Press Releases
Sen. Lee Introduces ARTICLE ONE Act to Reclaim Congressional Power
Feb 4, 2021
WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) today introduced the ARTICLE ONE Act, a bill that would reclaim significant legislative powers delegated to the executive branch by the National Emergencies Act of 1976.
When Congress passed this act in 1976, it gave the president of the United States the ability to exercise unilateral power like a king. Now, more than 40 years later, there are 37 ongoing national emergencies that have no congressional approval or expiration date. And just last week, the majority leader pointed out that the president “can do many, many things under the emergency powers . . . that he could do without legislation,” and suggested that “[i]t might be a good idea for President Biden to call a climate emergency.”
Sen. Lee Introduces Working Families Flexibility Act
Feb 4, 2021
WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) today introduced the Working Families Flexibility Act, a bill that would give employees more flexibility on how to use their overtime benefits. Sen. Lee was joined by Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), along with eleven of their colleagues.
“For many families, especially those with young children, their most precious commodity is time with each other – and that has never been more challenging to balance with work than during the current pandemic,” said Sen. Lee. “For decades, federal labor laws have unfortunately restricted the way parents and workers can use their time, while giving special exemptions from these laws to government employees. This is unacceptable: the same work-life options available to government employees should be available to private-sector workers as well, especially during these challenging times.”
Sen. Lee Introduces Parental Rights Bills
Feb 3, 2021
WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced the Parental Accessibility Rights for Emergency and Negligent Treatment (PARENT) Act and the Parental Right to Know Act Wednesday, a pair of bills designed to ensure that parents have access to the policies regarding the care and medical records of their children from hospitals and organizations that use taxpayer funding.
“Parents play the most important role in caring for the health of their children,” Sen. Lee said. “It is critical that they have information about the policies of the health organizations to which they bring their children for care, and that they have the ability to access their medical records. These bills would ensure that parents are afforded the right to remain informed and involved in their children’s care.”
Sen. Lee Introduces Cancel the Coin Act to Eliminate Debt Limit Loophole
Feb 3, 2021
WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) issued the following statement Wednesday after introducing the Cancel the Coin Act earlier this week. The bill would remove the Treasury Secretary’s ability to mint coins of any value.
“If the current budget resolution shows anything, it is that this Administration does not see the ballooning federal deficit as a problem,” Sen. Lee said. “A modern monetary theory-inspired spending spree would be disastrous for the American economy and the American way of life.
Sen. Lee Comments on Biden Budget Vote
Feb 2, 2021
WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) issued the following statement Tuesday after voting against the motion to proceed on a budget resolution:
“The $2 trillion dollar Biden stimulus package that the Democrats are starting to ram through this week has nothing to do with recovery from COVID and everything to do with bailing out and rewarding interest groups.”
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.
Sen. Lee Comments on President Biden’s Job Killing Energy Order
Jan 28, 2021
WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) issued the following statement Wednesday, after President Biden signed an executive order halting oil and gas leasing on federal lands.
“Today the Biden Administration has taken yet another step to force their elitist coastal values on the rest of America. President Biden’s moratorium on oil and gas leasing on federal lands, will impact states across the west like Utah deeply, affecting education budgets, civil services and much more.
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 Cosponsors SAVE Moms and Babies Act
Jan 28, 2021
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) today joined U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) and Congressman Bob Latta (R-Ohio) to reintroduce their Support and Value Expectant (SAVE) Moms and Babies Act to strengthen federal controls over the regulation and distribution of chemical abortion drugs.
The SAVE Moms and Babies Act would prevent labeling changes for already-approved abortion drugs; prevent providers from dispensing these drugs remotely, by mail, or via tele-medicine; and prevent the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from approving new chemical abortion drugs.
