Press Releases
Sens. Lee, Booker Introduce Commodity Check Off Reform Bill
Mar 28, 2019
WASHINGTON – Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced the Opportunities for Fairness in Farming Act of 2019 (OFF Act) Thursday, a measure intended to bring much needed transparency and accountability to the federal government’s commodity check off programs.
Checkoff programs are mandatory participation programs under the US Department of Agriculture. These programs are funded through compulsory fees on producers of eggs, beef, pork and a multitude of other agricultural products. The programs and associated boards have received criticism in the past for a lack of transparency, apparent conflicts of interest, misuse of their funding and anticompetitive behavior.
Sens. Lee And Paul Introduce The Voluntary Check-Off Program Participation Act
Mar 28, 2019
WASHINGTON – Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Rand Paul (R-KY) introduced the Voluntary Check-Off Program Participation Act Thursday, a bill that give would give farmers and ranchers the freedom not to participate in Department of Agriculture check-off programs.
“If farmers and ranchers want to get together and pool their resources to better promote their products, then that is the free market at its best,” Lee said. “But as soon as the power of the federal government is used to force people into a program they do not want to participate in, then that is crony capitalism at its worst.”
MEDIA ADVISORY: Sen. Lee Town Hall
Mar 18, 2019
SALT LAKE CITY - Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) will be hosting a town hall at the following locations on Tuesday March 19, 2019.
Sen. Lee Statement on Yemen Resolution Passage
Mar 14, 2019
WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) issued the following statement Thursday, after the Senate passed a resolution pursuant to the War Powers Act calling for the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities in the Republic of Yemen.
