Today’s Agenda
Today, Senator Lee will attend a Congressional Gold Medal ceremony and meet with Utah legislators who have traveled to Washington, D.C. He will also be hosting a Jell-O bar for constituents from 3:30 to 4:30 in his office this afternoon.
From the Senator’s Desk
McConnell Urges Senate Democrats to Take up the House’s ‘Forgotten 15’ Jobs Bills
‘The President’s economic policies have failed to do what he said they would. And now he’s designing legislation to fail. American’s are tired of failure. So Republicans are inviting Democrats to join is in succeeding at something around here.’
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following statement on the Senate floor Wednesday regarding his call for Senate Democrats and the President to work with Republicans on bipartisan proposals that can help create jobs:
“There is no denying the fact that the policies of the past two and a half years have made a bad situation worse. For two and a half years, Democrats dominated this town. They got everything they wanted. And what happened?
“Unemployment has hovered above eight percent for 32 months. The so-called misery index is the worst it’s been in more than 25 years. Consumer confidence is at levels last seen during the height of the financial crisis. But if there’s one number that really stands out, it’s this: 1.5 million. That’s the number of fewer jobs we now have in this country since the day that President Obama signed his signature ‘jobs bill’ into law.
“These are just some of the numbers that all of us, Republicans and Democrats, read about every day. But it’s not the numbers that compel us to action. It’s the stories that lie behind them. It’s the millions of men and women who’ve seen their dreams shattered, their lives upended, and their potential unfulfilled.”
Recent Votes
Yesterday, Senator Lee voted against the 2012 appropriations bill for the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development. He opposed the bill because it will increase spending in those areas by roughly $10 billion over 2011 levels, and because that increase is achieved through budgetary gimmicks that hide the extra spending at first glance.
On Twitter
SenMikeLee
I discussed the #visitusaact, #google, and #supercommittee with @Judgenap yesterday: http://ow.ly/7gGvQ
SenLeeComs
Capitol Hill media again complicit in @SenateDems charade that appropriations bills “cut” spending http://bit.ly/vDidB6 @TheHill
SenLeePressSec
Just caught one of our staffers reading the @WSUSignpost. Thanks for sending @ColeSpicker! http://pic.twitter.com/cx86CQ4H
SenLeeResearch
Number of Americans on food stamps sets record… again: http://bit.ly/txKXqB #tcot #tlot #economy #welcometotherecovery
Around the Water Cooler
TSA to expand test for faster airport security
Transportation Security Administrator John Pistole says a small test program that pre-screens some travelers who volunteer extra information about themselves in exchange for swifter trips through airport security has so far been successful.
Pistole says his agency plans to expand the program to another round of airports and airlines for further testing.
Flight 93 families seek money for 9/11 memorial
Families of those who died aboard United Airlines Flight 93 are asking lawmakers and Obama administration officials to set aside federal money to complete a 9/11 memorial at the crash site in Pennsylvania.
The dedication of the first phase of the $62 million Flight 93 National Memorial was held in September. The memorial will honor the 40 passengers and crew members who died when the airliner crashed in a field near Shanksville on Sept. 11, 2001.
Looking Ahead
Tomorrow, Senator Lee will meet with Israel’s Ambassador Oren and the board members of Community Clinics & Pharmacists. He will also be a guest on WMAL 630 AM at 7:00 AM, and will virtually “meet” with the Utah Conservation District Convention via Skype in the afternoon.