Press Releases

Lee-Leahy Introduce Bipartisan FISA Reform Bill

WASHINGTON – Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) introduced the “USA FREEDOM Extension and Amici Curiae Reform Act” Monday, a bill that provides federal law enforcement the tools they need to protect Americans from foreign powers while also better protecting the civil liberties of all Americans. “Our Founding Fathers knew well the danger of a government with the power to snoop through the private communications of law-abiding Americans. They included the Fourth Amendment in the Bill of Rights to limit the government’s ability to spy on its citizens,” Sen. Lee said. “This bill brings much needed common sense

Make the FBI Accountable Again

The FBI improperly spied on the Trump campaign in 2016. We must ensure the bureau can’t do it in 2020 or ever again. Because if the FBI can unfairly target a presidential campaign, imagine what it can do to regular Americans. Here’s how we know what happened. In December, Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz released a 478-page report detailing over a dozen “serious performance failures” in the FBI’s use of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) to intercept the communications of President Trump’s campaign supporters. Horowitz identified “at least 17 significant errors or omissions” in the applications to

The Strategic Petroleum Scam

There is an old saying that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting the same results. And unfortunately, by this standard, Congress has for many years proven to be stark raving mad. The energy bill Congress began to consider this week – which authorizes billions of dollars for dozens of unnecessary energy programs – is just another example.

Protecting Life in Foreign Assistance Act

Mr./Madam President, Last week, the Senate had a chance to adopt measures that would protect the dignity of human life – not just unborn human life, but born human life. And unfortunately, due to a minority of this body, we lost the opportunity to do so.

February 27, 2020

A Lost Opportunity to Protect the Dignity of Human Life

Mr. President, I appreciate the opportunity to address these important issues today. I thank my friend and colleague from Oregon for outlining his reasons for objecting to this legislation. I feel the need to respond to a few things that he said because they call for an immediate response.

February 27, 2020

To afford all, an unfettered start, and a fair chance, in the race of life.

Abraham Lincoln, in a message to Congress on July 4, 1861, wrote that the leading object of government was “to elevate the condition of men — to lift artificial weights from all shoulders — to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all — to afford all, an unfettered start, and a fair chance, in the race of life.” It is no coincidence that he gave this message on the anniversary of our nation’s birth.

February 14, 2020

End the War in Afghanistan

Describing how the Pentagon presented information to the American public about Afghanistan, Army Col. Bob Crowley, who served as senior counterinsurgency adviser in Afghanistan in 2013 and 2014, told investigators: “Every data point was altered to present the best picture possible. Surveys, for instance, were totally unreliable but reinforced that everything we were doing was right and we became a self-licking ice cream cone.”

February 14, 2020

We Don’t Need Another War in the Middle East

When the Miami and Wabash Indians attacked Americans north of the Ohio River between 1791 and 1794, President George Washington confined his military operations to only defensive measures. “The Constitution,” Washington wrote, “vests the power of declaring war with Congress; therefore, no offensive expedition of importance can be undertaken until after they have deliberated upon the subject, and authorized such a measure.”

February 12, 2020

Remarks on Iran War Powers Resolution

Mr. President, I rise today with my colleague, Senator Kaine, to support the resolution before us, which would prohibit the President from conducting offensive military strikes against Iran, unless and until Congress explicitly authorizes it. This is how security policy in our republic is supposed to be made: Congress authorizes the use of military force, and the president – as commander in chief – directs the military to complete the missions.

February 12, 2020

Utah Women Lead The Way

Mr. President, On February 14, 1870 a remarkable thing happened in Utah – something that changed the course of history not just in our state, but in our entire nation. Seraph Young, a twenty-three-year-old school teacher, became the first American woman to cast a vote in a political election under an equal suffrage law. It was a moment that both followed and preceded a long line of remarkable contributions from Utah women – women who have pioneered and led in our state and in our nation.