Lee Demands President to Explain Social Security Threat
Jul 14, 2011
That begs the question, why are Social Security beneficiaries the first to be threatened? Why is it their checks that the President is threatening to withhold first?
There is no explanation to this that he's offered, and I hereby demand one. I think our current retirees deserve more than to be used as pawns in a high-stakes political game; one that uses fear and uncertainty and doubt rather than reason and discussion and debate and willingness to compromise.
Lee Demands President to Explain Social Security Threat -- Floor Speech -- 07/14/2011
Jul 14, 2011
Another thing that we face right now, that's something that I find completely unacceptable, is the fact that amidst all of this debate and discussion that we've had in recent weeks about the debt limit, amidst the offer on the part of what are now most of the Republicans in the United States Senate to raise the debt limit under the circumstances that I've outlined, the President of the United States responded to those offers by threatening, promising perhaps, to cut Social Security benefits to current retirees if the debt limit is not immediately raised and raised only consistent with the conditions that he's demanding right now.
Going for the Jugular: President Obama Doesn't Have to Choose to Cut Social Security Benefits
Jul 13, 2011
President Obama is now threatening to cut Social Security payments if the debt ceiling is not increased. Under the law, the President and Secretary Geithner have great discretion to direct funds in the case the debt ceiling is not raised, so Americans should take his threat seriously. Currently the United States borrows roughly $125 billion every month. Instead of cutting Social Security for America’s seniors and disabled men, women, and children, as the President proposes, I have identified almost 20 line items in the budget he could trim instead.
No More Gimmicks -- Day Lee Briefing 7/13/2011
Jul 13, 2011
Today’s Agenda
Roll Call votes are expected today on the Democrats’ motion to raise taxes and on a motion to move to the Mil-Con Appropriations bill. Senator Lee is giving a speech to BYU interns this evening and hosts his weekly open house for constituents in the afternoon.
From the Senator’s Desk
“Madam President, the need has never been greater for us to avoid gimmicks. Gimmickry in this context can have very high stakes and can prove most detrimental to our economy and to the ability of our government to function. We have to look out for those gimmicks that would say we're going to make a few cuts now but most of the cuts we're going to propose in return for our ability to raise the debt limit will involve sacrifices by future Congresses, not the 112th Congress. We'll just make a few, but we'll say that the 113th and 114th and successive Congresses after that will make the difficult, necessary sacrifices. We can't do that. Nothing allows us to bind a future Congresses. That's why we need something that's gimmick free. That's why we need to amend our law of laws, the US Constitution, to place important meaningful permanent restrictions on the ability of Congress to engage in perpetual, reckless deficit spending, of the sort that is produced in national debt, now fast approaching $15 trillion.” Senator Lee’s floor speech, 7/12/2001
Recent Votes
On a sense of the Senate motion to raise taxes in the middle of a recession, Senator Lee voted NAY.
Around the Water Cooler
Jobs: “Between 2000 and 2010, the economy lost roughly 4 million blue-collar jobs — according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics — mainly as a result of manufacturing job losses, the housing crisis and the recession.”
Cut, Cap, Balance: “The plan — which would substantially cut next year’s projected deficit, institute statutory spending caps and require Congress pass and send to the states a balanced-budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution that has real teeth — is still the only serious proposal out there that would amount to a permanent fix.”
Debt Deal: “Absolutely not. Never.”
A Look Ahead
Tomorrow, several groups from Utah will be in Sen. Lee’s office, dealing with issues such as education and health care. Lee also had ENR and Judiciary mark ups and has a conference call with several Utah county commissioners to discuss land issues. He will appear on Fox’s “Your World with Neil Cavuto” to talk about the debt debate.
First Things First -- Day Lee Briefing 7/12/2011
Jul 12, 2011
If you’re creating a budget, what’s the first thing you need to know: How much you have or how much you want to spend? The answer to this question exposes a fundamental difference between how Republicans and Democrats approach the nation’s finances. And it was on full display last week in the Senate.
Lee Calls on Salazar for Clarification on Leasing Process
Jul 11, 2011
Today Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) sent a letter to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar requesting clarification on new restrictions that serve to further prevent the development of America's abundant domestic resources.
Lee Proposes Debt Ceiling Solution -- Day Lee Briefing 7/11/2011
Jul 11, 2011
Last week Senator Lee introduced the Cut, Cap, Balance Act as a solution for reforming government spending in exchange for raising the debt limit. Learn more about this act in today's Day Lee Briefing.
Unemployment Continues to Rise -- Day Lee Briefing 7/08/2011
Jul 8, 2011
Today’s Agenda
Senator Lee has no public events.
From the Senator’s Desk
The President’s policies continue to fail most Americans: Another poor performance on job creation.
Unemployment Rate
- The unemployment rate edged up to 9.2% in June, from a level of 9.1% in May and 9.0% in April.
- The number of long-term unemployed (those unemployed for 27 weeks or longer) edged up to 6.3 million in June, from 6.2 million in May. The percent of long-term unemployed fell to 44.4% in June, from 45.1% in May.
- The labor force fell by 272,000 in June and the labor force participation rate edged down to 64.1% in June, from 64.2% in May. This marks the lowest rate of labor force participation since 1984.
- There were 14.1 million unemployed persons in June, up from 13.9 million in May and 13.7 million in April.
Around the Water Cooler
Debt Deal: “Another trillion of Obama's spending cuts stems from savings on interest payments that may never materialize. “
Debt Ceiling: “There has been a surprising and somewhat disturbing absence of serious proposals on the table (for raising the debt limit).”
Jobs: “The weak economy and slow hiring is causing more people to simply give up looking for work.”
A Look Ahead
Negotiations over a deal to cut spending and raise the debt limit are expected to continue this weekend. Senator Lee will return to Washington on Monday.
Cut, Cap, Balance Act - Floor Speech 7/07/2011
Jul 8, 2011
There is a way forward. The circumstances in which we now find ourselves are, to be sure, threatening. They are intimidating. They are daunting. And they bring about substantial disagreement within this body and within the body that meets just down the hall from us. But there are answers, there are solutions so which we can agree. I believe that the "Cut, Cap, and Blance" Act provides the proper solution and it's a solution that can appeal to liberals and conservatives alike, to democrats and republicans alike, and I call upon all within the sound of my voice to take a careful look at this legislation and to jump on board and become supporters.
Obama's "Recovery" Worst in Modern Times
Jul 8, 2011
The evidence that President Obama's economic policies have failed continues to mount. The unemployment rate notched up to 9.2 percent in June. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the labor force fell by more than a quarter of a million workers, dropping the labor force participation rate to 64.1 percent - the lowest rate of labor force participation in nearly 30 years.
