Press Releases
Utah Delegation, State Officials Welcome Interior Secretary Haaland’s Decision to Visit Utah
Mar 17, 2021
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Mike Lee (R-Utah), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), and Representatives Chris Stewart (R-Utah), John Curtis (R-Utah), Burgess Owens (R-Utah), and Blake Moore (R-Utah), Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, Senate President Stuart Adams, House Speaker Brad Wilson and Attorney General Sean Reyes issued the following statement in response to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland’s announcement of her upcoming visit to Utah to tour Bears Ears and Grand-Staircase Escalante national monuments.
Sens. Lee, Tillis, and Paul Introduce Mens Rea Reform Act
Mar 12, 2021
WASHINGTON - Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah), Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) introduced the Mens Rea Reform Act of 2021 today, a bill that aims to reduce overcriminalization, rein in excessive regulation, and curb overzealous prosecutions.
As the power of the federal government has grown in size and scope, regulators and prosecutors have found ways to penalize activities that most Americans would view as innocent or non-criminal. As a result, ordinary Americans have found themselves facing jail time for supposedly “criminal” activities like abandoning a snowmobile on federal land, accidentally diverting sewage backups to the wrong drain, or unknowingly selling goods to the wrong person. In each of these cases, the government did not have to prove that the person knew or intended to commit a crime; they simply had to prove that the person committed the action.
Sen. Lee Reintroduces Allied Burden Sharing Report Act
Mar 11, 2021
WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) on Wednesday reintroduced the Allied Burden Sharing Report Act, a bill that would require the Department of Defense to resume submitting an extensive report that includes the common defense contributions of NATO countries and other defense partners, including Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, Australia, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Thailand, the Philippines, and signatories of the Rio Treaty. The bill is cosponsored by Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Josh Hawley (R-Neb.), James Lankford (R-Okl.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), and Bill Haggerty (R-Tenn.).
Sen. Lee Reintroduces Global Trade Accountability Act
Mar 11, 2021
WASHINGTON – Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) reintroduced the Global Trade Accountability Act Wednesday, a bill that would subject unilateral actions by the president to increase trade barriers to congressional approval. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) joined as cosponsors of the bill.
“Congress has ceded far too much of its lawmaking power to the executive branch, including the power to unilaterally raise tariffs,” Sen. Lee said. “Sudden hikes in trade barriers can have real and devastating impacts on American small businesses, farmers, and families, including in my home state of Utah. As the deliberative body and the people’s representatives, Congress must be involved in any decision that would increase barriers to trade, especially as global supply lines continue to be disrupted from the pandemic.”
