No More Unearned Privilege for the American Bar Association

Since 1953 the American Bar Association has provided evaluations of the “professional qualifications” of nominees to the Article III federal courts. These evaluations are given to the Senate as the Senate considers confirmation of each judicial nominee.

According to the ABA, these evaluations focus “strictly on professional qualifications: integrity, professional competence and judicial temperament” of each nominee. The ABAB claims it “does not consider a nominee’s philosophy, political affiliation or ideology.”

Land Acquisition Amendment to Minibus

Mr./Madam President,

There is no doubt that we are blessed with beautiful, useful, and fruitful lands in our nation. And there is no doubt that some of them should be preserved as national treasures.

But unfortunately, the federal government owns far more of these lands than it should – and far more than it can feasibly take care of.

A Response to Sen. Durbin’s Call for a Hearing on S.386

I would like to speak briefly about Sen. Durbin’s recent request for a hearing about the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act.

The Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act is a bill that many senators have worked on for nearly a decade, and has long been a top priority of mine. I have introduced this bill in the Senate every Congress since I was first elected in 2010. During that time it has been the subject of widespread debate and attention both on and off the Hill, and other members, including Senator Schumer, have sought to pass the bill, as I am doing, by unanimous consent.

Sen. Lee Reintroduces National Labor Relations Board Reform Bill

WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) reintroduced the Protecting American Jobs Act Thursday, a bill that would strip the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) of its power to prosecute and adjudicate labor disputes.

The Protecting American Jobs Act would transfer the power to hear labor disputes back to federal courts, in line with the court system established by the Constitution. The NLRB would retain the power to conduct investigations, but would not be allowed to prosecute them.

A Better Way to Manage Public Lands

When most Americans hear the phrase “public lands,” they tend to think of national parks, forests, monuments, and wilderness areas.

Utah is blessed with breathtaking examples of such lands, including Arches National Park, Dixie National Forest, Dinosaur National Monument, and High Uinta Wilderness area. Every Utahn I know supports the continued protection of these national treasures.

Protecting PILT

Many Americans might be surprised to find out that most of the land west of the Rocky Mountains is owned by the federal government. In fact, if they were to look at a map highlighting this land, they would see that more than 50% of it is owned by the federal government. In Utah, the percentage is even higher: the federal government owns more than two thirds of the land.

A Better Way to Manage Public Lands

When most Americans hear the phrase “public lands,” they tend to think of national parks, forests, monuments, and wilderness areas.

Utah is blessed with breathtaking examples of such lands, including Arches National Park, Dixie National Forest, Dinosaur National Monument, and High Uinta Wilderness area. Every Utahn I know supports the continued protection of these national treasures.

Preparing for the Drone Era

Since the dawn of time, mankind has been fascinated by the possibility of flight. You could say this desire has been etched into our very beings… so much so that ancient Greeks immortalized it in myth, in the story of Daedalus and Icarus.

From Leonardo da Vinci’s early helicopter designs in the 15th century, to the first hot air balloons in the 18th, to the gliders of the 19th, step by step, human beings made great strides in air innovation. And then of course came the Wright brothers’ airplanes in the early 20th century.

Bipartisan Letter Urges Leadership to Have Full Senate Consider ARTICLE ONE Act

WASHINGTON – A bipartisan group of 15 senators sent a letter to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) Thursday, requesting that the “Assuring the Robust, Thorough, and Informed, Congressional Leadership is Exercised Over National Emergencies Act” (ARTICLE ONE Act) be considered by the full Senate as soon as possible.

“The ARTICLE ONE Act’s proposition is simple but fundamental: Congress cannot continue to cede its powers to another branch, regardless of who is President or which party holds a majority,” the senators wrote in the letter. “The ARTICLE ONE Act is a small, nonpartisan step toward re-establishing the appropriate checks and balances between the Congress and the Executive that results in a federal government that is truly accountable to the people.”

U.S. Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Gary Peters (D-MI), Krysten Sinema (D-AZ), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Tom Udall (D-NM), Rob Portman (R-OH), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Mitt Romney (R-UT), Ben Sasse (R-NE), Johnny Isakson (R-OK), and Tom Carper (D-DE) all signed the letter.

Removing Troops from Syria

In August 2013, one year after he said Syria would be crossing a “red line” if they used chemical weapons in their civil war, President Obama formally asked Congress for an Authorization for the Use of Military Force against the Assad regime.

Despite testimony from Secretary of State John Kerry promising that there would ne no United States troops on the ground in Syria, Congress decided not to vote for any authorization of for the use of force against Syria.