Press Releases
Lee Commends Supreme Court Check On President’s Power
Jun 23, 2016
WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) issued the following statement Thursday in response to the Supreme Court’s decision in U.S. v Texas.
“Today the Supreme Court fulfilled its constitutional duty to act as a check on the power of the President,” said Lee. “President Obama may have thought he could use a pen and a phone to steamroll the democratic process, but the Supreme Court has reminded him that there is a proper way to change our laws. This reminder is even more crucial given that Hillary Clinton has promised to end almost all deportations categorically. In the meantime, I will continue to work with my colleagues to achieve real, step-by-step reform of our immigration system.”
Lee, Klobuchar Hold Antitrust Subcommittee Hearing on CREATES Act, Bipartisan Legislation to Address Rising Prescription Drug Prices
Jun 21, 2016
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senators Mike Lee (R-UT) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights, held a subcommittee hearing on bipartisan legislation to address rising prescription drug prices. Last week, Lee, Klobuchar, and Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT), the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, introduced the Creating and Restoring Equal Access to Equivalent Samples (CREATES) Act to deter pharmaceutical companies from blocking cheaper generic alternatives from entering the marketplace.
Sen. Lee Votes For Common Sense Crime Bills
Jun 21, 2016
WASHINGTON Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) supported cloture on two common sense crime bills Monday authored by Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA). Lee also voted against cloture on two gun control measures sponsored by Sens. Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA).
“So many of our past mass shootings could have been prevented by robust enforcement of our existing gun laws,” Lee said. “Chairman Grassley should be commended for putting together a common sense crime bill that aims to increase enforcement while protecting the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans.”
Sen. Cornyn’s bill is a step toward reducing future tragedies,” Lee added. “I look forward to working with him to tighten these protections in the future.”
“Unfortunately I was not able to vote for either of the gun control measures offered by Sens. Murphy and Feinstein,” Lee continued. “Murphy’s amendment requiring universal background checks is far too broad and would sweep far too many otherwise law abiding Americans into its scope. Feinstein’s bill is also problematic since it would deprive far too many Americans of their constitutional rights without offering adequate judicial review.”
“So many of our past mass shootings could have been prevented by robust enforcement of our existing gun laws,” Lee said. “Chairman Grassley should be commended for putting together a common sense crime bill that aims to increase enforcement while protecting the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans.”
Sen. Cornyn’s bill is a step toward reducing future tragedies,” Lee added. “I look forward to working with him to tighten these protections in the future.”
“Unfortunately I was not able to vote for either of the gun control measures offered by Sens. Murphy and Feinstein,” Lee continued. “Murphy’s amendment requiring universal background checks is far too broad and would sweep far too many otherwise law abiding Americans into its scope. Feinstein’s bill is also problematic since it would deprive far too many Americans of their constitutional rights without offering adequate judicial review.”
Sen. Lee Comments on DC Circuit’s Net Neutrality Decision
Jun 14, 2016
“I was disappointed in the DC Circuit Court of Appeals decision to uphold the FCC’s 2015 Open Internet Order, a regulation that has already led to a decline in innovation at the expense of ordinary Americans.
“Judge Williams’ 69-page dissent will not be forgotten though, particularly his conclusion that: ‘the Commission’s unreasoned patchwork … shunts broadband service into the legal track suited to natural monopolies.’ This will only result in a far less free and open Internet, as it ensures government protection of incumbent firms.
Economists Praise Sen. Lee’s Drug Cost Reduction Bill
Jun 14, 2016
The International Center for Law and Economics (ICLE), a think tank dedicated to economically-grounded policymaking, praised Sen. Mike Lee’s (R-UT) new CREATES Act Tuesday. The bill would lower the drug costs of millions of Americans by making it easier for generic drugs to reach the market.
Email Privacy Bill Delayed By Warrantless Search Amendment
Jun 9, 2016
WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) released the following statement Thursday after pulling the ECPA Amendments Act from the Senate Judiciary Committee’s markup agenda:
“Since the original passage of ECPA in 1986, a lot has changed, especially when it comes to how we communicate and how we store our private documents and thoughts. Email and cloud storage have become a standard part of American life, and our privacy laws need to be updated.”
Bipartisan Coalition of Senators File 'Due Process Guarantee Act’ Amendment to NDAA
Jun 7, 2016
WASHINGTON – Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Rand Paul (R-KY), Tom Udall (D-NM), Ted Cruz (R-TX), and Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced the Due Process Guarantee Act Monday as an amendment to the FY 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
Sens. Lee, Klobuchar, Blumenthal Send Letter to DOJ, DOT About Airline Surcharges
Jun 7, 2016
WASHINGTON – Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) sent a letter to Transportation Department Secretary Foxx and Attorney General Loretta Lynch urging them to investigate the potential anti-competitive implications of comments made by Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr.
Lee NDAA Amendment Calls for Study of Selective Service Needs
May 26, 2016
WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) filed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act Thursday that would strike a requirement that women register for the selective service and replace it with a requirement for the Department of Defense to issue a report on the current and future national security needs by July 1, 2017.
Senators Demand DOJ Cease Investigation Into Opponents of President Obama’s Energy Policies
May 26, 2016
WASHINGTON – Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Jeff Sessions (R-AL), David Perdue (R-GA), and David Vitter (R-LA) sent a letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch Thursday demanding that the Department of Justice end its use of law enforcement resources against political opponents of President Obama’s energy agenda.
“These actions provide disturbing confirmation that government officials at all levels are threatening to wield the sword of law enforcement to silence debate on climate change,” the letter reads. “As you well know, initiating criminal prosecution for a private entity’s opinions on climate change is a blatant violation of the First Amendment and an abuse of power that rises to the level of prosecutorial misconduct.”
The letter goes on to demand that Attorney General Lynch confirm that all investigations into any private individual’s views on climate change end within 14 days and promise not to initiate any future such investigations.
“Threatening prosecution of those who dare to challenge the most outlandish scaremongering by climate activists strikes at the very heart of the Free Speech protections on which this nation was founded,” Lee said. “Issuing subpoenas to harass researchers and academics with whom they have communicated, as some state attorneys general offices have done, shows a basic disregard for Americans' Freedom of Association. The public expects us to prevent such abuses, not perpetrate them. It is our responsibility to contain the inevitable chilling effects by calling for an end to any consideration by the Department of Justice of such harassment at once.”
“Freedom of thought and inquiry is at the very heart of liberty,” Cruz said. “Sadly, the Obama administration and its allies in state attorney general offices across the country are threatening to use the power of government to intimidate and ultimately silence companies and researchers who do not agree with the government’s opinions about the allegedly harmful effects of climate change and what should be done about it. This is an abuse of power and a direct assault on the First Amendment. The Obama Justice Department should immediately cease any further consideration of such action and should instead do everything in its power to protect the freedom of thought of all Americans.”
“I have serious concerns any time that the Department of Justice uses its power to repress constitutionally protected speech and open dialogue on any public policy issue," Perdue said. "Given the unprecedented politicization of the Obama Justice Department, the Senate Judiciary Committee’s oversight responsibilities have become more important than ever before. There is no place in our democracy for politically-motivated investigations by the Department of Justice.”
“Unnecessary government intrusion of private citizens’ lives is an unfortunate characteristic of the reign of the Obama Administration,” Vitter said. “It is contemptible for the Justice Department to target and threaten individual American citizens and private or non-profit organizations in pursuit of its far-left environmental agenda.”
“These actions provide disturbing confirmation that government officials at all levels are threatening to wield the sword of law enforcement to silence debate on climate change,” the letter reads. “As you well know, initiating criminal prosecution for a private entity’s opinions on climate change is a blatant violation of the First Amendment and an abuse of power that rises to the level of prosecutorial misconduct.”
The letter goes on to demand that Attorney General Lynch confirm that all investigations into any private individual’s views on climate change end within 14 days and promise not to initiate any future such investigations.
“Threatening prosecution of those who dare to challenge the most outlandish scaremongering by climate activists strikes at the very heart of the Free Speech protections on which this nation was founded,” Lee said. “Issuing subpoenas to harass researchers and academics with whom they have communicated, as some state attorneys general offices have done, shows a basic disregard for Americans' Freedom of Association. The public expects us to prevent such abuses, not perpetrate them. It is our responsibility to contain the inevitable chilling effects by calling for an end to any consideration by the Department of Justice of such harassment at once.”
“Freedom of thought and inquiry is at the very heart of liberty,” Cruz said. “Sadly, the Obama administration and its allies in state attorney general offices across the country are threatening to use the power of government to intimidate and ultimately silence companies and researchers who do not agree with the government’s opinions about the allegedly harmful effects of climate change and what should be done about it. This is an abuse of power and a direct assault on the First Amendment. The Obama Justice Department should immediately cease any further consideration of such action and should instead do everything in its power to protect the freedom of thought of all Americans.”
“I have serious concerns any time that the Department of Justice uses its power to repress constitutionally protected speech and open dialogue on any public policy issue," Perdue said. "Given the unprecedented politicization of the Obama Justice Department, the Senate Judiciary Committee’s oversight responsibilities have become more important than ever before. There is no place in our democracy for politically-motivated investigations by the Department of Justice.”
“Unnecessary government intrusion of private citizens’ lives is an unfortunate characteristic of the reign of the Obama Administration,” Vitter said. “It is contemptible for the Justice Department to target and threaten individual American citizens and private or non-profit organizations in pursuit of its far-left environmental agenda.”
Scientific Debate Shouldn't be Silenced with Threats of Criminal Prosecution
