Press Releases
Sen. Lee Introduces Abortion is Not Healthcare Act
Jan 9, 2020
The IRS currently categorizes abortion as “medical care” and allows taxpayers to include abortions as qualifying out-of-pocket medical expenses on their tax returns.
“The government should not offer tax benefits for a procedure that kills hundreds of thousands of unborn children each year, nor should taxpayers be subsidizing such a practice. This undermines the truth that all human beings have dignity and worth, and that the purpose of healthcare is to heal and care for them – not kill them,” said Sen. Lee. “Our bill would end the preferential tax treatment of abortion and clarify that this gruesome practice is not healthcare.”
Sen. Lee Introduces Parental Rights Bills
Jan 8, 2020
WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) recently introduced the Parental Accessibility Rights for Emergency and Negligent Treatment (PARENT) Act and the Parental Right to Know Act, a pair of bills designed to ensure that parents have access to the policies regarding the care and medical records of their children from hospitals and organizations that use taxpayer funding.
“Parents play the most important role in caring for the health of their children,” Sen. Lee said. “It is critical that they have information about the policies of the health organizations to which they bring their children for care, and that they have the ability to access their medical records. These bills would ensure that parents are afforded the right to remain informed and involved in their children’s care.”
Sen. Lee Comments on Iranian Missile Strike
Jan 8, 2020
WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) issued the following statement Wednesday, after Iran launched missiles at Iraqi military bases housing United States troops Tuesday night.
“Thankfully, no Americans were harmed by last night’s missile attackt. Whether further military action is warranted is a question that should be answered by Congress. The U.S. should seek to deescalate these raised tensions and I will continue to push to bring our troops back from the region.”
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.”
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.”
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, 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.