Press Releases
Sen. Lee Introduces Bills to Repeal, Reform PVSA
Jun 10, 2021
WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) has introduced three bills to repeal and reform the Passenger Vessel Services Act of 1886 (PVSA), an outdated, protectionist law that harms American jobs and American tourism.
“The PVSA is bad news,” said Sen. Lee. “This arcane law benefits Canada, Mexico, and other countries who receive increased maritime traffic, at the expense of American workers in our coastal cities, towns, and ports. Reducing demand for jobs and travel opportunities here in the U.S. is the opposite of ‘America First.’ And in the context of ocean liners, this ‘protectionist’ law is literally protecting no one, as there hasn’t been a cruise ship built domestically in over half a century. The PVSA is bad economics and bad law, and it’s far past time that Congress reconsider it.”
Sen. Lee, Colleagues Question IRS Data Leak
Jun 9, 2021
WASHINGTON – Following ProPublica’s publication of a “vast trove” of taxpayer information provided to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that appears to be confidential information and protected under federal law from disclosure, Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT), Mike Braun (R-IN), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Ted Cruz (R-TX), and Ron Johnson (R-WI) have sent letters to the Acting Treasury Inspector General and the Inspector General for Tax Administration to request a prompt investigation into how this IRS information was lost and to hold accountable any individuals who broke federal law by inappropriately sharing confidential tax information.
Sen. Lee Issues Statement on January 6 Commission
May 28, 2021
WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee today issued the following statement on his vote opposing legislation to create a commission investigating the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol:
“The events of January 6th were tragic, and there are many legitimate questions that remain to be answered. However, the commission the Democrats attempted to establish today contained broad investigative mandates even to areas outside the events of January 6th, combined with broad subpoena power and a flawed structure – constituting a recipe for a political witch-hunt. I support efforts, including the multiple investigations underway and the oversight from Senate Committees, to uncover these unanswered questions, but establishing a Kangaroo Commission to politicize the events of that day will neither help us deliver justice nor get to the bottom of the truth.”
Sen. Lee Issues Statement on Google Ad-Tech Antitrust Case in France
May 28, 2021
WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) today issued the following statement as Google nears a settlement of an antitrust case with France alleging that the company has abused its power in online advertising.
“Like many Americans across the political spectrum, I have been concerned by the exercise of market power held by Google and other tech giants, which is why I chaired a hearing on Google’s conduct in digital advertising last fall. As we heard in the hearing, Google appears to have a commanding share of every piece of the online advertising market, and appears to be using its leading market positions in search and online video to engage in tying on the advertiser side of its business, essentially forcing the vast majority of demand onto its platform. I’m pleased to see that France has made headway in securing fair competition in online advertising, and hope that Americans soon receive the same benefits of competition as the French.”
