Press Releases
Lee, Colleagues Introduce Head Start Improvement Act
Apr 15, 2021
WASHINGTON – Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) today introduced the Head Start Improvement Act, a bill to improve the Head Start program by eliminating bureaucracy and giving money directly to states through block grants. Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) has sponsored companion legislation in the House.
State and local governments are better equipped than the federal government to tailor education programs to meet the needs of the children they serve. This legislation recognizes that reality and would empower parents, community leaders, and state and local officials to improve the outcomes of American children everywhere.
Sen. Lee, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Subject MLB to Antitrust Laws
Apr 14, 2021
WASHINGTON – Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) have introduced a bill to remove the antitrust exemption that has been in place for Major League Baseball to subject them to existing law. Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.), with over 20 cosponsors, has produced companion legislation in the House.
Sen. Lee Introduces SHUSH Act
Apr 14, 2021
WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) has introduced the Silencers Helping Us Save Hearing Act of 2021, or SHUSH Act, a bill to eliminate the unnecessary regulation of suppressors. The SHUSH Act is cosponsored by Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and John Cornyn (R-Texas), and the House companion legislation is sponsored by Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.).
Sen. Lee Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Help Military Families
Apr 13, 2021
WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) today introduced the Military Spouse Licensing Relief Act, bipartisan legislation that would give military spouses with valid professional licenses in one state reciprocity in the state where their spouse is currently serving on military orders.
After Urging from Lee and Klobuchar, Apple Agrees to Send Witness To Hearing on App Stores and Mobile App Competition
Apr 12, 2021
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ranking Member and Chairwoman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, yesterday announced that both Apple and Google have agreed to send witnesses to a subcommittee hearing on app stores and mobile app competition scheduled for Wednesday, April 21, 2021 at 2:30 PM. In a letter sent on Friday, April 9th, 2021, Lee and Klobuchar criticized Apple’s initial decision to withhold witnesses from testifying and asked Apple CEO Tim Cook to reverse course.
Sen. Lee, Rep. Buck Question Big Tech CEOs on Actions Against Parler
Apr 1, 2021
WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) on Wednesday sent a letter to the CEOs of Google, Apple, and Amazon questioning a series of actions their companies took against Parler.
The letter reads in part:
“As detailed in the timeline below, the timing of steps taken against the Parler social network by your companies and that the actions seem to lack any of the procedural fairness typically afforded in the case of an alleged breach of contract create the appearance of close coordination.
ICYMI: Sen. Lee Visits Mexico Border, Calls for End to Crisis
Mar 29, 2021
Last week, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) joined a congressional delegation trip with 17 of his colleagues to help shed light on the humanitarian crisis caused by the recent surges in illegal immigration along the U.S.-Mexico border. The senators toured immigration processing facilities along the border, attended a roundtable with local leaders, and heard firsthand accounts of the journeys of migrant men, women, and children.
Sen. Lee, Colleagues Urge HHS to Expand Ethical Sources of Fetal Tissue
Mar 26, 2021
WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) on Friday led 15 of his colleagues in sending a letter to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) requesting that the agency evaluate its ability to expand the existing organ donation network to include preterm and stillborn infant donors, so as to provide an ethical alternative to aborted fetal tissue. Under no circumstance should scientific research and experimentation use cells or tissues derived from abortion.
The letter reads in part:
“Respecting the dignity of human life from conception to natural death is critically important and this action would be a significant step toward protecting human life at all stages. If a consistent, high-quality, and ethically uncontroversial source of human fetal tissue exists, medical research would undoubtedly expand, advancing our nation’s understanding of human development and leading to potentially life-saving discoveries.”
Sen. Lee Cosponsors the Smarter Sentencing Act
Mar 26, 2021
WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) cosponsored the “Smarter Sentencing Act,” bipartisan legislation designed to bring judicial discretion and flexibility to non-violent drug charge sentencing. The bill is sponsored by Sen. Dick Durbin (D- Ill.) and cosponsored by 11 of their colleagues.
Since 1980, the number of inmates in federal prison has increased by 653%. About 50% of those federal inmates are serving sentences for drug-related offenses, increasing the taxpayer burden by more than 2,000%. In short, federal incarceration has become one of our nation’s biggest expenditures, dwarfing the amount spent on law enforcement.
Sen. Lee Reintroduces Poverty Measurement Improvement Act
Mar 25, 2021
WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) today introduced the Poverty Measurement Improvement Act, a bill that would improve the accuracy of poverty measurement in the United States by requiring the Census Bureau to supplement its existing poverty data with additional data from other federal agencies.
“To help the vulnerable in our social safety net programs, we must make sure that our limited resources are being used as effectively as possible, and going towards those who are most in need,” Sen. Lee said. “This bill will help us ensure that we have the data to do just that.”