Lee Adds Major General (Ret) Condon as Senior Policy Advisor
Jan 17, 2012
Senator Mike Lee announced the addition of Air Force Major General (Retired) Pat Condon as a senior advisor on military issues. General Condon served on active duty in the Air Force for 33 years, commanding at different times the Air Force Armament Laboratory at Eglin AFB, FL, the Arnold Engineering Development Center at Arnold Air Force Base, TN, and the Ogden Air Logistics Center at Utah’s own Hill AFB. He has also served in the office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition in the Pentagon and as the Director of Plans and Programs in Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH. Condon holds a PhD in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.
Lee Blasts Justification for Recess Appointments
Jan 12, 2012
In the memorandum released today, OLC effectively asserts that the President may unilaterally determine if and when the Senate is in recess for purposes of exercising his recess appointment power. This remarkable and novel assertion breaks with 90 years of historical precedent. Even more disturbing, this conclusion violates the basic separation of government powers enshrined in our Constitution," said Senator Lee, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Remembering 2011 Milestones -- Day Lee Briefing 1/12/2012
Jan 12, 2012
Remembering 2011 Milestones
November 2nd: Lee Co-Sponsors Reform to Eliminate Budget Gimmicks
WASHINGTON - Today, Senator Mike Lee will co-sponsor legislation that eliminates the most common budgetary gimmicks used by Congress to hide hundreds of billions of dollars in spending. In the past six years alone, the tricks addressed in the Honest Budget Act (S.1651) have enabled Congress to spend over $350 billion, money that the country simply doesn’t have.
“For too long, Washington has been using budgetary tricks and gimmicks to hide the real cost of government spending,” said Senator Lee. “The federal budget is often nothing more than a shell game: a sleight-of-hand hoax that leaves Americans wondering where the real numbers are hidden. This is not how a transparent, responsible government functions. The people deserve better.”
The Honest Budget Act will put an end to disingenuous practices such as phony rescissions, abuse of the “emergency spending” designation, and certain types of automatic pay increases, as well as require a supermajority vote to proceed to a spending bill without a budget in place.
In total, the HBA will eliminate nine different gimmicks that have been abused as part of ‘business as usual’ in Washington.
“This legislation is a significant step forward toward reforming how Washington works and putting the country on a fiscally sustainable path.”
For more information, please visit:
http://budget.senate.gov/republican/public/index.cfm/honest-budget-act
On Twitter
SenMikeLee
Pres. Obama, your Dept. of Interior is making it difficult to #insource energy production. There are workers ready to work, Right now.
SenLeeComs
LEE: The OLC "conclusion violates the basic separation of government powers enshrined in our Constitution" http://bit.ly/AsySD8 #Recessgate
SenLeePressSec
RELEASE: Senators and Congressmen Denounce Obama Administration's decision to Ban Uranium Mining in Northern Arizona http://bit.ly/zUVl8B
SenLeeResearch
Greek 1-year bonds broke 400% today. They were under 1% less than 26 months ago. #MathAlwaysWins #debt #deficit #tcot #tlot #teaparty
Around the Water Cooler
Lee Blasts Justification for Recess Appointments
Today, Senator Mike Lee voiced concerns over the legal advice provided to the President by the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) regarding presidential recess appointment authority.
"In the memorandum released today, OLC effectively asserts that the President may unilaterally determine if and when the Senate is in recess for purposes of exercising his recess appointment power. This remarkable and novel assertion breaks with 90 years of historical precedent. Even more disturbing, this conclusion violates the basic separation of government powers enshrined in our Constitution," said Senator Lee, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The executive who was appointed to lead mortgage giant Fannie Mae in 2009 after the federal government seized the company plans to step down as its CEO.
Michael J. Williams announced Tuesday he will continue as CEO and as a director until a successor is found.
"I decided the time is right to turn over the reins to a new leader," he said in a statement. Williams, 53, has been a Fannie employee since 1991.
Utah Legislative Session Schedule -- January 23, 2012 - March 8, 2012
Jan 11, 2012
Senator Lee's Mobile Office will hold regular "office hours" at the State Capitol during the 2012 Utah State Legislative Session at the times and locations indicated below. The Mobile Office will serve as a Congressional Affairs or Congressional Liaison office to provide state senators, state representatives, staff, constituents, government officials, etc. with an on site link with Senator Lee and his Utah and and Washington D.C. offices and staff.
When: Monday 23 January 2012 – 8 March 2012 @ 9 AM – 11 AM (Monday thru Friday except for Federal Holidays)*
Where: Utah State Capitol Building, 350 North State Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84114 (Room 210 – South side of the Capitol Rotunda)*
How: POC (1): Karrie Thorne, Operations Manager for the Capitol Preservation Board, 801-538-1189 or (c) 801-558-1902
* On Friday 27 January 2012 the Mobile Office will be in Room 130 of the State Capitol from 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM; and
* On Friday 24 February 2012 the Mobile Office will be in Room 130 of the State Capitol from 9 AM to 11 AM.
Remembering 2011 Milestones -- Day Lee Briefing 1/11/2012
Jan 11, 2012
Remembering 2011 Milestones
October 19th: Lee Announces Mobile Office Hours
WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Lee announced the launch of his Mobile Office Hours. The project is an effort to reach constituents across Utah who might not otherwise be able to meet with casework officers at Senator Lee’s offices in Salt Lake City and St. George. The Mobile Office will hold events in multiple locations throughout all 29 counties within the State. The full schedule will appear on Senator Lee’s website and be updated periodically.
“I want my office to be open and available to all Utahns,” said Senator Lee. “The best way to achieve that is by going directly to them. Utahns deal with a range of issues – from Social Security to veterans benefits to navigating the bureaucracy of the federal government – and I want to be there to help them get answers.”
On Twitter
SenMikeLee
@ryanolsonx I can't support PIPA in its current form: ow.ly/8pzLJ
SenLeeComs
LAFFER: Warren Buffett's "true effective tax rate was only 6/100ths of 1%" http://on.wsj.com/yNAI7b
SenLeePressSec
Thoughts and prayers are with fallen police officer Jared Francom's family and the Ogden PD today.
SenLeeResearch
Last year, the govnt spent over half a million dollars to study online dating: http://thedc.com/t5Cu1wAround the Water Cooler
Thousands mourn slain Ogden police officer
Slain Ogden police Officer Jared Francom was described at his funeral Wednesday as an affectionate joker who was also a dedicated officer who took his law enforcement job seriously.
Ogden police Sgt. Troy Burnett, who was Francom’s supervisor when he started with the department seven years ago, recalled that Francom got into a fender-bender with his car, but still managed to arrive at the scene of a domestic dispute, to help Burnett.
Burnett said that when he asked Francom why he didn’t simply report that he was unable to make it, Francom responded: "Sarge, when I heard you arrive on scene, I just couldn’t stand the thought of you waiting on me."
Added Burnett, "That’s the kind of officer Jared was, he wouldn’t let a fellow officer down."
Class Warfare and the Buffett Rule
The political season has barely begun, and yet we already know that class warfare will be President Obama's key issue in the 2012 general election. It's even reared its ugly head in the Republican primaries, with the candidates trying to paint front-runner Mitt Romney as a cold-hearted capitalist and Rick Santorum proposing targeted tax breaks for the "working class" manufacturing sector.
But none in the GOP can compare with the progressive intelligentsia's obsession with tax increases on the rich to raise revenues and achieve social justice.
Remembering 2011 Milestones -- Day Lee Briefing 1/10/2012
Jan 10, 2012
Remembering 2011 Milestones
October 13th: Lee Introduces the DASH Act
WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Mike Lee introduced a bill to help dairy and ranch owners maintain the foreign workers they need to keep their businesses operating year-round, without creating a legal path to citizenship for workers. The Dairy and Sheep H2A (DASH) Act would make dairy workers, sheep herders, and goat herders eligible to apply for year-round positions through the H2A visa program. Currently, temporary farm workers are only able to obtain seasonal visas.
“Immigration involves a complicated and difficult set of issues, particularly regarding America’s agricultural industry,” said Senator Lee. “Few Americans are willing to work in many of these jobs, and outdated visa laws prevent business from attracting temporary foreign workers to fill the shortage.
“Making certain types of legal immigration more efficient diminishes the incentive for some to come here illegally or overstay their visas. The DASH Act streamlines the system by which we identify, process, and oversee temporary workers coming to our country to do agricultural work, thereby strengthening our economy.”
Under the legislation, visas for such workers would have an initial term of three years and could be renewed for additional periods of three years without requiring workers to return to their home countries. The DASH Act would in no way provide a legal path to citizenship and would require workers who do not obtain a proper renewal to go home.
The legislation is also sponsored by Senator Chuck Schumer of New York.
Read the Salt Lake Chamber's release on the DASH Act
On Twitter
SenMikeLee
I am excited to speak at @WeberStateU this Friday (Jan. 13) at Noon. Learn more about the event here: http://ow.ly/8oOiT #utpol
SenLeeComs
"[T]his president lacks a proper respect for constitutional checks and balances" http://on.wsj.com/wz8iq3 #CFPB
SenLeePressSec
RELEASE: Senators and Congressmen Denounce Obama Administration's decision to Ban Uranium Mining in Northern Arizona
SenLeeResearch
Last year, the govnt spent over half a million dollars to study online dating: http://thedc.com/t5Cu1w #tcot #tlot #teaparty #thisisyourmoney
Around the Water Cooler
ACLJ: More Than 35,000 Americans Reject President Obama's "Recess Appointments"
The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), focusing on constitutional law, said today more than 35,000 Americans have signed on to a petition opposing President Obama's recent "recess appointments" - an unconstitutional move that bypassed the Senate. The opposition from the American people comes as a growing number of Senators are expressing concern about the appointments and want to know what input, if any, Attorney General Eric Holder had concerning these flawed appointments.
Can you say that on TV? The Supreme Court debates
In colorful give and take, the Supreme Court debated whether policing curse words and nudity on broadcast television makes sense in the cable era, one justice suggesting the policy is fast becoming moot as broadcast TV heads the way of "vinyl records and 8-track tapes.”
Lee Statement on Protect IP Act
Jan 9, 2012
PIPA has yet to make it to the Senate floor. When the bill went through the Judiciary Committee (on which I sit), I made clear that, if it reached the floor it in its current form, I could not support it. PIPA is a moving target at this point because some of the bill's supporters, recognizing that many Americans are concerned with some of its provisions, are considering making adjustments to alleviate those concerns. My staff and I are working with the bill's sponsors to encourage them to make the necessary changes. Unless those changes are made, I will vote against PIPA.
Remembering 2011 Milestones -- Day Lee Briefing 1/9/2012
Jan 9, 2012
Remembering 2011 Milestones
October 12th: Senators and Congressmen Introduce the Northern Arizona Mining Continuity Act
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators John McCain (R-AZ), Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Mike Lee (R-UT) and U.S. Congressmen Trent Franks (AZ-02), Rob Bishop (UT-01), Jeff Flake (AZ-06), Paul Gosar (AZ-01), David Schweikert (AZ-05) and Ben Quayle (AZ-03) today introduced the Northern Arizona Mining Continuity Act of 2011. This legislation will stop the U.S. Department of the Interior from banning mining in a vast area of Arizona, and killing jobs in the uranium mining industry.
In a recent letter to Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, several members of Congress wrote in protest of the Secretary’s proposed one million acre withdrawal of mining rights. The members stated the withdrawal has nothing to do with protecting the Grand Canyon environment but is actually ‘de facto wilderness’ for a region that conservationists previously agreed would remain accessible to the mining industry. The Interior Department’s own environmental study on the proposed withdrawal found ‘no conclusive evidence’ that modern-day mining operations in this area are harming the Grand Canyon watershed.
The Northern Arizona Mining Continuity Act of 2011 would uphold the historic agreement embodied by the Arizona Wilderness Act of 1984 (AWA) that designated parts of the Arizona Strip as Wilderness and restored other lands to reasonable and safe uranium mining uses. The letter points out that the AWA “expressly refrained from banning mining on the Arizona Strip.”
…
“After having his 'wild lands' policy resoundingly rejected by Utahns and other state and local officials, Secretary Salazar appears intent upon using whatever authority he can claim to lock up lands in the western states,” said Senator Lee. “The withdrawal of one million acres of mining rights also reneges on a compromise between the federal government and the mining industry negotiated in good faith almost thirty years ago, setting an unwelcome precedent that could have future negative consequences. This legislation will stand as yet another rebuke of the administration's relentless pursuit of federal land grabs and reinforce the message that the people, not federal bureaucrats, should be the final authority on what happens to land within their state's borders.”
On Twitter
SenMikeLee
Obama Administration announced today that they are killing more #jobs by banning uranium #mining in Arizona: http://ow.ly/8nlZf #salazar
SenLeeComs
LEE: Obama "has proven incapable of using even the slightest bit of common sense when it comes to lands policy" http://bit.ly/xb04Tc #utpol
SenLeePressSec
Just visited the Morgan County News. They've been in operation since 1923! http://pic.twitter.com/ig8Fbipi
SenLeeResearch
In 2011, the govnt spent $175k studying how cocaine affects quail mating habits: http://thedc.com/t5Cu1w #thisisyourquailondrugs #tcot #tlot
Around the Water Cooler
Iran sentences ex-Marine to death in CIA case
A former U.S. Marine interpreter arrested while on a trip to visit his Iranian grandmothers has been sentenced to death as a CIA spy, state radio reported Monday, in a case likely to become a new flashpoint in the escalating tensions between Tehran's defiance over its nuclear program and Washington's efforts to impose more crippling sanctions.
China fires at new U.S. defense plan
Warning that Washington should be “careful in its words and actions,” China on Monday sent a strong message to the United States in response to the new national defense strategy President Barack Obama announced last week emphasizing a renewed focus on the Asian region.
Senators and Congressmen Denounce Obama Administration's decision to Ban Uranium Mining in Northern Arizona
Jan 9, 2012
The American people are desperate for jobs, and our domestic energy industry provides some of the best paying jobs in the western states. However, the President and Interior Secretary Salazar are intent on appeasing their friends in the extreme left wing of the environmentalist movement during an election year by locking up as much land as possible, regardless of the negative effects on our economy. For energy production that has long been safe and responsible, the announcement represents a needless overreaction to a fictitious problem.
Senators Fight Back on Appointments
Jan 6, 2012
Today, Senator Mike Lee joined Senators Charles Grassley, Orrin Hatch, Jon Kyle, Jeff Sessions, Lindsey Graham, John Cornyn, and Tom Coburn in signing a letter addressed to Attorney General Eric Holder regarding the recent appointment of four officials to various positions in the Obama administration. Excerpts of the letter are below.
