Press Releases
Sen. Lee Introduces Pro-Life Legislation
Jan 28, 2021
WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) today introduced three pieces of pro-life legislation: the Abortion is not Health Care Act, the Protecting Life in Health Savings Accounts Act, and the Protecting Life in Foreign Assistance Act.
“Each human life, born and unborn, has immeasurable dignity and worth. The lives of both an unborn baby and her mother matter; and healthcare should heal, protect, and preserve both their lives. Our laws and use of taxpayer money should reflect that truth, which is why I have introduced these bills,” Sen. Lee said.
Sen. Lee Comments on DHS Secretary Mayorkas Vote
Jan 28, 2021
WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) issued the following statement Thursday after voting against Alejandro Mayorkas’s nomination to become Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security:
“Not only is Mr. Mayorkas the chief architect of the illegal and unconstitutional DACA and DAPA programs, but he also was found by the DHS Inspector General to have given special access to wealthy Democratic donors for the corrupt EB-5 visa program. The combination of Mr. Mayorkas’s expansive view of unlimited executive power coupled with his established track record of favoritism for partisan allies makes him a very dangerous choice to head the Department of Homeland Security for the American people.”
Sen. Lee Comments on 4th Quarter Economic Growth
Jan 28, 2021
WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) issued the following statement Thursday in response to the Department of Commerce’s 4th Quarter Gross Domestic Product estimate.
“The economy demonstrated enduring strength in the final quarter of 2020, and this news should be applauded in the midst of the ongoing pandemic. GDP grew at a pace of 4.0 percent, personal income remained above pre-pandemic levels, and Americans are saving more. For the economy to fully recover, however, Americans and their families must feel completely safe resuming the activities they do together. As medical professionals in the United States continue administering life-saving vaccines and treatments, I hope that consumer confidence will continue rising and that we will soon be able to return to the in-person activities that connect us.”
Sen. Lee Introduces PPP Protection Legislation
Jan 28, 2021
WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) issued the following statement Thursday after introducing legislation earlier in the week to ease the regulatory burden on banks participating in the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
“The Paycheck Protection Program has become an essential vehicle for protecting millions of small businesses and hundreds of millions of jobs. The CFPB unauthorized attacks on banks participating in this program is putting all of these businesses and jobs at risk. Congress needs to act now to prevent CFPB meddling from creating any further delay in PPP lending and loan forgiveness,” Sen. Lee said.
Lee and Romney Join Effort to Prevent President from Unilaterally Suspending Energy Leases on Federal Lands
Jan 28, 2021
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Mike Lee (R-UT) and Mitt Romney (R-UT) joined their colleagues, led by Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), in introducing the Protecting our Wealth of Energy Resources (POWER) Act of 2021. The POWER Act would prohibit the president or his secretaries of the Interior, Agriculture, and Energy departments from blocking energy or mineral leasing and permitting on federal lands and waters without Congressional approval.
“President Biden’s energy moratorium has already done considerable damage to Utah’s economy. President’s should not have the unilateral power to kill jobs like this. The POWER Act will check the president’s power by giving Congress a say in future leasing disruptions,” Sen. Lee said.
Senators Reintroduce Bill to Protect American Workers
Jan 28, 2021
WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) joined Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Boozman (R-AR), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WW), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), John Thune (R-SD) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) to introduce The Accountability Through Electronic Verification Act Thursday, a bill that would permanently authorize and expand the E-Verify program, an internet–based system that assists employers in determining whether current or prospective employees are authorized to work in the United States. The bill requires employers to use the program to determine workers’ eligibility.
Sen. Lee Explains Why Senate Does Not Have Impeachment Jurisdiction Over Former Officials
Jan 26, 2021
WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) issued the following statement Tuesday after voting not to table a point of order, noting it is unconstitutional for the Senate to try a former president.
“If the Senate were to adopt a broad interpretation of the impeachment power—one allowing federal officials to be convicted on impeachment charges even after leaving office—the result would not only be problematic, but also contrary to the most natural reading of the text, structure, and historical understanding of the Constitution.”
Sens. Lee, Grassley Reintroduce Balanced Budget Amendment
Jan 25, 2021
WASHINGTON – Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) reintroduced an amendment to the United States Constitution that would require the federal government to balance its budget each year. This amendment would put a stop to the current “status quo” of Congress spending far more money than the federal government takes in and would place strict limitations on the federal government’s ability to increase taxes, raise the debt limit, and carry out other actions that threaten our long-term fiscal sustainability.
Sens. Lee and Romney Introduce the Protect Utah’s Rural Economy (PURE) Act
Jan 25, 2021
WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) reintroduced the Protect Utah’s Rural Economy (PURE) Act Friday, a bill that would protect Utah from presidential Antiquities Act abuse in much the same way Alaska and Wyoming are currently protected.
“Rural Americans want what all Americans want: a dignified decent-paying job, a family to love and support, and a healthy community whose future is determined by local residents – not their self-styled betters thousands of miles away,” Sen. Lee said.
“That is why I am introducing the Protecting Utah’s Rural Economy Act today, a bill that would protect Utah from future abuses under the Antiquities Act by prohibiting the president from establishing or expanding a national monument in Utah unless the proposed monument has been authorized by an act of Congress and the state legislature.”
Utah Elected Leaders Speak Out Against Harmful Biden Order on Federal Lands
Jan 22, 2021
WASHINGTON – Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Mitt Romney (R-UT), Reps. John Curtis, Blake Moore, Chris Stewart and Burgess Owens, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, Senate President Stuart Adams, House Speaker Brad Wilson and Attorney General Sean Reyes issued the following joint statement in response to the Biden administration’s action to suspend oil and gas leases on public lands: