Senator Lee presses FBI Director Mueller on detention and surveillance of U.S. citizens
May 16, 2012
At a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing this morning, Senator Lee questioned FBI Director Mueller on the potential for indefinite detention of U.S. citizens under the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act. Director Mueller agreed that the government should not be allowed to detain U.S. citizens indefinitely without charge or trial.
Lee offers Amendment to End Export-Import Bank
May 15, 2012
It's time that we wind down the Export-Import Bank, and my amendment, amendment number 2100, would do precisely that. The American people cannot be the world's financial backstop. The government shouldn't be picking winners and losers. Businesses in Utah and across the country are not receiving government help and are shutting their doors after decades serving their communities. We should not through this government be adding insult to injury by using tax money they contributed to prop up companies overseas.
Ending the Import-Export Bank -- Day Lee Briefing 05/15/12
May 15, 2012
Today’s Agenda
Today, Senator Lee will meet with representatives of Kenworth Sales Company and host a Utah tele-press conference at 6:15 PM EST (4:15 MST). He will also hold a blogger briefing to explain the Saving the American Dream budget at 12:00 PM EST (10:00 AM MST), and he will appear on Fox News Channel’s Your World with Neil Cavuto at 4:00 PM EST (2:00 MST).
From the Senator’s Desk
From the Whip
The Senate will convene at 10:00am and following the Leaders remarks will resume the motion to proceed HR 2072, the Ex-Im Bank Reauthorization.
At 11:15am the Senate will begin up to 2 hours of debate on the following amendments:
-Lee amendment #2100 (Ex-Im phase-out)
-Paul amendment #2101 (no financing with countries whom hold debt instruments)
-Corker amendment # 2102 (financing limits)
-Vitter amendment #2103 (fossil fuel projects)
-Toomey amendment #2104 (lending authority)
-Final passage of HR 2072
The Senate will recess from 12:30 – 2:15pm for the weekly party lunches.
As early as 2:15pm, the Senate will conduct up to 6 Roll Call Votes on the amendments listed above and final passage of the Ex-Im bill. 60 votes will be required for all amendments and passage of the bill.On Twitter
SenMikeLee
The differing visions for future of the country will be on display this week when the Senate votes on budget proposals: http://ow.ly/i/CTpD
SenLeeComs
#LeePlan "puts forth a framework for strengthening the core principles that make this country exceptional" http://bit.ly/JddBbG @heritage
SenLeePressSec
VIDEO: Senate Dems Continue to Ignore Legal Requirement to Pass a Federal #Budget http://youtu.be/B4fdpfrRDG0 #3YearsNoBudget (via @Senate_GOPs)
SenLeeResearch
It's been 1111 days since the Senate passed a #budget. Read @SenMikeLee's budget plan here: http://bit.ly/JddBbH #balancedbudget #tcot #tlot
Around the Water Cooler
Boehner: Spending cuts must exceed debt limit hike
House Speaker John Boehner said Tuesday that when Congress raises the nation's borrowing cap he will again insist on spending cuts and budget reforms to offset the increase.
Greece to hold fresh elections as unity talks fail
Against a backdrop of division, despondency and despair, debt-stricken Greeks head back to the polls next month amid fears the new election will do the very thing it is supposed to stop: hasten the country's economic collapse and exit from the eurozone.
Looking Ahead
Tomorrow, Senator Lee will meet with representatives of Newfield, the Utah Association of Certified Public Accountants, Utah Valley University, and the Utah Association of Realtors. He will also attend a prayer breakfast and host a tele-town hall event at 7:45 PM EST (5:45 MST).
Weekly Wrap-up: The President's "To-Stop" List -- Day Lee Briefing 05/11/12
May 11, 2012
This week, President Obama said he had a “to-do” list for Congress. Well, Senate Republicans have a list for the president as well—a “to-stop” list. Stop creating complicated and unnecessary job-killing regulations. Stop trying to raise taxes on job creators and small businesses. Stop blocking the Keystone pipeline. Stop stirring up class warfare that divides Americans.
If the president would stop any of these things, it would bring welcome relief to the country at a time when relief is desperately needed. Instead, he has chosen to point fingers and try to blame Republicans for the failure of his “stimulus” plan, the disaster that is Obamacare, the unsustainability of trillion-dollar deficits, and the fact that he can’t even get a single vote from his own party in support of his budgets.
Those are just a few of the embarrassments that President Obama wants Americans to ignore, but they are increasingly doing the opposite. Young people, especially, have been hit hard by this administration’s policies, and are now paying attention to what the White House is doing wrong:
"Today's slow economic growth is a disaster for those unemployed and underemployed as they look for jobs when so few new jobs are being created. For younger Americans as a group, this is a particularly acute issue." ("One In Three Young U.S. Workers Are Underemployed," Gallup, 5/9/12)
UNIVERSITY STUDY: "In a study to be released Thursday, the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University found that recent graduates are taking awhile to find work. Only 49% of graduates from the classes of 2009 to 2011 had found a full-time job within a year of finishing school…" ("For Most Graduates, Grueling Job Hunt Awaits," The Wall Street Journal, 5/7/12)
ABC NEWS: "A survey released Thursday showed that only 34 percent of 18-to-24-year-olds are 'satisfied' with the Obama presidency. More than half - 51 percent – said they were either 'disappointed,' 'worried' or 'angry,' according to the survey from the Public Religion Research Institute and Georgetown University's Berkeley Center." ("Bad Economy Puts Obama In Tight Spot With Young Voters," ABC News, 4/20/12)
Below are some of this week’s best tweets about the to-stop list:
@Senate_GOPs
President Obama has a list of things he wants Congress to do. Americans just want Obama to stop. http://bit.ly/JhYQW3 #ObamaStopList
@SenJohnThune
I agree w/ Leader McConnell. POTUS' ‘to-do’ list for Congress is breathtaking in its cynicism. http://bit.ly/J85uAK #ObamaStopList
@RWrasse
Don't miss this video of @SenJohnThune reacting to President Obama's "to-do list" http://bit.ly/KLJtoh #ObamaStopList
@RachelKnust
Obama wants Congress to invest in clean energy technology; Americans want Obama to stop blocking solutions to #PainAtThePump. #ObamaStopList
@Katherine750
Instead of dictating a list of cosmetic fixes to Congress, I'd like to see #Obama stop opposing #KXL and its 20,000 jobs. #ObamaStopList
@ashlee_strong
A 'to-do' list from Obama? @SenJohnThune says we need a 'to-stop' list: http://bit.ly/IVQE3j #ObamaStopList
Big Government and Godzilla -- Day Lee Briefing 5/10/2012
May 10, 2012
Big Government is like godzilla.
Big Government is Like Godzilla -- Day Lee Briefing 05/09/12
May 9, 2012
Today’s Agenda
Today, Senator Lee will meet with representatives of the American Hospital Association, the Utah Association of Community Services, the Utah Dental Association, the College of American Pathologists, the Utah Association of Financial Services, and Tesoro. He will also attend a prayer breakfast and host a Jell-O bar for visitors at 3:30 EST (1:30 MST).
From the Senator’s Desk
On Twitter
SenMikeLee
Unprecedented delay and filibuster of judicial nominations simply hasn't occurred: http://youtu.be/c9iCqIBTYx4
SenLeeComs
Peter Berkowitz: Why Colleges Don't Teach the Federalist Papers http://on.wsj.com/ICQ7wY | ...but they should!
SenLeePressSec
Students from Open High School of Utah came by for Jell-O! http://pic.twitter.com/t7A38X5E
SenLeeResearch
Growth and growth expectations both racing downward: http://bit.ly/ICICZE #tcot #tlot #economy #GDP #jobs
Around the Water Cooler
GOP hits Holder on 'Fast and Furious,' pushes ban on Justice lying to Congress
House Republicans on Wednesday presented an amendment to a Department of Justice spending bill that would prevent Justice from using taxpayer funds to lie to Congress.
Looking Ahead
Tomorrow, Senator Lee will meet with representatives of the Utah system of higher education, the Bureau of Land Management, the Open World delegation, the National Taxpayers Union, the American Association of Landscape Architects, and US Oil.
Lee Defends Record on Judicial Nominations
May 9, 2012
Today, Senator Mike Lee blasted the White House for misleading the public on the issue of judicial vacancies and defended Republicans' record on moving forward with President Obama’s nominations.
Limiting Executive Branch Bureaucracy -- Day Lee Briefing 05/07/12
May 7, 2012
Today’s Agenda
Today, Senator Lee flies back to Washington.
From the Senator’s Desk
On Twitter
SenMikeLee
Here is my May schedule for my Mobile Office: http://ow.ly/aHZo7 #utpol
SenLeeComs
Peter Berkowitz: Why Colleges Don't Teach the Federalist Papers http://on.wsj.com/ICQ7wY | ...but they should!
SenLeePressSec
The @utahvalleyuniv Chamber Choir came by for a tour of @SenMikeLee's office. What a great group! #Utah #utpol http://pic.twitter.com/agJxs7X
SenLeeResearch
Growth and growth expectations both racing downward: http://bit.ly/ICICZE #tcot #tlot #economy #GDP #jobs
Around the Water Cooler
US: CIA thwarts new al-Qaida underwear bomb plot
The CIA thwarted an ambitious plot by al-Qaida's affiliate in Yemen to destroy a U.S.-bound airliner using a bomb with a sophisticated new design around the one-year anniversary of the killing of Osama bin Laden, The Associated Press has learned.
State’s junk food ban could take bite out of school fundraisers
Bake sales, the calorie-laden standby cash-strapped classrooms, PTAs and booster clubs rely on, will be outlawed from Massachusetts public schools as of Aug. 1 as part of new no-nonsense nutrition standards, forcing fundraisers back to the blackboard to cook up alternative ways to raise money for kids.
Looking Ahead
Tomorrow, Senator Lee will meet with representatives of the Utah Association of Charter School Advocates, the BYU Nursing Group, the Prudential Spirit of Community Honorees, and the Japanese delegation to the United States. He will also be a guest on KLO Radio at 9:20 AM EST (7:20 MST), answer questions from Springville Junior High School students via streaming video at 3:15 PM EST (1:15 MST), and host a Utah tele-press conference at 6:15 PM EST (4:15 MST).
Lee Introduces Act to Balance Land Designation Authority
May 7, 2012
Senator Mike Lee introduced the Federal Land Designation Requirements Act of 2012, which would limit the federal government’s power to make a variety of land designations, including national parks, national monuments, and national recreation areas. The bill requires the approval of the state legislature before the federal government can make any federal land designation.
