Press Releases
Lee: Utah to Lose $32 Million in Budget Deal
Dec 16, 2013
Under the Mineral Leasing Act, the federal government leases federal land for the development of energy, minerals and other materials, and shares the revenue with the states in which the leases are held. The revenue is currently split evenly between the states and the federal government. Section 302 of the budget deal would only decrease what the states receive, leaving the federal portion intact. That would mean a total reduction of $415 million for the states, with roughly $32 million coming from Utah.
Lee Names Derek Brown as Deputy Chief of Staff/State Director
Dec 12, 2013
Today, Senator Mike Lee announced that current Utah State Representative Derek Brown has accepted the position of Deputy Chief of Staff and State Director for the senator’s office. Rep. Brown will resign his seat in the Utah Legislature effective January 2, 2014 and will assume his new role on January 3rd. Senator Lee’s Chief of Staff Boyd Matheson had been filling the State Director duties for the past year.
Lee Introduces Act to Protect Religious Liberty
Dec 12, 2013
Today, Senator Mike Lee and eleven original cosponsors introduced legislation to protect religious organizations from discrimination by the federal government for supporting traditional marriage. The “Marriage and Religious Freedom Act” bars the government from denying any person or group tax-exempt status for exercising their religious conscience rights. The bill is cosponsored by Senators Vitter, Rubio, Roberts, Hatch, Coburn, Blunt, Inhofe, Wicker, Risch, Cochran and Graham.
Lee Opposes House-Senate Budget Deal
Dec 11, 2013
I do not envy House Republicans in their task of negotiating a budget with a Senate majority and president hostile to the very idea of having one. But the deal they have struck is not one I can support.
