Press Releases

Utah Manufacturers Association

I met with manufacturers from around the state to discuss issues critical to the future success of manufacturing in Utah.

UAC Rural Caucus

I was able to attend the Utah Association of Counties Rural Caucus meeting where we discussed a variety of issues including: Antiquities Act reform, wild horse and burro management, and water shed management.

Payment in Lieu of Taxes

I was able to be on the Utah House floor for a vote on legislation urging Congress to keep its promise to provide fair payment in lieu of taxes for all the federal land in the state of Utah. This legislation passed both the Utah House and Senate unanimously.

Intermountain Healthcare?—?Opioid Crisis

I participated in a roundtable discussion with representatives from Intermountain Healthcare to discuss the opioid crisis in Utah, including the role the medical community can play.

Discussing the Opioid Crisis in Utah

I met with Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes and Utah DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian Besser to discuss efforts to combat the opioid crisis in Utah. Together we developed an action plan to address the root causes of this issue. My staff is doing great work researching the numbers and causes behind the opioid crisis as part of the Social Capital Project. You can view their work here.

Sen. Lee Comments on President Trump’s North Korea Announcement

“I believe diplomacy is the best tool to address the escalation of continued military provocation from North Korea and I am hopeful this meeting will be fruitful,” Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) said. “The situation in North Korea is dire – both for those living there and those affected by the regime – but military engagement in the Pacific would also come at a high cost. I am hopeful that these negotiations will lead to cessation of reckless weapons–wielding and needless human suffering.”

Tariffs Are Tax Hikes

If you work in manufacturing, your job was just put at risk. Yesterday, President Trump signed an order imposing a 10% tariff on aluminum imports and a 25% tariff on steel imports. The official rationale behind the tariffs is that a reduction of skilled smelters in the United States threatens national security. Supposedly, we don’t have the requisite domestic steel and aluminum production capacity to build the weapons of war needed to defend the country. Never mind the fact the Pentagon currently uses just 3 percent of our domestic steel output and 5 percent of our domestic aluminum output.

Reclaiming Congress’s War Power

For over a thousand years, Sunni and Shia Muslims have been fighting and killing each other around the world. And since the Iranian Revolution of 1979, much of that fighting has occurred as part of an ongoing proxy war between Iranian-backed Shia forces and Saudi Arabian-backed Sunni forces.

Sen. Lee Releases Statement Regarding President’s Tariff Order

The tariffs announced by the president today impose a tax hike on the American people–one that will harm both workers and consumers. While I am sympathetic to the issues facing domestic steel manufacturers, there are better ways to address the steel industry’s concerns

Sen. Lee Introduces First Amendment Defense Act

WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) reintroduced the First Amendment Defense Act Thursday, a bill designed to prevent the federal government from discriminating against individuals or institutions based on their beliefs about marriage. “What an individual or organization believes about the traditional definition of marriage is not – and should never be – a part of the government’s decision-making process when distributing licenses, accreditations, or grants,” Sen. Lee said. “And the First Amendment Defense Act simply ensures that this will always be true in America – that federal bureaucrats will never have the authority to require those who believe in