Press Releases

Sens. Lee, Paul Introduce Military Humanitarian Operations Act

Feb 16, 2017

WASHINGTON – Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Rand Paul (R-KY) introduced the Military Humanitarian Operations Act today, a bill previously introduced by Sen. Lee and former-Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) in 2012. The Military Humanitarian Operations Act would require the president to receive congressional authorization before ordering the United States military on a humanitarian mission where hostilities are anticipated.

Lee Statement on Air Force Secretary Nominee Heather Wilson

Feb 15, 2017

I am grateful to Dr. Wilson for her willingness to take on this job and I was pleased with our discussion this morning on matters important to the Air Force. She is highly qualified and her wealth of experience in the Air Force, Congress, and private sector will serve her well at the helm of a large organization.

Sen. Lee Introduces Agency Accountability Act

Feb 3, 2017

WASHINGTON – Senator Lee (R-UT) introduced the “Agency Accountability Act of 2017” Friday, a bill that would direct most fines, fees, and other unappropriated proceeds to the Treasury, making them subject to the appropriations process.

Sens. Lee, Wyden To Lead New Public Lands Subcommittee

Feb 2, 2017

WASHINGTON – Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) announced they will be leading the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forestry, and Mining Thursday. The jurisdiction of the subcommittee includes oversight and legislative responsibilities for public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service, as well as management of the Outer Continental Shelf and the National Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

Lee Praises President Trump’s Supreme Court Pick

Jan 31, 2017

WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) gave the following statement Tuesday after President Trump nominated 10th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Neil Gorsuch to replace Justice Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court.
 
“Judge Gorsuch is a tremendous pick for the Supreme Court and I look forward to doing everything I can to make sure he is confirmed by the Senate,” Lee said.
 
“I’ve had the privilege of arguing before Judge Gorsuch and he is extremely impressive. He is a prepared, thoughtful, and careful jurist, who has demonstrated a strong commitment to textualism and originalism. His opinions are well-reasoned and brilliantly written, and he has enriched the Tenth Circuit’s jurisprudence in a number of areas during his ten years on the court. He is a judge’s judge, who is well within the mainstream and always decides cases based on what the law says. He also always treats the parties appearing before him with dignity and respect.”
 
“Throughout 2016, I said the next President should pick the next Supreme Court justice. This vacancy was a central issue during the 2016 campaign and the people have spoken by electing President Trump and returning a Republican Senate majority. I applaud the President for his excellent choice, and I look forward to enthusiastically working toward Judge Gorsuch’s confirmation.”

Lee Introduces Bill to Lower Federal Construction Costs

Jan 30, 2017

WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced the Davis-Bacon Repeal Act Monday, a bill that would save American taxpayers billions in construction costs.

Lee Praises President Trump’s “One In, Two Out” Regulatory Order

Jan 30, 2017

“President Trump’s ‘one in, two out’ regulatory order is exactly what the American economy and the American people need. Last year I introduced the Regulatory Budget Reform Act, which would have accomplished much of what this executive order does, and would make the policy permanent.”

Sens. Lee, Grassley Introduce Balanced Budget Amendment

Jan 25, 2017

WASHINGTON – Yesterday, Senators Mike Lee (R-UT) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) introduced 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.

Lee Applauds President Trump’s Action on Modernized Mexico City Policy

Jan 23, 2017

WASHINGTON - Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) – leading Republican voice in the Senate on Mexico City Policy - applauds President Trump’s bold, pro-life action taken today to reapply an updated version of the Reagan-era Mexico City Policy.

Senators Ask President Trump to Reapply Modernized Mexico City Policy

Jan 20, 2017

WASHINGTON  - Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT), Steve Daines (R-MT), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Ben Sasse (R-NE), Ted Cruz (R-TX), John Cornyn (R-TX), and Rand Paul (R-KY) introduced a resolution Friday expressing the sense of the Senate that the Mexico City policy, or a modernized version thereof, should be permanently established in statute. The resolution also encourages President Trump to immediately take action to reapply the policy.

“There is long-standing statute limiting US foreign assistance from being spent on the promotion or provision of abortion services. Through executive memorandum, Mexico City Policy was created almost 33 years ago. During more than half of the time since the policy’s creation, it has been enforced as standing US foreign aid policy – for a total of 17 years,” Sen. Lee said. “The resolution is a Congressional support document, rooted in legislative and executive history, representing the will of the majority of Americans to see more restrictions on funding for abortion – restrictions President Trump can immediately impose – applied to our foreign aid expenditures of taxpayer dollars.”  

The resolution encourages a new executive memorandum from President Trump today or in the coming days, reapplying the policy and its family planning foreign aid restrictions as it was during the Bush administration, while leaving the opportunity for the new administration to review the policy and apply an “improved version thereof.” This language lays the predicate for future legislative action to codify whatever policy the executive applies.

In 1984, President Ronald Reagan established the ‘‘Mexico City Policy,’’ which prohibits foreign aid for family planning purposes from being given to foreign nongovernmental organizations that provide or promote abortion as an option for family planning, regardless of the source of funding. When applied, this prohibits any foreign private or nonprofit entity from receiving US family planning foreign assistance that provides or promotes abortion.

The resolution states, “That it is the sense of the Senate that— (1) the President should immediately reapply and consider improving the Mexico City Policy; and (2) Congress should expeditiously consider statutory changes that permanently codify the Mexico City Policy or an improved version thereof.”

The resolution text can be found here:

Senators Ask President Trump to Reapply Modernized Mexico City Policy by Senator Mike Lee on Scribd