WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Mike Lee told the audience at the Values Voters Summit it is time for conservatives and the Republican Party to develop a reform agenda and to once again become the party of big ideas.

“For too long, Republicans have put off the difficult work of developing a modernized, principled conservative reform agenda to meet many of the new challenges of the 21^st century.  There are many reasons why this is so. But I think the biggest is that in this city, conservatives often fall into a trap – defining ourselves by what we are against: Big government, debt, higher taxes and regulations, Obamacare. But we haven’t invested nearly as much time and energy in communicating what we conservatives are for.  I’m talking about more than simply the policies we advocate. Conservatism is not about the bills we want to pass, but the nation we want to be.” 

Last month, Senator Lee announced a tax reform plan that replaces today’s complex tax system with a new, simple structure that provides solutions for America’s ongoing opportunity crisis.  The “Family Fairness and Opportunity Tax Reform Act” incentivizes social mobility, promotes middle-class economic security, and improves opportunity for all Americans. (Click here for more information)

“The real goal - what conservatives are really for - is not an agenda for government. It’s a vision of society. A view of the world we want to build, together. “Together.” That word, “together,” is an essential – and too often overlooked – part of what we conservatives believe.  We’re all committed to bedrock principles of individual liberty, individual rights, and personal responsibility.  But the reason we fight for individual freedom is the strength, vitality, and value of the communities free individuals form. 

“The alternative to big government is not small government.  The alternative to big government is a thriving, flourishing nation of cooperative communities – where your success depends on your service. It’s a free enterprise economy where everyone works for everyone else, competing to see who can figure out the best way to help the most people.  And it’s a voluntary civil society, where free individuals come together to meet each other’s needs, fill in the gaps, and make sure no one gets left behind.”

Click here for Sen. Lee’s full remarks at the Values Voters Summit