construction costs,&rdquo; </em><strong>said Senator Ron Johnson.</strong> <em>&ldquo;CBO estimates that repealing the Davis-Bacon Act would save $18 billion in taxpayer dollars. It should be repealed to ensure taxpayer dollars are better utilized and not wasted.&rdquo;</em></p>
<p><em>&ldquo;The Davis-Bacon Act has been on the books for decades, and it is holding Oklahoma back,&rdquo; </em><strong>said Senator James Lankford.</strong> <em>&ldquo;It drives up costs, slows down projects, and makes it harder for our local contractors and workers to compete. At the end of the day, taxpayers are paying more for less while Washington piles on red tape. It is time to get rid of outdated mandates and make it easier for hardworking Oklahomans to build, work, and get the job done.&rdquo;</em></p>
<p><em>&ldquo;The Davis-Bacon Act discriminates against non-unionized construction workers and increases construction costs for the federal government at a time when we need to rein in federal spending,&rdquo; </em><strong>said Senator Ted Budd.</strong><em> &ldquo;These outdated requirements have held back our government&rsquo;s deployment of new technologies and federal investments in American manufacturing. North Carolina is a proud right-to-work state, and I am glad to join Senator Lee and our colleagues in this common-sense effort to repeal these harmful prevailing wage requirements.&rdquo;</em></p>
<p>The legislation is endorsed by the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council, the Associated Builders and Contractors, and the National Federation of Independent Businesses.</p>
<p><em>&ldquo;ABC proudly supports the Davis-Bacon Repeal Act, introduced by Sen. Mike Lee. For too long, the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts have created significant burdens for small businesses, discouraging them from competing for federal projects due to excessive compliance costs, confusing wage determinations and unnecessary bureaucratic red tape. By repealing Davis-Bacon, Congress can restore competition and entrepreneurship and support workforce growth.&rdquo; </em><strong>&ndash; Kristen Swearingen, Vice President of Government Affairs, Associated Builders and Contractors</strong></p>
<p><em>&ldquo;SBE Council strongly supports the Davis-Bacon Repeal Act, legislation that would eliminate an outdated mandate that continues to burden taxpayers, small businesses, and America&rsquo;s construction workforce. We applaud Senator Mike Lee for leading on this important bill to bring fairness, common sense, and inclusive competition within the federal procurement system.&rdquo; </em><strong>&ndash; Karen Kerrigan, President and CEO, Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council</strong></p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Background</strong></span></p>
<p>The Davis Bacon Act is a 95-year-old wage subsidy law requiring all federally funded construction projects worth over $2,000 pay workers the &ldquo;prevailing wage&rdquo; rate from private construction projects in the same locality. In practice, the application of this law uses inaccurate wage estimates and flawed calculation mechanisms, inflating costs so much that the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) revealed a repeal would <a href="https://www.cbo.gov/budget-options/60936#:~:text=The%20Davis%2DBacon%20Act%20requires,small%20reduction%20in%20mandatory%20outlays" target="_blank">save $17.8 billion</a> over the next decade.</p>
<p>Rather than using average local pay rates for its estimations, the Department of Labor (DOL) adopted a rule under the Biden administration that if 30% of a local workforce is paid a particular rate, this is used as the prevailing wage. This method distorts the prevailing wage away from actual averages, elevates union influence over the calculations, and punishes urban workers.</p>
<p>Furthermore, despite having access to accurate prevailing wage rates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Department of Labor has instead tasked an enforcement department with estimating prevailing wages &ndash; which reportedly made 832 errors across 49 contractors in <a href="https://www.oig.dol.gov/public/reports/oa/2019/04-19-001-15-001.pdf" target="_blank">an investigation</a> by the DOL Inspector General.</p>
<p>Senator Lee&rsquo;s repeal of the Davis-Bacon Act would eliminate this outdated, inefficient payment model to bring government spending down from its artificially inflated height.</p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.lee.senate.gov/services/files/46EF86FB-D2C7-446C-BF5E-36AEC1BB21A6" target="_blank">One-Pager</a> | <a href="https://www.lee.senate.gov/services/files/A8DA96F8-1FDD-41A6-8344-9614AE57FBC5" target="_blank">Bill Text</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">###</div>]]></content:encoded>
      <category>Press Releases</category>
      <guid>https://www.lee.senate.gov/2026/4/lee-introduces-repeal-of-inflated-government-spending-models</guid>
      <pubDate>Thu, 30 Apr 2026 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Lee Cosponsors Ban on Child Sex-Change Procedures with $100K Penalties, Fund for Detransitioning Victims]]></title>
      <link>https://www.lee.senate.gov/2026/4/lee-cosponsors-ban-on-child-sex-change-procedures-with-100k-penalties-fund-for-detransitioning-victims</link>
      <description><![CDATA[WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) today cosponsored the Safeguarding the Overall Protection of Minors (STOP) Act with Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS). This landmark legislation bans gender transition procedures performed on minors, imposes strict civil penalties on perpetrators, and for the first time creates a federal compensation fund dedicated to helping victims detransition using the collected penalty funds.]]></description>
      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p dir="ltr">WASHINGTON &ndash; U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) today cosponsored the <a href="https://www.lee.senate.gov/services/files/08C3C7D6-5CEA-462E-BF5E-A59C833FEB8D" target="_blank"><em>Safeguarding the Overall Protection of Minors (STOP) Act</em></a> with Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS). This landmark legislation bans gender transition procedures performed on minors, imposes strict civil penalties on perpetrators, and for the first time creates a federal compensation fund dedicated to helping victims detransition using the collected penalty funds.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>&ldquo;There are kids in America receiving life-altering gender surgeries before they graduate high school. There are kids being given hormone blockers that can cause bone loss, depression, and myriad other medical issues when they should be playing hopscotch and riding bikes,&rdquo; </em><strong>said Senator Mike Lee.</strong> <em>&ldquo;Our kids deserve safe childhoods and informed consent, but instead they have harmful procedures pushed on them by predatory doctors who won&rsquo;t have to live with the consequences. I&rsquo;m proud to cosponsor the STOP Act to outlaw risky gender transition procedures on minors, empower victims to sue for damages, and award the penalty funds from criminal doctors to their victims as recovery compensation.&rdquo;</em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>&ldquo;As an OB-GYN with over two decades of clinical experience, I know firsthand what these irreversible procedures do to children,&rdquo; </em><strong>said Senator Roger Marshall.</strong> <em>&ldquo;These are not medical treatments &mdash; they are child abuse. The STOP Act sends a clear message: if you harm a child by performing these procedures, there will be serious consequences. Our children deserve nothing less.&rdquo;</em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>The <em>STOP Act</em> is endorsed by the American Principles Project (APP), the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), and Students for Life of America (SFLA).</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>"No child is born in the wrong body&mdash;they just have the wrong doctor. The STOP Act will ban irreversible sex change procedures for children, a common sense solution that enjoys overwhelming bipartisan support. The transgender industry has built a $4 billion empire fueled by the sterilization and mutilation of vulnerable adults and children. The STOP Act is a vital first step to protecting families and restoring sanity to healthcare. Thank you to Senator Marshall for his continued efforts to protect American children from this predatory industry.&rdquo; </em><strong>&ndash; Terry Schilling, President, American Principles Project</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>&ldquo;What a gift it is to know that the same God who made the universe, made each one of us with intention, love, and care. Southern Baptists hold that God&rsquo;s design for creation includes the gift of gender, an immutable characteristic reflecting the very nature of our Creator. Yet, our cultural embrace of the radical sexual revolution has deceived people into denouncing truth and embracing harmful ideologies, especially among children. The ERLC is grateful to Sen. Marshall for introducing the STOP Act in the Senate to protect children from dangerous &lsquo;gender transition&rsquo; drugs and procedures that cause irrevocable harm. Our government has a responsibility to safeguard its citizens, of which children are among the most vulnerable, and we are encouraged to see legislation that prioritizes their protection.&rdquo; </em><strong>&ndash; Dr. Gary Hollingsworth, Interim President, Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Background</strong></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Under intense pressure from radical gender ideologues, an estimated 14,000 minors have been manipulated into undergoing life-altering sex change procedures that leave them maimed, sterilized, and psychologically damaged.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>President Trump's 2025 <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/protecting-children-from-chemical-and-surgical-mutilation/" target="_blank">executive order</a> banning the use of federal funds for gender transition procedures on minors was a critical first step. The <em>STOP Act</em> codifies and strengthens those protections in permanent federal law.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>The <em>STOP Act</em>:</strong></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span>Prohibits any person from knowingly performing, attempting to perform, conspiring to perform, or otherwise aiding or abetting any gender transition procedure on a minor under age 18 &mdash; including but not limited to puberty blockers, high-dose cross-sex hormones, mastectomies, hysterectomies, genital surgeries, and facial procedures.</span></li>
<li><span>Imposes a civil monetary penalty of at least $100,000 per violation, collectible by the Attorney General, with employers and clinics also held accountable.</span></li>
<li><span>Creates a private right of action for victims of gender transition procedures &mdash; or their parent, guardian, or caretaker if the victim was still a minor &mdash; to sue in federal court for damages.</span></li>
<li><span>Establishes the "Victims of Gender Transition Procedures Compensation Fund" in the U.S. Treasury &mdash; funded by civil penalties collected from offenders &mdash; to provide grants to private nonprofits that assist individuals who are detransitioning.</span></li>
</ul>
<p dir="ltr"><span></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Read exclusive coverage by <em>The Federalist</em> <a href="https://thefederalist.com/2026/04/24/exclusive-new-bill-would-ban-all-trans-disfigurements-for-kids-and-let-victims-sue-over-child-abuse/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Access full text of the bill <a href="https://www.lee.senate.gov/services/files/08C3C7D6-5CEA-462E-BF5E-A59C833FEB8D" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><em>###</em>&nbsp;</p>]]></content:encoded>
      <category>Press Releases</category>
      <guid>https://www.lee.senate.gov/2026/4/lee-cosponsors-ban-on-child-sex-change-procedures-with-100k-penalties-fund-for-detransitioning-victims</guid>
      <pubDate>Wed, 29 Apr 2026 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Lee, Kennedy Cut Financial Red Tape for Small Business Owners]]></title>
      <link>https://www.lee.senate.gov/2026/4/lee-kennedy-cut-financial-red-tape-for-small-business-owners</link>
      <description><![CDATA[WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) cosponsored legislation this week with Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) defending America’s small businesses from burdensome and intrusive overregulation of their finances. The bill would stop the collection of personal “Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI)” from small businessowners and delete this private data from the federal government’s records. ]]></description>
      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p dir="ltr">WASHINGTON &ndash; U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) cosponsored <a href="https://www.lee.senate.gov/services/files/751A6DBC-9F8D-41C2-9579-7E6C7BC2AA40" target="_blank">legislation</a> this week with Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) defending America&rsquo;s small businesses from burdensome and intrusive overregulation of their finances. The bill would stop the collection of personal &ldquo;Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI)&rdquo; from small businessowners and delete this private data from the federal government&rsquo;s records.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>&ldquo;The federal bureaucracy loves to bury small businessowners in paperwork that costs time, money, and even their private information,&rdquo; </em><strong>s</strong><strong>aid Senator Mike Lee.</strong><em> &ldquo;I have long opposed the Corporate Transparency Act&rsquo;s overregulation and its Beneficial Ownership Information reporting requirement and have ardently advocated for repeal. I&rsquo;m proud to cosponsor Senator Kennedy's critical legislation to end these burdensome reporting rules for American-based businesses."</em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>&ldquo;When an obscure government policy requires small business owners to fork over personal data that even our government admits it doesn&rsquo;t need, it&rsquo;s time to change that policy,&rdquo; </em><strong>said Senator John Kennedy.</strong> <em>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s why I&rsquo;m leading the bill to permanently end this burdensome mandate and keep law-abiding Americans&rsquo; personal information out of a database it should never have been in."</em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Joining Senator Lee in cosponsoring this legislation are Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Jim Justice (R-WV), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Jim Banks (R-IN), and Tim Sheehy (R-MT). The bill is also endorsed by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB).</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>&ldquo;Texas is home to more than 3.5 million small businesses. They are the backbone of our economy, and they should not be treated like criminal suspects by Washington bureaucrats,&rdquo; </em><strong>said Senator Ted Cruz.</strong> <em>&ldquo;We should be protecting their privacy and reducing regulatory burdens on American small businesses, and I&rsquo;m glad to join Senator Kennedy in introducing this bill.&rdquo;</em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>&ldquo;By imposing heavy compliance burdens, the Beneficial Ownership Information requirement in the Corporate Transparency Act distracts small business owners from essential tasks, such as innovation, customer service, and daily operations,&rdquo; </em><strong>said Senator Marsha Blackburn.</strong> <em>&ldquo;It is essential that we repeal and remove this requirement from FinCEN.&rdquo;</em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m proud to support this legislation that reins in unnecessary data collection and puts U.S. small businesses&rsquo; privacy first,&rdquo; </em><strong>said Senator Shelley Moore Capito.</strong><em> &ldquo;For too long, hardworking Americans&mdash;including many West Virginians&mdash;have faced overly broad reporting requirements that do little to enhance security while also exposing their sensitive personal information. This bill takes a targeted, responsible approach that ensures oversight efforts are focused where they matter most, while lifting an undue burden.&rdquo;</em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>&ldquo;I've heard loud and clear from Kansas small business owners that the Corporate Transparency Act's reporting requirements are too costly and too burdensome,&rdquo; </em><strong>said Senator Roger Marshall.</strong><em> &ldquo;Since the CTA took effect, it became clear that requiring American small business owners to register sensitive personal information with a federal database was not going to work. I&rsquo;m glad to join Senator Kennedy&rsquo;s bill, which will save American small businesses billions of dollars. I'll push hard to get it across the finish line so that American businesses can have the certainty of knowing it won't be rearing its ugly head again.&rdquo;</em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Background</strong></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Under the Corporate Transparency Act, the federal government mandates the collection of &ldquo;Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI)&rdquo; from small business owners: their full legal names, dates of birth, addresses and unique identifying numbers.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>The U.S. Treasury Department&rsquo;s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has found these reporting requirements to be overly onerous and intrusive for small businesses.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>In 2025, FinCEN issued a rule narrowing the scope of the data collection to foreign reporting companies, pausing the collection of many Americans&rsquo; data.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>This legislation would make this March 2025 rule law and require FinCEN to delete Americans&rsquo; data already collected under the 2021 requirement. By ending this data collection, the bill would save taxpayers an average of $9 billion per year and save U.S. small businesses $6.7 billion over 10 years.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>Access the full bill text <a href="https://www.lee.senate.gov/services/files/751A6DBC-9F8D-41C2-9579-7E6C7BC2AA40" target="_blank">here</a>.</em></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><em>###</em></p>]]></content:encoded>
      <category>Press Releases</category>
      <guid>https://www.lee.senate.gov/2026/4/lee-kennedy-cut-financial-red-tape-for-small-business-owners</guid>
      <pubDate>Wed, 29 Apr 2026 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Lee Introduces End of DEI Discrimination in Government Contracts]]></title>
      <link>https://www.lee.senate.gov/2026/4/lee-introduces-end-of-dei-discrimination-in-government-contracts</link>
      <description><![CDATA[WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) today introduced the Ending Discrimination in Government Contracting Act to stop federal agencies from violating the Constitution and awarding contracts based on recipients’ race or sex. Congressman Glenn Grothman (R-WI-06) introduced the House version of the bill.]]></description>
      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p dir="ltr">WASHINGTON &ndash; U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) today introduced the <a href="https://www.lee.senate.gov/services/files/03B26B9A-1F5F-4DC8-B2F7-8373ED7E9EA1" target="_blank"><em>Ending Discrimination in Government Contracting Act</em></a> to stop federal agencies from violating the Constitution and awarding contracts based on recipients&rsquo; race or sex. Congressman Glenn Grothman (R-WI-06) introduced the House version of the bill.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>&ldquo;Unconstitutional discrimination disguised as &lsquo;DEI&rsquo; has infected our federal government,&rdquo; </em><strong>said Senator Mike Lee.</strong> <em>&ldquo;Awarding government contracts based on race and sex is, simply put, racist and sexist. These policies defy our founding values and waste taxpayer dollars on subpar projects. My bill will end discrimination in government contracting to restore merit-based partnerships, ensuring contractors, businesses, and workers are evaluated not by the color of their skin or gender, but their ability to serve the American people.&rdquo;</em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>&ldquo;Companies in my district have lost out on contracts despite offering higher quality products at a lower cost to the taxpayer. That&rsquo;s not just unfair, it&rsquo;s wasteful,&rdquo; </em><strong>said Congressman Glenn Grothman.</strong><em> &ldquo;I was proud to introduce the Ending Discrimination in Government Contracting Act because preferences in government contracting based on race or sex are fundamentally unfair, costly, and out of step with what most Americans believe. Contracts should be awarded based on merit, not race or gender, as the Constitution guarantees equal protection for all. For too long, federal contracting has relied on race- and sex-based mandates that drive up costs and undermine confidence in the system. Our bill restores accountability, reduces waste, and ensures contracts are awarded based on merit.&rdquo;</em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>"For decades, Pacific Legal Foundation has fought to ensure that government treats every American equally under the law. Pacific Legal Foundation applauds Senator Mike Lee and Representative Glenn Grothman for introducing The Ending Discrimination in Government Contracting Act which would end the consideration of race, ethnicity, or sex in federal contracting decisions. After the Supreme Court&rsquo;s landmark ruling in Students for Fair Admissions, the legal foundation for these unjust preferences has crumbled. Congress should finish the job.&rdquo; </em><strong>&mdash; Glenn Roper, Senior Attorney in Equality &amp; Opportunity, Pacific Legal Foundation</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>"Race- and sex-based contracting costs taxpayers billions of dollars, endangers the security of our troops, and inhibits the construction and repair of our nation's infrastructure. Senator Lee and Congressman Grothman's bill takes the important step of ending these unconstitutional practices and returning federal contracting to more merit-based principles, in which Americans, regardless of race or sex, are treated equally." </em><strong>&ndash; Judge Glock, Director of Research and Senior Fellow, Manhattan Institute</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>"Since the Supreme Court found racial preferences in college admissions to be unconstitutional, there has been a swirling debate in legal and policy circles about what this means outside the educational space. The equal-protection logic of Harvard v. SFFA inextricably applies to the employment space, which is why we&rsquo;ve seen a spate of lawsuits and corporations reevaluating their DEI policies. One of the least headline-grabbing areas where identity-based preferences make their pernicious presence felt is in government contracting, which requires federal legislation to fix. The Ending Discrimination in Government Contracting Act is exactly what&rsquo;s needed to reform this often byzantine space and ensure that taxpayers aren&rsquo;t funding contracts based on identity-based spoils." </em><strong>&ndash; Ilya Shapiro, Director of Constitutional Studies and Senior Fellow, Manhattan Institute</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>"It's time to end race- and gender-based preferences in government contracting. This bill from Senator Lee and Congressman Grothman will help dismantle the ideology of left-wing identity politics and replace it with the principle of colorblind, equal treatment under the law." </em><strong>&ndash; Chris Rufo, Senior Fellow, Manhattan Institute</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Background</strong></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Since the 1970s, the federal government has expanded an ever-growing web of DEI requirements,&nbsp; mandates, and quotas for government contracts. Federal agencies are currently obligated to grant a certain number of government contracts to companies based on the race, ethnicity, or sex of company owners or employees. This system intentionally awards work based on immutable characteristics rather than ability to execute a job effectively. These practices are incompatible with the Constitution and frequently result in incomplete projects that exceed projected budgets, wasting taxpayer dollars.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>On March 26, 2026, President Trump issued <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/03/31/2026-06286/addressing-dei-discrimination-by-federal-contractors" target="_blank">Executive Order 14398</a> to address DEI discrimination by federal contractors. This move was part of a larger effort by the Administration and congressional Republicans to end DEI practices throughout the country. Legislation is necessary to codify this initiative.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Senator Lee&rsquo;s <em>Ending Discrimination in Government Contracting Act</em> underscores a shift away from unjust DEI hiring and contracting practices and towards a system that prioritizes fairness, efficiency and equal treatment under the law. As America begins to celebrate its 250th anniversary, this legislation is a timely emphasis on our founding principle that &ldquo;all men are created equal.&rdquo;</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>The <em>Ending Discrimination in Government Contracting Act</em>:</strong></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span></span><span>Eliminates existing quotas, mandates, and programs that provide government contracting opportunities to companies based on the race and/or sex of the company&rsquo;s owner;</span></li>
<li><span></span><span>Eliminates certain federal DEI programs like the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise and the Minority Business Development Act of 2021;</span></li>
<li><span></span><span>Repeals DEI preferences for Department of Transportation grants;</span></li>
<li><span></span><span>Eliminates discriminatory federal reporting requirements on small businesses;</span></li>
<li><span></span><span>Requires federal agencies to rescind any rules or regulations requiring agencies to provide preference to contractors based on their race or sex, and;</span></li>
<li><span></span><span>Prevents federal agencies from reissuing similar rules and regulations in the future.</span></li>
<li><span></span><span>Retains support for small businesses generally and does not prohibit federal agencies from prioritizing rural or veteran-owned businesses when issuing government contracts.</span></li>
</ul>
<p dir="ltr"><em>Read exclusive coverage by Breitbart News <a href="https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/04/27/exclusive-sen-mike-lees-anti-dei-bill-would-block-awarding-federal-contracts-on-basis-of-race-or-sex/" target="_blank">here</a>.</em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>Access the full bill text <a href="https://www.lee.senate.gov/services/files/03B26B9A-1F5F-4DC8-B2F7-8373ED7E9EA1" target="_blank">here</a>.</em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>Read more about the bill specifics <a href="https://www.lee.senate.gov/services/files/01F30FB1-7160-4F46-BF2B-C816D2931631" target="_blank">here</a>.</em></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><em>###</em></p>]]></content:encoded>
      <category>Press Releases</category>
      <guid>https://www.lee.senate.gov/2026/4/lee-introduces-end-of-dei-discrimination-in-government-contracts</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 27 Apr 2026 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Lee, Scott, Cornyn, Cassidy Urge Trump Administration to Close Chinese Visa Loophole in U.S. Territories]]></title>
      <link>https://www.lee.senate.gov/2026/4/lee-scott-cornyn-cassidy-urge-trump-administration-to-close-chinese-visa-loophole-in-u-s-territories</link>
      <description><![CDATA[WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Mike Lee (R-UT), Rick Scott (R-FL), John Cornyn (R-TX), and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum urging the termination of a Biden-era visa policy that allows citizens of the People’s Republic of China to enter the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands without a visa.]]></description>
      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p dir="ltr">WASHINGTON &ndash; Today, U.S. Senators Mike Lee (R-UT), Rick Scott (R-FL), John Cornyn (R-TX), and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) sent a <a href="https://www.energy.senate.gov/services/files/415E3F18-B2A2-4434-9E3C-2BF5B033DFE1" target="_blank">letter</a> to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum urging the termination of a Biden-era visa policy that allows citizens of the People&rsquo;s Republic of China to enter the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands without a visa.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The policy, known as the CNMI Economic Vitality and Security Travel Authorization Program (EVS-TAP), was created in 2024 as a sub-program of the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program. It permits PRC nationals to travel to the CNMI for up to 14 days without a visa or formal admission process.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The senators warn that <em>&ldquo;continuing the Biden-era policy of allowing PRC citizens unchecked access to CNMI threatens America&rsquo;s national security and encourages illegal drug trafficking and birth tourism.&rdquo;</em></p>
<p dir="ltr">In the letter, the senators outline several concerns tied to the program:</p>
<ul>
<li>Chinese nationals have already been convicted of trafficking methamphetamines into the CNMI.</li>
<li><span>The policy has enabled ongoing birth tourism.</span></li>
<li><span>Individuals entering the CNMI are within close proximity to Guam, a key U.S. military hub.</span></li>
<li><span>Reports indicate illegal transport of Chinese nationals from CNMI to Guam.</span></li>
<li><span>PRC-linked actors have targeted Guam&rsquo;s critical infrastructure, including its power grid.</span></li>
</ul>
<p dir="ltr"><span>&nbsp;</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>&ldquo;We strongly urge the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to end the CNMI Economic Vitality and Security Travel Authorization Program &ndash; a benefit that should not be afforded to a recalcitrant country like Communist China. We further encourage, in alignment with previous Congressional requests, the termination of Hong Kong&rsquo;s participation in the broader G-CNMI visa waiver program.&rdquo;</em></p>
<p dir="ltr">Access the full text of the letter <a href="https://www.energy.senate.gov/services/files/415E3F18-B2A2-4434-9E3C-2BF5B033DFE1" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><em>###</em></p>
<div><span>&nbsp;</span></div>]]></content:encoded>
      <category>Press Releases</category>
      <guid>https://www.lee.senate.gov/2026/4/lee-scott-cornyn-cassidy-urge-trump-administration-to-close-chinese-visa-loophole-in-u-s-territories</guid>
      <pubDate>Wed, 22 Apr 2026 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Lee Questions RV Company Merger on Antitrust Concerns to Protect American Travelers]]></title>
      <link>https://www.lee.senate.gov/2026/4/lee-questions-rv-company-merger-on-antitrust-concerns-to-protect-american-travelers</link>
      <description><![CDATA[WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT), Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights, sent an oversight letter Tuesday expressing antitrust concerns around a potential merger of recreational vehicle (RV) companies LCI Industries and Patrick Industries. ]]></description>
      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p dir="ltr">WASHINGTON &ndash; U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT), Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights, sent an <a href="https://www.lee.senate.gov/services/files/DB99F19C-560A-4F13-9C6A-9978F391D65C" target="_blank">oversight letter</a> Tuesday expressing antitrust concerns around a potential merger of recreational vehicle (RV) companies <em>LCI Industries</em> and <em>Patrick Industries</em>.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>&ldquo;I sent a letter to LCI and Patrick raising antitrust concerns about their proposed merger for the RV components,&rdquo; said Senator Mike Lee. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m conducting oversight to ensure this deal does not raise prices for Americans who love RVing.&rdquo;</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Background&nbsp;</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>A merger between LCI Industries and Patrick Industries, two of the largest suppliers in the U.S. RV components market, raises significant antitrust concerns. LCI reported full-year 2024 consolidated net sales of $3.7 billion, while Patrick reported 2024 net sales of $3.715 billion, including $1.6 billion in sales to the RV market.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>A transaction combining these companies would create a supplier of considerable scale across multiple component categories critical to RV manufacturers, which warrants close scrutiny. In his oversight letter, Senator Lee outlined several questions and concerns to be answered by both companies prior to merging.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>Access the full text of the letter <a href="https://www.lee.senate.gov/services/files/DB99F19C-560A-4F13-9C6A-9978F391D65C" target="_blank">here</a>.</em></p>
<span><span><br /></span></span>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><span>###</span></p>]]></content:encoded>
      <category>Press Releases</category>
      <guid>https://www.lee.senate.gov/2026/4/lee-questions-rv-company-merger-on-antitrust-concerns-to-protect-american-travelers</guid>
      <pubDate>Wed, 22 Apr 2026 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Lee Cosponsors Cruz Bill Defending American Energy Producers against Climate Lawfare]]></title>
      <link>https://www.lee.senate.gov/2026/4/lee-cosponsors-cruz-bill-defending-american-energy-producers-against-climate-lawfare</link>
      <description><![CDATA[WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) cosponsored the Stop Climate Shakedowns Act to defend American energy producers against the rise of climate lawfare by prohibiting dubious climate lawsuits or actions that attempt to enforce an energy penalty law from being brought in either state or federal court. The bill is sponsored by Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and cosponsored by Senators Ted Budd (R-NC) and Tom Cotton (R-AR). Representative Harriet Hageman (R-WY) introduced the House version of the legislation.]]></description>
      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p dir="ltr">WASHINGTON &ndash; U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) cosponsored the <a href="https://www.lee.senate.gov/services/files/E8FACDEB-6DE8-4ABF-9015-6FD5FAA0A56D" target="_blank"><em>Stop Climate Shakedowns Act</em></a> to defend American energy producers against the rise of climate lawfare by prohibiting dubious climate lawsuits or actions that attempt to enforce an energy penalty law from being brought in either state or federal court. The bill is sponsored by Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and cosponsored by Senators Ted Budd (R-NC) and Tom Cotton (R-AR). Representative Harriet Hageman (R-WY) introduced the House version of the legislation.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>&ldquo;America&rsquo;s energy producers take hit after hit from climate extremists who target them with excessive lawsuits,&rdquo; </em><strong>said Senator Mike Lee.</strong><em> &ldquo;Our bill will stop the climate shakedown and end lawfare against the energy workers keeping America&rsquo;s lights on.&rdquo;</em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>&ldquo;Radical environmental groups have waged a coordinated campaign to weaponize our judicial system against American energy producers, including many in Texas,&rdquo; </em><strong>said Senator Ted Cruz.</strong> <em>&ldquo;They&rsquo;re using meritless lawsuits to bankrupt our energy industry, kill good paying jobs, and drive up the cost of electricity and gasoline for hardworking families. I am proud to lead this bill to stop that abuse to protect American jobs, lower energy costs, and defend American energy dominance.&rdquo;</em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>&ldquo;The American people deserve access to reliable, affordable energy,&rdquo; </em><strong>said Senator Ted Budd.</strong><em> &ldquo;No country in the world does that better than right here in the U.S., but our domestic energy producers are constantly under attack, with climate activists weaponizing our court system. I stand with Senator Cruz to end climate lawfare suits that only seek to harm U.S. energy producers and instead props up radicalized &lsquo;green&rsquo; energy ideals.&rdquo;</em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>&ldquo;For far too long, radical &ldquo;green new deal&rdquo; environmental groups have weaponized our judicial system to delay energy projects,&rdquo; </em><strong>said Senator Tom Cotton.</strong> <em>&ldquo;Our bill would end this nonsense and lower costs for Arkansans.&rdquo;</em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>&ldquo;Energy security is national security, and we will not self-sabotage our critical industries with a cascade of costly lawsuits and extreme penalties that jeopardize American drilling,&rdquo; </em><strong>said Representative Harriet Hageman.</strong><em> &ldquo;America&rsquo;s energy producers should be protected from the dangerous legal precedent that would be set by the retroactive punishment of lawful activity.&rdquo;</em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Background</strong></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>The <em>Stop Climate Shakedowns Act</em> prohibits frivolous climate lawsuits against American energy producers from being brought in either state or federal court.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Additionally, the bill voids any energy penalty law and preempts any states&rsquo; attempts to regulate interstate and global emissions. By prohibiting causes of action for climate change related harms, states hoping to impose a radical climate agenda nationwide will not be able to offer a forum for activists to bring baseless suits against American energy producers. This legislation protects America&rsquo;s energy independence and prevents increased energy costs.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>Access the full bill text <a href="https://www.lee.senate.gov/services/files/E8FACDEB-6DE8-4ABF-9015-6FD5FAA0A56D" target="_blank">here</a>.</em></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><em>###</em>&nbsp;</p>]]></content:encoded>
      <category>Press Releases</category>
      <guid>https://www.lee.senate.gov/2026/4/lee-cosponsors-cruz-bill-defending-american-energy-producers-against-climate-lawfare</guid>
      <pubDate>Tue, 21 Apr 2026 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Lee, Warren Press Airline CEOs on Potential United-American Merger as Airfare Continues to Skyrocket for Everyday Travelers]]></title>
      <link>https://www.lee.senate.gov/2026/4/lee-warren-press-airline-ceos-on-potential-united-american-merger-as-airfare-continues-to-skyrocket-for-everyday-travelers</link>
      <description><![CDATA[WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT), Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights, along with Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), pressed the CEOs of United Airlines and American Airlines on recent reports of a potential merger between the two air carrier giants. The senators penned a bipartisan letter warning that a United-American merger would create the largest airline in the world, exacerbating concerns that consolidation of the airline industry could harm consumers.]]></description>
      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>WASHINGTON &ndash; U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT), Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights, along with Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), <a href="https://www.lee.senate.gov/services/files/4E8F1304-3A9F-4EF4-80C1-06C18C1AC781" target="_blank">pressed</a> the CEOs of <em>United Airlines</em> and <em>American Airlines</em> on recent reports of a potential merger between the two air carrier giants. The senators penned a bipartisan letter warning that a United-American merger would create the largest airline in the world, exacerbating concerns that consolidation of the airline industry could harm consumers.</p>
<p><em>&ldquo;A United-American merger could lead to increased prices for consumers, at a time when airlines are already squeezing flyers through higher fares and fees,&rdquo;</em> <strong>wrote Senators Mike Lee and Elizabeth Warren.</strong><br /> <br />Last year, United and American were the world&rsquo;s two largest airlines by available capacity. A merger would result in the combined entity owning over 2,800 aircrafts and obtaining the ability to serve 405 million passengers &ndash; far more than any other air carrier in the world.<br /> <br />If United and American were to merge, airlines would face less competitive pressure from rivals to keep the cost of flying down, likely leading to even higher fees and costs for travelers. Decreased competition between airlines leads to higher ticket prices and hurts smaller airlines&rsquo; ability to access airport gates. Low-cost carriers such as Spirit and Southwest already struggle to compete in the face of United&rsquo;s tactics at airports such as O&rsquo;Hare.<br /> <br />A merging of United and American could also result in fewer flights if the combined entity deems current routes less profitable, reducing options for consumers. In particular, the merger would create a hub overlap at Chicago O&rsquo;Hare and expand United Airlines&rsquo; access to Dallas/Fort Worth, which is not currently a United hub. <br /> <br />The senators also raised concerns over potential job loss at a combined airline. Significant consolidation often suppresses wages and compensation across the airline industry as it reduces the number of competing employers bidding for workers. <br /> <br /><em>&ldquo;A United-American merger would enable the massive combined carrier to exercise monopsony power over airline workers, potentially suppressing wages and benefits industry-wide,&rdquo;</em> <strong>wrote Senators Mike Lee and Elizabeth Warren.</strong><br /> <br />To further understand United&rsquo;s and American&rsquo;s intentions, the senators asked that both airlines respond with more information regarding the nature of any discussions about a deal, whether hostile or negotiated, and whether a potential merger would affect fares for fliers, lead to higher ancillary fees, and create job losses.<br /> <br /><em>Access the full text of the letter <a href="https://www.lee.senate.gov/services/files/4E8F1304-3A9F-4EF4-80C1-06C18C1AC781" target="_blank">here.</a></em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>###</em></p>
<p></p>]]></content:encoded>
      <category>Press Releases</category>
      <guid>https://www.lee.senate.gov/2026/4/lee-warren-press-airline-ceos-on-potential-united-american-merger-as-airfare-continues-to-skyrocket-for-everyday-travelers</guid>
      <pubDate>Tue, 21 Apr 2026 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Senator Lee Publishes Bipartisan New York Times Op-Ed; Urges Protection of Americans’ Private Data against Warrantless Searches by Federal Government]]></title>
      <link>https://www.lee.senate.gov/2026/4/senator-lee-publishes-bipartisan-new-york-times-op-ed-urges-protection-of-americans-private-data-against-warrantless-searches-by-federal-government</link>
      <description><![CDATA[WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) today published a bipartisan op-ed in The New York Times calling for protections against warrantless searches of Americans’ private digital data by the federal government. The article, penned by Senators Lee and Dick Durbin (D-IL), urges the passage of their Security and Freedom Enhancement (SAFE) Act to reform Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) to stop the rampant abuse of FISA’s statutes to target and violate the rights of innocent Americans without a warrant.]]></description>
      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p dir="ltr">WASHINGTON &ndash; U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) today published a bipartisan <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/17/opinion/section-702-surveillance-safe-act.html" target="_blank">op-ed</a> in <em>T</em><em>he New York Times</em> calling for protections against warrantless searches of Americans&rsquo; private digital data by the federal government. The article, penned by Senators Lee and Dick Durbin (D-IL), urges the passage of their <a href="https://www.lee.senate.gov/2026/2/lee-durbin-introduce-bipartisan-protections-against-warrantless-data-searches" target="_blank"><em>Security and Freedom Enhancement (SAFE) Act</em></a> to reform Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) to stop the rampant abuse of FISA&rsquo;s statutes to target and violate the rights of innocent Americans without a warrant.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>&ldquo;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,&rdquo; </em><strong>write Senators Mike Lee and Dick Durbin.</strong><em> &ldquo;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.</em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>&ldquo;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.&rdquo;</em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>The <em>SAFE Act</em> includes the following key safeguards:</strong></span></p>
<ol>
<li><span></span><span>Requires government agencies to obtain a FISA Title I order or a warrant before accessing the content of Americans&rsquo; communications collected under Section 702. This narrow warrant requirement is feasible to implement and sufficiently flexible to accommodate legitimate security needs.&nbsp;</span></li>
<ol>
<li><span>The bill will not require a warrant for searches of foreigners&rsquo; communications or searches to uncover connections between targeted foreigners and Americans.</span></li>
<li>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.</li>
<li><span>The requirement contains robust exceptions for exigent circumstances, consent by the subject of the search, and cybersecurity-related searches &ndash; ensuring that the warrant requirement will protect civil liberties without endangering lives or national security.</span></li>
</ol>
<li>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&rsquo;s access to information necessary for advising the court.<span></span></li>
<li><span></span><span>Adopts provisions requiring additional layers of internal supervision of U.S. person queries and other measures to increase accountability, compliance, and oversight.</span></li>
<li><span></span><span>Closes the &ldquo;data broker loophole&rdquo; that intelligence and law enforcement agencies use to buy their way around the Fourth Amendment and statutory privacy protections by purchasing Americans&rsquo; sensitive information, including location history, from commercial data brokers.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></li>
<ol>
<li><span>This provision strikes a compromise by allowing the government to purchase data sets that may include Americans&rsquo; information if that information cannot be identified and excluded before purchase.&nbsp; In such cases, the government would be required to apply strict minimization procedures to limit the retention and use of Americans&rsquo; data.</span></li>
<li>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.</li>
</ol>
<li><span></span><span>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.</span></li>
<li><span></span><span>Closes the Section 215 loophole that has allowed the Government to continue using a surveillance authority which expired in 2020.</span></li>
</ol>
<p dir="ltr"><em>Read the New York Times op-ed <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/17/opinion/section-702-surveillance-safe-act.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>Read more about the SAFE Act <a href="https://www.lee.senate.gov/2026/2/lee-durbin-introduce-bipartisan-protections-against-warrantless-data-searches" target="_blank">here</a>.</em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>Access the full bill text <a href="https://www.lee.senate.gov/services/files/C23C9BE8-8808-4BD9-9165-63B35685238E" target="_blank">here</a>.</em></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><em>###</em></p>]]></content:encoded>
      <category>Press Releases</category>
      <guid>https://www.lee.senate.gov/2026/4/senator-lee-publishes-bipartisan-new-york-times-op-ed-urges-protection-of-americans-private-data-against-warrantless-searches-by-federal-government</guid>
      <pubDate>Fri, 17 Apr 2026 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Lee Introduces Restoring Rights of Medical Residents Act]]></title>
      <link>https://www.lee.senate.gov/2026/4/lee-introduces-restoring-rights-of-medical-residents-act</link>
      <description><![CDATA[WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) is introducing today the Restoring Rights of Medical Residents Act to restore competition in the medical residency system by repealing a special federal antitrust exemption. The bill targets a 2004 provision that shields the medical residency matching system from antitrust laws, limiting competition and restricting economic freedom for medical residents. Representative Victoria Spartz (R-IN-05) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.]]></description>
      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>WASHINGTON &ndash; U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) is introducing today the <a href="https://www.lee.senate.gov/services/files/84C6DEF1-E0D3-4321-8760-305B70762110" target="_blank"><em>Restoring Rights of Medical Residents Act</em></a> to restore competition in the medical residency system by repealing a special federal antitrust exemption. The bill targets a 2004 provision that shields the medical residency matching system from antitrust laws, limiting competition and restricting economic freedom for medical residents. Representative Victoria Spartz (R-IN-05) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.</p>
<p><em>&ldquo;For decades, a government-protected system dictated where new doctors work and what their compensation would be,&rdquo; </em><strong>said Senator Mike Lee.</strong><em> &ldquo;The Restoring Rights of Medical Residents Act restores the rule of law by ensuring this system is no longer exempt from antitrust scrutiny.&rdquo;</em></p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Background</strong></span></p>
<p>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 &ldquo;the Match.&rdquo;</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p><strong>The <em>Restoring Rights of Medical Residents Act</em> will:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Repeal the 2004 antitrust exemption for the residency matching system</li>
<li>Subject the Match to the same antitrust laws as other hiring systems</li>
<li>Allow medical residents to pursue legal recourse against anticompetitive practices</li>
<li>Restore competitive pressures that can improve wages and working conditions</li>
</ul>
<p>Importantly, the bill does not eliminate or restructure the Match itself&mdash;it simply removes its antitrust exemption.</p>
<p><strong>Why This Matters</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>The current system has resulted in:</li>
<li>Stagnant, below-market wages: First-year residents earned about $66,712 in 2024&mdash;far below comparable medical professionals</li>
<li>No ability to negotiate compensation or terms</li>
<li>A bottleneck in the physician pipeline: Roughly 20% of U.S. medical graduates fail to secure residency positions each year</li>
<li>Artificial constraints on physician supply, worsening shortages</li>
</ul>
<p><em>Access the full text of the bill <a href="https://www.lee.senate.gov/services/files/84C6DEF1-E0D3-4321-8760-305B70762110" target="_blank">here</a>.</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>###</em></p>]]></content:encoded>
      <category>Press Releases</category>
      <guid>https://www.lee.senate.gov/2026/4/lee-introduces-restoring-rights-of-medical-residents-act</guid>
      <pubDate>Thu, 16 Apr 2026 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Lee, Colleagues Urge Federal Judicial Center to Retract Climate Agenda Materials]]></title>
      <link>https://www.lee.senate.gov/2026/4/lee-colleagues-urge-federal-judicial-center-to-retract-climate-agenda-materials</link>
      <description><![CDATA[WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) joined by a coalition of his colleagues in the Senate, sent a letter to Federal Judicial Center (FJC) Director Judge Robin Rosenberg raising concerns that the FJC’s Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence pushes a politicized climate agenda and does not meet the standard of a neutral judicial resource. The letter in particular cited the Manual’s presentation of disputed scientific claims as settled fact without acknowledging competing models. Joined by Senator Lee are U.S. Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Eric Schmitt (R-MO). ]]></description>
      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p dir="ltr">WASHINGTON &ndash; U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) joined by a coalition of his colleagues in the Senate, sent a <a href="https://www.lee.senate.gov/services/files/580F297A-9BF0-496E-B1CA-FCFF6283892C" target="_blank">letter</a> to Federal Judicial Center (FJC) Director Judge Robin Rosenberg raising concerns that the FJC&rsquo;s Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence pushes a politicized climate agenda and does not meet the standard of a neutral judicial resource. The letter in particular cited the Manual&rsquo;s presentation of disputed scientific claims as settled fact without acknowledging competing models. Joined by Senator Lee are U.S. Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Eric Schmitt (R-MO).&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>The letter reads as follows:</span></p>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Judge Robin Rosenberg,</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>We write to express concern about the Federal Judicial Center&rsquo;s (&ldquo;FJC&rdquo;) Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence (the &ldquo;Manual&rdquo;), and in particular, its prior inclusion of the now-withdrawn chapter on &ldquo;Climate Science&rdquo; (the &ldquo;Chapter&rdquo;), which had inconspicuously been tucked into the end of the volume. Though the Chapter has since been removed (albeit, without explanation), we send this letter in order to gain clarification on how the FJC safeguards its credibility and ensures that its programming remains rigorously neutral.</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>As reference materials circulated to federal judges and staff, the content should reflect a balanced, transparent, and rigorous evidentiary standard&mdash;citing peer-reviewed science and a general consensus where appropriate and identifying contested or evolving areas of science as needed. But the Chapter at issue did no such thing. Instead of serving as a neutral and objective resource for federal judges and staff, it read as if it were a plaintiff brief in a climate lawfare suit.</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Though the falsities and weaknesses that pervade the Chapter are too numerous to list here in their entirety, it is deeply problematic for the FJC to circulate a chapter that presents disputed scientific assertions as settled, relies heavily on politically mediated sources, and offers prescriptive conclusions without the safeguards that normally accompany the admission and testing of expert evidence under the Federal Rules of Evidence (&ldquo;FRE&rdquo;).</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Indeed, the Chapter is replete with &ldquo;scientific&rdquo; statements, asserted flatly, that are clearly subject to modern scientific debate. These statements represent a naked attempt to bypass the FRE and to circumvent tests established by the federal judiciary in cases such as Daubert v. Merrill Dow and Kumho Tire Co. v. Carmichael by encouraging judges to rely on scientific assertions that have not undergone rigorous scrutiny from the bench. With the publication and wide distribution of such a chapter across the federal judiciary, there is neither cross-examination of expert witnesses nor rebuttal from the various parties that would traditionally be afforded the chance to review and challenge scientific evidence.</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Furthermore, as a general matter, in making such statements, the Chapter emphatically overstates the validity of computer climate models and fails to disclose that there is not one correct climate model but rather, a huge number of models that generate wildly different climate paths. Adding to the confusion, in many instances, the sources cited do not actually support the assertions made in the Chapter or the assertions themselves are simply misleading in nature.</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>The material presented in the Chapter was designed to influence judicial decision-making in ways that extend beyond the proper role of judiciary education by injecting policy preferences into judicial education. Such behavior represents the precise opposite of the federal judiciary, which has been mandated to apply the law to the facts presented. Indeed, it is difficult to justify the continued expenditure of taxpayer funds on an agency whose programming appears to reflect and forward a particular ideological perspective rather than balanced, nonpartisan discourse.</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Given the particularly disturbing content of the Chapter, we would like answers to the following inquiries provided to our offices no later than ten (10) business days from receipt of this letter.</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>1. How does the FJC define the boundary between neutral judicial education and normative policy influence?</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>2. What formal criteria generally govern the selection of outside faculty, experts, or contributors to FJC programming? Is intellectual, methodological, or political balance considered in that process?</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>3. What safeguards are in place to ensure the empirical neutrality and methodological rigor of FJC research products? Are those methodologies subject to external peer review?</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>4. To what extent are FJC educational materials, curricula, and research outputs publicly accessible, and what principles guide decisions about transparency?</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>5. How does the FJC evaluate whether its programming strengthens judicial independence rather than shaping judicial philosophy or encouraging specific policy-driven outcomes?</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>6. Did anyone contribute to the drafting of the Chapter who was not listed as an author?</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>7. What precise internal review procedures were followed prior to publication (e.g., committee review, subject-matter review, external consultation)?</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>8. What criteria governed the selection of the outside experts who contributed to the Chapter in some fashion?</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>9. What form of methodological or peer review was the Chapter subject to prior to dissemination?</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>10. What prompted the decision to remove the Chapter, and what internal process governed that decision?&nbsp;</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>11. Why does the Chapter remain in the online version of the Manual published by the National Academies?</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>We are prepared to provide further details or engage in constructive dialogue to ensure that judicial education remains principled, evidence-based, and faithful to its constitutional responsibilities.</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Thank you for considering these concerns.</em></div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>&nbsp;</em></div>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Access the full text of the letter <a href="https://www.lee.senate.gov/services/files/580F297A-9BF0-496E-B1CA-FCFF6283892C" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><span>###</span></p>]]></content:encoded>
      <category>Press Releases</category>
      <guid>https://www.lee.senate.gov/2026/4/lee-colleagues-urge-federal-judicial-center-to-retract-climate-agenda-materials</guid>
      <pubDate>Wed, 15 Apr 2026 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Lee Introduces Resolution Urging America First Approach to UN Alliances]]></title>
      <link>https://www.lee.senate.gov/2026/4/lee-introduces-resolution-urging-america-first-approach-to-un-alliances</link>
      <description><![CDATA[WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) today introduced a resolution urging an America First approach to all international allyships. Specifically, Senator Lee’s resolution proposes that the United States must maintain its influence as a great power partner over adversarial countries, and prioritize bilateral security agreements over multilateral arrangements to maximize leverage and America’s position on the world stage.]]></description>
      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p dir="ltr">WASHINGTON &ndash; U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) today introduced a <a href="https://www.lee.senate.gov/services/files/61E17803-D793-4F03-AD49-7DCFE9674BC3" target="_blank">resolution</a> urging an America First approach to all international allyships. Specifically, Senator Lee&rsquo;s resolution proposes that the United States must maintain its influence as a great power partner over adversarial countries, and prioritize bilateral security agreements over multilateral arrangements to maximize leverage and America&rsquo;s position on the world stage.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>The resolution reads as follows:</span></p>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Expressing the sense of Congress that the United States should prioritize bilateral security partnerships over multilateral security partnerships and institutions.</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em></em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Whereas alliances have historically allowed states to combine their capabilities to combat shared security challenges and promote shared values and interests;</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em></em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Whereas, in the era of great powers and regional hegemony that followed World War II, alliances have operated with small and medium states standing behind great powers;</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em></em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Whereas the United States is the most free and powerful state in world history;</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em></em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Whereas the United States has a duty to secure the blessings of liberty and provide for the common defense of the homeland;</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em></em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Whereas the United States historically contributes almost one third of the total funds of the United Nations budget, yet has the same voting power and influence as all other member states in the United Nations;</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em></em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Whereas the United States historically spends more than twice as much money on defense as all the other member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization combined;</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em></em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Whereas the United States historically contributed almost one quarter of the total funds of the World Health Organization budget when the United States was a member of the World Health Organization;</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em></em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Whereas the United States has contributed significantly to other multilateral institutions and multilateral security agreements at the expense of United States taxpayers and has failed to deliver returns on investment to Americans;</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em></em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Whereas the significant financial and security contributions the United States has provided to multilateral institutions has not served United States interests of securing the blessings of liberty or providing for the common defense of the homeland;</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em></em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Whereas bilateral agreements deliver stronger outcomes for the United States and put the United States in a more favorable position to advance its interests;</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em></em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Whereas bilateral negotiations give the United States more leverage, and diplomacy is tailored to the culture, needs, and capabilities of each partner country;</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em></em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Whereas bilateral agreements are often stronger, easier to secure, and can be amended more feasibly as the security environment and the interests of the United States change;</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em></em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Whereas the United States is not coerced to relinquish its interests at the expense of the interests of other great powers and adversaries which are hostile towards the United States;</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em></em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Whereas many multilateral agreements and institutions have outlived their original objectives and do not accurately represent the shared interests of the member states;</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em></em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Whereas the United Nations is fraught with ideologies that do not align with the United States, including Marxism, antisemitism, climate alarmism, and other extremist ideologies that contradict the values of liberty and prosperity represented by the United States;</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em></em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Whereas many of the countries that perpetrate gross violations of human rights against women, children, and minorities are active and influential members in the very United Nations bodies tasked with human rights protections;</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em></em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Whereas the World Health Organization proved to be a puppet of the Chinese Communist Party, an adversary of the United States during the COVID&ndash;19 pandemic, and failed to make meaningful reforms following the pandemic;</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em></em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Whereas the United Nations repeatedly protects the interests of adversaries of the United States by excluding Taiwan from participating in the United Nations system and elevating false Chinese data over other countries&rsquo; data through the World Health Organization;</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em></em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Whereas the objectives of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization outlined in the North Atlantic Treaty, done at Washington on April 4, 1949, were reached upon the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and several member states within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization no longer share values and interests with the United States;</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em></em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Whereas the members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization have failed to assist the United States during its time of crisis facing the Iranian regime, which repeatedly threatened the interests of all North Atlantic Treaty states with terrorist proxies; and&nbsp;</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em></em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Whereas the interests and priorities of the United States are best served by bilateral security agreements with its partners and allies and not by multilateral security agreements or institutions: Now, therefore, be it</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em></em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Resolved, That the Senate&mdash;</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em></em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>(1) expresses that the United States must use its power, influence, and resources to encourage small and medium states to choose the United&nbsp;</em><em>States as its great power partner and ally of choice;</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em></em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>(2) recognizes that the United States should prioritize bilateral security agreements over multilateral security agreements and institutions; and</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em></em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>(3) determines that the United States should withdraw support for multilateral security agreements or institutions that undermine United States interests.</em></div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>&nbsp;</em></div>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Access the full text of the resolution <a href="https://www.lee.senate.gov/services/files/61E17803-D793-4F03-AD49-7DCFE9674BC3" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></p>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><span>###</span>&nbsp;</div>]]></content:encoded>
      <category>Press Releases</category>
      <guid>https://www.lee.senate.gov/2026/4/lee-introduces-resolution-urging-america-first-approach-to-un-alliances</guid>
      <pubDate>Wed, 15 Apr 2026 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Lee Sounds Alarm on Pro-Abortion United Nations Nominee]]></title>
      <link>https://www.lee.senate.gov/2026/3/lee-sounds-alarm-on-pro-abortion-united-nations-nominee</link>
      <description><![CDATA[WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) today urged that the United States veto the nomination of pro-abortion radical Dr. Michelle Bachelet to the position of United Nations Secretary General (UNSG). In a bicameral letter with support from a large congressional coalition, Lee and his colleagues outline Bachelet’s extreme promotion for abortion as a “human right” and history of overriding state sovereignty with intimidation and coercion to push this radical agenda. ]]></description>
      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p dir="ltr">WASHINGTON &ndash; U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) today <a href="https://www.lee.senate.gov/services/files/0E7445FD-D27F-4C00-B215-B8D9925E0E9A" target="_blank">urged</a> that the United States veto the nomination of pro-abortion radical Dr. Michelle Bachelet to the position of United Nations Secretary General (UNSG). In a bicameral letter with support from a large congressional coalition, Lee and his colleagues outline Bachelet&rsquo;s extreme promotion for abortion as a &ldquo;human right&rdquo; and history of overriding state sovereignty with intimidation and coercion to push this radical agenda.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>The letter reads as follows:</span></p>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Secretary Rubio,</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>With deep concern, we note the nomination of Dr. Michelle Bachelet to be the next United Nations Secretary General (UNSG). In her previous roles with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), as Executive Director of UN Women, and as President of Chile, Dr. Bachelet has repeatedly prioritized an extreme abortion agenda at the expense of state sovereignty. She is an unsuitable candidate, and the United States, as a permanent member of the Security Council, should veto Dr. Bachelet&rsquo;s selection.</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Dr. Bachelet&rsquo;s past performance does not match the qualifications that President Trump&rsquo;s Administration has laid out for the next UNSG. In October 2025, during remarks at a United Nations Security Council Briefing on the United Nations Organization, Ambassador Dorothy Shea said that &ldquo;the United States looks forward to a Secretary-General who shares this vision of returning the UN to its founding purpose of maintaining international peace and security. The next Secretary-General should reject initiatives that fall outside the Charter&rsquo;s founding purpose, prioritize accountability and transparency, and respect state sovereignty.&rdquo; However, Dr. Bachelet&rsquo;s previous promotion of an extreme abortion agenda suggests that, if selected as the next UNSG, she would continue the UN practice of engaging in &ldquo;the propagation of divisive ideologies that undermine national sovereignty and stir controversy rather than bring member states together to address issues of common concern.&rdquo; Her demonstrated ambitions and priorities, outlined below, conflict with the United States determination to bring the UN &ldquo;back to the basics.&rdquo;</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong><em>United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (2018-2022)</em></strong></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Statement Opposing the Supreme Court Dobbs Decision</em></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Dr. Bachelet used her tenure at the Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to aggressively oppose the advancement of pro-life policy in the United States. In June 2022, the United States Supreme Court ruled in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women&rsquo;s Health Organization that the United States Constitution &ldquo;does not confer a right to abortion&rdquo; and returned the authority to regulate abortion &ldquo;to the people and their elected representatives.&rdquo;</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Dr. Bachelet chose to respond with an official OHCHR statement calling the decision &ldquo;a major setback,&rdquo; a &ldquo;huge blow to women&rsquo;s human rights,&rdquo; and a decision that &ldquo;strips autonomy&rdquo; from women. She expressed her view that &ldquo;abortion is firmly rooted in international human rights law and is at the core of women and girls&rsquo; autonomy.&rdquo;</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Having already set this precedent of using her office to attack United States pro-life law, as UNSG she clearly could not be trusted to respect the United States&rsquo; right to enforce pro-life laws and policies, include the Protecting Life in Foreign Assistance policy and the executive order Enforcing the Hyde Amendment (January 24, 2025).</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Abortion Advocacy at OHCHR</em></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Under Dr. Bachelet&rsquo;s leadership, OHCHR pushed a radical abortion agenda in other ways. For example, in a 2022 speech, Dr. Bachelet asserted, &ldquo;[r]estrictive abortion laws and practical barriers pose a threat to human rights&hellip;&rdquo; She praised the weakening of pro-life laws in Colombia, Argentina, and Mexico. The truth is that killing an unborn child by abortion can never be construed to be a human right. Every person&mdash;born and unborn&mdash;deserves to have his or her human rights secured and protected.</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>A 2020 OHCHR &ldquo;factsheet&rdquo; on abortion claims, &ldquo;[t]reaty body jurisprudence has indicated that denying women access to abortion can amount to violations of the rights to health, privacy and, in certain cases, the right to be free from cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment.&rdquo; The &ldquo;factsheet&rdquo; claims that failure to provide abortion is &ldquo;a form of gender based violence against women, which can amount to torture and/or cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.&rdquo; These assertions are contrary to the Geneva Consensus Declaration, signed by the United States and more than 30 other nations, which affirms that there is no international right to abortion.</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Failure to Oppose Coerced Abortion in China</em></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>In May 2022, Dr. Bachelet traveled to China at the invitation of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to investigate years of reports of severe human rights abuses in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>She should have honestly identified the atrocities committed by the CCP against the Uyghurs as a genocide. Instead, she released a watered-down report literally minutes before her term expired. She allowed the CCP to blatantly shield itself from an honest assessment and to sidestep responsibility for its horrific human rights abuses. In an appalling failure of leadership, Dr. Bachelet crumbled under pressure and enabled the CCP to manipulate the visit for its own advantage.</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong><em>Executive Director of UN Women (2010-2013)</em></strong></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>When UN Women was first established in 2010, Dr. Bachelet was appointed to be the first Executive Director. Planned Parenthood Federation of America celebrated that Dr. Bachelet&rsquo;s appointment to lead UN Women &ldquo;sends a clear message to the global community.&rdquo;</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Dr. Bachelet used the UN Women platform to promote abortion. UN Women was defined as &ldquo;dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women.&rdquo; During her tenure, Dr. Bachelet declared that &ldquo;reproductive rights,&rdquo; a euphemistic term that encompasses elective abortion, was &ldquo;absolutely fundamental&rdquo; to that mission. The first major UN Women Report gives a glimpse of UN Women&rsquo;s abortion advocacy. It pushes for countries to weaken pro-life laws and highlights court decisions that have undermined pro-life protections.</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Given this history of UN Women, we welcomed President Donald Trump&rsquo;s January 7, 2026 announcement of the United States&rsquo; withdrawal from UN Women, among other international organizations, on the basis that &ldquo;it is contrary to the interests of the United States to remain a member of, participate in, or otherwise provide support to [these] organizations.&rdquo; It is a matter of clear concern that Dr. Bachelet would bring her approach to the leadership of UN Women to the role of UNSG in a way that is likewise contrary to the interest of the United States.</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong><em>President of Chile (2006-2010; 2014-2018)</em></strong></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>During her bid for a second term as President of Chile, Dr. Bachelet campaigned on weakening Chile&rsquo;s pro-life law protecting unborn life in all circumstances. After her reelection, Dr. Bachelet authored and sent to Chile&rsquo;s Congress a bill to legalize abortion in certain situations. It was approved by lawmakers and overcame a court challenge in August 2017. BBC Mundo described the bill as one of Dr. Bachelet&rsquo;s &ldquo;flagship initiatives&rdquo; and called the bill&rsquo;s enactment &ldquo;an important political victory&rdquo; for her.</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong><em>Conclusion</em></strong></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Dr. Bachelet&rsquo;s resume reveals a pro-abortion zealot intent on using political authority to override state sovereignty in favor of extreme agendas. She has both overtly attacked pro-life laws&mdash;including those of the United States&mdash;and sought to weaken them through intimidation and coercion. She has incorrectly claimed that abortion is a human right while failing to provide an honest assessment of the true human rights abuses committed by the CCP. She has demonstrated that she is not a candidate who will respect state sovereignty, refrain from divisive ideologies, or focus on issues of common concern to UN member states.</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>The United States should use its veto power to prevent Dr. Bachelet from being selected as UNSG to preserve the role for a more qualified candidate.</em></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Thank you for your attention to this matter.</em></div>
<p dir="ltr"></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>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).</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>Access the full text of the letter <a href="https://www.lee.senate.gov/services/files/0E7445FD-D27F-4C00-B215-B8D9925E0E9A" target="_blank">here</a>.</em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>Read exclusive coverage by the Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-republicans-press-rubio-to-block-pro-abortion-zealot-un-secretary-general-nominee?author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=EXCLUSIVE%3A+Republicans+Press+Rubio+To+Block+%E2%80%98Pro-Abortion+Zealot%E2%80%99+UN+Secretary+General+Nominee" target="_blank">here</a>.</em></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><em>###</em></p>
<div><span>&nbsp;</span></div>]]></content:encoded>
      <category>Press Releases</category>
      <guid>https://www.lee.senate.gov/2026/3/lee-sounds-alarm-on-pro-abortion-united-nations-nominee</guid>
      <pubDate>Thu, 26 Mar 2026 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[WATCH: Senator Lee Kicks Off Late-Night Debate on SAVE America Act]]></title>
      <link>https://www.lee.senate.gov/2026/3/watch-senator-lee-kicks-off-late-night-debate-on-save-america-act</link>
      <description><![CDATA[WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) kicked off debate on the Senate floor Tuesday night for his SAVE America Act. The overwhelmingly popular legislation would secure American elections and protect citizens’ votes by requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration, and the use of Voter ID nationwide.]]></description>
      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>WASHINGTON &ndash; U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) <a href="https://x.com/SenMikeLee/status/2034091455820484702" target="_blank">kicked off debate</a> on the Senate floor Tuesday night for his <a href="https://www.lee.senate.gov/2026/1/senator-mike-lee-introduces-save-america-act-with-congressman-chip-roy" target="_blank"><em>SAVE America Act</em></a>. The overwhelmingly popular legislation would secure American elections and protect citizens&rsquo; votes by requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration, and the use of Voter ID nationwide.</p>
<p><em>&ldquo;The Senate often considers complex, divisive issues. Protecting the votes of American citizens is not one of them,&rdquo; </em><strong>said Senator Mike Lee.</strong><em> &ldquo;It is a simple task, and the American people are united: Pass the SAVE America Act.&rdquo;</em></p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="https://x.com/SenMikeLee/status/2034091455820484702" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.lee.senate.gov/index.cfm?a=Files.Serve&amp;File_id=DB2B5259-D1F2-4663-B613-D367555D60E2" width="575" height="301" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://x.com/SenMikeLee/status/2034091455820484702" target="_blank"><em>Watch Senator Lee speak on the Senate Floor for his SAVE America Act</em></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em></em></p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>The <em>SAVE America Act</em> would protect and preserve the right of American citizens to vote by:</strong></span></p>
<ul>
<li>Requiring individuals to present an eligible photo identification document before voting</li>
<li>Requiring states to obtain proof of citizenship in person when registering an individual to vote</li>
<li>Requiring states to remove non-citizens from existing voter rolls</li>
</ul>
<p><br />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&rsquo;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.</p>
<p><em>Read the full bill text <a href="https://www.lee.senate.gov/services/files/F89A6F42-3464-4FA3-9B73-3D28DD139596" target="_blank">here</a>.</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">###</p>]]></content:encoded>
      <category>Press Releases</category>
      <guid>https://www.lee.senate.gov/2026/3/watch-senator-lee-kicks-off-late-night-debate-on-save-america-act</guid>
      <pubDate>Wed, 18 Mar 2026 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
    </item>
  </channel>
</rss>
