July 2012 - Mobile Office Schedule

Jun 20, 2012

1.  Mobile Office Visit to Millard County
When: Tuesday 10 July  2012 @ 10 AM – 11:15 AM (followed by a Mobile Office visit to a local cattle ranch/business)
Where: Scipio, Utah @ Scipio Town Hall and Fire House, 160 North Main Street, Scipio, Utah 84656 (Community Room)

2.  Mobile Office Visit to Millard County
When:  Tuesday 10 July 2012 @ 1 PM - 3 PM
Where: Holden, Utah @ Holden Town Hall/Community Center, P.O. Box 360127, 158 South Main Street, Holden, Utah 84636 (Town Hall)

3.  Mobile Office Visit to Beaver County
When: Wednesday 11 July 2012 @ 9 AM – 11 AM
Where: Minersville, Utah @ Minersville Town Hall, P.O. Box 159, 60 West Main Street, Minersville, Utah 84752 (Legion Room)

4.  Mobile Office Visit to Piute County
When: Wednesday 11 July 2012 @ 1 PM – 3 PM
Where: Junction, Utah @ Piute County Courthouse, P.O. Box 99, 550 North Main Street, Junction, Utah 84740 (Commission Chambers)

5.  Mobile Office Visit to Iron County
When: Thursday12 July 2012 @ 9 AM – 11 PM
Where: Enoch, Utah @ Enoch City Hall, 900 East Midvalley Road, Enoch, Utah 84721 (Council Chambers)

6.  Mobile Office Visit to Iron County
When: Thursday 12 July 2012 @ 12 PM – 2 PM
Where: Paragonah, Utah @ Paragonah Town Office, P.O. Box 600247, 44 North 100 West, Paragonah, Utah 84760 (Town Hall)

7.  Mobile Office Visit to Sevier County
When: Tuesday 17 July  2012 @ 10 AM – 12:00 PM
Where: Monroe, Utah @ Monroe City Hall, 10 North Main Street, Monroe, Utah 84754

8.  Mobile Office Visit to Sevier County
When:  Tuesday 17 July 2012 @ 12 PM - 2 PM
Where: Annabella, Utah  @ Annabella Town Office, P.O. Box 175, 295 East 300 North, Annabella, Utah 84711 (Town Council Room)

9.   Mobile Office Visit to Carbon County
When: Wednesday 18 July 2012 @ 10 AM – 12 PM
Where: Wellington, Utah @ Wellington City Hall, P.O. Box 559, 150 West Main Street, Wellington, Utah 84542 (Council Room)

10.  Mobile Office Visit to Carbon County
When: Wednesday 18 July 2012 @ 1 PM – 3 PM
Where: East Carbon, Utah @ East Carbon City Hall, P.O. Box 70, 101 West Geneva Drive, East Carbon City, Utah 84520 (Conference Room)

11.  Mobile Office Visit to Sanpete County
When: Thursday 19 July 2012 @ 10 AM – 12 PM
Where: Ephraim, Utah @ Ephraim City Hall, 5 South Main Street, Ephraim, Utah 84627 (Council Room)

12.  Mobile Office Visit to Sanpete County
When: Thursday 19 July 2012 @ 1 PM – 3 PM
Where:  Spring City @ Spring City Hall, P.O. Box 189, 150 East Center Street, Spring City, Utah 84662 (Council Room)

13.  Mobile Office Visit to Duchesne County
When: Tuesday 31 July  2012 @ 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Where: Tabiona, Utah @ Tabiona Town Hall, P.O. Box 449, 38048 West 3800 North, Tabiona, Utah 84072  (Conference Room)

14.  Mobile Office Visit to Duchesne County
When:  Tuesday 31 July 2012 @ 1 PM - 3 PM
Where: Roosevelt, Utah @ Roosevelt City Hall, 255 South State Street, Roosevelt, Utah 84066 (Council Chambers)

MATS is Inefficient, Costly Regulation

Jun 19, 2012

Utah currently receives approximately 95 percent of its electricity from coal-fired power plants, and plans are in place to build more.  I stand alongside Senator James Inhofe of Oklahoma in opposition to the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) rule (also commonly called the Utility MACT rule) devised by the Environmental Protection Agency.

This unnecessary and expensive regulation will cost the electric power sector approximately $100 billion, more than all other EPA air rules combined.  The National Economic Research Associates found that the MATS rule would kill as many as 215,000 jobs by 2015. Thus far, 169 coal-fuel electric generating units located across 21 states have had to be prematurely retired due to the threats posed by MATS and other EPA regulations.  Over 27,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity will be retired within the next three years, raising concerns about electric reliability at the local level. 

EPA figures show that more than 99.99 percent of quantified health benefits attributed to the MATS rule are due to reductions in fine particles, not reductions in mercury emissions. The EPA already regulates fine particles under other parts of the Clean Air Act.  Additionally, coal-fueled power plants have already reduced mercury emissions by 60 percent without the MATS rule.

Excessive regulation of the power sector forces coal plants to shut down prematurely which will significantly raise energy prices for Americans. MATS and other EPA regulations increase operation costs for plants, drive up prices for consumers, and kill thousands of jobs. That’s why we need regulation reform, such as the REINS Act, to ensure that all major regulations that significantly affect our economy go through the proper legislative channels before they are made official policy. 

Until then, I firmly support S. J. Res. 37, and stand with a growing bipartisan group of Senators, private sector unions, and business interests who believe we can do better than imposing these kinds of regulations on the American people.


Regulating the Regulators

Jun 19, 2012

We can have sensible regulations that keep our air and our water and other aspects of our environment clean. We need those things; we want those things as Americans. We can also have a balanced approach that considers the economic cost of new rules and restrictions on small businesses and on consumers. That's what we need.

The EPA's Utility MACT Rule -- Day Lee Briefing 6/19/2012

Jun 19, 2012

Today’s Agenda

Today, Senator Lee will meet with representatives of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization and the Treatment Communities of America. He will also attend a breakfast hosted by the Association of American Railroads.

 

From the Senator’s Desk

 

On Twitter

Around the Water Cooler

Senators request live TV for health care ruling

Leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee are asking the Supreme Court to allow live television coverage when it delivers its ruling on President Barack Obama's health care overhaul.

 

GOP lawmakers allege cozy ties between Obama officials and solar company

Republicans are expanding attacks on federal green-energy programs with allegations that officials at the Department of Energy (DOE) were too cozy with Prologis Inc., a company that received a $1.4 billion loan guarantee to help support a major nationwide rooftop solar project.

 

Looking Ahead

Tomorrow, Senator Lee will meet with representatives of Warner Music Group, Transfuels, the Utah Rural Electric Association, Universal Music, AARP’s Utah state offices, and Regent BlueCross & BlueShield. He will also host a Jell-O bar for office visitors at 3:30 EDT (1:30 MDT).

 

Utahn Competes in Annual National HIstory Fair: Produces Website About Creator of Video Games

Jun 18, 2012

Last week I had the pleasure of meeting Grant Amann from Sandy, Utah. He was in DC to compete in the National History Fair. Every year students from across the U.S. create a project that is fitted to a yearly theme. This year's theme was "Revolution, Reaction, and Reform in History." Grant competed in teh Website category, and created a website that was centered around the creator of the video game: Ralph Baer.

The Fight to End Energy Subsidies -- Day Lee Briefing 6/18/2012

Jun 18, 2012

Today’s Agenda

Today, Senator Lee is meeting with constituents. He will also vote on the nomination of Mary Lewis Geiger for US District Judge for South Carolina.

 

From the Senator’s Desk

 

On Twitter

Around the Water Cooler

 Relief from Greek election likely to be fleeting

Greece's election result has eased fears of an imminent financial disaster for Europe, but the region's indebted governments remain under heavy pressure. Spain and Italy are fighting to keep their borrowing costs down and European leaders are struggling to find agreement on how best to fix the shared currency's deeper problems.

 

Looming health care ruling will be among Supreme Court’s most important

Winners and losers are the natural consequence of the American legal system. In the Supreme Court, five majority votes among the nine members are enough to fundamentally change lives and legacies.

 

Looking Ahead

Tomorrow, Senator Lee will meet with representatives of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization and the Treatment Communities of America. He will also attend a breakfast hosted by the Association of American Railroads.

Weekly Wrap-up: Eric Holder -- Day Lee Briefing 06/15/12

Jun 15, 2012

This week, Attorney General Eric Holder was questioned by the Senate Judiciary Committee. The main issue was Holder’s continued appearance to be hiding things from Congress, whether the problem is national security leaks or Operation Fast and Furious, the gun-walking campaign that sent thousands of guns to drug cartels and resulted in the murder of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry. Holder has been uncooperative and has provided different sets of answers at every single stage of the investigation of the operation, and many members of Congress are now calling for his resignation.

Below are just a few of the videos about Holder’s testimony and answers to questioning that were uploaded this week:

 

 

 

And here are two articles about Holder from this week:

Senate Judiciary Committee Puts Holder’s Feet to Fire

Attorney General Eric Holder testified at a hearing in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday afternoon, discussing voter laws, the New York Times' national security leaks, and, of course, Operation Fast and Furious. It was more of the same, as Democrats came to Mr. Holder’s defense while the Republicans tried to pry out direct answers to withering questions.
 

Who had the worst week in Washington? Attorney General Eric Holder.

Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. spent the week in the Washington hot seat — and there’s little evidence that his perch is going to get cooler anytime soon.

Finally, below are some of the week’s best tweets about Holder:

Constitutional Conflicts -- Day Lee Briefing 6/14/2012

Jun 14, 2012

Today’s Agenda

Today, Senator Lee will meet with finalists in the University of Utah clean energy competition, and with representatives of the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation and the National Young Leaders Conference.

 

From the Senator’s Desk

 

On Twitter

Around the Water Cooler

 

Italian borrowing rates jump as debt fears spread

Italy's borrowing costs jumped on Thursday, a symptom of market fears the country may follow Spain in needing foreign financial aid, as Premier Mario Monti prepared to meet France's new president, Francois Hollande, to discuss how to save the 17-nation eurozone.

 

Jobless claims on the rise

The number of Americans filing for first-time unemployment benefits climbed last week, indicating continued trouble for the labor market.

 

Looking Ahead

 

Tomorrow, Senator Lee will speak at the Faith & Freedom Conference at 9:30 PM EDT (7:30 MDT).

Lee Backs Calls for Enforcing “Leahy-Thurmond Rule” on Judges

Jun 14, 2012

WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Mike Lee responded to reports that Senate Republicans would begin enforcing the “Leahy-Thurmond Rule,” an historic practice in presidential years when the Senate stops confirming certain judicial nominees. 

“I am pleased that the Republican caucus has decided to enforce the Leahy-Thurmond rule and cease confirming appeals court nominees until after the presidential election,” said Lee, a member of the Judiciary Committee.  “It is particularly important that we do so now in light of the unconstitutional ‘recess’ appointments President Obama made earlier this year.  The President must be held accountable for his unprecedented and illegitimate assertion that he may unilaterally determine when the Senate is in session.  I join Leader McConnell, Senator Grassley, and others in opposing President Obama’s abuse of power and curtailing additional appellate confirmations between now and the election.”

Senator Lee Recognizes the 237th Anniversary of the U.S. Army

Jun 14, 2012

In 1775, our Founding Fathers established the Continental Army. Over the past 237 years the U.S. Army has become an elite fighting force charged with protecting America and her interests at home and abroad.