Press Releases

Sen. Lee Statement on Strike Against General Soleimani

Jan 3, 2020

SALT LAKE CITY – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) issued the following statement Friday morning after learning about the killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani: “The death of Qasem Soleimani is a big victory for the safety of the American people. As always, I am anxious to learn about the legal justification for this action, and look forward to being briefed by the Pentagon and the White House.”

Sen. Lee Statement on Impeachment

Dec 19, 2019

“Yesterday was a sad day for our republic. A president of the United States was impeached along partisan lines for purely partisan political reasons.” “President Trump has done nothing wrong. All he did was ask the Ukrainian government to investigate a corrupt Ukrainian energy company. There was nothing wrong with that request. In fact, the Obama administration tried to get Ukraine to investigate the exact same energy company. The only difference is that Trump succeeded where Obama failed. Ukraine is finally investigating Burisma.”

Sen. Lee Congratulates PM Johnson on Election Results

Dec 13, 2019

WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) issued the following statement Friday after Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party secured a new majority in the Parliament of the United Kingdom: “Prime Minister Johnson is due a hearty congratulations after his party’s historic win in yesterday’s parliamentary elections. I am confident he will get Brexit done for the British people. The Senate should prepare to do its part, too, by passing the United Kingdom Trade Continuity Act, a bill designed to promote economic stability and growth as the United Kingdom transitions out of the European Union.”

Let's encourage self-sufficiency by reforming our safety net

Dec 5, 2019

When welfare reform first inserted work requirements into our welfare system in 1996, some on the Left predicted doom for America’s most vulnerable families. New York Democratic Sen. Patrick Moynihan predicted that we would “find children sleeping on grates, picked up in the morning frozen.” New Jersey Democratic Sen. Frank Lautenberg said that we would see “children begging for money, children begging for food, 8- and 9-year-old prostitutes.” And Massachussets Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy called the bill “legislative child abuse.”

Sens. Lee, Cruz, Blackburn, and Scott Introduce Head Start Improvement Act

Dec 5, 2019

WASHINGTON – Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Rick Scott (R-FL) introduced the Head Start Improvement Act of 2019 Thursday, a bill that would improve the Head Start program by eliminating much of the program’s federal bureaucracy and giving the money directly to states through block grants. “Nothing is more important to the future of our society – nor more critical to fulfilling our national commitment to equal opportunity – than the care and upbringing of the next generation,” Sen. Lee said. “Washington should respect the proven ability of communities and states to develop unique solutions for their children. Our Head Start Improvement Act is a step in that direction.”

Sens. Lee, Durbin Introduce Smarter Sentencing Act

Nov 14, 2019

WASHINGTON — Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), and others introduced legislation Wednesday that would modernize federal drug sentencing polices by lowering certain mandatory drug sentences. “Our current federal sentencing laws are out of date and often counterproductive,” said Sen. Lee. “The Smarter Sentencing Act is a commonsense solution that will greatly reduce the financial and, more importantly, the human cost imposed on society by the broken status quo. The SSA will give judges the flexibility and discretion they need to impose stiff sentences on the most serious drug lords and cartel bosses, while enabling nonviolent offenders to return more quickly to their families and communities.”

Sen. Lee Reintroduces National Labor Relations Board Reform Bill

Oct 28, 2019

WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) reintroduced the Protecting American Jobs Act Thursday, a bill that would strip the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) of its power to prosecute and adjudicate labor disputes. The Protecting American Jobs Act would transfer the power to hear labor disputes back to federal courts, in line with the court system established by the Constitution. The NLRB would retain the power to conduct investigations, but would not be allowed to prosecute them.

Bipartisan Letter Urges Leadership to Have Full Senate Consider ARTICLE ONE Act

Oct 18, 2019

WASHINGTON – A bipartisan group of 15 senators sent a letter to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) Thursday, requesting that the “Assuring the Robust, Thorough, and Informed, Congressional Leadership is Exercised Over National Emergencies Act” (ARTICLE ONE Act) be considered by the full Senate as soon as possible. “The ARTICLE ONE Act’s proposition is simple but fundamental: Congress cannot continue to cede its powers to another branch, regardless of who is President or which party holds a majority,” the senators wrote in the letter. “The ARTICLE ONE Act is a small, nonpartisan step toward re-establishing the appropriate checks and balances between the Congress and the Executive that results in a federal government that is truly accountable to the people.” U.S. Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Gary Peters (D-MI), Krysten Sinema (D-AZ), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Tom Udall (D-NM), Rob Portman (R-OH), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Mitt Romney (R-UT), Ben Sasse (R-NE), Johnny Isakson (R-OK), and Tom Carper (D-DE) all signed the letter.

Sen. Lee Reintroduces the Davis-Bacon Repeal Act

Oct 17, 2019

WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) re-introduced the Davis-Bacon Repeal Act Thursday, a bill designed to repeal the wage subsidy law requiring all federally-funded projects worth more than $2,000 to pay workers the “prevailing wage” rate on non-federal projects in the same locality. “The Davis Bacon Act exemplifies how big government hurts the people it purports to help, gives unfair advantages to favored special interests, and squeezes the middle class,” Sen. Lee said. “The Davis-Bacon Repeal Act would remove these government-imposed obstacles to economic opportunity facing low-skilled workers, and return wasted taxpayer dollars back into the hands of the American people.”

Sens. Lee, Romney Welcome Advancement of Utah Judicial Nominee

Oct 17, 2019

WASHINGTON— U.S. Senators Mitt Romney (R-UT) and Mike Lee (R-UT) today released the following statement after David B. Barlow of South Jordan, nominee to serve as United States District Judge for the District of Utah, was successfully reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. His nomination now heads to the full Senate. In July, Romney and Lee introduced Barlow at his nomination hearing before the Judiciary Committee. “We have full confidence that David will serve Utah and the country with honor and integrity, faithfully applying the law and our Constitution to all matters and parties that come before him. We urge our colleagues to enthusiastically support his confirmation when he comes before the Senate for a vote.”