Commerce Committee Passes Multiple Lee Amendments

March 25, 2022

Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) offered 54 amendments to the eleven bills considered in a Senate Commerce Committee markup this week.  The committee considered bills ranging from the future of 6G technology to incentivizing biological protection programs.  Fourteen of Sen. Lee’s amendments were incorporated into the bills passed by the committee. 

Many of the adopted amendments include key provisions of Sen. Lee’s SHIP IT Act, which he introduced in March of this year.  These provisions include authorizing the Coast Guard to expedite certain documents required to work at major ports, provisions supporting the usage of inland port infrastructure, and a report that details the technological competitiveness of U.S. ports compared with those of peer nations.  One Lee amendment to free certain federal lands for the temporary storage of containers during our nation’s current supply chain difficulties was defeated on a party-line vote.

Of his amendments, Sen. Lee said, “The surge of online goods has exposed some problems, systemic problems, with our supply chain.  Americans in all states are experiencing consumer product shortages, and the end doesn’t appear to be anywhere in sight.  This has contributed to inflation that is costing American families.  I am encouraged that the Commerce Committee has adopted many of my amendments that will help get products off of ships, into trucks, and onto shelves.