Press Releases
Sens. Lee, Grassley Introduce TEAM Act to Reform Antitrust Law
Jun 14, 2021
WASHINGTON – Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) today introduced the Tougher Enforcement Against Monopolies, or TEAM Act, to reform our nation’s antitrust laws.
“America is facing a panoply of competition concerns not just in Big Tech, but across our entire economy,” said Sen Lee. “We need a holistic approach that deals with all of these concerns, and that benefits all consumers, in every industry – without massively increasing regulation and imposing a command-and-control grip over the economy. The TEAM Act strikes the right balance in protecting competition and consumer welfare while limiting government intervention in our free market economy.”
Sens. Lee, King, and Paul Introduce PRIME Act
Jun 11, 2021
WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) is happy to join Sens. Angus King (I-ME) and Rand Paul (R-KY) in introducing the Processing Revival and Intrastate Meat Exemption (PRIME) Act. In addition to reviving the ability of local custom slaughterhouses to compete with large regional packers, this commonsense legislation moves to revive the ability of individual states to govern the commerce within their own borders.
Sen. Lee Introduces Bills to Repeal, Reform PVSA
Jun 10, 2021
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 Mike Lee (R-UT) has introduced three bills to repeal and reform the Passenger Vessel Services Act of 1886 (PVSA), an outdated, protectionist law that harms American jobs and American tourism.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, as there hasn’t been a cruise ship built domestically in over half a century. The PVSA is bad economics and bad law, and it’s far past time that Congress reconsider it.”
Sen. Lee, Colleagues Question IRS Data Leak
Jun 9, 2021
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.
Sen. Lee Issues Statement on January 6 Commission
May 28, 2021
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 uncover these unanswered questions, but establishing a Kangaroo Commission to politicize the events of that day will neither help us deliver justice nor get to the bottom of the truth.”
Sen. Lee Issues Statement on Google Ad-Tech Antitrust Case in France
May 28, 2021
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 market positions in search and online video to engage in tying on the advertiser side of its business, essentially forcing the vast majority of demand onto its platform. I’m pleased to see that France has made headway in securing fair competition in online advertising, and hope that Americans soon receive the same benefits of competition as the French.”
Lee, Klobuchar Introduce Bill to Empower State Antitrust Enforcers
May 25, 2021
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.
Sen. Lee, Rep. Cloud Request Debt Servicing Costs
May 21, 2021
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.
Lee, Tuberville Introduce the CHOICE Act
May 20, 2021
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.
Sen. Lee Urges Education Department to Reject Critical Race Theory
May 19, 2021
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 we are not without our mistakes as a nation, we have consistently sought to improve our society, so that all men and women – regardless of age, race, or religion – can flourish. It is dangerous for the federal government to knowingly support ideals and principles that pull us further apart, rather than those that bring us closer together.”
