Press Releases

WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) has introduced three bills to repeal and reform the Passenger Vessel Services Act of 1886 (PVSA), an outdated, protectionist law that harms American jobs and American tourism. “The PVSA is bad news,” said Sen. Lee. “This arcane law benefits Canada, Mexico, and other countries who receive increased maritime traffic, at the expense of American workers in our coastal cities, towns, and ports. Reducing demand for jobs and travel opportunities here in the U.S. is the opposite of ‘America First.’ And in the context of ocean liners, this ‘protectionist’ law is literally protecting no one,

WASHINGTON – Following ProPublica’s publication of a “vast trove” of taxpayer information provided to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that appears to be confidential information and protected under federal law from disclosure, Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT), Mike Braun (R-IN), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Ted Cruz (R-TX), and Ron Johnson (R-WI) have sent letters to the Acting Treasury Inspector General and the Inspector General for Tax Administration to request a prompt investigation into how this IRS information was lost and to hold accountable any individuals who broke federal law by inappropriately sharing confidential tax information.

WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee today issued the following statement on his vote opposing legislation to create a commission investigating the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol: “The events of January 6th were tragic, and there are many legitimate questions that remain to be answered. However, the commission the Democrats attempted to establish today contained broad investigative mandates even to areas outside the events of January 6th, combined with broad subpoena power and a flawed structure – constituting a recipe for a political witch-hunt. I support efforts, including the multiple investigations underway and the oversight from Senate Committees, to

WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) today issued the following statement as Google nears a settlement of an antitrust case with France alleging that the company has abused its power in online advertising. “Like many Americans across the political spectrum, I have been concerned by the exercise of market power held by Google and other tech giants, which is why I chaired a hearing on Google’s conduct in digital advertising last fall. As we heard in the hearing, Google appears to have a commanding share of every piece of the online advertising market, and appears to be using its leading

WASHINGTON – Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) yesterday introduced the State Antitrust Enforcement Venue Act of 2021, a bill to ensure state attorneys general are able to remain in the court they select rather than having their cases moved to a court the defendant prefers. Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) has introduced companion legislation in the House.

WASHINGTON – Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Rep. Michael Cloud (R-TX) today led 34 of their colleagues in sending a bicameral, bipartisan letter to the House and Senate Budget Committees requesting that they direct the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to begin including debt servicing costs whenever they produce an official cost estimate. The letter also highlights the high interest costs of deficit spending, especially in light of emerging inflation threats.

WASHINGTON – Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) today introduced the Children Have Opportunities in Classrooms Everywhere Act, or CHOICE Act, a bill to allow low-income families with children in grades K-12 to use federal education funds for educational options that best fit their needs.

WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) reintroduced the Human-Powered Travel in Wilderness Areas Act Tuesday, a bill that would empower local managers of wilderness areas to decide whether to allow and how to regulate non-motorized travel in wilderness areas. “The National Wilderness Preservation System was created so that the American people could enjoy our country’s priceless natural areas,” Sen. Lee said. “This bill would enrich Americans’ enjoyment of the outdoors by expanding recreational opportunities in wilderness areas.”

WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) this week submitted a formal comment in response to the Department of Education’s proposed priorities for American History and Civics education. The comment reads in part: “We have seen in recent years what happens when we indulge the cultural fragmentation of our national community. The critical race theory that undergirds the Department’s proposal does not celebrate diversity; it weaponizes diversity. It casts aside our national identity, instead sharpening hyphenated racial identities into knives and daggers as a means to cancel anyone daring to recognize the underlying reality behind the history of this country. While