Press Releases

Moving Forward — Day Lee Briefing 8/03/2011

Colleen Bangerter had many friends in many corners. And she had many talents, including the fact she was the state hopscotch champion in Utah in 1947. There are not many first ladies who can claim that distinction and she definitely did. She was the recipient of the highest award granted by the Boy Scouts of America, which she received a few years ago.

All for a Cut of Two-Tenths of a Percent — Day Lee Briefing 8/02/2011

Now, there are significant cuts discussed in this legislation as proposed, but I want to be clear on one thing. Although these cuts are large on a long-term basis, on a short-term basis, they are less so. On a short-term basis, within the next year, this proposes to cut about $7 billion, out of the fiscal year 2012 discretionary spending budget.

Budget Control Act is a ‘Disappointing Failure’

The Budget Control Act represents a disappointing failure on the part of this Congress. We have squandered the best opportunity we had to fundamentally reform the way Washington spends money and put the nation on a sustainable path toward a balanced budget. Instead, this bill increases our national debt by more than $2 trillion and cuts spending by only $7 billion over the same time period. There is no reliable enforcement mechanism for future spending reductions. We only have the hollow promises from a Congress that created the mess in the first place.

The American People are Being Held Hostage by Debt

Maybe we should consider the fact that those who are being held hostage are those who will one day have to repay this debt. Considering that some of those people are not yet here because they have yet to be born and in some instances their parents have yet to meet. We have to ask the question whether they are being held hostage themselves – held hostage to a government that always demands more money so that it can exercise more power over us, thus restricting our liberty.

Floor Statement In Memory of Colleen Monson Bangerter

Mr. President, I stand to address this body to honor the life of one of Utah’s great citizens, a good friend of mine, former Utah Governor Norman Bangerter who announced on Saturday that his beloved wife of 58 years had passed away after a long-time battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Colleen Monson Bangerter having been born in 1935 was the mother of six children, the mother also of one foster son, and, in many respects, was the friend to all of Utah’s three million residents.

Budget Control Act is Out of Control — Day Lee Briefing 8/01/2011

There are myriad opportunities to compromise within that general framework. We’ve offered that. We’ve extended that. Republicans have now submitted no fewer than two bills that have passed the House of Representatives to address the debt limit issue. Both of which have stopped dead in their tracks over here without further opportunity.

Elections Have Consequences — Day Lee Briefing 7/29/2011

In a moment at which the House of Representatives has been unable to come up with another package, remember they did pass the Cut, Cap and Balance Act a couple weeks ago. There are a number of representatives in the House I’m told are now refusing to join on to any bill that doesn’t include a Balanced Budget Amendment as part of the package. This pleases me, because this is what I’ve been saying since before I was sworn in to the United States Senate.

Crossroads on Our Fiscal Path — Day Lee Briefing 7/28/2011

Debt rating agencies and leading Wall Street institutions warn us that unless $4 trillion in cuts are made, with long-term sustainable fiscal policies to balance the budget, the U.S. will lose its AAA status within 90 days. As we all know, a downgrade will result in higher interest rates and downwardly spiraling financial performance as debt service costs rise. This is a scenario we literally cannot afford.

Joint Economic Committee Hearing — 7/27/2011

With the August 2nd debt limit deadline fast approaching, we stand at a crossroads on our fiscal path and economic future. If we do not restrain and permanently reform federal spending, we place our nation in grave danger.

Defaults, Downgrades, and Deals – Day Lee Briefing 7/27/2011

Both plans represent typical Washington answers to the federal government’s out-of-control spending problem. They add trillions to the national debt in the short-term while making hollow promises to cut spending in the long-term. Neither of the proposals fundamentally reform the way Washington spends money, require the federal government to balance its budget, or protect our triple-A credit rating.