Sens. Lee, Paul Call on Pres.-Elect Trump to Increase Congressional Involvement in National Security, Foreign Affairs
Jan 17, 2017
WASHINGTON - Today, Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Rand Paul (R-KY) sent a letter to President-Elect Donald Trump regarding the importance of rebalancing the relationship between Congress and the Presidency on issues of national security and foreign policy. The letter addresses the need to require Congressional approval for specific military actions before the President can undertake them in the Middle East, and it encourages president-elect Trump to review and work with Congress in repealing or reforming the 2001 and 2002 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMFs). The letter also addresses the need for the President to engage with the legislative branch and build consensus with Congress and the American people on important issues to our national security, such as our relationships with Russia and China.
The letter states, “While members of Congress have disagreements on many domestic and foreign policies, we all agree that the most fundamental duty of the federal government is to protect the safety, security, and freedoms of the American people. The constitutional powers to carry out this duty are shared between the President and Congress so that our military and diplomatic policies are informed by a long-term vision of American interests – forged through the kind of open debate and patient deliberation that is the province of Congress – while remaining flexible enough to respond to threats as they appear.”
"The complexity of the security questions we face as a nation calls for robust debate, prudence, and cooperation,” the letter continues. “The challenges are too great and the risks too high to simply defer to yesterday’s status quo. Now is the time for bold leadership and sober judgment. You have an opportunity at the beginning of your presidency to help recommit the Executive Branch to preserving this constitutional balance that has always defined our government at its best, and we stand ready to work with your administration toward that end."
The letter can be found in its entirety here:
Sens. Lee, Paul Call on Pres.-Elect Trump to Increase Congressional Involvement in National Security, Forei... by Senator Mike Lee on Scribd
January 17, 2017 – Mobile Office Visit to Layton
Jan 17, 2017
Mobile Office Visit to Layton
When: Tuesday, January 17, 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Where: Layton City Center, 437 N Wasatch Drive, Layton, UT 84041
January 17, 2017 – Mobile Office Visit to Plain City
Jan 17, 2017
Mobile Office Visit to Plain City
When: Tuesday, January 17, 12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Where: Plain City Hall, 4160 W 2200 N, Plain City, UT 84404
Lee Letter Seeks Accountability for US Ambassador in Macedonia
Jan 17, 2017
Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) sent a letter to US Ambassador to Macedonia Jess Baily today, asking for clarity on; the mission’s assistance to the new government; the involvement of George Soros’ Open Society Foundation; and the implementation US Agency for International Development (USAID) programs. Sen. Lee eagerly awaits a reply from the State Department and hopes that the new administration will hold executive branch officials accountable for the way our tax dollars are spent.
Sens. Lee, Klobuchar Comment on FTC Chair Departure
Jan 13, 2017
WASHINGTON – Today, Senators Mike Lee (R-UT) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), the chairman and ranking members of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights, released the following statements on Edith Ramirez’s departure from the Federal Trade Commission.
The First Step on the Road to Real Health Care Reform
Jan 13, 2017
This Thursday at about 1:30 pm, the United States Senate took the first step on the road to real health care reform: repealing Obamacare.
Elections Have Consequences for Housing Policy
Jan 13, 2017
“Elections have consequences, and at the end of the day, I won.” These were the infamous words President Obama used to scold congressional Republicans just three days after his inauguration in 2009, foreshadowing how he would approach policymaking for the next eight years.
Lee Introduces Local Zoning Decisions Protection Act
Jan 12, 2017
WASHINGTON – Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) released the following statement Thursday after introducing the “Local Zoning Decisions Protection Act,” a bill which denies all federal funding for implementing the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s “Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Final Rule.”
“Every American should be free to choose where to live, and every community should be free to zone its neighborhoods and compete for new residents according to its distinct values,” Lee said. “We don’t need a National Zoning Board. Washington should let Americans ‘govern local.’”
“A better debate would be about how Americans could better spend the money that is wasted every year by the dysfunctional Community Development Block Grant Program,” Lee added.
A study by the Reason Foundation found examples showing how this program contributes to cronyism by channeling taxpayer dollars to politically connected groups while doing absolutely nothing to combat poverty or housing segregation.
The Local Zoning Decisions Act would restrict any federal funding from being used to implement, administer, or enforce HUD’s housing rule. The bill also prohibits any funds from being used for HUD’s “Fair Housing” database which could be used to further the administration’s radical pursuit of using “disparate impact theory” to punish communities that are not as demographically diverse as the administration would like.
Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) has introduced a companion bill in the House.
Utah Speaks Out About Obamacare
Jan 11, 2017
Madam President I rise today to give voice to some of my fellow Utahns who are suffering because of the health care law passed seven years ago this March.
These are not stories from wealthy Utahns who have had to pay higher taxes. Nor are these stories from low-income Utahns who already had insurance through Medicaid.
These are letters from the too often invisible victims of Obamacare: those middle class families who used to be able to afford health care when they needed it, but are now forced to pay for what often amounts to a second mortgage, for a so-called “insurance” plan that never seems to pay out because of high deductibles.
January 10, 2017 – Mobile Office Visit to Highland
Jan 10, 2017
Mobile Office Visit to Highland
When: Tuesday, January 10, 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Where: Highland City Hall, 5400 W. Civic Center Drive Suite 1, Highland, UT 8400
