Press Releases
Sen. Lee Statement on CFPB Leadership
Nov 27, 2017
WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) released the following statement today regarding the current leadership dispute at the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau:
"While created with the best of intentions, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is a poorly designed, unaccountable, and ultimately unconstitutional agency. This latest controversy isn’t about President Trump or consumer protection. It is about the protection of individual liberty embedded into the United States Constitution through the separation of powers. The duly elected President of the United States has chosen Mick Mulvaney to be the Acting Director of the CFPB and anyone else who claims they have that title is acting illegally."
Heller, Scott Amendment to Double the Child Tax Credit Included in Senate's Updated Tax Relief Bill
Nov 14, 2017
Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Senate Finance Committee's newly released Tax Cuts and Jobs Act includes an amendment filed by U.S. Senators Dean Heller (R-NV) and Tim Scott (R-SC) that would increase the child tax credit to $2,000. The current child tax credit is $1,000, and the previous version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act increased the child tax credit to $1,650.
Sens. Lee, Rubio Release Statement on Senate Tax Plan
Nov 9, 2017
Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) released the following statement today in response to the Senate Finance Committee unveiling their tax reform proposal:
"We appreciate all of the work our colleagues have done to draft the Senate tax bill, and the progress for tax reform that it represents. While we are glad to see an increase to the child tax credit, like the House bill, it is simply not enough for working families.
Sens. Lee, Leahy Support USA Liberty Act
Nov 8, 2017
WASHINGTON - Today, the House Judiciary committee reported the USA Liberty Act to the House floor with 27-8 support. The bill is sponsored by House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) and Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), and by Crime Subcommittee Chairman Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) and Ranking Member Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), and the legislation reauthorizes and reforms Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Amendment Act. Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) partnered with these House colleagues last year to pass the USA FREEDOM act, which ended NSA bulk metadata collection and contained significant reforms to other surveillance authorities. Sens. Lee and Leahy released the following statement regarding today’s passage of the USA Liberty Act:
Sens. Lee, Paul, King, Crapo, Merkley Request Defunding of Civil Asset Forfeiture Expansion
Nov 8, 2017
Today, Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) joined with Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY), Angus King (I-VT), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Tom Udall (D-NM) in sending a letter to the Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL) and Ranking Member Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), requesting they defund the Department of Justice’s reinstated expansion of civil asset forfeiture practices.
Sen. Lee Demands Transparency from CBO on Health Care and Taxes
Nov 7, 2017
“I feel like I’m trapped in a game of Calvinball,” Sen. Lee said. “Just a few months ago the CBO had us playing by one set of rules for debating health care policy and now we are being told those rules have been completely changed for tax policy. This is simply unacceptable and it is why Congress must pass the CBO Show Your Work Act of 2017.”
Sens. Lee and Rubio Respond to House Tax Plan
Nov 2, 2017
WASHINGTON – Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) issued the following statement Thursday in response to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act released by House Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX):
“We appreciate the hard work and countless hours our colleagues in the House have put into crafting this legislation. As we’ve long said, tax reform should be about making the code more pro-growth and pro-family. The House bill is an important step in the process.”
Sen. Lee Introduces Smarter Sentencing Act
Oct 5, 2017
WASHINGTON - Today, a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators led by Mike Lee (R-UT) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) reintroduced the Smarter Sentencing Act of 2017. This legislation would modernize federal drug sentencing policies by giving federal judges more discretion in sentencing those convicted of non-violent drug offenses. Senators Lee and Durbin were joined in this effort by Sens. Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Pat Leahy (D-VT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Al Franken (D-MN), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tom Udall (D-NM), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Angus King (I-ME), Gary Peters (D-MI), Ed Markey (D-MA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Martin Heinrich (D-NM).
Senators Hatch, Lee, Cruz, Perdue, and Paul Introduce Bill to Strength Criminal Intent Protections
Oct 2, 2017
Washington, D.C.—Today, Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Mike Lee (R-UT), Ted Cruz (R-TX), David Perdue (R-GA), and Rand Paul (R-KY) introduced legislation to strengthen criminal intent protections in federal law.
Sen. Lee Statement on Jon Huntsman Confirmation
Sep 28, 2017
WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) released the following statement today after Ambassador Jon Huntsman was unanimously confirmed as the United States Ambassador to Russia:
“Ambassador Huntsman is a dedicated public servant and a good, personal friend, and I am happy to congratulate him on his recent confirmation. He is an experienced statesman, and I know he will tackle this role and its responsibilities with the same efficiency, effectiveness, and fine-tuned diplomacy that he applied to his roles as Chinese Ambassador and Governor of the great State of Utah.”
Ambassador Huntsman was voted unanimously out of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee on September 26th. Sen. Lee introduced him during his confirmation before that committee on September 19th.
