The Bipartisan Case for Ending Regulatory Capture

Mar 4, 2016

It’s not every day that I have the opportunity to speak at an event alongside my colleagues Senator Whitehouse and Senator Warren. On paper, you might think the three of us, two progressive Democrats and one conservative Republican, don’t have much in common.

The Obama Amnesty Loophole

Mar 4, 2016

Speaking from the White House Rose Garden on July 15, 2012, President Obama promised the American people about his new Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, “Now, let’s be clear – this is not amnesty, this is not immunity. This is not a path to citizenship.”

Sen. Lee on Federalizing Water Infrastructure Financing

Mar 4, 2016

“What is happening to the people of Flint, Michigan is a man-made disaster,” Lee said. “Congress has special mechanisms for emergency spending when it is needed, but to date Michigan’s governor has not asked us for any, nor have Michigan’s Senators proposed any. Contrary to media reports, there is no federal ‘aid package’ for Flint even being considered.”

Obama Admin Continues to Circumvent Law for DACA Recipients

Mar 3, 2016

WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Senator Mike Lee of Utah are seeking details on an Obama Administration practice that puts individuals in the country illegally on a pathway to citizenship.

Bringing Freedom Back to the Internet

Feb 26, 2016

A year ago today, five unelected bureaucrats at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) decided to exploit an 80-year-old law meant for regulating radio, telephone, and telegraph operations, in order to begin regulating the Internet.

The Facts on Supreme Court Vacancies

Feb 26, 2016

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was an extraordinary man whose contributions to this country and its people are so prodigious that it will take generations for us to fully comprehend our debt to him. His untimely death is a tragedy, and his legacy a blessing to friends of freedom everywhere.

Sen. Lee Introduces The Only Congress Can Change The Draft Act

Feb 25, 2016

WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Mike Lee (R-UT), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, introduced the Only Congress Can Change The Draft Act, which would ensure that only Congress can change current law controlling whether or not women must sign up for the Selective Service System.
 
“When it comes to whether or not women should be forced to fight in combat, there are honest differences of opinion on the issue,” Lee said.
 
“Some say the right policy now is to end selective service altogether. Some want to add women, but only as a contingency. Some say women might be drafted, but precluded from combat positions. This is an unsettled debate. So it’s a decision that should be made by the American people’s elected representatives – not unelected bureaucrats or judges,” Lee continued.
 
Under current law, only men between the ages of 18 and 25 must register with the Selective Service System. But there is a real danger that either the Obama administration or federal courts could try and change current policy.
 
This bill, cosponsored by Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Ben Sasse (R-NE), and Bill Cassidy (R-LA), would ensure that neither federal courts nor unelected bureaucrats could change current policy and force American women into combat. 

Bringing freedom back to the Internet

Feb 25, 2016

A year ago today, five unelected bureaucrats at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) decided to exploit an 80-year-old law meant for regulating radio, telephone, and telegraph operations, in order to begin regulating the Internet.

Sen. Lee Introduces The Restoring Internet Freedom Act

Feb 25, 2016

WASHINGTON - Today, Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced the Restoring Internet Freedom Act, which would repeal the Federal Communication Commission's net neutrality rules and prevent the agency from promulgating similar rules in the future.
 
“The economic burden of these regulations will fall squarely on the backs of the consumers the FCC purports to help,” Lee said.
 
“The threat of anticompetitive behavior should always be taken seriously. But it makes no sense for a five-person panel of presidential appointees to write a sweeping law aimed at solving a problem that might someday exist. There are more effective, more democratic, and less intrusive ways to address anticompetitive behavior, including existing antitrust and consumer-protection laws,” Lee continued.
 
The legislation is co-sponsored by Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Rand Paul (R-TN), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Ben Sasse (R-NE), and Tom Tillis (R-NC).

Read full text of the bill here:

Restoring Internet Freedom Act

Floor Remarks on the Senate’s “Advice and Consent”

Feb 24, 2016

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was an extraordinary man whose contributions to this country and its people – whom he faithfully served from the bench – are so prodigious that it will take generations for us to fully comprehend our debt to him.