“If Governor Newsom would like to assume foreign affairs authorities constitutionally vested in the federal government, that option, however quixotic, ill-conceived, and downright laughable, is theoretically available to him. As it stands, however, he is likely violating the Constitution, serving as China’s useful pawn while destroying the pocketbooks of millions of hardworking Americans,” wrote the members of Congress.

Background

The Compact Clause of the Constitution gives the federal government authority over foreign affairs, and the Supreme Court has upheld that even state action with a mere "direct impact upon foreign relations"[1]may be unconstitutional. Despite this, California has an extensive history of circumventing Congressional approval and entering into agreements with CCP conduits, including:

California China Climate Institute
Founded in 2019 by Governor Jerry Brown and the CCP’s longtime global climate envoy, Xie Zhenhua, the goal was to shape U.S. and subnational climate policy and advance the goals of the Paris Agreement. The California China Climate Institute was codified into law by Governor Newsom.

China-U.S. ZEV Policy Lab
Agreed upon by the University of California-Davis and the China Automotive Technology and Research Center, the China-U.S. ZEV Policy Lab committed both sides to speed the commercialization of electric cars.

Read the full letter here.

###

“Victims of sexual crimes often have to face their abusers in court over and over again, and even hear from these monsters outside of the courtroom. They fear for their safety, and they deserve better protection,” said Senator Mike Lee. “Kayleigh Kozak bravely faced her abusive soccer coach multiple times in court after he assaulted her in the sixth grade. Survivors like Kayleigh have suffered vile abuse and should never be dissuaded from coming forward by fear of retaliation or further contact from their attacker. I’m proud to sponsor Kayleigh’s Law to require courts to issue permanent no-contact orders on convicted defendants at victims’ request.”

“The harm caused by sexual assault is not temporary. It is lifelong,” said Kayleigh Kozak. “The protections for those who have been sexually violated should be lifelong, too.”

Kayleigh’s Law is endorsed by public safety authority Right On Crime:

“Kayleigh’s Law reflects a simple truth: justice should not come with an expiration date for victims. When the system allows dangerous offenders back into a victim’s life, it fails its most basic responsibility. Courts should have the authority to stand with survivors for the long term, and Kayleigh’s Law makes that possible.” – Brett Tolman, Executive Director, Right On Crime

Kayleigh’s Law

• Applies to defendants convicted of a crime of violence or a felony offense that includes as an element a sexual act or sexual conduct.
• Requires the court—on motion of the Government (with the consent of a victim) or a victim—to issue a permanent order during sentencing to prohibit the convicted defendant from contacting a victim directly or indirectly, through written, oral, electronic, digital, or physical means.

“The Pentagon is handing companies billions – and now potentially trillions – of taxpayer dollars,” wrote the senators. “Congress and the Administration must work together to ensure they fulfill their contractual obligations and enhance national security.”

For decades, defense contractors have consistently fallen short in delivering weapons programs to DoW on time and on budget. In January, President Trump issued an executive order to address this problem, restricting executive pay packages and limiting stock buybacks and dividend payments for defense contractors that don’t meet DoW’s performance needs and fail to invest in expanding their production capacity. 

A new review of the top 20 defense industry’s latest earnings calls and financial reports, conducted by the offices of Senators Lee and Warren, reveals that the DoW’s signal for accountability is already generating a positive response — and underscores the need for legislation to make the progress permanent. 

In the six months since President Trump issued his executive order, each of the four largest defense contractors that engaged in stock buybacks and dividend payouts in the first quarter of 2025 cut them dramatically in the first quarter of 2026. Combined, these four companies — Lockheed Martin, RTX, Northrop Grumman, and General Dynamics — spent $4.2 billion on buybacks and dividends in Q1 2025; during the same quarter this year, they spent only $2.7 billion, a roughly 36 percent drop.

These defense contractors continued to report a strong financial outlook for their shareholders, making clear that this reduction in buybacks did not pose any harm to the companies’ underlying business fundamentals.

Despite the executive order — and the success it had in restricting buybacks by the big four contractors — other contractors continued to hand out larger stock buybacks and dividends to shareholders while the companies’ capital expenditures declined. For example, GE Aerospace spent $2.3 billion on stock buybacks in Q1 2026, a 21% increase from the $1.9 billion it spent on stock buybacks in Q1 2025. 

“These contractors who did not respond to the President’s executive order reveal the need for legislation that emboldens the Department to enforce accountability,” wrote the senators. 

“The latest round of financial reports from defense contractors shows that despite their concerns, defense contractors can afford to prioritize the warfighter and increase investments to improve outcomes and address schedule delays and cost overruns plaguing the Pentagon’s weapons systems,” wrote the senators.

“Given the findings of our review, we urge your support for codifying the President’s executive order into law and ensuring that the order has lasting results,” concluded the senators.

Read exclusive coverage by Fox News here.

Read the full text of the letter here.

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“Congress is entrusted with the authority to ‘ordain and establish’ inferior federal courts,” said Senator Mike Lee. “For too long, we have failed to modernize our western circuit courts, despite the Ninth Circuit’s comparatively immense size – both in terms of geography and population. Congress needs to prioritize the efficiency of the federal judiciary to ensure a more balanced, predictable, and effective appellate system. I hope that this new proposal can serve as the basis for future bipartisan discussions.”

“The Ninth Circuit’s disproportionate caseload and vast geographic reach have contributed to an overburdened and inefficient judiciary,” said Senator Mike Crapo. “Reorganizing the circuit would help reduce these pressures, improve the timely administration of justice and better align Idaho with a court that reflects the needs of our state and region.”

“Our judicial system was designed to be deliberative but not completely obstructive,” said Senator Steve Daines. “The 9th Circuit Court faces a significant backlog that hinders the administration of justice throughout the West. Montanans deserve better. I’m proud to work with Senator Lee on this bill to better organize the western circuit courts and ensure timely justice for all.”

“Idahoans have endured a Ninth Circuit dominated by California’s values for far too long,” said Senator Jim Risch. “The Circuit Court of Appeals Reorganization Act would restructure the Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth Circuits to create a more efficient judicial system that better reflects Idaho’s values and interests.”

"The immense size of the Ninth Circuit has created unnecessary delays, inconsistent decisions, and a court that is increasingly disconnected from the communities it serves,” said Senator Tim Sheehy. “Montanans deserve a responsive and predictable federal appellate court that can better address the unique challenges facing the West. This commonsense legislation reforms our federal judiciary by creating circuits that are more manageable and better able to deliver timely, consistent justice – ensuring every American has access to a fair and effective appellate process."

Background

The Ninth Circuit is the largest federal appellate circuit in the U.S. by both population and geographic area. Created during the era of Westward Expansion, the Ninth Circuit has experienced significant population growth in recent decades. The Ninth Circuit comprises 29 judgeships, nearly 20% of the U.S. population, and 40% of the U.S. landmass. Comparatively, the Eighth and Tenth Circuits have only 11 and 12 judgeships, respectively, and cover approximately 5.5-6.5% of the U.S. population. 

The Ninth Circuit’s unique en banc structure has also created inconsistency in its decision-making processes. Currently, when a panel decision is appealed to the full Ninth Circuit, only 11 of the 29 judges speak for the entire court, which causes potentially inconsistent and contradictory case outcomes. Litigants and their lawyers are thus faced with a justice system that is unwieldy and unpredictable.

What the Bill Achieves

The Circuit Court of Appeals Reorganization Act will right-size the western circuits by moving Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, and Alaska to the Eighth Circuit, and Nevada and Arizona to the Tenth Circuit. The dispersion of states from the Ninth Circuit into other surrounding federal circuits will more accurately depict modern-day regional interests, population growth, and geography – securing a more just legal system for all Americans.

Read the full bill text here.

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 “We honor and mourn the courageous firefighters who gave their lives to protect the people we love and the frontier we call home,” said Senator Mike Lee. “These brave Americans from across the country dropped into the eye of the storm via helicopter to fight the wildfires ripping through Utah’s eastern border. Their sacrifice will always be remembered in the lands they protected. Utah’s prayers are with the families grieving these heroes.”

“Behind every wildfire are brave men and women who embody the very best of public service: courage, selflessness, and an unwavering commitment to protecting our communities, often at great personal risk,” said Senator John Curtis. “Since this resolution was introduced, it was confirmed that Utah has lost two more heroic individuals in a helicopter crash while fighting the Widemouth 2 Fire. My heart is with the families, friends, and fellow firefighters mourning the devastating loss of these brave Americans.”

“Our hearts are with the families, loved ones, and fellow firefighters grieving the loss of the five wildland firefighters who gave their lives protecting others,” said Senator Michael Bennet. “Today’s resolution honors the courage, sacrifice, and service of those who risk their lives to keep their fellow Americans safe during wildfires.”

“The bravery and heroism of these firefighters deserve our deepest gratitude,” said Senator John Hickenlooper. “Our hearts are with the families and friends of these heroic men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice protecting lives, homes, and the landscapes we all cherish.”

Read the full resolution text here.

“Child traffickers have smuggled abused children across our border thanks to the Biden administration’s policies that made it easier for them to cross by claiming to have a child,” said Senator Mike Lee. “On top of that, many of these kids were released into their kidnapper’s arms. This is not merciful; it’s a Democrat-concocted system that favored traffickers. All the while, these coyotes were claiming to seek asylum, passing multiple safe countries on their way here without stopping. The Stopping Border Surges Act will disincentivize asylum fraud and give President Trump’s border team the tools they need to protect exploited kids.”

“Loopholes in our immigration laws have encouraged illegal crossing, fueled asylum fraud, and put vulnerable children at risk,” said Senator Jim Banks. “The Stopping Border Surges Act closes those loopholes, strengthens enforcement, and restores integrity to our immigration system.”

“Illegal border crossings not only endanger Americans; they also incentivize the abuse and trafficking of migrant women and children,” said Senator Katie Britt. “Now is the time to pass the Stopping Border Surges Act to permanently close these loopholes that embolden criminals and bad actors. I will always fight to keep American families and communities safe.” 

“Joe Biden’s reckless open border policies allowed illegal aliens to exploit our immigration system,” said Senator Tom Cotton. “Our bill would close loopholes that incentivize illegal border crossings, endanger children and families, and undermine our asylum system.”

“America saw what open borders and mass amnesty looked like for four miserable years,” said Senator Rick Scott. “Democrat policies failed Laken Riley, Sheridan Gorman, Jocelyn Nungaray, and countless other Americans. We can never let a future president do that to us again – or worse. We know what the radical left socialists want: look at Spain and across Europe and look at what happened to our border under Biden. For the sake of our country, Congress must codify President Trump’s border agenda and close every possible loophole in America’s immigration system before it’s too late. We cannot go back.”

“Thankfully, President Trump has locked down our borders after Joe Biden let millions of illegals invade our country,” said Senator Tommy Tuberville. “But unfortunately, we still have loopholes that are incentivizing illegals to make the dangerous journey to come here. Proud to join Sen. Mike Lee in introducing legislation to make sure we are not actively encouraging illegal immigration.”

Background

Senator Lee’s bill would eliminate the expansion of the Flores Settlement Agreement by allowing alien children accompanied by parents to be held with that parent for the duration of the parent’s adjudication. This would end the incentive for non-parents to claim an unknown child as their own. It also removes any incentive for parents to bring children with them on the hazardous journey to the U.S. Border. Unfortunately, non-parents are increasingly using children as a get-out-of-jail-free card at the child’s expense. These children are often “recycled” by smugglers and forced to cross multiple times to ensure admission for more adults.

The United States currently returns unaccompanied children from Mexico and Canada quickly and safely. Children from other countries, however, are placed in a lengthy removal process. They are released into the United States with the same adults that smuggled them into the country. Consequently, the policy incentivizes the enlistment of couriers to smuggle children across the border. Senator Lee’s legislation ends this incentive by extending the same seamless process available to children from Mexico and Canada.

“Congress holds the constitutional authority to set the times, places, and manner of federal elections,” said Senator Mike Lee. “States counting late ballots are inviting fraud and sowing doubt in their own election results. Our bill will clarify protocol and restore trust by counting only ballots received before the polls close on election day.”

"Election Day should mean Election Day," said Senator James Lankford. "Americans should not have to wait days or weeks while states like California keep counting ballots. The SAVE Act, this bill, and every other effort to secure our elections are about the same thing: making sure the American people can trust the results. If your ballot is going to count, it needs to be in the hands of election officials by the time the polls close."

Background

In Watson v. Republican National Committee, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted up to five days later and held that federal election-day statutes do not set a deadline for ballot receipt. The Ballots by Election Day Act legislatively closes this gap by setting a uniform federal deadline that requires ballots to be in the hands of election officials by the time polls close to be counted as valid.

The Ballots by Election Day Act:

• Amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require that absentee and mail-in ballots in federal elections be received by the appropriate election official no later than the time polls close on Election Day.
• Prohibits states from counting absentee or mail-in ballots received after polls close on Election Day.
• Preserves existing protections for absent uniformed services voters and overseas voters under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA).
• Applies to federal elections held in 2027 and every year thereafter.

Read the full bill text here.

Read exclusive coverage by Fox News here.

###

“Established law provides America’s adopted kids with naturalization, but a loophole has excluded those who were over 18 when this policy was passed decades ago. This bill will fix this oversight to bring these adopted Americans into accordance with the law and close the loopholes afflicting established families,” said Senator Mike Lee. 

“Adoption is a wonderful thing. It gives children a loving family, opportunity, and hope for a better life. It often saves unborn lives. If you are adopted by American parents, grow up American, and love America, you are American. However, the law is not currently written to reflect that reality,” said Senator Rick Scott. “Adopted children of American parents should also be Americans, and there should be no legal hurdles to getting there. I’m proud to join Senator Lee in his effort to correct this issue.”

The legislation is endorsed by eighteen organizations and individuals: Adoptee Advisory Committee, Adoptees for Children, Adoptees Supporting Adoptee Citizenship, Adoptive Parents for Citizenship, Advisory Committee for Intercounty Adoption, American Academy of Adoptions Attorneys (AAAA), Barker Foundation, Care for Children International, China Children Adoption International (CCAI), Dr. Ron Federici, Holt International, Hope Leads Home, Diane Kunz, Lifeline Children’s Services, National Center for Adoption Law & Policy, National Council for Adoption (NCFA), Pono Roots, and Mission to Promote Adoption in Korea (MPAK).

"Holt International applauds Senator Lee for his leadership and determination to move adoptee citizenship legislation forward. His commitment to finding a path that can make meaningful progress in Congress is an important step for thousands of intercountry adoptees who have lived for years without the security and recognition of U.S. citizenship.” — Mark Loux, Interim President & CEO, Holt International

"This legislation would correct a longstanding inequity. It reflects the fundamental principle that children legally adopted by American citizens should enjoy the same security and legal status as other members of their families. Providing citizenship to these adoptees promotes family stability, recognizes the commitments made by adoptive families, and remedies an unintended consequence of earlier legislation and regulations. It is both a matter of fairness and an affirmation of America's longstanding support for permanent family placement for children in need. We are grateful that you have introduced this legislation and look forward to working toward its prompt enactment." – Janna Annest, President, and Genie Miller Gillespie, Adoption Policy Director, American Academy of Adoption & Assisted Reproduction Attorneys (AAAA)

"I'm grateful for Senator Lee's leadership in introducing this important legislation. For decades, international adoptees have played an invaluable part in the flourishing of our communities. Thousands of American parents have welcomed them into their families, and provided safe, loving and permanent homes for the world's most vulnerable children. This bill provides a legal remedy for the sons and daughters of U.S. citizens who were left in the gap of legal uncertainty." – Herbert M. Newell IV, President & Executive Director, Lifeline Children’s Services

Background

Congress granted naturalization to international adoptees of U.S. citizen parents through the Child Citizenship Act of 2000, but thousands of legally adopted children were left out due to an arbitrary age cutoff. This technicality has resulted in continuous legal issues for a group whose only disqualifying characteristic was their date of birth. Senator Lee’s bill corrects this loophole for America’s adoptive families by providing naturalization to those adopted by U.S. citizens decades ago.

The bill grants automatic citizenship to individuals who were legally adopted by U.S. parents but were over 18 when the Child Citizenship Act of 2000 took effect. Specifically, the bill instructs the Secretary of Homeland Security to issue a certificate of citizenship if adoptees establish through an application that their adoption was lawfully completed, that they resided in the legal physical custody of their U.S. citizen adoptive parents, that they have not committed serious criminal offenses, and that they meet other standard criteria under the INA.

Read the full bill text here.

Read the full letter of endorsement from AAAA here.

### 

“Why is the federal bureaucracy in the child mutilation business?” said Senator Mike Lee. “Americans don’t want to pay millions for these disturbing studies where hundreds of kids are experimented on with puberty-blocking drugs. President Trump rightly halted this attack on America’s kids. Our bill will codify his agenda to keep federal dollars out of gender transition research involving minors.”

“The Protecting Our Kids from Harmful Research Act takes the long-overdue step of prohibiting federal dollars from supporting procedures that involve dangerous, life-altering, and irreversible gender transition research on minors,” said Senator Ted Cruz. “I am proud to join Senator Lee in this effort, and I urge my colleagues to pass this commonsense legislation.”

“It’s critical that taxpayer dollars are never used to experiment on our children,” said Senator Steve Daines. “Gender-transition procedures are irreversible, potentially life-threatening, and a form of child abuse. I’m proud to co-sponsor this bill with Senator Lee to keep our children safe from harm.”

"God creates every child male or female in His perfect image,” said Senator James Lankford. “For too long, taxpayers have been forced to fund sex-rejecting studies on kids. The result has been irreversible physical harm, mental health crises, and families torn apart. President Trump has led the effort to shut down these grants across the federal government, and Congress needs to make it permanent. This bill ensures that not one more taxpayer dollar funds research designed to harm children."

“Taxpayers should not be spending a penny on research done by those who want to push harmful gender transition surgeries and radical gender ideology on our kids,” said Senator Marsha Blackburn. “The Protecting Our Kids from Harmful Research Act would prohibit the use of federal funds for any research or study on gender transition surgeries for minors.”

“For years, our tax dollars have funded research that experiments on children using treatments proven to cause irreversible harm. That ends today,” said Senator Cynthia Lummis. “Washington has no business bankrolling the radical left’s agenda and calling it medicine, especially when it's our kids on the receiving end. Children deserve to be protected from ideology, not used as subjects for it, and this bill will ensure that the federal government doesn’t fund such experimentation."

“Thousands of America’s children have fallen prey to the Radical Left’s woke gender ideology,” said Senator Tommy Tuberville. “American families have been lied to for far too long as we know these surgeries cause irreversible harm. Subjecting healthy, developing children to damaging and harmful procedures without a grave medical purpose is BEYOND SICKENING. Taxpayers shouldn’t be forced to pay for these extreme and reckless practices, or any of the left-wing propaganda promoting them. This vile attack on our children ends now with President Trump and his team. I’m proud to join Senator Lee in this crucial bill to stop the abuse of America’s children and enforce the President’s pro-family agenda.”

"Students for Life Action will always stand for children, born and preborn, protecting them from the harmful abortion industry and their new moneymaker, sterilizing drugs and surgeries. The abortion industry doesn't care what happens to children, as long as they never hold a child of their own. The Protecting Our Kids from Harmful Research Act would protect children from this growing industry that is anti-child and anti-life. Students for Life Action stands with Senator Lee and the Protecting Our Kids from Harmful Research Act." –  Kristan Hawkins, President, Students for Life of America and Students for Life Action

“The $4.5 billion Transgender Industrial Complex relies on pseudo-science to justify the sexual mutilation of children. Americans should never foot the bill for 'research' that permanently destroys kids' healthy bodies. The Protecting Our Kids from Harmful Research Act provides commonsense protections to the family and to taxpayers. American Principles Project is proud to work with Sen. Lee on its passage.” – Terry Schilling, President, American Principles Project

The Protecting Our Kids from Harmful Research Act:

• Prohibits the use of federal funds for any research, observational study, or publication, relating to gender transitions in individuals under the age of 18, which is conducted for the purpose of affirming a minor’s asserted identity or perception of his or her sex, if such is incongruent with the minor’s biological sex.

“Outdated Congressional authorizations for military action should not sit on the books forever as a blank check; it is important to repeal the ones that have run their course,” said Senator Mike Lee. “Our bipartisan bill will clean the slate by repealing a Cold War-era AUMF in the Middle East that is no longer necessary.”

“When I was Governor of Virginia, I saw firsthand the human toll and costs of war on Americans, particularly our military families. That’s why I’ve fought to restore Congress’ role in decisions of war and peace since I came into the Senate,” said Senator Tim Kaine. “The 1957 AUMF, which has never been invoked, serves no purpose and runs the risk of potential misuse. We must repeal this outdated and unnecessary law and reaffirm our most solemn constitutional responsibility of whether to send our nation’s sons and daughters into war.”

"It is long past due for Congress to reclaim its constitutional duty regarding declarations of war,” said Senator Rand Paul. “This obsolete authorization for the use of military force dates back to 1957 and should be repealed to ensure deliberation and a vote before the men and women of the armed forces are placed in harm’s way.”

“Congress must repeal this decades-old authorization to prevent its misuse and reduce the risk of another costly and unnecessary forever war,” said Senator Jeff Merkley. “It is essential to restore Congressional power on questions of war as our Founders envisioned.”

Background

Bipartisan legislation to repeal the 1957 authorization has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressmen Tom Barrett (R-MI-07) and Jared Golden (D-ME-02). In 2021, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 366-46 to repeal the 1957 AUMF.

Full text of the Senate legislation is available here.

###

The resolution reads as follows:

This week, Utahns will celebrate Pioneer Day, which commemorates the arrival of the first company of Latter-day Saint pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847.

For many outside of Utah, Pioneer Day may seem like a uniquely local observance. But the values it commemorates are profoundly American and can resonate with all of us. We recognize not only a historic journey, but the enduring pioneer spirit that helped shape the American West—and continues to shape our country today.

The early members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sought to actualize our first freedom, and something every American should cherish: religious liberty.

Instead, they were driven from their homes, stripped of their property, and forced to flee into an uncertain wilderness.

Thousands traveled more than 1,300 miles across plains, deserts, and mountains. My recent walk across the state spanned only 250miles, and our pioneers did not have the luxury of spare shoes and an RV to sleep in at night.

Parents buried children. Children buried parents. Spouses buried their soulmates.

Yet, they sang “All is well”—from a hymn still a favorite in our church buildings today—for they had a vision of a land “Far away in the West, Where none shall come to hurt or make afraid; [where] the Saints will be blessed.”

When they finally reached that place, the Salt Lake Valley, they didn't dwell on what they had lost.

They focused on what they could build.

Within days, they were planting crops, digging irrigation canals, laying out streets, and creating communities where none had existed before.

Over the decades that followed, they established hundreds of settlements across the Mountain West, built roads and bridges, and helped countless other emigrants traveling west.

That is the pioneer spirit. That is the American spirit.

It is resilience in the face of hardship.

It is self-reliance married with cooperation.

It is choosing to build instead of surrender.

As our nation celebrates its 250th anniversary, I believe those values are as relevant today as they were nearly 180 years ago.

Every generation faces its own frontier. Ours may not be crossing the plains, but we are still called to solve difficult problems, contribute meaningfully to our communities, and leave a better nation for those who inherit it.

Americans still want to build something meaningful.

They still want to provide for their families.

They still want their children to inherit greater opportunities than they themselves received.

Those aspirations haven't changed.

What has changed is that sometimes we forget the virtues and sacrifices required to achieve them. May we all, this Pioneer Day, recommit ourselves to remembering that heritage, and channeling that spirit in our own hearts. 

Because the American story has never belonged to just one generation. It is written by each generation willing to work, sacrifice, and build for the next.

That is why the resolution I’m introducing with my colleagues today is about more than honoring the past. It is about carrying forward the virtues that made those pioneers successful: faith, sacrifice, community, industry, and perseverance. 

May we honor their legacy by living those same values and continuing to move our nation forward—one faithful step at a time.

Read the full resolution text here.

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“Pornography sites need to do more to prevent the rampant child exploitation that is occurring on their platforms. The PROTECT Act is a step in that direction,” said Senator Mike Lee. “This bill will verify the ages and consent of the people appearing in explicit content – stopping abusive material from ever getting uploaded in the first place.”

Background

The online pornography market has quickly become one of the most lucrative industries, but much of the material in circulation is the product of sex trafficking and child exploitation. Though law enforcement diligently investigates and prosecutes individuals who distribute child sexual abuse material (CSAM), pornography platforms regularly fail to verify the age, identity, or consent of depicted individuals. This carelessness allows human traffickers and websites to profit from underage or non-consenting individuals forced or coerced to participate.

Senator Lee advocates for greater accountability in the online pornography market by proposing legislation that requires platforms to vet the content they distribute. Each safeguard imposed by the PROTECT Act creates an additional barrier to the circulation of exploitative material, reducing online sexual exploitation and image-based sexual abuse.

Why This Matters

Existing security measures demonstrate the technological and operational feasibility of implementing safeguards. Federal statutes such as 18 U.S.C. § 2257 prevent minors from appearing in sexually explicit material by mandating age verification and recordkeeping. Additionally, pornography platforms have begun incorporating independent compliance systems to protect the individuals whose content generates their profits. OnlyFans requires uploaders to present government-issued identification and complete facial recognition before distributing their content. Pornhub also requires uploaders to verify the identities of each individual featured in the content and provide corresponding consent documentation.

The PROTECT Act will shield children and victims from the distribution of nonconsensual or exploitative material that has previously circulated without oversight or intervention.

The PROTECT Act:

• Requires pornography platforms to verify the age and identity of individuals uploading pornographic images. Failure to comply with this section would result in a $10,000 per day per image civil penalty and additional criminal penalties.
• Require pornography platforms to verify that each individual appearing in uploaded content is (1) not a minor, (2) has provided written consent for each depicted sex act, and (3) has consented to the distribution of the content. Failure to follow these regulations results in civil penalties for both the uploader and the host platform of up to $10,000 per day per image and additional criminal penalties.
• Require pornography platforms to reasonably engage in the fight against human trafficking by eliminating the ability of traffickers to upload and monetize nonconsensual content involving both children and adults on pornographic platforms.

“Schools are discriminating against religious kids and targeting their families over vaccine exemptions,” said Senator Mike Lee. “Keeping a kindergartner out of class over a vaccine is cruel – and it’s unconstitutional when the reason is their family’s religion. The GRACE Act will keep federal tax dollars out of schools that refuse religious exemptions for vaccines, and will outlaw targeting families to prove their beliefs. These schools need to learn we don’t all worship Fauci.”

“This is a free country and parents have every right to make personal decisions about what vaccines they choose to give their children,” said Senator Tommy Tuberville. “Last time I checked, parents are in charge of a child’s healthcare decisions, not the federal government. Taxpayer funded K-12 schools have no right to turn students away at the door because of their vaccination status – especially if they have a religious exemption. The GRACE Act is an incredibly important bill that protects religious liberty and puts parents back in charge.”

“Freedom of speech and religion is the most sacred right guaranteed under our Constitution,” said Congressman Greg Steube. “No student or their family should ever be coerced into sacrificing their faith or jumping through loopholes to comply with a vaccine requirement. The GRACE Act reaffirms our country’s commitment to protecting religious freedom in the classroom.”

The GRACE Act is supported by families and endorsed by over fifty organizations including Guiding The Impact, Family Research Council, First Liberty, Children’s Health Defense, MAHA Action, Moms for Liberty, Global Wellness Forum, and many others. 

Read the experiences of American families impacted by discriminatory vaccine mandates at a recent hearing and below:

"I am very thankful for Senator Lee's legislation to provide equal opportunities for children and to restore religious liberty. The repeal of the religious exemption has become etched into every part of who I am. No child should ever have to go through the exclusion and isolation that my sister and I did. Without my parents' sacrifices, we would have lost important parts of our childhood. Though I love my new school, I always worry whether I will lose my place in class if religious exemptions are repealed again. I worry about losing my access to learning, friends, teachers, self esteem – everything that took so long to build back. All children in the United States should have equal access to education, regardless of their faith. That is what our founding fathers envisioned so many years ago.” – Isabella, 14-year-old student who was denied her right to an education on her 7th birthday

"We are incredibly thankful for Senator Lee's courage and leadership. Our family continues to sacrifice education, privacy, financial stability, and the peaceful enjoyment of our lives in order to maintain our religious convictions as we raise our children. A truly inclusive society offers every child a seat in the classroom, which many states have safely accomplished. This legislation would bring desperately needed relief to our children and to families who have endured great harm and sacrifice as a result of their commitment to faith.” – Nancy, mother to Isabella and parent impacted by discriminatory vaccine mandates

“Since California eliminated its religious exemption for school immunization requirements in 2015, my daughter has been unable to attend the neighborhood school she would otherwise attend today. We live near the school, so she regularly sees children her age walking through the gates with their backpacks. She looks at me and asks, "Mom, why can't I go to school like the other kids?" There is no easy way to explain to a 7-year-old that she can't attend because California no longer recognizes our family’s sincerely held religious beliefs.” – Karen, parent impacted by discriminatory vaccine mandates

"When New York repealed its religious exemption in 2019, our oldest son was forced out of the high school he loved, our younger children were denied access to daycare and school, and my husband and I spent three years homeschooling while working full-time. Ultimately, we had no choice but to uproot our family and move to Florida – leaving behind our home, careers, friends, extended family, and even our oldest son and grandson – so our younger children could receive an education without requiring us to violate our Christian faith. No American family should ever be driven from their home state simply to exercise a God-given right protected by the First Amendment." – Elyse Young, Founder, Guiding the Impact

Background

Vaccine mandates for children in K-12 schools began in 1855, with all 50 states requiring a variety of student vaccines by 1980. These mandates require children to receive state-selected vaccinations in order to enroll in classes, and sometimes to participate in extracurricular activities.

While students may receive an exemption from one or more vaccines for medical, religious, or personal reasons, religious exemptions are often viewed as less legitimate than medical exemptions and are the most challenging for students to obtain. Requirements to receive an exemption range from providing a note signed by a legal guardian to showing explicit documentation proving religious affiliation. These hurdles for non-medical vaccine exemptions have caused some parents to withdraw their child from school – sometimes neglecting to provide education entirely. Other students in California, Connecticut, Maine, and New York are not allowed any form of religious exemption and must be vaccinated at the expense of their beliefs in order to attend school.

Before removing their religious freedom exemptions in recent years, California and New York reported that approximately 1-3% of their students held religious freedom exemptions, and Maine saw approximately double the national rate for non-medical exemptions. Thousands of American children are now blocked from attending the schools their tax dollars pay for, solely because of their sincerely held religious beliefs. 

The GRACE Act would rectify this injustice by ensuring that the federal government does not financially support school policies that supersede students’ First Amendment right to the free exercise of religion.

The Guaranteeing Religious Accommodation in Childhood Education (GRACE) Act:

• Prohibits federal education funds from any educational institutions and agencies that do not allow religious exemptions to vaccine requirements.
• Prevents institutions from requiring documentation or other information to be submitted by the student or family obtaining a religious exemption.

Read exclusive coverage by Breitbart News here.

“Americans living with diabetes have been kept from life-saving research by nonsensical red tape,” said Senator Mike Lee. “Other countries treat islet transplantation as standard care, but a miscategorization in our law regulates islets as drugs rather than organs. I’m asking HHS to rectify this issue and make critical care available to Americans living with Type 1 diabetes.”

The letter is endorsed and championed by leading global type 1 diabetes research and advocacy organization Breakthrough T1D:

“For decades, other countries have successfully treated eligible people with type 1 diabetes using deceased donor islet transplants. Yet a simple regulatory classification has kept such treatments relatively inaccessible to the U.S. T1D community. It is past time for that to change. Breakthrough T1D thanks Senator Lee for his leadership in calling on HHS to reclassify deceased donor islets as organs for transplantation. This one adjustment can bring life-changing relief to more people living with T1D in the U.S. while catalyzing the research that will ultimately cure us all. We urge Secretary Kennedy to quickly take up this much-needed policy change.” – Breakthrough T1D

The letter reads as follows:

Dear Secretary Kennedy,

Re: Please Act to Reclassify Deceased Donor Islet Cells as Organs to Improve Diabetes Treatment Availability

I write to urge HHS to take administrative action to improve access to deceased donor islet cell transplantation for individuals living with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Scientific progress has brought the 1.6 million Americans living with T1D closer to transformative and potentially curative therapies than ever before, but outdated regulatory classifications continue to limit patient access to this safe and effective treatment option. This must be fixed.

Recognizing the need to expand access to deceased donor islet cell transplantation for individuals living with T1D, I introduced the ISLET Act. This legislation would reclassify unmodified deceased donor islet cells as organs for purposes of transplantation—rather than continuing to regulate them solely as biological products requiring approval through a Biologics License Application (BLA)—so more centers across the United States can offer this therapy option. However, it is also possible for this reclassification to be made under existing HHS authority. Such administrative action, consistent with the policy goals of the ISLET Act, could simplify the transplant process, help align oversight with the biological nature of these cells, and ensure patients are not denied access to a potentially transformative therapy.

Deceased donor islet cell transplantation has been studied for decades, and clinical research shows meaningful benefits for individuals with T1D who experience severe hypoglycemia and hypoglycemia unawareness. Yet, despite FDA approval of a deceased donor islet cell product in 2023, patient access remains extremely limited. This suggests that the current US regulatory pathway is not functioning in a way that supports broad, practical availability of this therapy for the patients most likely to benefit from it. Reclassifying unmodified deceased donor islet cells under the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN), while maintaining FDA oversight for manufactured cell therapies and any deceased donor islet products that undergo further modification, is a sensible and targeted solution.

Importantly, this approach would not require compromising patient safety. Rather, it could be implemented through a carefully designed framework that includes qualified transplant centers, appropriate quality controls, clear distribution protocols, and a pathway for responsible expansion to additional accredited sites. Such an approach would also better align the United States with the regulatory treatment of deceased donor islet cell transplantation in other developed nations and help strengthen American leadership in diabetes innovation and cure-focused research.

I urge HHS to act now, within its existing authority, so eligible patients are not forced to wait for access to a therapy that could significantly improve their lives, and I welcome the opportunity to work with you and your team on a swift path forward.

Read the full text of the letter here.

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“Four years ago now, the bodies of five preborn children were found in D.C., apparently victims of infanticide or illegal partial-birth abortions. Those babies have still not received justice or proper investigations,” said Senator Mike Lee. “Americans cannot tolerate rogue abortion clinics performing gruesome murders and casting helpless victims aside like garbage, especially not in our Nation’s capital. This crime demands attention and prosecution to the fullest extent of the law. I urge the Department of Justice to give this alarming case the full investigation it deserves, and the victims the proper autopsies and burials they are owed.”

“The Biden Administration’s deliberate and callous mishandling of the ‘D.C. Five’ case has been a stain on the Department of Justice for over four years now,” said Congressman Chris Smith. “These five beautiful, innocent babies—who were violently exterminated—deserve justice, accountability, and respect. All those involved and complicit in these children’s barbaric deaths must be held to account, and we are calling upon President Trump’s Department of Justice to ensure that these battered baby victims receive their day in court.”

Background 

In the letter, first obtained by the Daily Wire, the 57 members of Congress explain that the desecrated bodies of these children — one of which bore deep lacerations and injuries consistent with illegal partial-birth abortion procedures — were “recovered by the Metropolitan Police Department in 2022, after they were allegedly aborted in the Washington Surgi-Clinic operated by the late-term abortionist Dr. Cesare Santangelo.”

“For four years, members of Congress have remained alarmed at this clear violation of life and law, but the Biden Administration Department of Justice refused to act,” the Republican lawmakers write.

The letter follows an April 2022 letter led by Senator Lee and Congressman Smith and signed by 67 other members of Congress, which called upon Biden-era Attorney General Merrick Garland to conduct a “comprehensive investigation on the circumstances surrounding the deaths of each preborn baby.” 

The latest letter explains that President Biden’s DOJ “never provided a substantive response or indicated that any investigation had occurred,” and reports indicated that the agency even went as far as to advise “the Chief Medical Examiner to discard the bodies of the infants.”

In the letter, the members of Congress relay the expert findings of neonatal specialist Dr. Robin Pierucci, M.D. — who, upon viewing the publicly shared photographs of the deceased babies, said that she could “‘say with confidence that [four of] these babies died at an age when they were viable, premature people’” — and neonatologist Dr. Kendra Kolb, M.D., who posited that at least one child may have been killed from an illegal partial-birth abortion method, as one 28-30 week-old baby had “‘deep lacerations to the posterior neck, which presumably correlates to the method of abortion used to end her life.’”

The Republican lawmakers further argue that “if this baby girl was alive when the abortionist made these lacerations, then her death directly violated the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003 (18 U.S. Code § 1531), which criminalizes the partial deliverance of a living child for the purpose of performing an overt act that intentionally takes the life of the child.”

Urging a renewed review of these tragic cases, the GOP co-signers note that former Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed in a June 2025 House budget hearing that the DOJ “was conducting an ongoing investigation into this case” and recall that a report signed by President Donald Trump encouraged the agency to “‘provide a briefing to the Committees on all actions previously taken by the Department on this issue within 180 days after the enactment of this act,’” which would fall on July 22, 2026.

“After years of inaction by the Biden Administration, we write to you again to reiterate these concerns and request that DOJ promptly complete a thorough investigation into the death of each child, including autopsies of the infants and the preservation of all collected evidence. Additionally, we request that you ensure these children receive a proper and respectful burial once the investigation is complete and all responsible parties have been brought to justice,” the members of Congress write.

“We cannot undo the grievous, barbaric acts that killed these children in their most vulnerable stage, but we equally cannot allow such lawlessness and inhumanity to evade our justice system any longer. Under President Trump’s and your leadership, we are hopeful that these children will finally receive the justice they deserve,” the GOP lawmakers conclude.

Read exclusive coverage by the Daily Wire here.

Read the full text of the letter here.

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In part, Senator Lee wrote:

Read the full text of the letter here.

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“Our legislation allows American digital privateers to raid cartels, cybercriminals, and foreign adversaries, disrupting their operations and seizing their assets,” said Senator Mike Lee. “This is the ultimate in white hat hacking: stealing from America’s enemies at the direction of the President, and splitting the profits with the federal government.”

"Widespread cybercrime has become an existential threat to our national security," said Congressman Tim Burchett. "Allowing private operators to aid the federal government in combatting these crimes will strengthen our ability to defend the United States against terrorism."

Background

Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 of the Constitution authorizes Congress to “grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal.” Once a commonly used tool against piracy, letters of marque authorized private citizens to seize enemy vessels with their cargoes and crew. In December 2025, Senator Mike Lee introduced a bill authorizing President Trump to allow private citizens and groups to join in defending the United States from cartels on land and sea.

Building on that legislation, the Cyber Letters of Marque and Reprisal Act will allow the President to arm America’s hackers with authority to combat foreign cyberattacks against the United States. The bill authorizes the President to issue cyber letters of marque and reprisal to strategically deter and disrupt cyber operations against the U.S. and Americans, facilitate the return of stolen assets to Americans, and empower the private sector.

The Cyber Letters of Marque and Reprisal Act:

• Authorizes the President or a designee to commission private persons to conduct cyber operations against designated cyberthreats through letters of marque and reprisal. The recipients of such letters are required to post a security bond in agreement with the President, and the recipients shall forfeit the posted bond if they violate the terms of the letter. The President may require up to 15% of the total assets recovered to fund bounty programs, which the President may facilitate for holders of such letters to claim. Holders of such letters are prohibited from knowingly conducting operations against U.S. citizens, required to log all their activities, and are limited to conducting only operations that are necessary to the mission.
• Limits the definition of “designated cyberthreat” to foreign individuals and entities responsible for cyberattacks against United States persons or assets owned or controlled by United States persons.
• Allows the President to issue guidance on qualifications to receive a cyber letter of marque and reprisal, as well as guidance for a holder of a cyber letter of marque and reprisal to operate within traditional domains.
• Ensures that a holder of a cyber letter of marque and reprisal shall be authorized to conduct operations in traditional domains of warfare in addition to the cyber domain if Congress authorizes the use of letters of marque and reprisal for such domains.
• Ensures that no cause of action authorized in a letter of marque and reprisal shall be maintained against a holder of such letter in any court.

Read exclusive coverage from The Daily Caller here.
Read the full bill text here.

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“Today’s proclamation shows that President Trump listens to Utahns and respects the limits Congress placed on the Antiquities Act,” said Chairman Mike Lee. “For too long, presidents have weaponized monument designations to lock up millions of acres, close roads, restrict grazing, and cut rural communities off from lands their families have lived on and worked for generations. I thank the President for correcting this abuse and keeping his promise to the people of Utah.”

The proclamation reduces Bears Ears National Monument to approximately 121,000 acres and Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument to approximately 182,000 acres. The revised boundaries will allow federal agencies to concentrate limited personnel and funding on the cultural, historic, and scientific objects identified within the proclamation. 

Lands outside the modified boundaries remain in federal ownership and continue to be protected under existing federal and state laws. The proclamation will provide greater access for recreation, preserve historic roads and trails, and give ranching families and rural communities greater certainty about the lands on which they depend.

Congress enacted the Antiquities Act in 1906 to allow presidents to protect historic landmarks and other objects of historic or scientific interest. The law requires monument reservations to be confined to “the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects to be protected.”

Previous designations placed approximately 3.2 million acres within the two monuments—more land than all seven of Utah’s other national monuments and all five of its national parks combined and about the combined size of the states of Rhode Island and Connecticut. Those sweeping boundaries strained federal staffing and law-enforcement resources while increasing the burdens placed on rural counties responsible for search-and-rescue operations and other public services.

President Trump’s action returns the monuments to a focused and manageable scale, improves the ability of land managers to protect significant resources, and restores a meaningful voice for the Utah communities closest to these lands. 

“These modified boundaries don’t diminish protection, they focus it,” said Governor Spencer Cox. “The new proclamations focus management efforts to better preserve the cultural and archaeological resources that make this part of Utah so special. Management matters, and we are optimistic about the future preservation of Utah’s historic, cultural, and scientific resources in these areas.”

“President Trump’s executive action restores a more balanced approach to managing Utah’s public lands and shows a willingness by this Administration to listen to the state of Utah,” said Senator John Curtis. “While today’s announcement is an important step in the right direction and a more appropriate interpretation of the Antiquities Act, the responsibility remains with Congress to do what executive orders cannot: bring stakeholders together, work through disagreements, and enact lasting solutions. This approach worked in Emery County, which serves as a strong example to build on.”

"Utahns have long supported protecting our state's extraordinary cultural and natural resources," said Representative Celeste Maloy. "This action honors that goal while following the law Congress passed and giving greater consideration to the people who know these lands best.”

"The Antiquities Act is crystal clear: presidential designations meant to protect objects should be 'confined to the smallest area compatible' with the proper care and management of those objects. That mandate was ignored,” said Representative Burgess Owens. “The mess started with Bill Clinton, who acted from a seat in Arizona with his back turned to Utah. It was compounded by Barack Obama in the waning hours of his presidency. Together, they created monuments larger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined which is an unmistakable violation of the 'smallest area compatible' standard. I am grateful for President Trump's actions today, and for his willingness to listen to the Utah communities who cherish and honor these landscapes. Utah deserves leaders who respect the rule of law. Today, accountability prevailed."

“The people of Utah understand these lands better than any distant bureaucracy ever could,” said Representative Mike Kennedy. “Decisions about how they are managed and protected should rest with the communities who live closest to them. The Antiquities 1``111Act was written to protect specific and important areas, and honoring its intent is the rational way to safeguard these treasures while giving Utahns a real voice in their future.”

“This has, unfortunately, become a back-and-forth issue between administrations,” said Representative Blake Moore. “Today’s announcement takes into consideration years of local concern over restricted access and misuse of the Antiquities Act while still protecting our state’s natural and cultural resources for future generations. If the Antiquities Act is going to be used, it needs to be on the smallest area possible—that’s what we’re doing here.”

“The Antiquities Act was never meant to be a tool for locking up millions of acres with the stroke of a pen. Today’s action takes a major step in the right direction of appropriately sized monuments allowing responsible stewardship that works with our communities, not against them. Utah has fought hard to enforce Antiquities Act limits on monument size, and we will continue fighting to ensure the law is applied faithfully — and that Utahns have lasting certainty about the lands they call home,” said Attorney General Derek Brown. “But our work isn’t finished. The long-term answer isn’t found in which president happens to occupy the White House. The answer lies in honoring the textual limits the Antiquities Act already places on monument sizes. Utah will keep pressing until that’s the reality, not just the ideal.”

“Today is an exciting day for the state of Utah and we applaud President Trump’s thoughtful action to modify the boundaries of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments,” said Utah Speaker Mike Schultz. “These changes will improve management, public access, and recreation opportunities while respecting the traditions, livelihoods, and voices of local communities. By focusing resources where they are needed most, we will ensure these lands are preserved for current and future generations. We continue to push for a long-term solution so these lands are not subject to political back-and-forth. These remarkable places deserve stability, protection, and thoughtful stewardship for decades to come.”

“We don’t have to choose between protecting our heritage and supporting our communities,” said Utah Senate President J. Stuart Adams. “We appreciate the Trump Administration’s recognition that local communities deserve a meaningful voice in the stewardship of the public lands that shape their way of life. Today’s action provides a more focused approach to preserving some of Utah’s most treasured landscapes while ensuring these lands remain accessible to the people who rely on them. Historic roads and trails will remain open, ranching families will have certainty, and Utahns and visitors will continue to enjoy these areas through hiking, hunting, camping, biking and other longstanding recreational opportunities. These changes also give land managers greater flexibility to reduce wildfire risk and combat invasive species. By focusing protections where they matter most, we can preserve these cultural and natural treasures while honoring the traditions and livelihoods that have long been part of this region.”

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“The EPA has overstepped its authority as far as possible to put America’s energy producers in a chokehold,” said Senator Mike Lee. “They’ve exploited any power they can grab to push Biden and Obama’s climate psychosis at the expense of our energy security. They make up and enforce regulations to suffocate America’s energy producers and devastate major sectors of our economy. The End EPA Abuse Act will clarify once and for all that policymaking belongs to Congress, whom the American people have elected – not to the leftwing bureaucracy.”

"The EPA has spent years using the Clean Air Act as a backdoor tool to wage war on fossil fuels and strip Americans of their energy choices,” said Senator Cynthia Lummis. “The End EPA Abuse Act puts Congress back in the driver's seat where we belong. That's why I'm proud to cosponsor this legislation and finally draw a clear line against an agency that has far exceeded the authority Congress ever intended to give it."

“Under the Biden Administration, the EPA increasingly treated the Clean Air Act as a blank check to push de facto electric vehicle mandates, jeopardize reliable energy sources, and impose costly regulations on American consumers and businesses,” said Congressman Andrew Clyde. “Unelected Washington bureaucrats should never have the power to dictate what kind of car Americans drive or how our country produces electricity. The End EPA Abuse Act puts Congress back in the driver's seat where it belongs, preventing any future Democrat Administration from abusing the EPA’s regulatory authority to advance the Left’s radical, anti-American energy agenda.”

The End EPA Abuse Act is endorsed by twenty Attorneys General who penned a letter of support, as well as the following organizations: Heritage Action, American Energy Institute, American Consumer Institute, Competitive Enterprise Institute, Frontiers of Freedom Institute, Eagle Forum, Less Government, the Heartland Institute, Center for a Free Economy, American Energy Alliance, Truth in Energy and Climate, the John Locke Foundation, and the Center for Energy and Conservation at Independent Women’s Voice.

“The End EPA Abuse Act of 2026 is a win for our States and our residents. We are grateful that the Trump administration has moved aggressively to correct many of the Biden-era and Obama-era excesses described above. EPA Administrator Zeldin has been a skilled partner in unwinding unlawful rules, and we applaud those efforts. But statutory guardrails—not administrative forbearance—provide the durable solution our constituents deserve. Thank you for your commitment to keeping the EPA within its statutory authority. The States recognize that EPA has an important role to play. We ask only that Congress ensure that, in playing that role, the EPA does not again usurp ours.” – A.G. John McCuskey and other Attorneys General

“The EPA was never authorized to engineer America’s transportation system, force fuel switching at power plants, or jeopardize grid reliability in pursuit of political objectives. The End EPA Abuse Act restores important guardrails by prohibiting regulations that effectively ban internal combustion engines, mandate unproven technologies, or threaten reliable electricity generation. Americans deserve affordable, dependable energy and the freedom to choose the products that best meet their needs.” – American Energy Institute

"The CAA has been abused to create electric vehicle mandates, force the grid to shift to renewables, and impose impossible technological standards, all of which inflict burdensome costs and hardship onto consumers. This bill will keep the CAA within the bounds set by Congress, preserving consumer choice and protecting our electric grid from unjustified and unrealistic regulations."  – American Consumer Institute

“The EPA is supposed to be focused on environmental protection, not on trying to stretch the Clean Air Act to change the very nature of our economy. Yet this is exactly what has been happening in recent years. Not long ago, people would have been thought of as wacky if they claimed the EPA would try to use the Clean Air Act to kill off gas-powered cars or try and change how the country produces electricity. But this is exactly what the agency has been doing. The End EPA Abuse Act establishes much-needed guardrails on the EPA. The bill is a means by which Congress would be reasserting its power while still allowing the EPA to do its job to protect the environment. The only thing the bill prohibits is the greatest abuses that common sense tells us Congress never authorized in the first place. Sen. Lee and Rep. Clyde should be commended for introducing this critical reform bill.” – Competitive Enterprise Institute

“Senator Mike Lee has once again shown the kind of principled leadership our country desperately needs with the introduction of the End EPA Abuse Act of 2026. This important legislation directly confronts the Environmental Protection Agency’s relentless overreach by protecting American consumers’ right to choose the vehicles they want and can afford, while also safeguarding the reliability of our electric grid. By reining in the EPA’s ability to impose unrealistic, costly, and anti-consumer mandates — particularly those that target internal combustion engines and force fuel-switching at power plants — Senator Lee is standing up for constitutional limits on federal power and defending the economic freedom of hardworking Americans. This bill is a much-needed corrective to years of regulatory abuse and should be supported by anyone who believes government agencies should serve the people, not dictate to them.” – Frontiers of Freedom Institute

Background

Since its enaction in 1970, the EPA has increasingly interpreted the Clean Air Act not merely as a mandate to protect air quality, but as license to impact major sectors of the American economy. By exploiting statutory ambiguities and stretching its regulatory authority beyond Congress's original intent, the agency has abused the Clean Air Act to impose sweeping policies impacting electricity generation, transportation, and industrial production.

For example, the Obama-era EPA used Clean Air Act regulatory authority to attempt to implement the “Clean Power Plan,” which would have forced power plants to switch from coal to other sources of fuel. In 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected this overreach in West Virginia v. EPA, arguing that Congress had not authorized the EPA to assert such broad authority that would have carried massive economic and political consequences. The Court rightly recognized that major policy decisions belong to Congress, not a federal agency.

Despite positive court cases and deregulatory actions by President Trump’s EPA, future administrations will continue using the Clean Air Act as a tool to assert authority for major policy decisions that go well beyond the law. Congress should codify in statute clear guardrails to protect Americans from an EPA that imposes excessive rules that drive up prices, restrict consumer choice, and devastate the agency’s disfavored industries.

The End EPA Abuse Act

The End EPA Abuse Act would prohibit the EPA from issuing Clean Air Act regulations that could be reasonably determined to significantly expand the Agency’s authority beyond the intent of Congress.

This includes any regulation that:

a) Restricts the sale or use of internal combustion engine vehicles;

b) Requires power plants to switch fuel sources;

c) Reduces the reliability of the electric grid, or;

d) Requires the use of technology that is economically or practically infeasible.

The bill also clarifies that “regulations” includes waivers like those issued to California for their EV mandate.

Bill Text | One Pager | Endorsements

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In January 2026, the Senators, along with nine of their colleagues, sent a letter to Secretary Wright urging him to address this issue. In March 2025, they introduced the Guarding American Technology from Exploitation (GATE) Act as a legislative solution. The bill is currently being blocked by Democrats on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

In part, the Senators wrote:

“We write expressing serious concern regarding the Department of Energy’s (DOE) continued practice of permitting foreign nationals from China to access facilities across the National Laboratory complex and work alongside American scientists. Recent DOE data underscores that this practice puts the nation’s research enterprise at risk of foreign intelligence collection and technology transfers that will benefit our adversaries.”

The letter reads as follows:

Dear Secretary Wright:

We write expressing serious concern regarding the Department of Energy’s (DOE) continued practice of permitting foreign nationals from China to access facilities across the National Laboratory complex and work alongside American scientists. Recent DOE data underscores that this practice puts the nation’s research enterprise at risk of foreign intelligence collection and technology transfers that will benefit our adversaries.

According to DOE’s own data, Chinese nationals continue to occupy substantial roles across a variety of access types, including short term visits (approximately 1,900 in FY 2025), long term research assignments (approximately 1,300 in FY 2025), and even formal employment (approximately 2,100 in FY 2025). The Department further reports in FY 2025, on-site user facilities at the National Labs were accessed physically and remotely more than 5,000 times by Chinese nationals. These facts reflect severe vulnerabilities at our nation’s premier and most sensitive scientific environments.

China is our main competitor in research and development and the race for emerging tech, where it seeks to surpass the United States by stealing American intellectual property and technologies. This is widely known and well-documented, and yet for decades we continue to give Chinese national scientists access to our National Laboratories.

These numbers are not small, nor are they incidental. They represent a systemic exposure of our National Labs, including the American scientists who work there and topics they are working on, to an adversary determined to defeat the United States. Given that DOE has not substantially reduced this exposure, we respectfully request answers to the following:

1. How does DOE's risk framework account for China's National Intelligence Law, which legally obligates every Chinese citizen—including those working in our National Laboratories—to cooperate with Chinese intelligence services upon demand, regardless of where they reside?

2. Why does the Department permit Chinese nationals to work inside the National Labs, side by side with American scientists?

3. Are Chinese nationals given access to controlled technologies, export controlled technologies, or any other sensitive research environments within the National Laboratories? If so, how many?

4. What steps is DOE taking to reduce remote access by Chinese nationals, given the Department’s own finding that thousands of users operate remotely with limited oversight?

5. Does DOE intend to reduce or cap Chinese nationals’ participation in unclassified research areas, and if not, why not?

6. What counterintelligence assessments has DOE conducted regarding the concentration of Chinese nationals in specific labs, programs, or user facilities?

The Department’s mission is to advance American scientific leadership, protect national security, and safeguard critical technologies. This mission can’t be achieved when it’s undermined by thousands of Chinese nationals infiltrating the National Labs each year. We look forward to your thoughts on these systemic vulnerabilities affecting our labs.

Read exclusive coverage by the New York Post here.

Read the full text of the letter here.

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