{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "is_view": false, "human_description_en": "where chamber = \"Senate\", state = \"UT\" and year = 2020 sorted by date descending", "rows": [["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/speeches?ContentRecord_id=7A188C6A-2DBE-4730-AC33-225D07FF5E1C", "Gov. Gary Herberts Retirement", "2020-12-31", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Mr./Madam President,\r\nI rise today to honor my friend, Gary Herbert, Governor of the State of Utah for the last 12 years, who after a long career in public service is embarking on a well-earned retirement.\r\nHe has served the state of Utah with enthusiasm, dedication, and spirit; and I am grateful to have worked alongside him throughout his tenure.\r\nGary was born in American Fork, Utah, and grew up in Orem. He served a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on the East Coast, and later attended Brigham Young University.\r\nHe first began his public service after college, serving in the Utah Army National Guard for six years and becoming a staff sergeant.\r\nAfter his time in the National Guard, he set up a real estate firm, and eventually became president of the Utah Association of Counties and Utah Association of Realtors.\r\nStarting in 1990, he served as a commissioner on the Utah County Commission for 14 years, and then began his service at the state level.\r\nIn 2004, when Jon Huntsman ran for the Governor's seat, Gary became his running mate for Lieutenant Governor, with the pair going on to win the race that November.\r\nIt was then that I first got to know him myself, when I was hired to be the general counsel for Governor Huntsman.\r\nOne of my first memories of him was when we began to move into the governor's office suite.\r\nThe day before he was sworn in, Gary came and gave a warm welcome to all the staff, along with sound advice about the importance of staying grounded as we entered the political fray.\r\nI soon learned that he was not only a skilled politician, but also a formidable ping pong player. Right after he and Governor Huntsman were sworn in, the staff got together as a team several times at the governor's mansion, where there was a ping pong table in the basement.\r\nI then learned the hard way that Gary's table-tennis skills are off the charts.\r\nWhile serving Governor Huntsman, I always found Gary to be friendly, approachable, and willing to tackle every assignment with eagerness and poise.\r\nWhenever Governor Huntsman's schedule became chaotic or would change unexpectedly, Lieutenant Governor Herbert would routinely be dispatched to speak on his behalf  often to remote corners of the state, and often at inconvenient times.\r\nHe never once complained; and was not only willing, but always eager and happy to help.\r\nLikewise, whenever there was an issue that needed to be addressed and the Governor was unable to meet with a particular group, Gary was assigned the case.\r\n  He would meet with all the different stakeholders, legislators, and people from different sides of an issue, bringing them all together and wading through the intricate details of the matter.\r\nWhat's more, he had the skill of figuring out the best path forward for all parties involved, and for making everyone feel heard and understood.\r\nThe same traits I saw in him as Lieutenant Governor would go on to make him an effective and beloved Governor himself. In office since 2009, he is currently the nation's longest-serving governor.\r\nAnd our state has seen exciting achievement and prosperity with Governor Herbert at the helm.\r\nIn the last eight years, Utah has seen continued, steady growth in our economy  with improvement in our GDP, number of jobs, and unemployment rate.\r\nWe have seen the boom of Silicon Slopes.\r\nWe celebrated the centennial of the driving of the Golden Spike, when it was an honor to stand alongside him at the celebratory reenactment.\r\nAnd so too was it an honor to join Gary when President Trump shrank Bears Ears National Monument, when we could stand together and celebrate reclaiming the land back for the people of Utah.\r\nThrough his enthusiasm and zeal, Gary has championed our state and the things that we stand for. He can rattle off figures and metrics about Utah at the drop of a hat; and is a compelling spokesman for our values.\r\nHis spirit has helped Utah to attract talent and investment, and to make it the good place that it is to live.\r\nNot only that, but Gary has been an instrumental partner in supporting initiatives that reflect and strengthen the values of our state.\r\nTo champion the reclamation of our lands, he signed into law the Utah Transfer of Public Lands Act.\r\nHe also signed into law innovative criminal justice reforms in Utah, making a far-reaching impact across the state; and paving the way for the work Congress and President Trump were able to do at the federal level.\r\nHe has been a strong supporter of Utah's family culture, and was helpful in the Senate's work promoting the child tax credit during tax reform.\r\nAnd on a more personal note, he had the wisdom to put my brother, Tom Lee, on the Utah Supreme Court.\r\nFor all his public achievements, Gary is most proud, however, of his own role as husband, father, and grandfather.\r\nHe and his wife Jeanette have six children together, as well as 16 grandchildren; and he is known to encourage them to follow in his footsteps and marry up.\r\nIn a myriad of ways, Governor Gary Herbert has been a champion and a spokesman for all that is good about our state.\r\nIt has been an honor to serve the people of Utah with him, and I wish him all the best as he embarks on his retirement.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://curtis.house.gov/press-releases/curtis-on-omni-legislation-height-of-congressional-dysfunction/", "Curtis on Omni Legislation: Height of Congressional Dysfunction", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "John Curtis", "C001114", "curtis.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DCToday, Congressman John Curtis (R-UT) released the following statement after voting no on theConsolidated Appropriations Act:\nThis week's omnibus package is the height of Congressional dysfunction. Small businesses and individuals have desperately needed relief for months but instead of considering the dozens of targeted bills that already have bipartisan support, we tied COVID relief up into a nearly 6,000-page budget bill we voted on just hours after receiving the text. While there are many provisions in this legislation that I supportincluding several of my bipartisan proposalsI could not vote for a bill that spends over $2 trillion taxpayer dollars without fully understanding how it could impact Utah and Utahns. Congress completely failed to put this bill together in a responsible manner.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=6E2FEF59-C719-4DB0-9526-47E5452EAEED", "Sen. Lee Demands Truth from Google and Facebook on Collusion Claims", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) issued the following statement Tuesday after seeing reports that Facebook and Google agreed not to compete against each other in online advertising, and had a deal in place to help each other if the agreement attracted antitrust scrutiny.  Google has repeatedly pointed to Facebook as evidence for its claim that there is plenty of competition in online advertising. But it turns out the two companies may have agreed not to compete at all. The American people deserve to hear the truth, under oath.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=B392D353-B2A3-45F0-97A8-5D41FB8D7340", "Sen. Lee Commends President Trumps Federal Architecture Executive Order", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) issued the following statement Tuesday, commending President Trump for issuing an executive order on Promoting Beautiful Federal Civic Architecture: As Winston Churchill said, We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.' And the shape of federal buildings over the last two generations has been abysmal: cold, boring, and contemptuous of America's public taste and republican traditions. For decades, architectural elites and government bureaucrats have imposed their edifice complex on the American people, marring beautiful communities with ugly federal buildings. Federal buildings belong to the American people. And the American people  of every age, race, and ethnicity  prefer classical, humanist architecture in their government buildings. They don't like the clunky, incoherent eyesores that the current elitist policy has too often yielded. So, it is time for a new policy, what might be called civilian control of federal architecture.' Today's Executive Order establishes a formal preference for the public's favorite styles in new federal buildings, an oversight board to ensure it is followed, and  most important  requires the government to seek design input from the local communities who will actually see and use these buildings. Contrary to some criticism, the EO also provides for exactly the kind of robust regional and stylistic flexibility that has defined America's diverse architectural heritage. President Trump deserves credit for taking on elite special interests and fighting for the American people, once again.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=DBB76624-04B5-40AC-B5FA-5CB7463F9D32", "Sen. Lee Statement on Government Spending Bill", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) issued the following statement Tuesday after the Senate approved a $2.3 trillion spending bill. For almost a year, Utahns have been fighting through terrible conditions to work, to find work, to serve their neighbors and communities as best they can. Congress has failed to meet their standard of courage and duty. This COVID relief bill - like the one Senate Democrats blocked for months out of pure partisan politics - contains some much-needed items to help Utahns recover including more funding for faster vaccine deployment and an expanded charitable deduction. Unfortunately, the COVID relief bill has been packaged together with a much larger government spending bill that is bursting at the seams with special interest handouts slipped into to 5,593 pages of legislative text in the dark of night. No one who voted for this bill read it. This process has not overcome Washington dysfunction; it is Washington dysfunction. Even during a pandemic this is not how governing should be done. It is unfair to the American people, and that is why I voted no.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://curtis.house.gov/press-releases/curtis-neguse-unveil-plans-to-launch-bipartisan-wildfire-caucus-in-the-117th-congress/", "Curtis, Neguse Unveil Plans to Launch Bipartisan Wildfire Caucus in the 117th Congress", "2020-12-17", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "John Curtis", "C001114", "curtis.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DCToday, Congressman John Curtis (R-UT) and Congressman Joe Neguse (D-CO) unveiled plans to launch a bipartisan caucus in the 117th Congress to work collaboratively on wildfire mitigation and recovery solutions.\nTheBipartisan Wildfire Caucuswill seek to elevate awareness and bipartisan consensus around wildfire management and mitigation, environmental and community protections, public health and safety, and wildfire preparedness and recovery in Congress. Notably, the caucus will require that members join in equal bipartisan numbers, and will serve as a useful tool for facilitating conversations and cultivating solutions for communities facing wildfire.\nUtahns know the destruction that wildfires leave in their wake and the importance of common-sense forest management that can save lives and property. During my time in Congress, improving wildfire mitigation, response, and recovery efforts has been a top priority, and I am committed to creating a diverse coalition of stakeholders to work towards stopping preventable disasters. Congressman Neguse and I share the unfortunate experience of seeing firsthand how devastating wildfires are to the land and surrounding communities, and because of that, also share a commitment to working across the aisle to find ways to protect our communities and ensure they quickly bounce back after a fire,said Congressman John Curtis.I am excited to announce the creation of the Bipartisan Wildfire Caucus to bring together Republicans and Democrats to find common ground and advocate for policies that will help communities recover and respond to catastrophic wildfires, as well as avoid them in the first place.\nWildfire mitigation and response must be a year-round priority. The devastating and record-breaking nature of our wildfire season in Colorado and throughout the western U.S. this year makes that perfectly clear,said Congressman Joe Neguse.In the midst of the pandemic, when our firefighters were faced with dual crises and uncertain safety conditions, Congressman Curtis and I partnered together to introduce legislation to address these public safety concerns. The Bipartisan Wildfire Caucus will build on this bipartisan collaboration and ensure in the 117th Congress and beyond, Congress is prioritizing the needs of our local fire crews, our western communities, and fire mitigation and recovery efforts in the wake of increasingly more damaging and more deadly wildfires.\nRepresentatives Neguse and Curtis have worked together throughout the 116th Congress to address wildfires in the West. In 2019, together they introduced theStudy on Improving Lands (SOIL) Actwhich evaluates the effects of wildfire and land use practices on the ability of soil to sequester carbon. Last April, they introduced theWildfire and Community Health Response Act of 2020aimed at supporting the health of firefighters and mitigating the impact of wildfires on vulnerable communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.\nTheBipartisan Wildfire Caucuswill:\n Advocate for wildfire-related programs, including funding for disaster relief, prevention, and mitigation;Share federal relief programs and resources with communities before, during and after wildfire season; andHighlight balanced and bipartisan science-based wildfire management and mitigation proposals in Congress. \nStatements of Support\nLynn Scarlett, Chief External Affairs Officer, The Nature Conservancy: Every year we experience another record-breaking wildfire season and its catastrophic consequences, it is a tragic reminder that we must do more to care for and manage our wildlands and protect communities. The formation of this bipartisan House caucus affirms that wildfires affect us all. We must reduce the dangers of wildfire, improve forest health and resilience, strengthen our wildfire response and expand post-fire restoration. We commend the caucuses' founders for working toward bipartisan solutions for the country's wildfire challenges.\nJames D. Ogsbury, Executive Director, Western Governors' Association: Wildfire is an important natural process in our environment, but uncharacteristic wildfire is a persistent threat, especially in western states, due to a host of past management practices and climate factors. The House Wildfire Caucus is an exciting platform to bring attention to these challenges and seek bipartisan solutions to increase the health and resilience of our communities and ecosystems. WGA is pleased to see the formation of the new Caucus and I especially want to thank its Chairs, Representatives Joe Neguse of Colorado and John Curtis of Utah, for their bipartisan leadership on this matter of great importance to the West.\nJoe Fox, President, National Association of State Foresters, Arkansas State Forester: The National Association of State Foresters applauds Representatives Curtis (R-UT) and Neguse (D-CO) for their bipartisan leadership and look forward to bringing our collective expertise in support of the work of the Bipartisan Wildfire Caucus. State Foresters agree more must be done to minimize the threat of catastrophic wildfire. With more people living in fire-prone landscapes close to wildlands, protecting communities as well as state, private, and federal lands from wildfire has become increasingly difficult. Without increased and coordinated efforts in active forest management, fire prevention, and wildfire suppression, wildfires will continue to pose a threat to our nation's forests and destroy our communities.\nBackground\nIn the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the West has seen one of the worst fire seasons on record. As fire seasons grow longer and communities face increasingly destructive and costly wildfires, it is imperative that Congress prioritize proactive, science-based forest management policies to improve national preparedness and response to wildfire. Adequate fire preparation, mitigation, response, and recovery efforts are critical to ensuring communities are resilient and have every tool necessary to protect lives, property, and the land itself.\nCongressman Curtis has introduced the following legislation related to wildfires:\n Aerial Incursion Repercussion (AIR) Safety Act The AIR Safety Act directs land managers and the FAA to examine the consequences of private drones flying near wildfires resulting in aerial firefighting responses to be grounded. The AIR Safety Act recently passed the House by an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote.Making Access to Cleanup Happen (MATCH) Act After hosting Senior USDA officials, including the Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment, in Utah, the Congressman introduced the MATCH Act, which directs USDA to publish pre-approved watershed cleanup activities that communities can start immediately following a fire and ensures that work counts toward their mandatory contribution to Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program projects.Funding Local Assistance and Recovery Efforts (FLARE) Act The FLARE Act will also allow watershed rehabilitation to begin more quickly following a wildfire by ensuring that EWP sponsoring counties and cities are able to receive retroactive payments for work that they complete on EWP projects during the time between the project being approved and funds being distributed.Study on Improving Lands (SOIL) Act The SOIL Act requires USDA and the Bureau of Land Management to examine the effect of wildfire and different land use practices on the ability of soil to sequester carbon.Wildfire and Community Health Response Act of 2020 The Wildfire and Community Health Response Act of 2020 aims to support the health of firefighters and emergency response teams and mitigate the impact of wildfires on vulnerable communities during the COVID-19 pandemic by requiring a report to Congress outlining actions taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19, protect the respiratory health of local communities, and guard against future wildfire. \n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://curtis.house.gov/press-releases/curtis-covid-19-bill-needs-to-give-targeted-help-to-vulnerable-individuals-and-small-businesses/", "Curtis: COVID-19 Bill Needs to Give Targeted Help to Vulnerable Individuals and Small Businesses", "2020-12-16", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "John Curtis", "C001114", "curtis.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DCToday, Representative John Curtis (R-UT) released the following statement on any additional COVID-19 legislation:\nAny legislation related to COVID-19 needs to give targeted help to vulnerable individuals and the thousands of small businesses, and their millions of employees, that remain shuttered through no fault of their own. This is why I, and a bipartisan group of my colleagues, introduced the PPP Small Business Enhancement Act in late July to provide this type of targeted relief,said Curtis.That said, too many politicians have used COVID-19 as anexcuse to attempt to pass their unrelated policy proposals. I hope Congress can put politics aside as proposals keep being put forward for consideration by the full House.\nCongressman Curtis has been fighting for small businesses throughout the pandemic:\n Championed support for small businesses and requested further guidance from the Small Business Adminsistration (SBA) related to loan forgiveness for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)(MORE)Sent a letter regarding the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to the US Department of the Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, advocating for small businesses back home that are in desperate need of common-sense relief(MORE)Introduced a bipartisan bill to amend the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)(MORE) \n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=E5AEA353-EAD8-4011-AFC3-5274B17F02A3", "Sen. Lee Notes Electoral College Certification", "2020-12-14", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) issued the following statement Monday after presidential electors met and cast votes in their respective states.\r\nOur election process took a major step today when presidential electors met in their respective states and cast 306 electoral votes for former Vice President Joe Bidenmore than the 270 electoral votes he needs to become president-elect. Concerns regarding fraud and irregularities in this election remain active in multiple states, and those concerns need to be addressed by Congress and state and local officials throughout the country. But absent new information that could give rise to a judicial or legislative determination altering the impact of today's electoral-college votes, Joe Biden will become president of the United States on January 20, 2021.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/speeches?ContentRecord_id=3C231901-B05E-4E5B-8106-C7E6D8B1FBE7", "Discourso objetando a los nuevos museos Smithsonian", "2020-12-14", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Reservando el derecho de objetar\r\nQuiero agradecer el caballero de New Jersey por traer este tema al Senado hoy. Los programas culturales pueden representar una fraccin pequesima de los gastos federales, pero son magnificados muchas veces por su impacto substantivo y simblico.\r\nLa cultura est rio arriba de la poltica. Es ms importante, y ms merece ms de nuestra atencin.\r\nPor esa razn, la Institucin Smithsonian es mas que cualquier otro rengln presupuestario en el presupuesto federal. Es un0 de los grandes triunfes culturales de nuestra republica.\r\nDesde el momento de nuestra fundacin, los Estados Unidos ha enfrentado un problema en la historia.\r\nCmo cambiamos las diferencias culturales, religiosas, tnicas, y regionales de nuestro pas vasto de una debilidad potencial a una fortaleza real?\r\nLa manera en la cual nuestra nacin lo siempre ha logrado es por crear instituciones que unen los Americanos alrededor nuestras intereses compartidos y los acordes msticos de la memoria colectiva.\r\nLa Constitucin. El mismo Senado. Nuestra economa de empresa libre. Nuestras fuerzas armadas y escuelas publicas. El federalismo. La Primera Enmienda. Y an March Madness cumple esta descripcin. Todos ellos tienen el poder de aprovechar nuestras diferencias individuas y de comunidades para el bien comn de la nacin entera.\r\nLa Institucin Smithsonian hace la misma cosa. Teje la mirada hebras de la historia triunfante de Amrica en una historia no perfecta pero heroica.\r\nAmericanos de cada edad, raza, credo, y antecedente vienen a Washington de todo el pas para visitar a los museos de la Smithsonian. La historia natural. Historia Americana. Aire y Espacio, Arte Americano. El Zoolgico Nacional.\r\nEntre las paredes de un museo de la Smithsonian, como en la Galera Nacional de Arte o los grandes monumentos dispersados en esta ciudad, no hay un nosotros y un ellos solo hay nosotros.\r\nEntonces mi objecin a la creacin de un nuevo museo de la Smithsonian basado en una identidad de grupolo que Theodore Roosevelt llam Americanismo con guinno es un asunto presupuestario o de tecnicismos legislativos. Es un asunto de la unidad nacional y la inclusin cultural.\r\nHemos visto en aos recientes lo que pasa cuando complacemos la balcanizacin cultural y de identidad de nuestra comunidad nacional. La as llamado teora critica apuntalando este movimiento no celebra la diversidad; la convierte en un arma.\r\nAfila todos esos guiones en cuchillos y dagas. Ha cambiado nuestros campuses universitarios en espectculos de queja, y ha suelto populachos orwellianos para cancelar cualquier que se atreve a expresar un pensamiento original.\r\nEspecialmente al final de un ao tan deshilachador y fracturador, el Congreso no debe astillar una de las piedras principales culturales de nuestra solidaridad nacional.\r\nLa Institucin Smithsonian no debe tener un museo exclusivo de la historia Latinoamericana, ni de la historia de la mujer, ni de la historia americana de hombres, ni de la historia Mormona, ni de la historia Asiatico Americano. La historia americana es una historia inclusiva que nos debe unir.\r\nA nosotros.\r\nSeor/Seora Presidente, el caballero esta correcto en decir que la historia de los Latinoamericanos es una parte vital de la historia de Amrica.\r\nTambin, por supuesto, la es la historia de las mujeres Americanas, que han escrito ms que la mitad de la historia Americana desde Plymouth Rock.\r\nSus historias son nuestras historias. Y son historias que enfticamente deben ser compartidas por la Institucin Smithsonian en el Museo de la Historia Americana. Punto.\r\nNo guin.\r\nAhora, el caballero de New Jersey conoce bien mis puntos de vista tacaos de los gastos federales.\r\nPero si la historia Latinoamericana o la historia de las mujeres Americanas estn subrepresentadas en el Museo de la Historia Americana, es un problema.\r\nY yo trabajar con l felizmente para corregirla, an si significa ms dinero, ms exhibiciones, nuevos pisos o alas. Entiendo lo que mis colegas quieren hacer y por que. Y comparto su inters en asegurar que estas historias sean compartidas.\r\nPero la ultima cosa que necesitamos es dividir ms a nuestro pas dividido con un conjunto de museos segregados y separados pero iguales para grupos de identidad con guin.\r\nEn este momento de la historia de nuestra nacin diversa, necesitamos nuestro gobierno federal y la Institucin Smithsonian a unirnos mas cerca, no separarnos an mas lejos.\r\nEntonces, Seor/Seora Presidente, yo objeto.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/the-chairman-s-note?ContentRecord_id=0BCA4CB1-CF7F-4A52-83D7-21589DAF1501", "Listening to Utahns Needs", "2020-12-11", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "This week as the Senate negotiated a COVID relief package, I met virtually with Utahns from around the state to hear what was on their minds in these difficult times.\r\nOur hospitals are looking forward to getting their frontline workers vaccinated but they are also worried that these vital individuals will experience symptoms and feel sick for a day or two after being vaccinated. They are strategizing on how to ensure they can get all the workers vaccinated but still have enough staff feeling healthy and able to work at any given time.\r\nUtah's businesses were also eager for the vaccine to be distributed and in the meantime, they were looking for a liability shield from Congress as well as an easier process for Paycheck Protection Program loan forgiveness.\r\nOur medical equipment producers had some frustrations about the complicated process when working with the Food and Drug Administration and other entities within the Department of Health and Human Services. They also described difficulties in selling their goods on various internet marketplaces.\r\nOur energy industry continues to experience fluctuations in demand and worries that necessary regulatory flexibility will not continue in the new year.\r\nAfter each of these calls, I felt more informed about the implications of the pandemic on Utahns and the efforts being made to safely recover. The participants gave me a great deal to think about and areas of reform to consider. Utah has handled this pandemic far better than most states, we have the 5th lowest unemployment rate in the country, and we should be proud of that. But there is still much work that needs to be done and my door is always open to you to hear how my staff and I can help you.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://curtis.house.gov/press-releases/curtis-cortez-masto-bipartisan-air-safety-act-passes-house/", "Curtis, Cortez-Masto Bipartisan AIR Safety Act Passes House", "2020-12-10", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "John Curtis", "C001114", "curtis.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DCToday, Representative John Curtis (R-UT), Deputy Republican Leader of the National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands Subcommittee on the House Natural Resources Committee, spoke on the floor in support of his bipartisan bill, H.R. 5040 , theAerialIncursion Repercussion(AIR)Safety Act.Introduced last yearwith Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA), Senator Cortez-Masto (D-NV), and Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT), theAIR Safety Actraises awareness on issues interfering with wildfire fighting by directing the Bureau of Land Management, USDA Forest Service, and Federal Aviation Administration to work with their State forestry partners to conduct a study on how drone trespassing has affected wildfire suppression and costs and recommend potential remedies.The legislation passed the House with a 382-6 vote this afternoon.\nIn the last few years, Utah and the rest of the West have been battling extreme wildfires,said Curtis.Our Federal land managers, and state and local partners, need every tool available to put these fires out. When a wildfire breaks out, the FAA sets up Temporary Flight Restrictions, or TFRs, around the perimeter to allow aerial firefighters full access to the fire. Unfortunately, when people ignore these TFRs and fly their drones around the fire, fire managers must ground their own drones and helicopters until the incursion is clear. This wastes valuable time and money, putting structures and lives at risk.\nAs our climate warms, states all across the West are struggling with year-round fire seasons and increasingly destructive wild and rangeland fires. Our local fire departments need to have every tool possible at their disposal to fight these fires, and that includes information on how unauthorized drones interfere with firefighting efforts. I'm glad to see the House pass this legislation to authorize the FAA to collect data on the impacts and costs of drone incursions on wildfire suppression. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto\nStatements of Support:\nGreg Josten, National Association of State Foresters President; South Dakota State Forester:We already know that flying personal drones wherewildland firefighters are activelysuppressingwildfiresputs the civilian operator, theirneighbors, and wildland firefighting personnel in danger.The slogan is true, and state forestry agencies know it all too well:If you fly, we can't.Now, it's time toquantifyallthe deleterious effects of drone incursions onwildfire fighting airspace. With hard numbers to support neededchange, we'll be better positioned toprevent costly delays and shutdownsand protectbothproperty andlives.\nBrian Cottam, Utah State Forester: In Utah, we have seen drone incursions continue to endanger firefighter and public safety. Congressman Curtis's AIR Safety Act is a step in the right direction to reveal the extent of drone disruption in wildfire suppression and help put a stop to this dangerous behavior.\nBackground:\n The Federal Aviation Administration sets Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) around wildfires. Although laws exist prohibiting interference with wildfire fighting, many people fly their private drones within TFRs to take pictures and videos of the fire.When unauthorized drones enter TFRs, events known as drone incursions, all aerial firefighting tools  including helicopters dropping flame retardant  must be grounded, resulting in valuable time and money being wasted that could otherwise be used to suppress the fire and save lives and property.The bipartisan AIR Safety Act will bring attention to this issue and help determine the best ways to avoid future drone incursions. \nThe full speech, as prepared for delivery, is below:\nThank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to Chair Grijalva and Ranking Member Bishop for their support and leadership.\nI rise in support of my AIR Safety Act, which will examine risks and effects of drone incursions on wildland firefighting.\nIn the last few years, Utah and the rest of the West have been battling extreme wildfires. Our Federal land managers, and state and local partners, need every tool available to put these fires out.\nWhen a wildfire breaks out, the FAA sets up Temporary Flight Restrictions, or TFRs, around the perimeter to allow aerial firefighters full access to the fire. Unfortunately, when people ignore these TFRs and fly their drones around the fire, fire managers must ground their own drones and helicopters until the incursion is clear.\nThis wastes valuable time and money, putting structures and lives at risk. The AIR Safety Act will direct the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, FAA, and our State Forestry partners to examine these risks and come up with ways to stop future incursions.\nI urge my colleagues to support my bill and yield back the balance of my time.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=0044AFA5-000E-43FD-B7E4-48963A51E799", "Sen. Lee Praises President Trumps Announcement on Israel-Morocco Relations", "2020-12-10", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) issued the following statement Thursday after President Trump announced Morocco has agreed to establish full diplomatic relations with Israel. Today the administration announced an agreement between Morocco and Israel that establishes full diplomatic relations between the two nations. This agreement, along with the Abraham Accords, demonstrates we are truly living in a historic time for Middle Eastern relations with the West. This agreement is yet another victory, under the leadership of President Trump, on the path toward a secure and peaceful Middle East. I commend the President and his team on this tremendous success.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=1A7B0392-55E8-4031-9565-BCA5FFCE77E7", "Sen. Lee Signs Letter Opposing New Burdens on Small Business", "2020-12-10", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) joined a letter sent to the Senate majority and minority leaders Thursday, objecting to new regulations on small businesses placed into the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021.\r\n  This provision is outside the jurisdiction of the Armed Services Committee, has not been considered by the appropriate Senate Committees or the full Senate, creates a substantial regulatory burden on millions of small businesses, exposes business owners to significant financial penalties and jail terms, and it threatens their privacy and due process rights, the letter reads. These burdens and penalties would be imposed on America's small business community in an effort to fight money laundering and other financial crimes. We doubt actual criminals will voluntarily provide incriminating information to FinCEN or that the agency could effectively manage a database the Congressional Budget Office estimates would receive 25 to 30 million initial reports. On the other hand, millions of law-abiding business owners will be subject to new reporting requirements and penalties if they fail to keep their information current and accurate. A full copy of the letter can be found here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=5DDF8A54-ED67-446B-9DE8-13CA58EA03A1", "Sen. Lee Announces Support for Section 230 Reform", "2020-12-10", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) issued the following statement of support for Sen. Lindsey Graham's (R-SC) Online Content Policy Modernization Act Thursday, after the consideration of the bill was postponed.I don't like involving government in industry, particularly with regard to an industry that has grown up in freedom as opposed to in regulatory captivity, Sen. Lee said. But Facebook and Twitter have claimed political neutrality while practicing political partisanship for far too long. That is why I would have voted for Senator Graham's legislation to move through the Committee. He has worked with me to iron out some issues in his bill, and I trust he will continue to work with me to iron out a few others in the coming Congress. I look forward to engaging in that effort.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/speeches?ContentRecord_id=B05E5586-030A-4911-9134-1C42EFC46922", "Remarks Objecting to New Smithsonian Museums", "2020-12-10", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Mr./Madam President, Reserving the right to object I want to thank the gentleman from New Jersey for bringing this issue to the floor today. Cultural programs may represent a tiny fraction of federal spending, but they are magnified many times over by their symbolic and substantive impact. Culture is upstream from politics. It's more important, and more deserving of more of our attention. For that reason, the Smithsonian Institution is more than just another line item in the federal budget. It is one of the great cultural triumphs of our republic. From the moment of our Founding, the United States has faced an almost unique problem in history. How do we turn our huge nation's cultural, religious, racial, ethnic, and regional differences from a potential weakness into a real strength. The way our nation has always achieved this is by creating institutions that unite Americans around shared interests and the mystic chords of collective memory. The Constitution. The Senate itself. Our free enterprise economy. Our armed forces and public schools. Federalism. The First Amendment. And even March Madness all fit this bill. They have the power to harness our individual and community differences to the common good of the whole nation. The Smithsonian Institution does the exact same thing. It winds all the myriad strands of America's triumphant history into one imperfect but heroic story. Americans of every age, race, creed, and background come to Washington from all over the country to visit the Smithsonian Museums Natural History. American History. Air and Space. American Art. The National Zoo. Within the walls of a Smithsonian museum, just like at the National Gallery of Art or the great memorials that dot this city, there is no us and them there is only us. And so my objection to the creation of new Smithsonian museums based on group identity  what Theodore Roosevelt called hyphenated Americanism  is not a matter of budgetary or legislative technicalities. It is a matter of national unity and cultural inclusion. We have seen in recent years what happens when we indulge in the cultural and identity balkanization of our national community. The so-called critical theory undergirding this movement does not celebrate diversity; it weaponizes diversity. It sharpens all those hyphens into so many knives and daggers. It has turned our college campuses into grievance pageants and loosed Orwellian mobs to cancel anyone daring to express an original thought. Especially at the end of such a fraying, fracturing year, Congress should not splinter one of the institutional cornerstones of our national solidarity.\r\nThe Smithsonian Institution should not have an exclusive Museum of American Latino History, or a Museum of Women's History or a Museum of American Men's History, or Mormon History, or Asian American History. American history is an inclusive story that should unite us. Us. Mr./Madam President, the gentleman is absolutely right that the history of American Latinos is a vital part of America's story. So, of course, is the history of American Women, who have written more than half of the American story going back to Plymouth Rock. Their stories are our stories. And they are stories that emphatically should be told by the Smithsonian Institution at the Museum of American History, period. No hyphen. Now, the gentleman from New Jersey is well aware of my stingy views on federal spending. But if American Latino or American Women's history are being under-represented at the Museum of American History, that is a problem. And I will happily work with him to correct them, even if it means more money, more exhibits, new floors or wings. I understand what my colleagues are trying to do and why. And I share their interest ensuring these stories are told. But the last thing we need is to further divide our already divided nation with an array of segregated, separate but equal museums for hyphenated identity groups. At this moment in the history of our diverse nation, we need our federal government and Smithsonian Institution to pull us closer together, not pull us further apart. Therefore, Mr./Madam President, I object.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=4DB8179B-DE02-4D12-A373-D0F1269D50E8", "Sen. Lee Statement on UAE Arms Sales", "2020-12-09", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) issued the following statement Wednesday after voting against a resolution to disapprove of an arms sale to the United Arab Emirates: The signing of the Abraham Accords creates a rare and historic opportunity for diplomacy in the Middle East. The United Arab Emirates  by committing to and taking action to normalize relations with Israel - demonstrates an appetite in the region that seeks stability and peace, and presents a counterbalancing front against the Iranian regime. I believe the arms sale to the UAE under consideration will contribute to this movement in the region, and will allow the United States to continue reducing our military presence throughout the Middle East. Because of these shared strategic goals, I've decided to support the proposed arms sale and oppose the resolutions of disapproval considered by Congress today.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=5B2A0ED2-11BD-4A0C-B32E-AAF5C6452124", "Sen. Lee Supports Belated FTC Action Against Facebook", "2020-12-09", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) issued the following statement Wednesday after the Federal Trade Commission announced it is suing Facebook for illegally maintaining a social networking monopoly. I am glad to see that our antitrust enforcers are finally taking the threats posed by Big Tech seriously, Sen. Lee said. If Facebook faced greater competition, it might be more reticent to engage in the draconian censorship it has become fond of. At the same time, the FTC previously cleared both the Instagram and WhatsApp acquisitions, and I hesitate to congratulate it now for trying to clean up its own mess. This is one more reason that antitrust enforcement should be consolidated at the Department of Justice, as I've proposed in the One Agency Act. I'll be following this case closely, and look forward to continuing to exercise oversight in this area. You can read more about the One Agency Act here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://curtis.house.gov/press-releases/comprehensive-hong-kong-bill-passes-house-unanimously/", "Comprehensive Hong Kong Bill Passes House Unanimously", "2020-12-08", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "John Curtis", "C001114", "curtis.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DCToday,Representatives John Curtis (R-UT), member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the China Task Force, released the following statement after the House of Representatives voted unanimously in support of theHong Kong People's Freedom and Choice Act, a comprehensive bill that includes language from Congressman'sHong Kong Safe Harbor Act.\nSince the passage of the National Security Law in Hong Kong, we have seen arbitrary detentions of activists and crackdowns on their free press. This bill addresses this humanitarian crisis and shows Hong Kongers that the United States has their backs in their struggle for basic freedoms and liberty,said Curtis.I commend my colleague, Rep. Malinowski, for working to advance legislation to help those in need, which includes my language to give Hong Kongers expedited refugee status to come to the United States.\nBackground:\nThis bill would facilitate the entry of Hong Kongers to the U.S. in the wake of the Chinese Communist Party takeover of Hong Kong.\nThe language taken from the Hong Kong Safe Harbor Act includes:\n Designation of select Hong Kongers as refugeesThe waiving of refugee caps for Hong Kongers to ensure they don't take slots from other groups refugeesSpecial emphasis on protecting frontline activists in Hong Kong including those arrested for participation in protestsCalling for the U.S. to work with like-minded allies to take in Hong Kongers as refugees \nThis legislative package included multiple Hong Kong centric bills and was introduced by Representative Tom Malinowski (D-NJ) andpassed the House Foreign Affairs Committee in October. Text is available [HERE].\nCongressman Curtis introduced the Hong Kong Safe Harbor Act in June (read more here) and wrote an op-ed advocating for the bipartisan legislation in The Hill (click here to read).\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=88DC8F94-1A89-4BDB-8F03-05969D66433C", "Sen. Lee Introduces PROMISE Act to Hold Big Tech Accountable", "2020-12-08", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced the Promoting Responsibility Over Moderation In the Social Media Environment (PROMISE) Act Tuesday, a bill designed to hold Big Tech companies accountable for their promises to not operate their social medial platforms with political bias. The legislation is cosponsored by Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS). The billionaires who own our nation's Big Tech companies have every right to be partisan political actors, Sen. Lee said. What they don't have a right to do is make promises to consumers that they will provide unbiased platforms and then discriminate against conservatives on those same platforms. Tech companies hold significant power over the shape of American discourse and should moderate content shared on their platforms in an open and honest fashion, said Sen. Moran. This bill would make certain that interactive internet services are abiding by publicly-available information policies that users can easily access and understand so that users can make informed choices. In addition, this legislation would hold tech companies accountable if they misrepresent their content moderation policies while promoting a competitive marketplace that allows smaller internet companies to continue to thrive. Specifically, the PROMISE Act would:\r\n \r\nRequire a covered entity to implement, operate, and disclose information moderation policies that explain the standards, processes, and policies regarding its moderation of information provided by a user or other information content provider. Such policy must include:\r\n\r\nCategories of information not permitted on its service or subject to moderation by users or the entity itself\r\nThe process utilized in moderating content\r\nThe notification process (if any) utilized to inform users of a moderation action taken, the rationale for the moderation decision, and options for redress (if any)\r\n\r\nRequire a covered entity to not make a deceptive policy statement with respect to its information moderation policy. A deceptive policy statement carries with it a rebuttable presumption that a statement is material and likely to cause injury.\r\nMake violations of the requirements to implement, operate, or disclose an information moderation policy or to not make a deceptive policy statement constitute an unfair or deceptive act or practice in violation of Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 45(a)).", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=8DE85CDC-2CA3-4D55-B1DE-56204E341036", "Sen. Lee Thanks Sen. Hatch for His Service with Courthouse Renaming", "2020-12-08", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) issued the following statement Tuesday, after the House of Representatives passed legislation to name the federal courthouse in Salt Lake City in honor of former-Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT): Senator Hatch dedicated his life to serving Utah and his impact on the state of Utah cannot be overstated. As one of the longest serving chairmen of the Senate Judiciary Committee he left a lasting legacy on our nation's federal judiciary, so it is only appropriate that Utah's federal courthouse be named in his honor. This legislation has already passed the Senate so it will now go to the White House for a signature from President Trump.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://curtis.house.gov/press-releases/bipartisan-curtis-bill-supporting-veterans-families-signed-into-law/", "Bipartisan Curtis Bill Supporting Veterans Families Signed into Law", "2020-12-07", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "John Curtis", "C001114", "curtis.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DCToday, Congressman John Curtis (R-UT) released the following statement after his bill, thePeer Support for Veterans Families Act,was signed into law by President Donald Trump over the weekend on Saturday, December 5th.\nThe bipartisan bill,introduced last August by Rep. Curtis and Rep. Abby Finkenauer (D-IA), was included in the largerVeterans COMPACT Act of 2020.\nThe Peer Support for Veterans Families Actcreates a pilot program providing education and peer support for the families and caregivers of veterans who have received a mental health diagnosis. Congressman David McKinley (R-WV) was also an original co-sponsor of the bill.\nI am thankful my colleagues recognize that this bipartisan legislation provides needed resources to those supporting our veterans in mental crisis,said Curtis.Actions speak louder than words, and it's past due for our nation to honor the courageous sacrifices our brave men and women in the military have made to protect our freedoms. Now that it's signed into law, our bill gives veterans and their families hope for a better future after completing their service to our country.\nWe can no longer ignore the importance of taking care of those who care for our veterans, and with this bill we no longer will,saidFinkenauer.I am so proud to see this life-changing bill become law, and I look forward to seeing the Department of Veterans Affairs quickly launch the pilot programs it prescribes.\nSupport\nThe Peer Support for Veterans Families Act is endorsed by: the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), the Nurses Organization of Veterans Affairs (NOVA), the American Mental Health Counselors Association, the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, the American Association of Suicidology, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and The American Legion.\nBackground\nThe Peer Support for Veterans Families Actdirects the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) to set up a pilot program in 10 medical facilities to offer education and peer support programs to veterans' caregivers and families. With the permission of the veteran, caregivers will receive training in understanding mental illness, coping with stress, and de-escalating crisis situations. The new initiative will allow caregivers to learn from and support each other as well as provide them the opportunity to lead trainings and peer support meetings.\nThe bill directs the VA to choose sites that lack other resources nearby and to contract with training organizations with expertise in evidence-based approaches and military/veteran cultural competence, and that can offer services online whenever possible.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/the-chairman-s-note?ContentRecord_id=1E39B483-3FD8-4AFF-A6C2-93E7DA5D88C4", "Senate Passes Bill Fighting Immigration Discrimination and Protecting American Workers", "2020-12-04", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Few ideas are more central to who we are as Americans than the notion that people should be judged based on their own merits as an individual with God-given rights, not on the basis of the color of their skin or where they come from.\r\nAs our Founders wrote, We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal Those words are as much a part of our national creed in this moment as they were when they were written two hundred and forty three years ago, and our laws should reflect their enduring truth.\r\nThat is why I have been working to end nationality discrimination in our nation's employment-based green-card system ever since I arrived in Congress. This Wednesday we took a big step towards ending that discrimination by passing HR 1044, a bill designed to fight discrimination in our nation's immigration system while also increasing protections for American workers.\r\nSpecifically the legislation would:\r\n \r\nEnd country of origin discrimination by eliminating annual country-of-origin caps on green-card visas without increasing the total number of green cards issued each year.\r\nForbid all employers with workforces consisting of more than 50% temporary visa workers from sponsoring any new temporary visa workers.\r\nClose the B-1 temporary business visitor visa loophole used by many employers to avoid H-1B visa caps.\r\nLevy new fees on all H1-B applications that would be dedicated to investigating fraud in the H-1B system.\r\nProhibit the adjustment of status for any member of the Chinese Communist Party or People's Liberation Army.\r\n \r\nThe House still has to pass this amended version of their original bill, and President Trump still has to sign it. But if this legislation does become law it will be the strongest anti-abuse and anti-discrimination reform passed since the H-1B program was created 30 years ago.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=DDE23CB5-9990-4B0D-8A49-26F7758617F1", "Senate Passes Bill Fighting Immigration Discrimination and Protecting American Workers", "2020-12-03", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  On Wednesday, Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) secured passage by unanimous consent of an amended version of HR 1044, a bill designed to fight discrimination in our nation's immigration system while also increasing protections for American workers. Few ideas are more central to who we are as Americans than the notion that people should be judged based on their own merits as individuals and not on their race or nationality, Sen. Lee said. This legislation lives up to our founding principles by ending nationality discrimination in our nation's employment-based green-card system. It also contains much-needed reforms to our H-1B visa system. American families should always be our top priority and this bill contains strong new protections for American workers. The amended of version of HR 1044 passed by the Senate on Wednesday would:\r\n \r\nEnd country of origin discrimination by eliminating annual country-of-origin caps on green-card visas without increasing the total number of green cards issued each year.\r\nForbid all employers with workforces consisting of more than 50% temporary visa workers from sponsoring any new temporary visa workers.\r\nClose the B-1 temporary business visitor visa loophole used by many employers to avoid H-1B visa caps.\r\nLevy new fees on all H1-B applications that would be dedicated to investigating fraud in the H-1B system.\r\nProhibit the adjustment of status for any member of the Chinese Communist Party or People's Liberation Army.\r\n \r\nYou can read the full text of the legislation here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/speeches?ContentRecord_id=6C527AA2-BA32-42D1-8A9A-36F4E9BEAED6", "Honoring Rob Bishop", "2020-12-02", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Mr./Madam President, I rise today to honor my friend and colleague, Congressman Rob Bishop. After 18 years of service in the House of Representatives, he has decided to hang up his gloves and embark on his retirement. Rob has served the First District of Utah with integrity, tenacity, humility, and humor, and it is my privilege to have worked with him through the last ten years. Born and raised in Kaysville, Rob has been a lifelong resident of the First District, with the exception of his two-year mission in Germany for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He graduated from Davis High School with high honors, and later graduated magna cum laude from the University of Utah with a degree in political science. The epitome of a public servant, Rob began his career as a high school teacher at Ben Lomond High School and Box Elder High School, teaching courses in German, AP U.S. History and Government, and coaching debate. He notoriously had one rule in the classroom: I'm never wrong. That might tell you something about Rob Bishop.\r\nAn avid lover of musicals, he was also active in community theatre, where he met his wife Jeralynn. They first met on a production of South Pacific at the Palace Playhouse; and they later starred together as the prince and princess in a production of Once Upon a Mattress. In their real-life love story, they have five children  Shule, Jarom, Zenock, Maren, and Jashon; with spouses Melissa, Kristin, Shalise, Courtney  and nine grandchildren. Inspired by Barry Goldwater, he was also involved in local politics from a young age, working at various levels of government and of the Republican party. He's gone from precinct chair to member of the Republican National Committee; from Vice Chair of the Davis County Teenage Republicans in 1968, to advisor to the Utah Teenage Republicans in 1996; and starting in 1997 served two terms as Chairman of the Utah Republican Party. At just 25, he was elected to the Utah House of Representatives, when he was known for always wearing sweaters and no socks. He served in the state legislature for sixteen years, and during the last two was unanimously elected to serve as Speaker of the House of Representatives. In 2002, after serving in the state legislature and 28 years of teaching, he decided to serve at the national level. As he said in one of his most popular campaign slogans, Utah has plenty of Bishops  send this one to Washington! Rob has faithfully and devotedly represented Utah's First District in Congress ever since. I remember one of the first times that I worked with him, when Rob was a relatively new member of Congress and I was working as general counsel for Utah's Governor, Jon Huntsman. At the time, a private fuel storage organization was trying to store spent nuclear fuel rods in above-ground storage casks along the Wasatch Front corridor  just miles from Utah's major metropolitan area, and just under the low altitude flight path of fighter jets flying to the Utah Test and Training Range. And out of all the members of the Utah delegation that I was working with to prevent such a dangerous idea from taking place, Congressman Rob Bishop stood out. He had a full understanding of the problem  a complete mastery of scientific facts of the issue  and detailed, helpful ideas about how to address it. Thanks to his vision, direction, determination, and strategy, he worked to pass a bill designating the area in question as wilderness, and successfully prevented spent nuclear fuel rods from coming to Utah. Though new to Congress, Rob was punching above his weight because he was willing to dive into the nitty gritty details of an issue and put in the hard work. And that has characterized Rob's time in Congress as a whole  doggedly, thoughtfully, and honestly working for Utahns' best interests. He has served on the Armed Services Committee, the powerful House Rules Committee, the Science Committee, and as Ranking Member and Chair of the Natural Resources Committee  chairing hearings with his characteristic witty quips and wry jokes. He has also chaired the Congressional Western Caucus, served on the House German Caucus for his whole tenure, including for two years as Chair; and helped found the 10th Amendment Task Force. When Speaker of the House John Boehner created committees for congressional reform, Rob was named Chairman of the Committee for Procedural Reform; and later on, leader of the Rules Group. Under Speaker Paul Ryan, he was named Chair of the Federalism Committee. Rob did all of this in addition to being a staunch advocate for the military and for Hill Air Force Base. One of his proudest achievements was getting an extension of the Michaels Airstrip at the Dugway Proving Ground in Tooele County. When he was told that there was no funding for it to be done at the federal level, he successfully got the Utah state legislature to appropriate the funding to make it happen. And he was instrumental in establishing Falcon Hill  an aerospace research park just outside of Hill Air Force Base, and a public-private partnership between the Air Force, the State of Utah and private developers that was the first of its kind in the country. Rob has also brought his love of baseball to Washington. A huge admirer of Mickey Mantle and Ernie Banks, Rob is known to have dirt from the original pitcher's mound of Yankee Stadium in his D.C. office. He's been a longtime supporter of the Salt Lake Bees, even championing the construction of their stadium while he was in the state legislature; and is a diehard Cubs fan. Every year, he dons a uniform himself, leading his office in the intramural baseball league on Capitol Hill, with their team name as the Raucus Caucus. Rob has brought the same passion he has for baseball to serving his constituents. He has for years worked with the Close Up Foundation to bring high school students to Washington; and partnered with teachers and students to put on an AP Government conference each year. He has famously led constituent and student groups on long, expert, nighttime tours of the Capitol building; and spent hours late into the night making personal phone calls to each constituent who writes in. One of my favorite things about him is precisely how understated and down-to-earth he is  a true feat when you've been in Congress as long as he has. While he's known for his sharp, three-piece suits here in Washington, I can't count the number of plane rides I've taken with him on which he wears gym shorts, sandals, and a hoodie. (Many times he has given me the sage advice to not torture myself by wearing a suit on 4-hour plane rides.) But when you have a conversation with Rob, you never feel that he is trying to advance his own agenda or gain fanfare; as a matter of fact, it's quite the opposite. It feels like a real conversation, with a real goal of trying to fix a problem. He simply tells it like it is  an altogether rare, refreshing quality on Capitol Hill. When Rob ran for Congress, he said it was his goal to make Congress less powerful when he left than when he came. In all of his time here, he has sought to put power in Washington back in the hands of Utahns and people around the states. Just so, in all of his time here, he has slept on either an air mattress or a futon so that he would not get too at home in Congress. Rare is the man who can come to change Washington, but not be changed by Washington. Rob Bishop has managed to do just that.  He has made a real difference for the people of Utah and our country, and it's been a pleasure to call him a colleague and a friend. I yield the floor.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/speeches?ContentRecord_id=FE2836C0-F5BF-4B06-87D2-2BE6970DCA3A", "Floor Remarks on ALS Disability Insurance Access Act", "2020-12-02", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "It is a tragedy when anyone suffers from ALS. This progressive, neurodegenerative disease rapidly attacks the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, and eventually affects control of the muscles needed to move, speak, eat, and breathe.\r\nAnd sadly, it is always fatal. The average life expectancy is only two to five years after diagnosis.\r\nNot only are the people who suffer from this disease robbed of time, but also of their ability to work  imposing even greater hardship on them and their families.\r\nThe bill before us aims to help these victims by reforming our Social Security Disability Insurance program  a good cause I think we all support. But I think it goes about the job in the wrong way, it sets bad precedent, and it fails to include other needed reform.\r\nMr./Madam President, we must remember that ALS, Lou Gehrig's Disease, is one of many similarly debilitating and deadly diseases Americans are suffering today. While not as well known, all of these victims are also deserving of the same kind of special attention and accommodation in federal policy.\r\nLet's review some of the background of the program.\r\nThe Social Security Disability Insurance program, SSDI, was created in part to help people who suffer from conditions like ALS, providing monthly cash benefits to those who become disabled and unable to work.\r\nOne challenge with a program like this is that the agency administering the program  in this case the Social Security Administration  has to verify an applicant's eligibility for benefits before they start sending out the checks. Today, eligibility determination takes an average of three-and-a-half months. For some people and some diseases, including ALS, three-and-a-half months can be a dangerously long time.\r\nSo in 2018, the SSA established a new policy to fast-track the application process for those with serious, urgent medical conditions. Under this Compassionate Allowance Initiative, more than 200 diseases now automatically make applicants eligible for expedited review.\r\nBut while the Compassionate Allowance Initiative shortened the determination process from an average of several months to an average of 39 days, there is still a lengthy 5-month waiting period to actually start receiving the benefits.\r\nAnd in the case of urgent, fatal disease, that is still too long to wait.\r\nThe bill before us seeks to address this problem  but only for victims of ALS.\r\nNow, we should try and help the victims of this tragic disease to the best of our abilities. But they are not the only ones who need to be helped.\r\nOf the list of Compassionate Allowance conditions, some are just as urgent as ALS. and some are even worse. There are sadly several for which there is no known cure and that have life expectancies that are terribly short.\r\nFor instance, Creutzfeldt-Jakob [KROITS-felt YAH-kobe] disease, a degenerative brain disorder. This disease leads to dementia, and most often results in death within 6 to 12 months. Tragically, there is no cure; and around 1,000 Americans are diagnosed with it every year.\r\nAnother is cardiac amyloidosis [am-uh-loi-doh-seez], otherwise known as stiff heart syndrome. This disease affects the way electrical signals move through the heart, leading to abnormal heartbeats and faulty heart signals. For those diagnosed, there is no known cure; and they typically face a life expectancy of only 6 months after onset of congestive heart failure. About 4,000 people develop this condition each year.\r\nOr take peritoneal [PAYR-ih-toh-NEE-ul] mesothelioma [MEHS-oh-THEE-lee-OH-mah]. This disease is a cancer that develops in the lining of the abdomen, generally leading to death within 12 months from first signs of illness. And around 600 cases are diagnosed every year in the United States.\r\nThat's why I have been working for the past year with my colleagues to broaden the scope of this legislation, so Congress doesn't waive the SSDI waiting period one disease at a time.\r\nIt should not matter which fatal, rapidly progressing, debilitating disease an American is suffering  all fatal diseases with no known cure should have access to disability benefits after their SSA determination.\r\nMr./Madam President, the men and women who suffer from these conditions have precious little time left and they are just as worthy of help.\r\nThere is always hope that a cure can be found for them; or that at the very least, a new treatment can further extend the life of these men and women.\r\nRather than removing the waiting period for those with one specific disease, we should remove the waiting period for those who suffer from a small, select group of conditions that are most urgent and have the shortest life expectancies.\r\nThere is no reason we cannot help those who suffer from ALS and these other conditions.\r\nIn fact, the bill as written sets the stage for only those diseases that have the most recognition  and the most fundraising backing  to find bill sponsors. And it would set at a disadvantage the conditions that are more rare and more underfunded.\r\nMr./Madam President, who will be a voice for the men and women who suffer from these diseases? Who will fight for them?\r\nAdding similarly cruel maladies to this list takes nothing away from ALS, and it can make all the difference in the world for Americans suffering similar disabilities.\r\nI had hoped to offer my broader approach as an amendment after months of working with SSA and CBO. But unfortunately, I was given incomplete information at the time this vote was arranged to be scheduled.\r\nI appreciate Senator Cotton's and Senator Braun's patience in allowing me to work towards a fix, while they remained committed to advancing their legislation.\r\nAdditionally, while I would have hoped my work with SSA and CBO could have gone more quickly, I appreciate their efforts to address my questions and compile the necessary information and tools to estimate my amendment's impact.\r\nWhile I was pleased to see Senator Grassley's amendment, which at least would have paid for the removal of the waiting period for ALS, I will continue to work on legislation that will remove the waiting period for diseases that meet a set of criteria  no known cure with a life expectancy of less than five years  while not further jeopardizing the solvency of the DI program.\r\nMr./Madam President, my concerns and efforts have not been about the waiving of the SSDI waiting period for those who tragically suffer from ALS. I certainly agree that we ought to improve the time that they have left.\r\nBut picking and choosing favorites among those with comparable conditions is not the right way to go about it.\r\nThe lives of the men and women who suffer from other, similar conditions are just as valuable and we should be a voice for them, too.\r\nI yield the floor.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=5CC8EE48-F6DE-4E20-92D1-03B041D1E6D9", "Sen. Lee Reintroduces Screening Partnership Reform Act", "2020-12-01", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced the Screening Partnership Reform Act, a bill that would make changes to the Transportation Safety Administration's Screening Partnership Program. Our travel industry needs all the help it can get, Sen. Lee said. The Screening Partnership Program is a proven secure way for travelers to save money but it has been underutilized by our nation's airports. This bill would clear some of the bureaucratic red-tape surrounding this program in an attempt to unleash the potential cost-saving benefits of these private screening contractors. Bill Specifics\r\n \r\nSPRA would codify reforms to TSA's cost estimation process by statutorily requiring TSA to account for total costs to the federal government.\r\nSPRA would reform the SPP airport application process by providing certainty for airport operators regarding TSA's decision-making process. In addition, SPRA gives airport operators a role in the selection of a private screening company for their airport.\r\nSPRA would allow a private screening company to conduct on-site training and certification of private screeners led by either a TSA supervisor or a supervisor from the private screening company who holds certification from the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center identical to the credential held by TSA supervisors.\r\nSPRA would allow a private screening company participating in the SPP to annually submit recommendations to TSA on new approaches to screening processes and procedures in order to enhance the screening of passengers and property at the airport.\r\nSPRA would clarify ambiguities in hiring practices and the terms of agreement between TSA and the SPP airport during the transition to private screening.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://curtis.house.gov/press-releases/curtis-roy-urge-treasury-department-to-maximize-small-business-relief/", "Curtis, Roy Urge Treasury Department to Maximize Small Business Relief", "2020-11-25", "2020", "2020-11", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "John Curtis", "C001114", "curtis.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DCToday, Representatives John Curtis (R-UT) and Chip Roy (R-TX) sent a letter regarding the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to the US Department of the Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, advocating for small businesses back home that are in desperate need of common-sense relief. \nIn the letter, the Congressmen urge the Treasury Department to reconsider the recent decision to treat Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) expenses as income, effectively surprising small businesses with a tax bill as punishment for taking government assistance:\nTreasury's decision to treat eligible PPP expenses as income is especially problematic because small businesses throughout many industries continue to struggle to survive. Without sustainable revenue streams, especially as we enter the winter months, businesses could default on these tax payments or permanently close their doors. For these reasons, we urge you to reverse your decision and to work with Congress to resolve this ongoing issue.\nFor months, Rep. Curtis has introduced and suggested various proposals to help the PPP funding go furtherincluding the bipartisanPaycheck Protection Program Small Business Enhancement Actto amend thePaycheck Protection Program (PPP). TheCoronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act's(CARES Act) PPP helped deliver important tools to temporarily support millions of struggling businesses across the country and with the enhancements in the his bill, thePaycheck Protection Program Small Business Enhancement Act,small businesses will be able to receive even more aid.\nThe full letter, as sent to the Treasury, is below: (click for PDF)\nThe Honorable Steven MnuchinSecretaryUnited States Department of the Treasury1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, NWWashington, D.C. 20005\nDear Secretary Mnuchin,\nWe write to you today to express our concern about the Department of the Treasury's recent decision to treat Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) expenses as income, effectively surprising small businesses with a tax bill as punishment for taking government assistance. This comes with significant unintended consequences and could be taken by many that the federal government cannot be trusted to provide help without strings attached in a time of great need such as a global pandemic.\nPPP loans were designed to provide immediate help to struggling small businesses during the early days of the COVID-19 outbreak. Business owners turned to these forgivable loans to avoid shutting their doors, and therefore keep their staffs employed, while the country considered options to safely respond to this public health threat.\nTreasury's decision to treat eligible PPP expenses as income is especially problematic because small businesses throughout many industries continue to struggle to survive. Without sustainable revenue streams, especially as we enter the winter months, businesses could default on these tax payments or permanently close their doors.\nFor these reasons, we urge you to reverse your decision and to work with Congress to resolve this ongoing issue. This is also a belief held by the leaders of the Senate Finance Committee and the Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, in addition to prominent members of Congress from both parties, which underscores the importance of finding a workable solution. We thank you for your consideration and look forward to hearing from you soon.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/op-eds?ContentRecord_id=7773C2E0-2E03-46DB-9214-F6CF7BEE3688", "More children deserve a place to call home", "2020-11-23", "2020", "2020-11", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Over 400,000 U.S. children were in the foster care system in 2019, and the number of children and youth in foster care is higher today than it has been in nearly a decade. Tragically, some government leaders and researchers fear that the current pandemic could lead to heightened child abuse and increase the number of children in need of foster care. This increased demand may introduce additional stress into a system already in need of reform.\r\nFortunately, many Americans are willing to help care for foster children. As noted in a recent report by the Joint Economic Committee, which I chair, roughly a quarter of Americans say they have considered becoming foster parents. Far more Americans are looking to adopt than there are children in need of adoptive homes, and the number of children adopted with special needs has increased substantially over time.\r\nThere are additional reasons for optimism in Utah, as Utah ranks high on many factors related to adoption and foster care. The median length of stay in the foster care system for children in Utah  13 months  is one of the lowest in the country, and 80% of children in Utah's foster care system who are in need of adoption are adopted within two years, a rate that far outpaces all other states. Reentry into foster care is also fairly uncommon in Utah, though the state ranks above average on the number of children who leave the system at age 18 without a permanent home.\r\nStill, in Utah and many other states there is room for improvement, and changes can be made to ensure that barriers that currently get in the way of connecting foster children with families are addressed. Reforming these barriers is critical so that America's children are able to find a loving and permanent home.\r\nImprove the system's support of foster parents\r\nWhile many Americans have considered foster parenting, fewer than 10% of those who begin the process of becoming foster parents become licensed, and one-half to two-thirds of foster parents leave the system within a year of becoming licensed. Many potential and licensed foster parents report that a lack of responsiveness and support from the foster care system is the reason they have disengaged.\r\nStates spend very little of their foster care budget (which is a mix of state and federal dollars) on recruiting and retaining foster parents. They more often spend money on administrative costs that have little to do with children's outcomes or the quality of service they provide. Part of the reason for the misplaced focus may be that states are required to meet a litany of benchmarks set by the federal government. These benchmarks could be simplified to focus more on outcomes that matter most, such as recruiting and maintaining a skilled cadre of foster parents.\r\nAlso, some states, including Utah, have seemingly unnecessary requirements for foster homes and foster parents that make it harder for families to welcome a child into their home. For example, Maryland doesn't allow foster children to sleep in a bunk bed and doesn't allow window coverings in the home to have cords. Wyoming prohibits children of any age to share a bedroom with a child of the opposite sex. Several states require fire extinguishers to be on every floor of the home. Virginia requires foster parents to have a bachelor's degree in child development or a related field, or to have a high school education plus a year of experience caring for children the same age as the child(ren) the parents will foster. Utah requires foster parents to hold quarterly fire drills with children and then report back to the state.\r\nSafety standards are important, but some appear to be simply red tape rather than guardrails. States should examine their standards and determine which requirements are important for protecting children and which ones should be eliminated.\r\nReduce lag time\r\nAnother barrier to connecting foster children with stable homes is a system that keeps children languishing in foster care, either because of failure to rehabilitate parents in a timely manner or because of adoption-related bias. The field of social work often sees adoption of the child as something that shouldn't happen. But adoption is sometimes exactly what is needed; leaving children languishing in foster care can be damaging, especially for infants who are in the crucial stage of developing attachment to a caregiver.\r\nWhile federal and state laws place limits on how long a child can spend in the foster care system, states often bypass the time limit, frequently without providing a reason. States should focus on reducing lag in the system, particularly when it comes to young children. For example, Arizona requires that drug-abused infants be in a permanent placement within one year of entering the foster care system, which is a more expeditious timeline than many states set.\r\nProtect the religious liberty of foster care and adoption providers\r\nSeveral faith-based foster care and adoption providers have been threatened or compelled to stop providing services due to their religiously-held beliefs about marriage. Not only does this violate their First Amendment rights, but it reduces the number of organizations available to help children in need of good homes.\r\nThroughout the nation's history, faith-based organizations have played a crucial role in serving foster children, and they continue to do so today. For example, in Arkansas, one faith-based organization, The Call, is responsible for recruiting half of the state's foster families. And researchers find that foster parents recruited through faith-based groups continue their service for a significantly longer period of time than other foster parents.\r\nThe First Amendment Defense Act, which I introduced in 2018, prohibits the federal government from discriminating against individuals or organizations because of their religious or moral beliefs about the definition of marriage. This federal bill would help protect faith based organizations that serve foster children, and states should similarly see that their laws protect the religious liberty of their citizens and organizations that provide critical services to children in need.\r\nSupport infant adoption\r\nChildren under the age of one year are the largest group of children to enter foster care each year. It is likely that some parents whose infants end up in foster care were not in a position to parent from the start. Some families would be better served if their child had been placed for adoption at birth rather than being removed shortly thereafter due to parental abuse or neglect. Infants that are removed due to parental abuse or neglect often spend critical months in foster care before they find a permanent placement.\r\nUnfortunately, many expectant mothers with an unwanted pregnancy have incorrect or negative views about adoption, such as believing there are not enough families willing to adopt or that it is not right to place a child for adoption. Increasing people's understanding that adoption can be a loving option, that there are many families willing to provide homes, and that open adoptions are common today may increase the number of children who stay out of the foster care system altogether.\r\nChildren in foster care are among the nation's most vulnerable. Given the number of Americans who are open to welcoming children into their homes, there is a clear solution to helping these children. However, breaking down barriers in the foster care system is vital to connecting more children in need with parents who can give them stable, loving homes.\r\n\r\nOp-ed originally published by Deseret News", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=C10F0DB8-9557-4D75-A213-12CBDCE801CF", "Sen. Lee Signs Letter Requesting State Led Sage-Grouse Conservation", "2020-11-20", "2020", "2020-11", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) signed a bicameral letter led by Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID) and Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID) to House and Senate leadership urging the continued Endangered Species Act (ESA) listing prohibition for greater sage-grouse. Without an ESA listing prohibition, greater sage-grouse remain subject to a cycle of activist litigation that costs taxpayers and undermines states' conservation efforts. In an effort to combat this, a listing prohibition has been included in every annual appropriations bill since 2014 to allow state conservation efforts to proceed. [T]his prohibition gives the state conservation plans time to be effectively implemented and show results, the letter read in part. Instead of allowing the greater sage-grouse to be another victim of the activism industry that has been built around ESA-related litigation, we want to conserve the species. Using the knowledge and personal buy-in from States and local communities that have invested years in the development and implementation of these plans is the best way to do so. Additional signers of the letter included Senators Mike Crapo (R-ID), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), John Barrasso (R-WY), Steve Daines (R-MO), Mike Enzi (R-WY), John Hoeven (R-ND), Mitt Romney (R-UT), and Representatives Russ Fulcher (R-ID), Rob Bishop (R-UT), Bruce Westerman (R-AR), Doug Lamborn (R-CO), Paul Gosar (R-AZ), Doug LaMalfa (R-CA), Dan Newhouse (R-WA), Chris Stewart (R-UT), Mike Conaway (R-TX), Tom Tiffany (R-WI), Liz Cheney (R-WY), Tom McClintock (R-CA), Greg Gianforte (R-MO), Jim Baird (R-IN), Louie Gohmert (R-TX), Paul Cook (R-CA), Ken Buck (R-CO), Mark Amodei (R-NV), and John Curtis (R-UT).  Background: The State of Utah has a long history of successful wildlife management and conservation. In the case of the sage-grouse, significant contributions to the science, management and conservation of the species have been achieved under state management authority. Utah currently supports an estimated 6.8% of the total range-wide population of sage-grouse. The statewide population of sage-grouse in Utah has shown a stable-to increasing population trend over the past 20 years. Full text of the letter is available here and below: Dear Leader McConnell, Speaker Pelosi, Leader Schumer and Leader McCarthy: We write to ask for your support for continuing the Endangered Species Act (ESA) listing prohibition for the greater sage-grouse, a provision that has been enacted in annual spending bills since fiscal year 2015 and is included in the Senate's Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies spending bill for fiscal year 2021. State-led conservation of the species is working, and the Fish and Wildlife Service has signaled no intent or need to list the species in 2021. Continuing the provision for another year therefore does no harm to the species while saving taxpayers from expensive litigation and freeing up limited appropriations for truly endangered species. Species conservation is of the utmost importance in the West, and the commitment shown to conserving greater sage-grouse is certainly no exception. The 11 western states with sage-grouse habitat have individually implemented collaborative, science-based conservation plans tailored to address the specific issues of their individual landscapes. These conservation strategies were created with extensive input from diverse stakeholders including scientists, conservationists, previous Administrations, and local industry leaders.  However, despite this scientific and collaborative approach, the greater sage-grouse has been embroiled in a cycle of litigation and listing determinations for decades. The threat of litigation undermines the collaborative process started by the Obama Administration in 2011. With as many as three listing considerations within a ten-year period, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has consistently found State-led strategies to be successful in avoiding the need to list the species. Despite this, conservation efforts have also faced top-down Federal directives that completely disregard local land management expertise and communities. Meanwhile, time and resources that could have been spent working on conservation have been wasted in lawsuits and bureaucracy. Some have argued that a potential listing keeps the pressure on conservation efforts, yet every year that the provision has been incorporated in the bill, funding for sage-grouse conservation has increased because of the commitment and partnerships of Federal, State, and local leaders.  Species conservation is a slow process, and this prohibition gives the state conservation plans time to be effectively implemented and show results. It also provides for on-the-ground decision-making and multiple land uses that communities have come to rely on. Instead of allowing the greater sage-grouse to be another victim of the activism industry that has been built around ESA-related litigation, we want to conserve the species. Using the knowledge and personal buy-in from States and local communities that have invested years in the development and implementation of these plans is the best way to do so. The continuation of the prohibition against ESA listing for the greater sage-grouse is crucial not only for preserving ongoing State-Federal collaboration, but also for the long-term survival of the species. We appreciate your consideration of this request.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://curtis.house.gov/press-releases/curtis-phillips-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-increase-use-of-wind-energy-worldwide/", "Curtis, Phillips Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Increase Use of Wind Energy Worldwide", "2020-11-19", "2020", "2020-11", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "John Curtis", "C001114", "curtis.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DCToday, Representative John Curtis (R-UT) and Representative Dean Phillips (D-MN), members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today bipartisan introduced legislation to reduce barriers on the deployment of wind energy to international partners.\nMost carbon emissions come from outside the United States, and a vital component of combatting climate change is the U.S. exporting clean energy resources and technology,said Curtis.The bipartisan Worldwide Wind Turbine Act does exactly that by bringing together energy companies and U.S. international aid programs to share clean energy technology with the developing world.\nClimate change is real, knows no borders, and our communities and businesses are paying the price,said Phillips.I'm pleased to help introduce this bipartisan bill and urge my colleagues to join us as we prioritize clean energy projects at home and around the world. It's time restore American leadership and ingenuity in the worldwide response to climate change.\nStatements of Support:\nHeather Reams, Executive Director of Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES): Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES) welcomes introduction of the Worldwide Wind Turbine Act, and we applaud Reps. John Curtis (R-UT) and Dean Phillips (D-MN) forchampioning this commonsenselegislation that will use retired American turbine technology to support the development of renewable energy programs in developing countries. Wind is a critical component of America's clean energy future and a driving economic force across our country. The ability for USAID to accept and use retired turbine technology will serve to enhance the global renewable energy portfolio, reduce unnecessary waste and unburden taxpayers from shouldering the cost of new turbines when reusable options exist. CRES looks forward to working with Reps. Curtis and Phillips to move America  and the world  forward through clean energy technology.\nDr. Jessica Moerman, Senior Director of Science and Policy Evangelical Environmental Network: Core to our values as Christians and Americans is to give generously, steward our resources well, and partner with others so they can thrive and prosper. The Evangelical Environmental Network applauds Rep. Curtis (R-UT) and Rep. Phillips (D-MN) for their leadership introducing the Worldwide Wind Turbine Act. This legislation will reduce cost barriers for developing nations to access clean energy while at the same time enable American wind companies to be generous global partners and good stewards of their resources. As developing nations grow in energy prosperity, they deserve the chance to choose clean energy sources and avoid the harmful health costs that come from fossil fuel pollution  this smart, commonsense legislation provides a pathway for just that.\nQuill Robinson, Vice President of Government Affairs, American Conservation Coalition: Deploying clean energy technology around the world is crucial to reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. As we continue to build out wind energy capacity in the United States, the Worldwide Wind Turbine Act will address the challenge of recycling older turbines and increaserenewable energydeployment in developing countries. The American Conservation Coalition applauds this innovative policy solution and thanks Congressman Curtis for his continuedleadership on the issue of climate change\nBackground\nThe bipartisan Worldwide Wind Turbine Act would permit the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to accept donated materials to send abroad to developing countries to help lower their cost of deploying wind projects.\nCurrently, wind energy production companies are investing in larger and stronger turbines due to the ramping down of wind energy tax credits. Because of this, many of these companies have perfectly usable blades that are currently disposed of in landfills, despite having years of reliable use left. Currently, USAID does not have a program to accept and distribute these valuable materials.\nThis bill simply permits USAID to accept donations of used material for wind energy projects to be deployed abroad, putting them to use instead of in landfills.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=65677F63-B1F7-457C-A956-F2FD96EB79AA", "Sen. Lee Introduces One Agency Act to Streamline Antitrust Enforcement", "2020-11-19", "2020", "2020-11", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON - Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced the One Agency Act Wednesday, legislation that would improve antitrust enforcement by putting all antitrust enforcement under one roof, at the Department of Justice. When no one knows who is in charge, bad things happen, and sophisticated players like Facebook, Twitter, and Googlewho can afford an army of lawyers, lobbyists, and consultantscan game the system to their own advantage, and thereby avoid accountability for engaging in anticompetitive behavior, Sen. Lee said. It's clear that our current dual agency antitrust enforcement arrangement isn't working. The Justice Department is more politically accountable, and its structure is better suited to decisive enforcement. You can read Sen. Lee's Wall Street Journal oped on the One Agency Act here.\r\nYou can read the One-Pager here.  \r\nYou can read the One Agency Act bill text here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://curtis.house.gov/press-releases/rep-curtis-introduces-national-gis-day-resolution/", "Rep. Curtis Introduces National GIS Day Resolution", "2020-11-18", "2020", "2020-11", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "John Curtis", "C001114", "curtis.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DCToday, as GIS users and developers around the world share and showcase their work, Congressman John Curtis (R-UT), co-lead of the House GIS Working Group, released the following statement after introducing a resolution in support of National GIS Day today.Click here for resolution.\nGeographic Information System (GIS) technology has revolutionized our world, from the ways governments at every level create programs and prioritize funding, to how we get from point A to point B using an app on our phone. This year especially, GIS has been critical to responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, deploying broadband to Rural America, and mapping the wildfires we have seen in the West,said Curtis.As the Republican sponsor of the House GIS Working Group, I am proud to introduce a resolution recognizing November 18, 2020 as National GIS Day to celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of GIS developers and users. Without this important technology, we would be missing a vital tool in solving today's societal and environmental problems.\nStatements of Support\nMark W. Brooks, President, MAPPS: In short, GIS allows us to make more informed decisions that help to better our world I can think of no better means to educate Congress  and the general public  about geospatial issues than a resolution recognizing the many benefits of GIS data and the geospatial profession. I applaud you for your commitment to GIS issues and commend you for introducing your resolution designating November 18, 2020, as National GIS Day. On behalf of MAPPS, its member firms, and individuals involved in the geospatial profession, I thank you for your efforts and am grateful for your leadership.(click here for full letter)\nJack Dangermond, President, Esri: I want to thank Congressman Curtis for introducing the House GIS Day Resolution and for his leadership on geospatial issues on Capitol Hill. Geographic Information Systems play a critical role in the work of government agencies, businesses, healthcare providers, educational institutions, and organizations of all types. These technologies have helped us confront the Covid-19 pandemic and are driving substantial economic growth across the nation and globally. I applaud the House of Representatives for recognizing their value.\nMolly Schar, Executive Director, National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC): GIS is critical to delivering and improving government services at all levels of government, in areas ranging from public health and emergency response to natural resource management, transportation planning, and much more. Today, our members celebrate National GIS Day, as state government Geospatial Information Officers and statewide GIS coordinators, local government GIS managers, federal agency partners, private sector solution-providers, and colleagues across the geospatial community.\nGary Langham, Executive Director, American Association of Geographers (AAG): The American Association of Geographers (AAG) would like to thank Congressman Curtis for his leadership on this year's GIS Day resolution. As we reflect on the Geospatial Data Act two years after its passage, we are reminded of the critical foundation that the Act established to better coordinate between government agencies and to allow procurement of expertise from across the full range of the rapidly growing US geographic and geospatial community. While there is work stillto be done, GIS Day is an important milestone that recognizesthe vital role geography plays in solving real worldproblems and in educating a future generation of leaders and civically engaged individuals.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/op-eds?ContentRecord_id=9FB48DF8-2B01-45CA-B847-241B23836DA1", "Its time to unify our antitrust enforcers", "2020-11-18", "2020", "2020-11", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Today I am introducing the One Agency Acta bill to put all federal antitrust enforcement under one roof. For over a century, enforcement of the antitrust laws has been divided between the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission  more than enough time to see that this arrangement does not work. No one would intentionally design the system we have today. Even the DOJ and FTC, when assisting other nations in setting up their own competition authorities, to my knowledge have never advocated for creating two separate enforcers. Strong, effective, and efficient antitrust enforcement is essential to maintaining free markets and a protecting consumers. But the status quo of divided law enforcement undermines these objectives. Currently, DOJ and FTC work under an arrangement in which each agency must get clearance from the other agency before opening an investigation. This regularly leads to inter-agency turf battles as lawyers from each side fight over which agency should get the case. One significant matter was literally decided by a coin toss. Every year government lawyers spend hundreds of hours managing these fights, wasting taxpayer money and delaying enforcement of the antitrust laws that protect American consumers. This is no way to run a government. When they are not fighting, DOJ and FTC engage in their own form of market allocation, assigning certain industries to each agency. For example, most healthcare cases go to the FTC, while energy cases go to DOJ. This avoids waste, but it also creates the risk of antitrust enforcement varying between industries. The strength of antitrust enforcement should not hinge on a coin toss or a backroom deal. The recent case against Qualcomm is the clearest example of the potential for conflicting enforcement policy. After FTC won at trial, DOJ supported Qualcomm in its successful appeal. Two federal agencies, tasked with enforcing the same laws on behalf of the federal government, argued against each other in court. If that isn't the definition of a broken system, I don't know what is. The One Agency Act will solve these problems by moving all antitrust enforcement to the Department of Justice. DOJ is more politically accountable to voters and it is the only agency that can oversee criminal cases. This Act will make our antitrust enforcers stronger and more effective, eliminate wasteful spending and delays, and ensure the federal government speaks with a single, consistent voice on antitrust policy. This is an obvious, good-government solution that would be a win for consumers and the economy.\r\n\r\nOp-ed originally published by the Wall Street Journal", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=809601B8-AEBC-44A5-B5D8-9C0072D76381", "Sen. Lee Commends President Trump for Bringing Troops Home", "2020-11-18", "2020", "2020-11", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) issued the following statement Wednesday in response to news that President Trump is withdrawing an additional 2,000 troops from Afghanistan and 500 from Iraq. I support the President's decision to bring our brave men and women home, and commend him and Acting Defense Secretary Miller for their leadership. For too long, U.S. engagement in Afghanistan and Iraq has operated without a clear mission or end strategy. In the new year, I hope to see a full withdrawal of forces and a Congress ready to repeal the outdated 2001 and 2002 authorizations for the use of military force. It is long past time to bring our troops home.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://curtis.house.gov/press-releases/curtis-floor-speech-bipartisan-legislation-to-help-individuals-overcoming-addiction/", "Curtis Floor Speech: Bipartisan Legislation to Help Individuals Overcoming Addiction", "2020-11-17", "2020", "2020-11", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "John Curtis", "C001114", "curtis.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DCToday, Congressman John Curtis (R-UT) addressed his colleagues on the House Floor and called for the passage of H.R. 2281, bipartisan legislation to increase access to medication-assistant treatment for those overcoming addiction.\nMr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2281, which is an important bill to help thousands of Americans who struggle with addiction.\nThis bipartisan, commonsense legislation would give individuals greater access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) to help relieve withdrawal symptoms.\nCurrent law only allows providers to use this treatment once per day unless they have a waiver to prescribe the medication, and less than ten percent of providers have the waiver. This is especially problematic because substance use disorder treatment programs can take days to accept new patients, leaving many individuals unable to gain access to immediate treatment.\nInstead of leaving patients no choice but to return to the Emergency Room or the provider they received MAT from the day prioror even worse, take drugs again to stop their withdrawal symptoms this bipartisan legislation puts the individual first and is part of a collaborative approach to combat addiction of all types.\nThank you to my colleagues for your work on this important legislation, and I yield back.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=0CCC4F97-686B-4675-BE98-4221E8C22559", "Senate Approves Bill to Name Utahs Federal Courthouse in Honor of Sen. Orrin Hatch", "2020-11-17", "2020", "2020-11", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTONThe U.S. Senate today approved legislation introduced by Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Mitt Romney (R-UT) to name the federal courthouse in Salt Lake City in honor of former-Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT). Sens. Romney and Lee issued the following joint statement after the bill was agreed to: Senator Orrin Hatch dedicated his life to serving our country and our state. As one of the longest serving chairmen of the Senate Judiciary Committee, he played a pivotal role in the confirmation of many current and retired Supreme Court justices. Senator Hatch's positive impact on the state of Utah and the nation's federal judiciary cannot be overstated, and it is only appropriate that Utah's federal courthouse be named in his honor.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=36813242-A3D4-413E-B369-9EC06F5B4DB8", "Sen. Lee Introduces Bill to Protect Americans from Attack Drones", "2020-11-13", "2020", "2020-11", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced the Enhanced Protection from Unmanned Aircraft Attacks Act Thursday, legislation designed to better protect Americans from malicious drone usage.\r\nDrones already benefit this nation in so many ways, and I know Americans will keep coming up with new ways for them to help us, Sen. Lee said. Unfortunately, there are also those who use this technology for malicious purposes, and law enforcement needs the manpower to counter this threat.\r\nCurrently, Congress has granted exclusive and limited authority to detect and take down drones to only the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, and Department of Energy.\r\nAccording to a Blue Ribbon Task Force Report commissioned by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) and Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA), one challenge in meeting current drone threats is the federal government's lack of human resources or capital to invest in and operate counter-drone technology at airports. When you consider this issue beyond the airport environment, the challenge becomes even greater.\r\nThe Enhanced Protection from Unmanned Aircraft Attacks Act would extend the existing counter-drone authority of the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, and Department of Energy to allow them to contract with private companies for this work. It would require an update of the Federal Acquisition Regulations within 180 days to reflect the updated counter-drone contract authority.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/the-chairman-s-note?ContentRecord_id=B8037F49-F29E-48A9-9D66-422F15907983", "Honoring our Shared Institutions and Celebrating Veterans", "2020-11-13", "2020", "2020-11", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "In a closely contested election like the one we are still working through, our shared institutions become that much more meaningful.\r\nThat is why it was such an honor this week to begin the final interviews for the United States Service Academy nominations. Our nation's service academies demand the highest academic and physical discipline and it is one of my great joys as a senator to see nominees graduate and succeed in their respective branches.\r\nThis week we also celebrated Veterans Day, a moment to thank our soldiers, bot past and present, for all the sacrifices they made for our country.\r\nIf you are a veteran or the loved one of a veteran, please remember that members of my staff stand ready to help you with: assistance obtaining military records and medals; assistance getting updates on benefit claims; assistance communicating with the VA; and many more services.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://curtis.house.gov/press-releases/curtis-on-presidential-race-now-is-the-time-to-heal-the-wounds-and-come-together/", "Curtis on Presidential Race: Now Is the Time To Heal the Wounds and Come Together", "2020-11-09", "2020", "2020-11", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "John Curtis", "C001114", "curtis.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DCToday, Congressman John Curtis (R-UT) released the following statement regarding the presidential election:\n2020 continues to be the year of unpredictability. I'd like to be clear about my feelings on two things concerning the presidential race. First, President Trump should be entitled to every legal opportunity to make his case. Second, until a judicial decision determines wrongdoing, Joe Biden should be acknowledged as the President-Elect.\nGiven the opportunity to address Joe Biden, I would tell him that I will take him at his word that he will be a unifier and a president to all, including those of us that did not vote for himI stand ready to help. To Kamala Harris, I would say that I do not need to agree with her politics to acknowledge the historic nature of her electioncongratulations. To Donald Trump, I would say thanks for an amazing list of accomplishments over the past four yearstoo long to list.\nMuch good came from this election, including record voter turnout across the country and the increased number of women elected to serve in Congress. These are things that all Americansregardless of partycan and should be proud of.\nHowever, this election has shown that our nation is truly dividednearly in half. Political rhetoric and attacks have seeped out of Washington, DC, and into our neighborhoods, friendships, and even our families. Now is not the time to be sore winners and losersnow is the time to heal the wounds and come together as one United States. I believe no one can do this better than Utah.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=7415967E-6599-4276-923E-61BC581EE957", "Senators Ask Google CEO to Explain Apparent Election-Related Disparities", "2020-11-05", "2020", "2020-11", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  U.S. Senators Mike Lee (R-UT), Ron Johnson (R-WI), and Ted Cruz (R-TX) today sent a letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai after a nonpartisan study raised questions about whether Google targeted get-out-the-vote messages specifically to liberal users in the run-up to the election. In testimony before the Senate last month, Mr. Pichai said that Google does not alter any product to promote a specific political viewpoint. A study of 773 politically diverse computer users in the lead-up to the election by Dr. Richard Epstein found that only liberal users received get-out-the-vote notifications from Monday, Oct. 26 through Thursday, Oct. 29. Dr. Epstein's allegations appear credible and are very concerning. If it is true that Google is targeting messages to help Democrats win elections, then Google has not been truthful to Congress and has deceived countless Americans. These allegations must be taken seriously. Congress must have all the facts and evidence from Dr. Epstein with responses from Google as we consider changes to address these serious issues, said Sen. Lee. Dr. Epstein's response to my phone call regarding his monitoring of Google's election activities contains a number of astonishing revelations. First is the fact that in order to maintain their viewership numbers on Google's search platform, newspapers and other media outlets share their Gmail communications with Google. Second is that in order to tilt voter participation in favor of Democrat candidates, Google was sending a voting reminder only to individuals it profiled as liberal. And third is that, according to Dr. Epstein, by monitoring the New York Post's Gmail account, Google became aware that Dr. Epstein had documented their biased vote reminder. Only then did they end the liberal only vote reminder and begin sending the vote reminder to all voters. Google and other social media giants have amassed far too much power, and this example of Orwellian Big Brother manipulation demonstrates that Congress must address this significant threat to our democracy and freedoms, said Sen. Johnson. Big Tech presents a grave threat to free speech in America and to the integrity of our elections, said Sen. Cruz. Google has more power than any company on the face of the planet, and Dr. Epstein's findings raise serious concerns about Google's abuse of that power and its willingness to manipulate its platform to help Joe Biden win the presidency. Google must provide answers as to why and how it manipulated users to influence this election. Text of the Senators' letter can be found here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/op-eds?ContentRecord_id=40401E06-9F35-44ED-ABE0-A11253BB91CD", "Big Tech companies falsely claim no bias against conservatives  they may be violating law", "2020-10-30", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "On August 30, 2019, Facebook notified Lila Rose, the president of the pro-life group Live Action, that an independent fact-checker had rated two of her group's videos as false. Facebook said it would therefore suppress the videos and notify all users who shared the videos that they had shared false news.\r\nThe videos suppressed by Facebook claimed that abortion is never medically necessary  a claim that two pro-abortion activists said had been labeled as false by a group called Science Feedback.\r\nAfter The American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists came to Live Action's defense, writing that fact-checkers are in error to claim that elective abortion is medically necessary to save the life of the mother, Facebook removed the false label from the videos and stopped suppressing their distribution.\r\nFacebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has since admitted his company was wrong to suppress Live Action's content and Facebook has changed the way it fact-checks content on its platform. But the suppression of conservative voices continues.\r\nJust last month, Facebook banned pro-life ads from Susan B. Anthony List exposing former Vice President Joe Biden's support for late-term abortion, this time relying on a fact-check from The Dispatch, a self-appointed fact-check organization. The Dispatch eventually retracted its fact-check, admitting it was completely wrong, and Facebook then reinstated the ads.\r\nIt is encouraging that Facebook admitted its fact-checkers were wrong and eventually stopped suppressing conservative ideas in both these examples, but why does this always seem to happen in just one direction?\r\nOn Wednesday I had an opportunity to ask the CEOs of Facebook, Google and Twitter to name one example of their companies suppressing a high-profile liberal person or group, including pro-abortion groups like Planned Parenthood, NARAL, or Emily's List.\r\nThe Twitter and Facebook CEOs completely failed to name one example.\r\nConsidering how biased the employees of these Big Tech companies are, the constant suppression of conservative ideas is not surprising.\r\nThis election cycle 92.83% of the money Facebook employees gave to federal candidates went to Democrats, and just 7.17% to Republicans. If you think that is slanted, Twitter is even worse. This election cycle 99.3% of the money Twitter employees gave to federal candidates went to Democrats, and less than 1% went to Republicans.\r\nNow let me be clear, these employees have every right to donate to the candidate of their choice. But when any workplace is this biased towards one ideology it would be a miracle if its work was not biased against an opposing ideology. No wonder the employees at these very, very, Democratic companies keep suppressing conservative ideas while moderating content.\r\nAnd the suppression of conservative ideas is continuing right through to Election Day. Just this week, Twitter suspended U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Mark Morgan for 20 hours for updating the American people on the construction of the southern border wall. The moderators at Twitter said the tweet violated their rules regulating hateful conduct. This is completely unacceptable. Fortunately, Morgan announced in a tweet Thursday night that Twitter had unlocked his account.\r\nEach of these Big Tech CEOs has made public statements claiming to operate his company without political bias. Clearly, that is false. These claims make me think there is a good case to be made that these companies are engaging in unfair or deceptive trade practices in violation of federal law.\r\nIf these companies are not already in violation of federal consumer law protections, then it may be necessary to review these laws to ensure that these companies are held accountable, ensuring that they must provide truthful information to consumers and are not able to act deceptively or unfairly in the marketplace.\r\n\r\nOp Ed originally published by Fox News", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=B1DAD95A-E715-4973-943F-89A2998062FB", "Big Tech companies falsely claim no bias against conservatives  they may be violating law", "2020-10-30", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "On August 30, 2019, Facebook notified Lila Rose, the president of the pro-life group Live Action, that an independent fact-checker had rated two of her group's videos as false. Facebook said it would therefore suppress the videos and notify all users who shared the videos that they had shared false news.\r\nThe videos suppressed by Facebook claimed that abortion is never medically necessary  a claim that two pro-abortion activists said had been labeled as false by a group called Science Feedback.\r\nAfter The American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists came to Live Action's defense, writing that fact-checkers are in error to claim that elective abortion is medically necessary to save the life of the mother, Facebook removed the false label from the videos and stopped suppressing their distribution.\r\nFacebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has since admitted his company was wrong to suppress Live Action's content and Facebook has changed the way it fact-checks content on its platform. But the suppression of conservative voices continues.\r\nJust last month, Facebook banned pro-life ads from Susan B. Anthony List exposing former Vice President Joe Biden's support for late-term abortion, this time relying on a fact-check from The Dispatch, a self-appointed fact-check organization. The Dispatch eventually retracted its fact-check, admitting it was completely wrong, and Facebook then reinstated the ads.\r\nIt is encouraging that Facebook admitted its fact-checkers were wrong and eventually stopped suppressing conservative ideas in both these examples, but why does this always seem to happen in just one direction?\r\nOn Wednesday I had an opportunity to ask the CEOs of Facebook, Google and Twitter to name one example of their companies suppressing a high-profile liberal person or group, including pro-abortion groups like Planned Parenthood, NARAL, or Emily's List.\r\nThe Twitter and Facebook CEOs completely failed to name one example.\r\nConsidering how biased the employees of these Big Tech companies are, the constant suppression of conservative ideas is not surprising.\r\nThis election cycle 92.83% of the money Facebook employees gave to federal candidates went to Democrats, and just 7.17% to Republicans. If you think that is slanted, Twitter is even worse. This election cycle 99.3% of the money Twitter employees gave to federal candidates went to Democrats, and less than 1% went to Republicans.\r\nNow let me be clear, these employees have every right to donate to the candidate of their choice. But when any workplace is this biased towards one ideology it would be a miracle if its work was not biased against an opposing ideology. No wonder the employees at these very, very, Democratic companies keep suppressing conservative ideas while moderating content.\r\nAnd the suppression of conservative ideas is continuing right through to Election Day. Just this week, Twitter suspended U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Mark Morgan for 20 hours for updating the American people on the construction of the southern border wall. The moderators at Twitter said the tweet violated their rules regulating hateful conduct. This is completely unacceptable. Fortunately, Morgan announced in a tweet Thursday night that Twitter had unlocked his account.\r\nEach of these Big Tech CEOs has made public statements claiming to operate his company without political bias. Clearly, that is false. These claims make me think there is a good case to be made that these companies are engaging in unfair or deceptive trade practices in violation of federal law.\r\nIf these companies are not already in violation of federal consumer law protections, then it may be necessary to review these laws to ensure that these companies are held accountable, ensuring that they must provide truthful information to consumers and are not able to act deceptively or unfairly in the marketplace.\r\n\r\nOp Ed originally published by Fox News", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://curtis.house.gov/press-releases/rep-curtis-applauds-confirmation-of-justice-amy-coney-barrett/", "Rep Curtis Applauds Confirmation of Justice Amy Coney Barrett", "2020-10-27", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "John Curtis", "C001114", "curtis.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DCToday, Congressman John Curtis (R-UT) released the following statement after the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett:\nI'm so pleased to see Judge Amy Coney Barrett confirmed to the highest court in the land this evening. Throughout intensive hearings, Justice Barrett displayed her razor-sharp intellect, a profound understanding of the Constitution and the role of the Judiciary, and a deep devotion to America that will make her an excellent addition to the bench.\nThere's no question that Justice Ginsberg left huge shoes to fill  but I am confident in Justice Barrett to uphold our Constitution and the law. Further, I am delighted that the next generation of female leaders across the country have yet another trailblazer showing them that they can grow up to be anything they set their minds to.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=46C76F44-5DF9-463C-9EBC-CB9D8C6C0AA3", "Sen. Lee Introduces Protections for Good Faith PPP Borrowers and Lenders Act", "2020-10-27", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced the Protections for Good Faith PPP Borrowers and Lenders Act Monday, legislation designed to protect good faith borrowers and lenders from penalties associated with the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Lending institutions served an important role in delivering support to employers and employees during a very uncertain and difficult time for our country, Sen. Lee said. These good faith actors should not be penalized for changes made to PPP after they had already acted. Specifically, the legislation would:\r\n \r\nGives good faith lenders who participated in the PPP protection from penalties and from enforcement actions under the Small Business Act; the False Claims Act; the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act; and other criminal and civil laws\r\nProtect borrowers who do not engage in fraud or misuse of funds from penalties\r\nRemove PPP loans from calculation of assets or balance sheets for regulations based on the size of a lending institution\r\nRemove PPP loans from the regulatory purview of the CFPB", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=E889A59F-CECC-4665-ACD5-A9A2CDBDC7CF", "Sens. Lee Tillis Grassley Introduce SMARTER Antirust Reform", "2020-10-27", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) introduced the Standard Merger and Acquisition Reviews Through Equal Rules Act, or SMARTER Act, Monday, a bill that would require the Federal Trade Commission to go through the same procedures that the Department of Justice must go through when enforcing antitrust law, and would require the Federal Communications Commission to issue merger review decisions expeditiously.\r\n  As I've said before, the only people that benefit from uncertainty in antitrust law are antitrust lawyers, Sen. Lee said. Both businesses and consumers deserve clarity and certainty when it comes to federal antitrust law enforcement and the SMARTER Act would create a simpler and more equal system.\r\n  Our antitrust laws are in place to protect consumers and promote competition. We ought to be consistent when determining whether proposed mergers meet these goals, regardless of the agency conducting the review. Our legislation creates a more uniform standard for the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission to ensure greater fairness and simplicity when reviewing proposed mergers and their impacts on consumers, Grassley said.\r\n  The Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice unnecessarily apply different procedures and standards for reviewing proposed mergers, said Senator Tillis. This commonsense legislation will streamline the enforcement of our federal antitrust laws by creating a system of consistency that will benefit consumers and businesses.\r\n  The Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission share concurrent jurisdiction to review proposed mergers for compliance with the antitrust laws but it is not always clear in advance which agency will review a particular merger.\r\n  Although the two antitrust agencies apply the same substantive law to the mergers they review, their procedures differ in important ways.\r\n  The SMARTER Act fixes this problem by requiring the Commission to satisfy the same standards that DOJ must meet in order to obtain a preliminary injunction to block a merger and requiring the Commission to litigate the merits of contested merger cases in federal court under the Clayton Actjust as DOJ doesrather than before its own administrative tribunals.\r\n  Separately, certain mergers also require approval of the Federal Communications Commission. However, the Federal Communications Commission's merger review procedures create an open-ended process that fuels uncertainty and is potentially insulated from judicial review. This invites regulatory mischief from both sides of the aisle that only leads to an imbalance in the implementation of regulatory policy. The current process results in an inconsistent merger review process that not only harms the businesses seeking to complete a transaction in a timely manner, but it also hurts workers and consumers alike. The SMARTER Act fixes this problem by requiring the Commission to issue a decision within 180 days of receiving a completed merger application. The merger review process should not invite Congress or a regulatory agency to put a thumb on the scale of a particular transaction, but instead it should enable a fair and timely system that affords due process.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=0E99678B-6CB7-4099-80E3-93DEEE7DC7A9", "Sen. Lee Introduces UNSHACKLE Act to Reform NEPA", "2020-10-26", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON. -Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced the Undoing NEPA's Substantial Harm by Advancing Concepts that Kickstart the Liberation of the Economy or UNSHACKLE Act on Monday, legislation that would comprehensively reform the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The bill is cosponsored by Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND). Environmental planning is essential to sustainable growth, but unfortunately NEPA has become a weapon used by special interests to make much-needed infrastructure and maintenance projects throughout our country prohibitively expensive, Sen. Lee said. The UNSHACKLE Act will reform the NEPA process so that federal agencies, state, and local governments are better empowered to carry out NEPA's original process while also making our nation's infrastructure and maintenance project affordable again. For years, NEPA's burdensome requirements have left countless infrastructure projects in a state of judicial and bureaucratic limbo, stunting job creation and economic growth in communities across the country, Sen. Cruz said. Providing meaningful reform to streamline the NEPA process will help hard-working men and women return to work on delayed projects and help our economy continue to flourish. The National Environmental Policy Act is a 50 year-old law designed to ensure infrastructure and energy projects consider environmental factors prior to development. Without congressional action, the bureaucracy has turned NEPA compliance into an overly complicated process where permitting often takes longer than building the project itself. Leave it to the bureaucracy to turn a law meant to help something move forward into rules that are only good for holding something up, Sen. Cramer said. The UNSHACKLE Act will empower state and local governments while providing legal certainty and clear limitations to the federal bureaucracy. The UNSHACKLE Act is comprehensive NEPA legislation that combines five other previously introduced NEPA reform acts into one bill. Those other bills are: The NEPA Data Transparency and Accountability Act The NEPA State Assignment Expansion Act The NEPA Agency Process Accountability Act The NEPA Accountability and Enforcement Act The NEPA Legal Reform Act", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/speeches?ContentRecord_id=3667DD15-AF0A-403F-ADAA-9D5F6B5634B9", "Judge Barrett Confirmation Hearing Speech", "2020-10-22", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "As prepared for delivery\r\nThank you Mr. Chairman.\r\nIt is indeed an honor to be here on this historic occasion.\r\nAs I have said since she was nominated, Judge Amy Coney Barrett is one of the most impressive legal minds in the United States. She is a thoughtful and fair-minded lawyer, a loving daughter wife and mother, a devout believer in her faith and our Constitution.\r\nShe was the most impressive judicial nominee I have ever seen in these hearings, and I've been watching them intently since I was a kid. Judge Barrett is going to be make an absolutely outstanding Supreme Court Justice, and the American people will be lucky to have her on the bench.\r\nIt's a shame our colleagues on the other side, having failed to lay a glove on Judge Barrett during the hearings, have chosen to walk out on this process and on the American people.\r\nSad, but in context, not really surprising. I suppose we should be grateful that a walk-out is all the Democrats will do to Judge Barrett today; not all nominees have been so lucky.\r\nThis is an important point for those watching these proceedings who might be tempted to believe the pious pearl clutching and performance art of the media and the minority party about this nomination.\r\nI'd like to take a few moments to set the record straight about the history of this process and why America needs and deserves Judge Barrett on the Supreme Court.\r\nFor the first 200 years of our republic, Supreme Court nominations of both parties were almost always polite, even boring, nonpartisan affairs.\r\nJudicial nominees were examined for their qualifications, and only rejected by the Senate in rare instances.\r\nThat era of mutual respect ended in 1987, when a Democratic-controlled Senate shamefully, slanderously defeated the nomination of one of the most respected constitutional lawyers in the country, Judge Robert Bork.\r\nThe cynical attacks against Judge Bork  whose only offense was that he was a conservative  were dirty and dishonest.\r\nBut like the boy who cried wolf, Senate Democrats got away with it  the first time.\r\nFour years later, President George H.W. Bush nominated Judge Clarence Thomas to replace Justice Thurgood Marshall. Democrats on the Judiciary Committee  Democrats, not Republicans  tried to do to Judge Thomas what they did to Judge Bork.\r\nThe public was now wise to the Democrats' game, and the attempt failed.\r\nSo they resorted to the next tactic  organizing what Thomas rightly called a high-tech lynching of a black man who dared disagree with the rich, white liberals who ran the Democratic Party.\r\nWhen Democrats won back the White House in 1992, when the shoe was put on the other foot, Senate Republicans did not retaliate. Senate Republicans did not respond in kind.\r\nIn 1993, the famously liberal Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg was confirmed to the Supreme Court with 96 votes. In 1994, now-Justice Stephen Breyer was confirmed with 87 votes.\r\nThey went low, we went high.\r\nDid Republicans' good faith improve Democrats' behavior? No. The record suggests it only encouraged them.\r\nWithin a decade, Democrats once again breached norms. They unilaterally escalated their war over the judiciary by filibustering  for the first time in history  a judicial nominee, Miguel Estrada.\r\nMr. Estrada was and is one of the most respected constitutional lawyers and scholars in the country. He was a natural, and inspiring choice to serve as a federal appellate judge.\r\nTo the Left, that was precisely the problem. Mr. Estrada was Latino and brilliant and charismatic and was widely seen as a future nominee for the Supreme Court.\r\nSo, the Left decided to strangle Mr. Estrada's nomination with false, insincere attacks and unprecedented obstructionism.\r\nThey filibustered Mr. Estrada's nomination not once, not twice, but seven times  fan service to hateful leftist groups who were vilifying an honorable man in a revolting tantrum of political cynicism and blatant racial condescension.\r\nSure, during this ordeal, Mr. Estrada's family suffered irreparable tragedy. But at least the New York Times was happy, and the Left sent a clear message to Latino Americans about what they can expect if they, too, ever dare question liberal orthodoxy.\r\nThus Democrats ushered in yet another new era in their  not the but in their  judicial culture wars: the era of judicial filibusters.\r\nRemember, at the time of the Estrada filibuster, Republicans had control of the White House and the Senate. They could have invoked the nuclear option to break the Democrats' unprecedented, norm-breaking obstruction. We didn't.\r\nWe did not retaliate. Not after the Estrada filibuster. Nor after the Democrats malignant, mendacious smearing of then-Judge Samuel Alito on his way to the Supreme Court.\r\nIt's not the narrative, but it is the truth: once again, Democrats went low  cruelly, disgustingly low. And once again, Republicans took the high road.\r\nUnder President Obama, Republicans accepted the Democrats' practice and required supermajority cloture votes for judicial nominees.\r\nAfter a few years of this, Democrats got tired of having to play by their own rules, so they broke them.\r\nIn 2013, with a number of Obama policies being challenged on constitutional grounds in federal court, Democrats invoked the nuclear option over Senate rules so they could confirm judges with only 51 votes.\r\nRepublicans pleaded with Democratic Leader Harry Reid not to do it. And we warned Democrats that they would soon live to regret it. But hubris makes the powerful deaf as well as blind. They rammed through their appellate court judges.\r\nWe could not stop them.\r\nThey did it because they could.\r\nIn response, the American people did what they could: in the next election  and every election since Democrats went nuclear  the American people returned a Republican majority to the Senate.\r\nThat included the election of 2014, which meant that when President Obama appointed Judge Merrick Garland to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia, the Senate  following the precedent established by Democrats decades earlier  rejected the nomination.\r\nThat included the election of 2016, when Donald Trump was elected president.\r\nWhen he selected Judge Neil Gorsuch to replace Justice Antonin Scalia, Democrats once again filibustered and then feigned outrage as Republicans followed Democrats' precedent  again  and triggered the nuclear option on Supreme Court nominations.\r\nLet me go on record, I initially had concerns about this move. In conference meetings for weeks, I argued to my colleagues to try to find another way, to figure out how to restore the judicial filibuster and preserve this important part of the Senate's institutional design.\r\nBut I lost that argument.\r\nMy position may have been principled, but in the context of the Democrats' relentless, pattern and practice of abusing their power, it was untenable.\r\nI tried to persuade my colleagues to seek a good faith bipartisan solution. The problem was, while solutions were easy to imagine, the Left's good faith wasn't.\r\nThe only precedents Democrats had given us to work with were Bork Thomas Estrada and the nuclear option.\r\nMy colleagues pointed out the obvious: Democrats' embrace of judicial total war was not a slide down a slippery slope. It was a giddy, enthusiastic leap that they still don't regret. Just look at the record since then.\r\nIn 2018, when Justice Anthony Kennedy retired and President Trump nominated Judge Brett Kavanaugh to replace him, was there any sign of lowering the temperature? Any indication that Democrats were rethinking their decades of vicious, unilateral escalation?\r\nJust as before: of course not.\r\nDuring the Kavanaugh nomination, they stooped to new lows, concocting a patently false accusation of teenage sexual assault against an honest, honorable, and innocent man.\r\nLike inquisitors burning heretics at the stake, torching, sliming, smearing, breaking norms, breaking rules, to slander and strangle the nominations of constitutionalist judges is simply what the left does.\r\nLiberals, not conservatives, turned the Supreme Court into a super legislature.\r\nDemocrats, not Republicans, escalated Supreme Court confirmations into ideological knife fights and made political outcomes the defining issue of this process, rather than judicial philosophy and qualifications.\r\nWhat has happened to this process isn't a bipartisan failure; it is a uni-partisan strategy.\r\nEvery norm broken, every escalation, one party  the Democrats  has been the aggressor. At every step along the way, our side has used our constitutional authority, and the other side has abused theirs.\r\nThere is no tit for tat. There's just tat.\r\nDemocrats killed Judge Bork's nomination for partisan political reasons. They killed Miguel Estrada's nomination for partisan political reasons. They slandered Justices Thomas, Alito, and Kavanaugh for partisan political reasons. They nuked the filibuster for partisan political reasons. And now they are trying to scuttle this meeting, for partisan political reasons. When it comes to the judiciary, abuse of power is their agenda.\r\nThe Left seems to think the Supreme Court exists to impose their worst ideas onto a public who refuse to go along with their entitled extremism.\r\nThey want the Court to empower abortion activists and woke performance artists, campus and corporate elites, and social media outrage addicts to tell everyone else how to live  without votes, without accountability, and without debate.\r\nThey don't want democracy; they want docility.\r\nAnd Judge Amy Coney Barrett is not going to give it to them.\r\nShe is not going to politicize the Supreme Court  she is going to help de-politicize a Court that the left has spent decades turning into an extra-constitutional Senhedrin of Philosopher Kings.\r\nShe is going to turn policy decisions and political debates back to the people and their elected, accountable representatives  where they properly belong!\r\nJudge Barrett understands that under our Constitution, policy is supposed to be determined by the priorities of the people, not editorial boards or Twitter trolls or safety-school faculty Senates.\r\nThat is why the left is furious about this nomination. For all the pious pablum you hear on MSNBC tonight, understand: they aren't angry because this process isn't fair, but because it is.\r\nNot because they think Amy Coney Barrett is going to be a partisan Justice. But because they know she won't be.\r\nThey're not afraid Judge Barrett will legislate from the bench, but that she will force Democrats and Republicans to legislate from legislatures as the Constitution requires.\r\nJudge Barrett threatens their power not because she has a hidden agenda, but because they do  and she won't enact it by judicial fiat.\r\nAnd that is exactly why we need her on the Court.\r\nNot to avenge Bork, Thomas, Estrada, Alito, or Kavanaugh, but to restore institutional integrity to the Court, the Senate, and all the public institutions Leftist judicial abuse has twisted and discredited for two generations.\r\nWe need to confirm Amy Coney Barrett not to give political power to conservatives or Republicans, but to finally give it back to the American people from whom it was stolen so many years ago.\r\nThe Left has taken the political low road on the judiciary for decades. Amy Coney Barrett will take the constitutional high road, for decades to come, every day earning  in more ways than one  her new title of Justice.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://curtis.house.gov/press-releases/curtis-china-task-force-members-introduce-the-china-task-force-act/", "Curtis, China Task Force Members Introduce the China Task Force Act", "2020-10-21", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "John Curtis", "C001114", "curtis.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DCToday, Congressman John Curtis (R-UT), member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the China Task Force, issued the following statement on theChina Task Force Act, which he introduced this week alongside House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA),China Task Force Chairman and House Committee on Foreign Affairs Lead Republican Michael McCaul (R-TX)and members of the China Task Force:\nI am pleased to join with Leader McCarthy and China Task Force Chairman McCaul to introduce this package outlining our strategy to take on the Chinese Communist Party,said Curtis. This comprehensive legislation includes several of my bills recommended in theChina Task Force reportreleased at the end of September. The Chinese Communist Party poses a grave threat and I urge my Democratic colleagues to join us in protecting not just our own country, but China's neighbors, its own minority communities and our allies around the globe.\nBackground\nThe China Task Force Act is a comprehensive legislative blueprint that includes 137 bills and other provisions that were recommended by the China Task Force. Two-thirds of these measures have bipartisan support and more than a third have already passed the House or the Senate.\nCurtis bills in this legislative package include:\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=852C55E9-2733-4D6D-8A33-9B30437BFF42", "Sen. Lee Introduces NEPA Legal Reform Act", "2020-10-21", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced the NEPA Legal Reform Act Wednesday, legislation that would make it harder for special interests to delay much-needed infrastructure projects with nuisance lawsuits. Environmental planning is absolutely essential to sustainable growth, but unfortunately NEPA has been turned into a weapon used by special interests to delay much-needed infrastructure and maintenance projects throughout our country, Sen. Lee said. The NEPA Legal Reform Act is common sense policy that will reduce nuisance lawsuits, make infrastructure projects more efficient and affordable, all while preserving the necessary environmental planning process. Specifically, the bill would:\r\n \r\nJudicial Standing Requirements - Require a plaintiff bringing a NEPA related claim to demonstrate the plaintiff has personally suffered (or will likely personally suffer) a direct, tangible harm.\r\n \r\n \r\nStatute of Limitations - Set a 150-day statute of limitations for all NEPA related claims beginning the day after the final agency action has been taken under the NEPA process\r\n \r\n \r\nTemporary Injunctive Relief Reform - Codify the elements of a preliminary injunction issued by SCOTUS in Winter v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. 555 US __ (2008) and require proof of each element by clear and convincing evidence; and require an additional finding of extraordinary circumstances that warrant the preliminary injunction; and require the court to consider the preliminary injunction's effects on public health, safety, the environment, and jobs.\r\n \r\n \r\nPermanent Injunction Relief reform - Codify the elements of a permanent injunction issued by SCOTUS in Monsanto Co. v. Geertson Seed Farms, 561 U.S. 139 (2010) and require proof of each element by clear and convincing evidence; require an additional finding of extraordinary circumstances that warrant the injunction; and require an injunction to be as narrowly tailored as possible to correct an injury and the least intrusive means necessary to correct the injury.\r\n \r\n \r\nBonding Requirement - Require the court to fully apply Rule 65(c) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure for all preliminary injunctions granted for a NEPA related action. Rule 65(c) requires a security to be posted according to what the court considers proper to pay the costs and damages sustained by any party found to have been wrongfully enjoined or restrained.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/op-eds?ContentRecord_id=937865BB-67B9-4D48-B96A-878E4653FC24", "Of Course We're Not a Democracy", "2020-10-20", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "During the recent vice presidential debate, I pointed out on Twitter that our form of government in the United States is not a democracy, but a republic. The confused and vehement media criticism that ensued persuaded me that this point might be better served in an essay rather than a 140-character Tweet.\r\nInsofar as democracy means a political system in which government derives its powers from the consent of the governed, then of course that accurately describes our system. But the word conjures far more than that. It is often used to describe rule by majority, the view that it is the prerogative of government to reflexively carry out the will of the majority of its citizens.\r\nOur system of government is best described as a constitutional republic. Power is not found in mere majorities, but in carefully balanced power. Under our Constitution, passing a bill in the House of Representativesthe body most reflective of current majority viewsisn't enough for it to become law. Legislation must also be passed by the Senatewhere each state is represented equally (regardless of population), where members have longer terms, and where (under current rules) a super-majority vote is typically required to bring debate to a close. Thomas Jefferson described the Senate as the saucer that cools hot passions more prevalent in the House. It's where consensus is forged, as senators reach compromise across regional, cultural, and partisan lines.\r\nOnce passed by both houses of Congress, a bill still doesn't become a law until it's signed (or acquiesced to) by the presidentwho of course is elected not by popular national vote, but by the electoral college of the states.\r\nAnd then, at last, the Supreme Courta body consisting not of elected officials, but rather individuals appointed to lifetime termshas the power to strike down laws that violate the Constitution. What could be more undemocratic?\r\nAs I said in a follow-up Tweet, democracy itself is not the goal. The goal is freedom, prosperity, and human flourishing. Democratic principles have proven essential to those goals, but only as part of a system of checks and balances among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the federal government, as well as between the federal government and the states.\r\nRest assured, every single critic who attacked me for correctly crediting America's political success as a republic, not a democracy, supports counter-democratic checks and balances on majorities he disagrees with. My critics support Supreme Court decisions that overturned democratically enacted laws. They support Democratic filibusters of conservative legislation to, for instance, repeal Obamacare or allow for school choice or build a border wall to stop illegal immigration.\r\nAdvocates of democracy have convinced themselves the obstacle to progress in Washington is all these counter-democratic parts of our system. In truth, Congress's failure to pass sweeping progressiveor conservativelegislation in recent decades is a signal that neither party has won the necessary support from the American people to pass it. That does not indicate a flaw in the system, but flaws in the two parties' agendas. This is a feature, not a bug.\r\nIn the absence of national consensus, there isn't supposed to be federal law. That's what the states are forto provide smaller, more homogeneous polities to reflect our broad national diversity. There is no reason New Yorkers and South Carolinians and Hawaiians have to have the exact same health care or education or welfare or tax policies. If diversity is a strengthand nearly all Americans agree that it isour diversity has to be allowed to flex its muscles.\r\nRight now, one political party is threatening to undermine one of the republican checks included in the Constitutionthe Supreme Courtwith a plan to pack the Court with progressive judges. But you can't pack the Court without inevitably threatening things like religious freedom and freedom of speechthings that are unpopular but are protected by the Constitution precisely because they are unpopular. In that sense, our Constitution is fundamentally undemocratic.\r\nOnly in a constitutional republic are Americans' individual rights and cultural diversity given their proper position atop our political order, over and above even majority will. Even above the tweets of social media outrage mobs. Thank goodness.\r\nMike Lee is the senior United States senator from Utah.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=528D1BB3-4442-455C-825E-F467171C5A16", "Sen. Lee Encouraged by DOJ Antitrust Complaint Against Google", "2020-10-20", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) issued the following statement Tuesday after learning of the Department of Justice's antitrust complaint against Google: This morning's Department of Justice antitrust lawsuit against Google is an encouraging sign in our country's ongoing battle against the pernicious influence of Big Tech. I am glad that the Department of Justice is taking claims of monopolistic and anticompetitive conduct seriously. Our recent Antitrust Subcommittee hearing on Google's advertising business revealed its anticompetitive conduct may not be limited to search. I hope the Department will follow the evidence to end monopolistic behavior wherever it finds it.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=B87C1E59-07F5-4EB7-9199-F02BEE728485", "Highlights from Sen. Lees Opening Statement", "2020-10-12", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) delivered opening remarks at Judge Amy Coney Barrett's Supreme Court confirmation hearing today. A full video and transcript of the speech can be found here. Below are some highlights: We've heard this morning a number of arguments. They are essentially policy arguments, many of them geared toward actual policies, in some cases actual pieces of legislation. If you were watching today's hearing, and some of the statements made by some of my colleagues, in fact if you were to look at any of the countless posters put up in here, you would think that this was a political discussion, a policy discussion, a legislative discussion. You in fact are not being reviewed for a legislative position, or policy making position. One might also have the impression from watching this morning's proceedings so far that the Supreme Court of the United States is a remarkably bitter, cynical, and overwhelmingly partisan place. It is not Despite its flaws, and despite the fact that it sometimes makes mistakes, the Supreme Court of the United States sits atop something that is the envy of the entire world: a judicial system, that despite the fact that it is run by human beings and is therefore imperfect, is the best judicial system that has ever existed on planet earth. These tactics of creating fear and uncertainty and doubt, these tactics that result in relentless protests outside of the one branch of government that isn't political, astound me; but they dismay me and they disappoint me. They reflect the fact that we have allowed for the politicization of the one branch of the federal government that is not political. Link to video and transcript.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=C9046579-DE9A-4A91-9942-89836A7FAC4F", "Sen. Lee Posts Attending Physician Letter Recommending End to Isolation", "2020-10-12", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) posted a letter he received from Attending Physician of the United States Congress Dr. Brian Monahan Monday, containing guidance about his COVID-19 status. A full copy of the letter can be read below, but the penultimate paragraph reads: Based upon current CDC guidelines, you have met criteria to end COVID-19 isolation for those with mild to moderate disease. Specifically, it has been greater than 10 days since symptom onset, you have had no fever in absence of fever reducing medication for at least 24 hours, and your other symptoms have improved. The CDC does not recommend repeat SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing if these criteria are met. You can read the full letter here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/speeches?ContentRecord_id=789A88A9-09C0-48C3-BBF8-3829FA8ADF8B", "Senator Lee opening statement at SCOTUS hearing", "2020-10-12", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Welcome Judge Barrett, welcome to your family as well.\r\nJudge Barrett, you and I have a number of things in common. We were both raised in large families; in fact, we're both one of seven children.\r\nIn your case, as I recall, you're the oldest of seven children  which means that long before you had your own seven children, you were also the de facto mother to many others. The way things often work in large families is such that the oldest child very often takes on responsibilities at an early age.\r\nThose responsibilities have undoubtedly helped you throughout life, establishing leadership roles in your career as a lawyer, as a professor, and now as a judge. Those leadership roles of course mean something different in the judicial branch of government than they do in the executive branch, or in the legislative branch of government.\r\nWe've heard this morning a number of arguments. They are essentially policy arguments, many of them geared toward actual policies, in some cases actual pieces of legislation. We have to remember that we've got three distinct branches of government within our system: We've got two that are political  the legislative branch where we work, where we make laws; the executive branch, headed by the president, where the laws are executed, implemented and enforced; and of course, the judicial branch, where you work, where the laws are interpreted, where people come to disagreement as to their meaning.\r\nThe branches are sometimes referred to as equal. I don't think this is the best description of them. I think the best description of them is that they are co-ordinate branches of government, in that they each exist within their own sphere. They are not equal in the sense that the least dangerous branch was, is, always has been, and always will be the judicial branch  for the simple reason you can't reach out, you can't decide where we are going to go today or tomorrow.\r\nThe judiciary is confined solely to those cases and controversies brought to your jurisdiction. You look not into the future, but in the past. You see the world, as it were, through a rearview mirror. Your job is to decide what the law says when people disagree as to the law's meaning. Those laws consist of words, those words used in a particular combination, in a particular context, at a particular meaning on the day of their enactment, or their incorporation into the Constitution, and that's your job.\r\nAnd yet if you were watching today's hearing, and some of the statements made by some of my colleagues, in fact if you were to look at any of the countless posters put up in here, you would think that this was a political discussion, a policy discussion, a legislative discussion.\r\nYou in fact are not being reviewed for a legislative position, or policy making position. You're being reviewed for a position on our nation's highest court  where you'll be asked from time to time to decide cases based on the law, based on the facts.\r\nThis is not something that should result, or properly should be considered, by us  something that requires us to examine whether to what extent, in what way, you have compassion for any of the individuals depicted in these photos. I'm certain, just based on my limited interaction with you, that you have compassion for all people.\r\nBut this isn't the question, nor is the question before us whether you would agree or disagree as to any particular policy embedded within any particular statute. You understand this isn't your job  not as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit where you now sit, nor would it be if you were to be confirmed as an Associate Justice to the United States Supreme Court.\r\nOne might also have the impression from watching this morning's proceedings so far that the Supreme Court of the United States is a remarkably bitter, cynical, and overwhelmingly partisan place. It is not. You and I have both clerked at the U.S. Supreme Court, and we both know that if you actually look at the numbers, you'll see something remarkable.\r\nDespite its flaws, and despite the fact that it sometimes makes mistakes, the Supreme Court of the United States sits atop something that is the envy of the entire world: a judicial system, that despite the fact that it is run by human beings and is therefore imperfect, is the best judicial system that has ever existed on planet earth.\r\nOne of the many ways in which this is manifested is if you look at the nine members of the Supreme Court and the fact that they come from different backgrounds; they've been appointed by different presidents; they've come at it with somewhat different judicial philosophies, to the extent that some of them have indicated what their political leanings might be; they indicate that they come from different political backgrounds as well.\r\nAnd yet, the most common configuration of a Supreme Court decision is not five-to-four, not even six-to-three, it is in fact nine-to-zero, eight-to-one, and seven-to-two that make up the vast, overwhelming majority of all Supreme Court decisions.\r\nNow this is especially remarkable when you consider the fact that the Supreme Court typically takes up only those cases, those rare cases, as to which lower courts have been unable to reach an agreement when interpreting the same, finite provisions of federal law, of federal statute, or a provision of the United States Constitution. Multiple lower courts, very smart men and women from around the country  highly specialized, skilled in their trade  have been unable to reach the same conclusion as to the meaning of the same group of words. Then and only then does the Supreme Court tend to take up those cases.\r\nAnd yet, the Supreme Court overwhelmingly decides those cases either unanimously or near unanimously  and without these partisan divisions, that one from watching this hearing would think is the bread and butter of the Supreme Court's work. The five-to-four configuration is actually relatively rare. When it does arise, it's not even always involving a hot button political issue.\r\nMost of the Supreme Court's docket doesn't even consist of the hot button issues. A whole lot of it consists of stuff that I find really, really fascinating, like the dormant Commerce Clause. I mean, what American doesn't sit up late at night and stew over whether it's okay for a state or a political subdivision thereof to treat an article of commerce differently based on its origin or destination out of state or outside of the United States?\r\nThis of course, is the kind of case that comes before the Supreme Court and might from time to time be decided on a five-to-four basis, but not necessarily along the lines that one would predict based on the appointment of each justice and the political party of each justice's appointing president.\r\nThere are of course some decisions that are politically charged and that Americans do worry about more than others, that might affect more Americans, let's say, than a decision about waste disposal in the context of the dormant Commerce Clause. I understand that, I get that. But there too, we can't overstate or overplay the role the Supreme Court of the United States might exert in that context.\r\nEven in those circumstances, when the Supreme Court rules that something has been done in a way that is not constitutional, it doesn't mean that that's the end of the policy road there. Sometimes it might mean that the wrong government acted. Sometimes it might mean that the federal government acted where a state should have, or the other way around. Other times it might mean that the wrong branch of government acted. Other times it might mean that they went about it the wrong way. There is nearly always another way around a particular policy concern.\r\nWhether we are talking about healthcare, whether we are talking about privacy and individual liberty, each and every person serving anywhere in our government has an obligation to look out for the best interest of those they represent. In fact, each and every person serving as an officer in the United States government is required under Article 6 of the Constitution to take an oath to uphold and protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.\r\nThe Constitution, in short  this document written nearly two and a half centuries ago, that has helped foster the development of the greatest civilization the world has ever known  is not just a judicial thing. This is a thing that works, and works best when every one of us reads it, understands it, and takes and honors an oath to uphold it and protect it and defend it.   When we do our jobs in this branch, when our friends in the executive branch do their jobs, it requires us to follow the Constitution just the same way.\r\nThese tactics of creating fear and uncertainty and doubt, these tactics that result in relentless protests outside of the one branch of government that isn't political, astound me; but they dismay me and they disappoint me. They reflect the fact that we have allowed for the politicization of the one branch of the federal government that is not political.\r\nWe can turn that around. We ourselves within the legislative branch have got to do a better job, by focusing on the fact that the Constitution is not just a judicial thing  it's also a legislative thing, it is also an executive thing, it is an American thing.\r\nIt's one of the many reasons why I will object anytime anyone tries to attribute to you a policy position and hold you to that. You are not a policymaker; you are a judge. That's what we're here to discuss.\r\nThank you very much, Mr. Chairman.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=271ACD13-8D3F-4DE7-B797-E911A99329E2", "Sen. Lee Leads Reform to Help Veteran Careers", "2020-10-09", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON - Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) sent a letter to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) conference Thursday, encouraging them to adopt a Senate-led proposal on the 180-day rule which has only served to hurt veterans and their families without providing any protection for taxpayers. The 180-day waiting period required for military servicemembers retiring from active duty but who wish to continue serving their country through civilian employment at the Department of Defense (DOD) has proven to be an artificial barrier to entry for highly skilled veterans, Sen. Lee said.\r\nThese highly-qualified individuals are needed most, can least afford to wait, and are otherwise perfect fits for these jobs. The House and Senate both included provisions addressing this issue in the FY21 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), and I along with a group of my Senate colleagues believe we have put forward a solution for the conference process that will bring reasonable, needed reform to the 180-day rule.\r\nThe 180-day rule was originally adopted to prevent high ranking DOD personnel from carving out civilian employment opportunities for themselves. Unfortunately this rule has disproportionately hurt rank-and-file servicemembers.\r\nSens. Mitt Romney (R-UT), James Lankford (R-OK), Kelly Loeffler (R-GA), and Marco Rubio (R-FL) also signed the letter.\r\nYou can read the full letter here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=F0A103CB-0F8C-4F73-B06C-87221455CBFD", "Lee and Toomey Issue Statement Regarding an Additional Round of Taxpayer-Funded Grants for Airlines", "2020-10-08", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.  U.S. SenatorsMike Lee (R-UT)and Pat Toomey (R-PA)issued the following statement detailing their concerns regarding another round of taxpayer-funded grants for the passenger airline companies:For the past six months, the American taxpayers have spent $25 billion covering the payroll obligations of passenger airlines. No other Fortune 500 companies  including restaurant groups, transportation firms, hotel chains, or entertainment businesses  have received taxpayer-funded grants. The excess capacity of the airline sector will not be resolved in the near future and continuing to force the entire payroll obligation onto the taxpayers is not sustainable. No one wants to see layoffs, but we have a responsibility to ensure that taxpayer resources are used in an appropriate and equitable manner. Rather than collect another round of grant funding, airlines should start (or in some cases continue to) take advantage of the low-interest, long-term loans from the federal government under the CARES Act. The favorable terms of these loans will make it possible for the airlines to repay the taxpayers once air travel picks back up. Consideration of legislation providing grants to the airlines should not happen unless there are adequate protections for taxpayers and the opportunity to offer related amendments.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/op-eds?ContentRecord_id=85EC32FB-3D15-44A0-B341-5F9C50E2C28A", "VP debate -- The Harris agenda isn't something Americans should be forced to follow", "2020-10-07", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Harris likes to say, \"California is the leading way,\" but where exactly is California leading us?\r\nNever before has a vice presidential debate been so important.\r\nIf elected, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden would be the oldest person ever elected to a first term as president. And his running mate Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., already seems to be measuring the drapes. Just last month she referred to a Harris administration before correcting herself by adding Biden-Harris administration.\r\nAnd Biden seems to be right there with her. Days later, he also slipped up when describing what a Harris-Biden administration would do if elected in November.\r\nSo what would a Harris administration mean for the country? What model of governance would Harris follow?\r\nIf you follow her Twitter feed, you already know. Once again, California is leading the way. Harris tweeted last year in response to a Los Angeles Times story about the state's promise to use 100% clean energy by 2045. And if you scroll through her timeline, you'll see her using that phrase California is the leading way over and over again.\r\nBut where exactly is California leading us?\r\nBefore becoming the Attorney General of California in 2011, Harris served as the District Attorney for San Francisco for seven years. This is the same San Francisco where foreign drug cartels use illegal immigrants to run open-air drug markets throughout the city.\r\nThese drug dealers know exactly how to manipulate California's progressive criminal justice system to avoid jail time. They use addicted homeless people to hold their drugs for them while they make deals so they are never arrested while holding anything more than a small amount of drugs. As a result, even if they are arrested, drug dealers are quickly back on the street and rarely prosecuted, let alone convicted.\r\nAnd forget about calling Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to deport them out of the country. San Francisco is a sanctuary city.\r\nBut there is no sanctuary for San Francisco's residents who have to avoid all the used needles and human waste from the thousands of addicts in their city.\r\nAs recently as 2011, San Francisco only had 5,000 reported cases of excrement removal in the city. By 2018, that number was 25,000, and the city has since had to hire people whose sole job is cleaning up all the human waste in San Francisco's streets.\r\nDriving in San Francisco isn't safe either, at least if you want to park. Again, thanks to California's progressive criminal justice system, thieves know that unless they are convicted multiple times, they face virtually no consequences if they are caught smashing car windows. As a result, over 25,000 cars are broken into every year - almost 70 break-ins a day.\r\nIf you are one of the rich progressive elite who works at Google or Facebook or Twitter, and you host fundraisers for Harris and Biden, then replacing a broken car window every now and then is just part of the price you have to pay to live in the progressive paradise that is California.\r\nJust look at the state's energy prices, which have risen five times faster than the national average since 2011. California's climate change agenda might make wealthy Californians feel better about themselves, but it also makes the cost of living in the state that much worse for low- and middle-income families.\r\nIn fact, once the cost of living is taken into account, California has the nation's highest poverty rate at almost 20%. No wonder hundreds of thousands of middle-class families flee from California every year.\r\nCalifornia's weather is arguably the best on Earth. Who wouldn't want to live where it is sunny and 70 degrees all the time?\r\nThere is a reason thousands of U-Haul vans are departing California and heading to Oregon, Texas, Idaho, and yes, even my home state of Utah, every year: the progressive policies that a Harris-Biden administration want to inflict on the rest of the country have made California unlivable for middle-class Americans.\r\nAnd if the Harris-Biden agenda is enacted not just in California, but throughout the country by force, then where will the rest of us escape to?\r\n\r\nOped Originally published by Fox News", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=C0F9EA86-F3B4-46D0-BEAC-6A2924F1D481", "Sen. Lee Responds to Netflix Defense of Shameful Movie Promotion", "2020-10-05", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON - Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) issued the following statement Monday after reading Netflix's response to an earlier letter Sen. Lee sent Netflix about the movie Cuties.\r\nJust over three weeks ago, I joined a chorus of concerned Americans in expressing our outrage and disgust at the film, Cuties, distributed by Netflix. I wrote to Netflix CEO Reed Hastings to share these concerns and request that Netflix explain whether or not the potential exploitation of young girls depicted in the film violated federal law. I later discussed my concerns in moredetail with Netflix employees by phone. I have to say that I am unsatisfied by Netflix's response. Asked whether the sexualization of young girls depicted in Cuties constituted criminal conduct, Netflix offered only conclusory statements in denial. I am not convinced. But setting aside the legal question, there is a more pressing moral question. Netflix itself acknowledges that the conduct of the young girls in Cuties is inappropriate, shameful, and a hallmark of a cultural failing. I couldn't agree more. What I cannot understand, however, is how Netflix can condemn the conduct depicted in Cuties, while celebrating the film and filmmakers who asked several underage girls to stand in front of a camera and engage in that same inappropriate, shameful conduct for all the world to see. I reiterate my call for Netflix to cease distributing Cuties. Until it does so, Netflix lacks the moral standing to speak to any cultural issue.\r\nYou can read Sen. Lee's letter to Netflix here.\r\nYou can read Netflix's response here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://curtis.house.gov/press-releases/comprehensive-hong-kong-bill-with-portions-of-curtis-legislation-sails-through-committee/", "Comprehensive Hong Kong Bill With Portions of Curtis Legislation Sails Through Committee", "2020-10-01", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "John Curtis", "C001114", "curtis.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DCToday,Representatives John Curtis (R-UT), member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the China Task Force, released the following statement after the House Foreign Affairs Committee voted unanimously in support of theHong Kong People's Freedom and Choice Act, a comprehensive bill that includes language from Congressman Curtis's Hong Kong Safe Harbor Act.\nSince the passage of the National Security Law in Hong Kong, we have seen arbitrary detentions of activists and crackdowns on their free press. This bill addresses this humanitarian crisis and shows Hong Kongers that the United States has their backs in their struggle for basic freedoms and liberty,said Curtis.I commend my colleague, Rep. Malinowski, for working to advance legislation to help those in need, which includes my language to give Hong Kongers expedited refugee status to come to the United States.\nBackground:\nThis bill would facilitate the entry of Hong Kongers to the U.S. in the wake of the Chinese Communist Party takeover of Hong Kong.\nThe language taken from the Hong Kong Safe Harbor Act includes:\n Designation of select Hong Kongers as refugeesThe waiving of refugee caps for Hong Kongers to ensure they don't take slots from other groups refugeesSpecial emphasis on protecting frontline activists in Hong Kong including those arrested for participation in protestsCalling for the U.S. to work with like-minded allies to take in Hong Kongers as refugees \nThis legislative package included multiple Hong Kong centric bills and was introduced by Representative Tom Malinowski (D-NJ) on Monday, September 28th.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://curtis.house.gov/press-releases/rep-curtis-applauds-house-passage-of-his-bipartisan-bill-to-protect-athletes-from-abuse/", "Rep Curtis Applauds House Passage of His Bipartisan Bill to Protect Athletes From Abuse", "2020-10-01", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "John Curtis", "C001114", "curtis.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DCToday, Congressman John Curtis (R-UT), co-chair of the Olympic Caucus, issued the following statement after the House passed thebipartisanEmpowering Olympic, Paralympic and Amateur Athletes Act,which he introducedalong with Reps. Ted W. Lieu (D-CA), Susan Brooks (R-IN), and Diana DeGette (D-CO). The bill will now head to the President's desk for signature.\nAmerica's top-level athletes should be able to focus on the sport they love and not have to worry about being taken advantage of by bad actors,said Curtis.I am proud to be a Republican co-lead of the Empowering Olympic and Amateur Athletes Act to enhance safety for athletes by implementing needed reforms to the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee.\nBackground:\nThe bill, which is a companion toSens. Jerry Moran and Richard Blumenthal's legislation, willhelp protect athletes from sexual abuse by strengthening legal liability and accountability mechanisms for both the U.S. Olympic Committee and the governing bodies of specific sports. Additionally, it will create clear procedures and reporting requirements for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee to ensure athletes are protected moving forward. The bill will also ensure that allegations of sexual abuse against athletes can be independently investigated without the interference of U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee or a national sports governing body.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://curtis.house.gov/press-releases/curtis-bipartisan-house-colleagues-introduce-bill-to-help-americans-purchase-face-masks-and-other-covid-19-supplies/", "Curtis, Bipartisan House Colleagues Introduce Bill to Help Americans Purchase Face Masks and Other COVID-19 Supplies", "2020-09-30", "2020", "2020-09", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "John Curtis", "C001114", "curtis.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DCToday,Representatives John Curtis (R-UT),Kendra Horn (D-OK) andAmi Bera, M.D. (D-CA), introduced the bipartisanProtecting Individuals and Families Act, which permits millions of Americans to use their health savings accounts or flexible spending accounts to purchase face masks to protect against COVID-19. The legislation would also permit individuals to purchase hand sanitizers as well as surface cleaners to stop the spread of the virus using these tax-advantaged savings accounts.\nMillions of Americans across the country use these accounts to help save for future medical expenses or unexpected life events,said Curtis.We ought to give people the option to use these hard-earned savings to purchase a face mask or cleaning supplies that can limit the spread of COVID-19, which no one expected and is a clear threat to our health and well-being. This bipartisan, commonsense legislation unlocks the ability for Americans and their families to protect themselves, their loved ones, and their community from the spread of this virus, and I urge my colleagues to join me advancing this important measure.\nI am proud to introduce the Protecting Individuals and Families Act with Congressman Curtis. As we continue to navigate life in the midst of a pandemic, allowing Americans to use their Health Savings Accounts to purchase personal protective equipment like face masks and antibacterial wipes just makes sense. In order to reduce the spread of this virus and restart the economy, we have to follow the advice of public health experts to wear masks and maintain social distance,said Horn.Purchasing PPE ensures we have a healthier workforce and a stronger economy. This bill will make it easier for individuals and families to do just that.\nIn April, I urged the CDC to recommend that people wear face coverings in public, and I am pleased they did shortly after,said Bera.We should use all of our tools at our disposal to help people buy critical tools like masks and hand sanitizerwe know it will help us in the fight against COVID-19. And this billwhich would let people use their own FSA or HSA funds to purchase these items while we respond to the pandemicis a great way to do just that, and I am proud to help lead this effort.\nOther cosponsors of the legislation include Reps. Mike Kelly (R-PA), Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ), and Andy Harris, M.D. (R-MD).\nBackground:\nTheCoronavirus Aid, Response, and Economic Security(CARES)Actpassed in March 2020 and made permanent changes to health savings accounts. Individuals can now purchase over the counter medications using their health savings accounts, but face masks, specifically, do not count as eligible expenses under federal law.\nThe bipartisanProtecting Individuals and Families Actqualifies face masks, federally approved hand sanitizers, and federally approved surface cleaners to count as eligible HSA or FSA expenses through the duration of the Public Health Emergency. This change gives millions of Americans the option to take extra precautionary measures they believe are needed to keep themselves and their families safe during this uncertain time, which is especially important as workplaces and schools reopen throughout the country.\nClickHEREto read the text of the bill.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=00F4FFC0-6EB2-4500-9D90-EE97AB44641B", "Sen. Lee Comments on Meeting Judge Amy Coney Barrett", "2020-09-29", "2020", "2020-09", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON - Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), released the following statement today after his meeting with Supreme Court Nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett: I was remarkably impressed by Judge Barrett. My meeting with her was fantastic. She is a judge, a legal scholar, a lawyer, and a jurist with outstanding credentials. We had a great conversation and I am very much looking forward to speaking with her more during her confirmation hearing.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://curtis.house.gov/press-releases/curtis-scanlon-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-renew-human-trafficking-council/", "Curtis, Scanlon Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Renew Human Trafficking Council", "2020-09-25", "2020", "2020-09", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "John Curtis", "C001114", "curtis.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DCToday, Congressman John Curtis (R-UT) and Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (D-NY)released the following statements after introducing their bipartisan bill to renew authorization for the Public-Private Advisory Council to End Human Trafficking, an entity that provides a direct line to federal government agencies that will streamline unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles by empowering nonprofits and nongovernmental organizations in the fight against human trafficking.\nHuman trafficking is a terrible scourge and we must all work together to defeat it,said Curtis.Last Congress, the President signed my bill into law creating the Public-Private Partnership Advisory Council to End Human Trafficking which brought the Federal government and prevention and rehabilitation experts together. Organizations like Utah's Operation Underground Railroad (OUR) have led the way in fighting human trafficking and offer invaluable expertise to the Council. To ensure the critical work of this advisory council continues, I've introduced theHuman Trafficking Council Extension Actto reauthorize the Council and give its members additional time to meet and recommend best practices to help put an end to human trafficking.\nHuman trafficking remains a far too common tragedy in our country. I am proud to join my colleague, Representative Curtis, to introduce this legislation in support of the Public-Private Partnership Advisory Council to End Human Trafficking,said Scanlon.We must use every resource at our disposal to prevent this horrific crime, and protect survivors.\nStatement of Support\nTim Ballard, Founder of Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.) and Current Co-Chair of the Public-Private Partnership Advisory Council to End Human Trafficking:\nI applaud Congressman Curtis' continued efforts to combat human trafficking and exploitation in the United States and abroad. His legislation will allow the Public-Private Partnership Advisory Council to End Human Trafficking to continue our important work of informing and advising the Federal government's response to and prevention of human traffickingincluding some of the most horrendous forms of child exploitation, said Tim Ballard. This council of experts and representatives of non-profit organizations was created by Congress and appointed by the President to provide guidance to Federal agencies on the best practices for preventing human trafficking and for providing the very best treatment and care for human trafficking survivors.\nBackground\nCongressman Curtis' bill to establish the Advisory Council was signed into law in December 2018. ClickHEREto read more. This legislation will reauthorize the council. Companion legislation was introduced by Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) last week.\nThe Public-Private Partnership Advisory Council helps fight human trafficking by:\n Serving as a point of contact for Federal agencies in coordination with nonprofits and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) fighting human trafficking for input on programming and policies related to their efforts.Consisting of eight to fourteen representatives from NGOs and nonprofit groups that have significant knowledge and experience in fighting human trafficking, or the rehabilitation and aftercare of human trafficking victims and survivors.Formulating assessments and recommendations to ensure that the policy and programming efforts of the Federal government conform to the best practices in the field of combatting human trafficking, and the rehabilitation and aftercare of victims.Submitting a report to Congressional Committees with recommendations for continued improvement. \nText of the bill is availableHERE.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/issue-in-focus?ContentRecord_id=4689CDCC-4BDE-4148-93DF-81FF97DDB220", "The UNSHACKLE Act", "2020-09-25", "2020", "2020-09", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "In 1970, President Nixon signed into law the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Congress originally passed NEPA as a procedural statute that would ensure federal agencies were accounting for the environmental consequences of proposed federal actions or projects.\r\nOver the last 50 years, this process has substantially deviated from its original purpose. NEPA is now a complex, bureaucratic labyrinth that dramatically increases the cost and timeline for many urgently needed projects. In this situation, there are no winners. There are, however, many who lose out including American consumers, businesses, and employees. The current situation also creates ironic hurdles for land managers who are interested in conservation projects.\r\nTherefore, I am excited to announce an effort I am calling the Undoing NEPA's Substantial Harm by Advancing Concepts that Kickstart the Liberation of the Economy or UNSHACKLE Act. It contains a number of provisions to reform the NEPA regulatory process so that federal agencies, state and local governments, and other project sponsors are empowered to carry out NEPA's original purpose.\r\nThe UNSHACKLE Act can be divided into four main reform areas:\r\n \r\nTiming imposing one and two-year deadlines on the length of time agencies can take to assess any environmental impact and approve or deny projects. Currently, the average wait time is more than four years, and the assessment for one highway expansion project in Colorado took 13 years!\r\nProcess mandating only one report of estimated impact and prohibiting the federal government from offering infeasible alternatives. For instance, if a state government is planning to build roadways, the federal agency shouldn't come back and tell them to build a transit system.\r\nLitigation one of the biggest drivers of the length and expense of the NEPA process is litigation. The UNSHACKLE Act clarifies certain legal requirements and establishes a 150-day statute of limitations on NEPA-related claims.\r\nDelegation allowing states that are willing and able to handle the NEPA review to do so on behalf of the federal government. Six states, including Utah, already have such an agreement with the Federal Highway Administration. The UNSHACKLE Act expands this delegation authority to all federal agencies.\r\n \r\nIn order to bring our economy back from the devastation of COVID-19, we have to be sure businesses are empowered to rehire their workers and roar back to life. As the country looks to reopen, the best way to aid the post-COVID-19 recovery is to eliminate unnecessary regulatory red tape and reduce government inference. The UNSHACKLE Act's regulatory reforms will help reduce business operating expenses and create more certainty for investors and projects in Utah and throughout the country.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/the-chairman-s-note?ContentRecord_id=226B7DED-AF6B-4C76-8EF5-1D251EC8E03E", "Thats their job", "2020-09-25", "2020", "2020-09", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "That's their job, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg responded when asked in 2016 if the Senate had an obligation to act on President Barack Obama's nomination of U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court.\r\nThere's nothing in the Constitution that says the president stops being president in his last year, Ginsburg added.\r\nJustice Ginsburg was right in 2016, and as we grieve her passing last week, we must acknowledge that she is still right today.\r\nIn 2012, the American people reelected Democrat Obama for another four-year term as president. In 2014, the American people elected a Republican majority in the Senate. And so, when Justice Antonin Scalia died in February 2016, the relevant institutions were split between the parties.\r\nPresident Obama exercised his constitutional authority and nominated liberal Judge Garland to replace Scalia. The Senate exercised its constitutional authority and refused to confirm Garland.\r\nThis is the constitutional process and the historical norm. There has been a Supreme Court vacancy arising in an election years 29 times in American history. In 10 of those cases the presidency was held by one party and the Senate was held by a different party. Nine of those 10 nominees were rejected by the Senate, just like Garland was rejected.\r\nOn the other hand, there have been 19 times when a Supreme Court seat became vacant in an election year where both the presidency and the Senate were controlled by the same party. Only one nominee, Abe Fortas, was rejected.\r\nConfirming Supreme Court justices when both parties control the White House and Senate in an election year is perfectly normal. Indeed, it may be the most normal thing Washington does in this most unusual year.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://curtis.house.gov/press-releases/curtis-champions-bipartisan-resolution-on-clean-energy/", "Curtis Champions Bipartisan Resolution on Clean Energy", "2020-09-23", "2020", "2020-09", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "John Curtis", "C001114", "curtis.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DCToday, Representative John Curtis (R-UT), member of the House Natural Resources Committee, spoke on the House floor to advocate for National Clean Energy Week.National Clean Energy Week (NCEW) is an annual awareness campaign to recognize the value of clean energy, which includes good-paying jobs, economic growth, energy independence, consumer choice, lower energy prices, and a cleaner environment, with a goal of advancing bipartisan support of our nation's clean energy sector.Earlier this week, the Congressman led 71 other bipartisan members of the House of Representatives in a resolution to declare this week as National Clean Energy Week.\nThe full speech, as prepared for delivery, is below:\nI rise today in support of Clean Energy Week, an opportunity to celebrate bipartisan support for the wide variety of clean energy sources strengthening America's national security while also preserving our environment for future generations.\nThe environment is, and should be, a bipartisan issue.\nThat is why this week I am proud to lead, with my friend Congressman Lowenthal of California, a bipartisan resolution in support of congressionally supporting the designation of Clean Energy Week.\nIn fact, my legislation was introduced with 71 original cosponsors, divided nearly evenly between Republicans and Democrats.\nThis goes to show that we can and must work across the aisle to be better caretakers of our planet, and I plan to continue the pursuit of these positive bipartisan policies while in Congress.\nI yield the balance of my time.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://curtis.house.gov/press-releases/curtis-neguse-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-ensure-full-forgiveness-for-eidl-advances/", "Curtis, Neguse Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Ensure Full Forgiveness for EIDL Advances", "2020-09-23", "2020", "2020-09", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "John Curtis", "C001114", "curtis.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DCToday,Congressman John Curtis (R-UT) and Congressman Joe Neguse (D-CO) introduced theEIDL Forgiveness Act, bipartisan legislation that would exclude the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Advance grant when determining forgiveness for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan. The legislation clarifies that businesses that received both a PPP loan and an EIDL Advance grant can still receive full PPP loan forgiveness, regardless of benefitting from each program. \nThe COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt the lives of hard-working Utahns across the state,said Curtis.This is especially the case for the countless small businesses that are the foundation of Utah's economy. The Economic Injury Disaster Loan Forgiveness Act is a perfect example of how we can find pragmatic, bipartisan solutions to help small businesses across the country overcome the current set of circumstances and continue serving their communities without further interruption.\nSmall businesses are the backbone of Colorado's economy, and for many of them, PPP loans and EIDL Advances have been their only lifelines,saidNeguse.The bipartisanEIDL Forgiveness Actprovides some relief to struggling small businesses when they need it most by helping them save thousands of dollars, allowing them to focus their limited resources on keeping their employees on the payrolls and their doors open.\nBackground:\nUnder the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, businesses could apply for a fully-forgivable Paycheck Protection Program loan and an Economic Injury Disaster Loan Advanced grant. The CARES Act created the EIDL Advance grant in order to provide immediate cash assistance of up to $10,000 to businesses effected by the pandemic.\nCiting federal guidance published after the CARES Act became law, PPP borrowers continue to experience challenges in receiving full loan forgiveness because they leveraged both relief programs. This, despite there being no clear prohibitions from doing so outlined in statute and absent a clear requirement for businesses to repay the EIDL Advance grants. The EIDL Forgiveness Act clarifies Congress' original intent by excluding the amount in an EIDL Advance grant a business receives from their PPP loan forgiveness calculation, therefore helping businesses preserve the resources critical to their recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.\nClickHEREto read the text of the bill.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/op-eds?ContentRecord_id=00CB7814-7B3B-4683-B7FC-FF40EA1A5E12", "Supreme Court justice confirmations in election years are common  despite Dem complaints", "2020-09-23", "2020", "2020-09", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "That's their job, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg responded when asked in 2016 if the Senate had an obligation to act on President Barack Obama's nomination of U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court.\r\nThere's nothing in the Constitution that says the president stops being president in his last year, Ginsburg added.\r\nJustice Ginsburg was right in 2016, and as we grieve her passing last week, we must acknowledge that she is still right today.\r\nKAY COLES JAMES: CONFIRM TRUMP'S SUPREME COURT NOMINEE  DON'T GIVE IN TO THREATS, SENATORS\r\nDemocrats and their media allies are saying it would unfair for Senate Republicans to fill a seat in this election year when we refused to do so in the last presidential election year. But any close examination of the facts shows that it is perfectly fair and consistent.\r\nIn 2012, the American people reelected Democrat Obama for another four-year term as president. In 2014, the American people elected a Republican majority in the Senate. And so, when Justice Antonin Scalia died in February 2016, the relevant institutions were split between the parties.\r\nPresident Obama exercised his constitutional authority and nominated liberal Judge Garland to replace Scalia. The Senate exercised its constitutional authority and refused to confirm Garland.\r\nThis is the constitutional process and the historical norm. There has been a Supreme Court vacancy arising in an election years 29 times in American history. In 10 of those cases the presidency was held by one party and the Senate was held by a different party. Nine of those 10 nominees were rejected by the Senate, just like Garland was rejected.\r\nOn the other hand, there have been 19 times when a Supreme Court seat became vacant in an election year where both the presidency and the Senate were controlled by the same party. Only one nominee, Abe Fortas, was rejected.\r\nAnd Fortas was rejected on a bipartisan basis after an ethics scandal. All other nominees were confirmed in an election year when the Senate and the president were of the same party.\r\nConfirming Supreme Court justices when both parties control the White House and Senate in an election year is perfectly normal. Indeed, it may be the most normal thing Washington does in this most unusual year.\r\nLet us have no wailing and gnashing of teeth about norms and restraint.\r\nRemember, it was liberals, not conservatives, who in the 1960s turned the Supreme Court into a super-legislature, whereby five liberal justices set national policy without any public accountability.\r\nIt was Democrats, not Republicans, who in 1980s established ideological litmus tests for high court justices. It was Democrats, not Republicans, who in 2013 nuked the judicial filibuster in the Senate, which required 60-vote supermajorities to confirm judges.\r\nReplacing Justice Ginsburg should not be controversial. It would instead reduce the likelihood of political controversies being settled by unelected judges in the first place. That's what the left's freak-out is really about.\r\nIn truth, leftist outrage mobs and the political press don't really want a Supreme Court of impartial judges at all. Instead, they want a permanent Constitutional Convention, controlled by woke philosopher kings and queens, imposing leftist policies that the American people can't be bullied into supporting.\r\nAnd bullied is the right word. Underneath all the highfalutin rhetoric about precedents and norms is not an argument, but a shakedown by Democrats, whose position seems to be: If you fill this seat, we'll burn it all down. We'll nuke the filibuster. We'll pack the courts. We'll add states.\r\nIn other words, if Republicans exercise political power, Democrats will respond by abusing theirs.\r\nThis is a threat not against a party, but against the American people: Nice republic you've got there; it would be a shame if something were to happen to it.\r\nAnd that is precisely why the president and Senate should not delay in replacing Ruth Bader Ginsburg with another great Supreme Court justice.\r\nOnly a conservative, originalist majority on the high court will stop legislating from the bench and return political power to the elected branches of government, where it belongs. Only a conservative Supreme Court can force the left's outrage mobs to give up their campaigns of violence and intimidation, and finally come back to the constitutional, accountable politics the American people deserve.\r\nOriginally published by Fox News", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=3E6D272B-EA41-4965-84C8-8111DFF7BBAB", "Sen. Lee Introduces Poverty Measurement Improvement Act", "2020-09-23", "2020", "2020-09", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced the Poverty Measurement Improvement Act Wednesday, a bill that would improve the accuracy of poverty measurement by requiring the Census Bureau to supplement its existing poverty data with additional data from other federal agencies. This bill has one goal, to protect the most vulnerable by making sure our limited government resources are being used as efficiently as possible, Sen. Lee said. We spend over $1 trillion on means-tested welfare programs every year, so we need to make sure that money is being spent effectively. The Census Bureau's current population survey does not capture all the income and benefits that low-income Americans receive. The survey's participants dramatically underreport both income and receipt of funds. This necessarily understates the anti-poverty effect of the federal government's poverty alleviation spending. The Consumer Expenditure survey, which measures spending, is administered by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For the past twenty years, the vast majority of low-income households70 percentreport their spending to be higher than their income. The data on receipts of means-tested benefits is readily available, but the CPS data is not cross-checked against this actual administrative data. This bill would require the Census Bureau to supplement their existing poverty data with new data collected from other federal agencies. You can read the full text of the bill here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/speeches?ContentRecord_id=20FC5D64-F206-4843-89F4-25F8BA301C75", "SAVE Moms and Babies Act", "2020-09-22", "2020", "2020-09", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Mr./Madam President, Abortion is always a tragedy, as it is the taking of an innocent human life. And in the case of chemical abortion, it sometimes takes two lives: that of the baby and the mother. Advocates for this procedure will say that it is simple, easy, and safe. They claim it is a good and valuable form of healthcare for women. Mr./Madam President, nothing could be further from the truth. The grim and gruesome reality is that this practice wreaks havoc on women's bodies and destroys the tiny bodies growing within them. Just how does this procedure work? The details are not pleasant. First, the mother is given a pill that blocks progesterone  a hormone necessary for pregnancy  and breaks down the lining of her uterus. Without progesterone, the baby, whose heart is already beating, is starved to death and dies in her mother's womb. Then, 24 to 48 hours later, the mother is given a second pill that empties her uterus by causing severe contractions and bleeding, mimicking an early miscarriage that can last anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks. Planned Parenthood will try to gloss over the truth, claiming that a hot shower and some ibuprofen are enough for a quick recovery to get the mother back on her feet. But on average, the miscarriage lasts between 9 to 16 days and can last for as long as 30 days. Most of the time these abortions are done at home; so the mother is left to suffer alone, without care or supervision from a doctor, and often without any follow-up until 7 to 14 days later  if ever. The result? Women have suffered tragic, gruesome, and horrific experiences from using the abortion pill. It has caused nearly 4,200 adverse medical events  including more than 1,000 hospitalizations, and nearly 600 instances of blood loss requiring transfusions. Some women have even died. The FDA has reported 24 maternal deaths from the abortion pill since its approval in 2000. And those are just the officially reported ones that we know of that have happened even with the regulations we currently have in place. Some women need corrective surgery after taking the abortion pill, and others need life-saving procedures. And somehow, we call this healthcare. Mr./Madam President, this is not like popping some Tylenol. This two-step chemical cocktail poses severe risks to women, not to mention unborn babies. In fact, abortion pills are one of only a few medications that require a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy, a drug safety program that the FDA requires for medications with serious risks. And yet, some are pushing to further expand access to these drugs and further loosen the regulations around them. Some activists are even pushing for access to the abortion pill by mail  meaning that the patient would never have to be seen in person at all. The standards of care surrounding this practice are already reckless and harmful. In fact, they are unacceptable standards of care for women and babies. The last thing we should be doing is making them even worse. That's why we ought to support the bill put forward by my friend and colleague, Senator Hyde-Smith. The SAVE Moms and Babies Act would prohibit the FDA from approving new abortion drugs, from loosening any regulations that exist on already-approved abortion drugs, and from dispensing abortion drugs remotely or through the mail. The purpose of healthcare is to heal, preserve, and protect human life, Mr./Madam President. A chemical abortion happens in the first trimester of life, up to the tenth week of pregnancy, when an unborn baby already has a beating heart, a growing brain, all ten fingers and all ten toes. And she deserves a shot at the life in front of her  not to have it taken away and, literally, flushed down a drain. And mothers deserve the utmost care, protection, and support as they nurture human life inside them  not medical harm or neglect. Our healthcare system should protect and care for them both, and our laws should uphold the immeasurable dignity and worth of them both. This bill is a step in the right direction, and I urge my colleagues to support it.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://curtis.house.gov/press-releases/curtis-lowenthal-lead-bipartisan-national-clean-energy-week-resolution/", "Curtis, Lowenthal Lead Bipartisan National Clean Energy Week Resolution", "2020-09-21", "2020", "2020-09", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "John Curtis", "C001114", "curtis.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DCToday,Representatives John Curtis (R-UT) and Alan Lowenthal (D-CA) led a bipartisan resolution marking today, September 21 through September 25, as National Clean Energy Week.National Clean Energy Week (NCEW) is an annual awareness campaign to recognize the value of clean energy, which includes good-paying jobs, economic growth, energy independence, consumer choice, lower energy prices, and a cleaner environment, with a goal of advancing bipartisan support of our nation's clean energy sector. They are joined by 70 other bipartisan members of the House of Representatives.\nEnvironmental stewardship doesn't mean making economic sacrificesclean energy solutions and jobs are the future of the United States with clean energy powering more homes and businesses than ever before,said Curtis.The environment is, and should be, a bipartisan issue; I'm proud to lead this resolution and show that my congressional colleagues are working to leave the earth better than we found it.\nI am honored to join my colleagues in introducing this important bipartisan resolution. Our country, and the world, are currently at a sink or swim moment. It is vital that we transition off carbon intensive polluting energy sources toward clean energy alternatives as soon as possible. This will take support from industry and policymakers alike to encourage innovation and a just transition to more renewable, zero-emission, clean energy. This will not only help our environment and climate, but our public health and economy as well,said Lowenthal.\nThis resolution recognizes the United States' global leadership in clean energy solutions, and encourages investments in cleanandlow-emission technologies. It also emphasizes that clean energy is necessary for reducingharmful pollutants and spurring economic growth.ClickHEREto read the text of the resolution.\nOther cosponsors include:Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Tom Reed (R-NY),Dan Kildee (D-KI), Paul Tonko (D-NY), Henry Cuellar (D-TX), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), Bill Keating (D-MA), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA),Juan Vargas (D-VA), Rick Larsen (D-WA), TJ Cox (D-CA), Daniel W. Lipinski (D-IL), Gwen Moore (D-WI), Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Mark Amodei (R-NV),Ted Deutch (D-FL), Paul Cook (R-CA), William Timmons (R-SC),Bobby L. Rush (D-IL), Van Taylor (R-TX),Peter Welch (D-VT), Joe Wilson (R-SC),Tom O'Halleran (D-AZ), Francis Rooney (R-FL),Ben McAdams (D-UT), Josh Harder (D-CA), Steve Stivers (R-OH),Ron Kind (D-WI), Jim Costa (D-CA),Roger Marshall (R-KS), Mark Takano (D-CA),Troy Balderson (R-OH), Sanford Bishop (D-GA), Chris Pappas (D-NH), Eric Swalwell (D-CA), Scott Peters (D-CA), Jahana Hayes (D-CT),Ralph Norman (R-SC), Mike Gallagher (R-WI), Donna Shalala (D-FL), Steve Cohen (D-TN),Russ Fulcher (R-ID), Tom Rice (R-SC), Michael Simpson (R-ID), Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), Michael Burgess (R-TX), Elise Stefanik (R-NY),Deb. Haaland (D-NM), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Tony Cardenas (D-CA),Glenn Grothman (R-WI), David McKinley (R-WV), Scott Tipton (R-CO), Darin LaHood (R-IL),Mike Doyle (D-PA),Dan Newhouse (R-WA), David Schweikert (R-AZ), Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE),Tom Souzzi (D-NY),Richard Hudson (R-NC), Lee Zeldin (R-NY), Brain Mast (R-FL), Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), Patrick McHenry (R-NC), Bryan Steil (R-WI),Dianna DeGette (D-CO),Don Bacon (R-NE), Chuck Fleischmann (R-TX),Ed Case (D-HI),and Garret Graves (R-LA).\nStatements of Support\nUtah Governor Gary Herbert issued a proclaiming declaring this week as National Clean Energy Week in Utah: Whereas, we encourage individuals and organizations in Utah to support commonsense solutions that address America's economic and energy needs and also encourage municipalities and individuals to advance Utah's goals of providing cleaner, more affordable energy through innovation, strategic infrastructure and technology investments; and Whereas, we must cultivate the power of Utah's entrepreneurs and small businesses and ensure government collaboration to assure Utah's and the U.S.'s continued energy leadership in the global marketplace and assure low-cost, reliable energy here at home; Now, therefore, I, Gary R. Herbert, Governor of the great State of Utah, do herby proclaim September 21-25, 2020, as National Clean Energy Week in Utah.(Full proclamation PDFavailable here)\nNCEW Chair and Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES) Executive Director Heather Reams:With coast-to-coast support building for National Clean Energy Week, it's no wonder members of Congress are working across the aisle to find real solutions to protect the environment while growing our economy. Reducing emissions and growing clean energy jobs for Americans is an area where legislators across all levels of government and political backgrounds can find common ground. National Clean Energy Week is grateful to see 49 U.S. Representatives, Republican and Democratic, collaborating on ways to advance clean energy. National Clean Energy Week's organizers applaud Congressmen John Curtis and Alan Lowenthal for introducing this resolution.\nFull text of the resolution is below:(Click here for PDF)\nExpressing support for the designation of the week of September 21 through September 25, 2020, as National Clean Energy Week''.\nWhereas across the United States, clean and readily abundant forms of energy are powering more homes and businesses than ever before;\nWhereas clean energy generation is readily available from zero- and low-emissions sources;\nWhereas the clean energy sector is a growing part of the economy and has been a key driver of economic growth in the United States in recent years;\nWhereas technological innovation can further reduce costs and increase deployment of clean energy sources;\nWhereas the 2020 U.S. Energy and Employment Report'' found that\n(1) at the end of 2019, the energy sector in the United States employed 6,800,000 individuals; and\n(2) in 2019, the energy sector in the United States generated more than 120,000 new jobs;\nWhereas the scaling of clean energy is essential to reducing harmful pollution;\nWhereas clean energy jobs are inherently local, contribute to the growth of local economies, and cannot be outsourced due to the on-site nature of construction, installation, and maintenance; and\nWhereas innovative clean energy solutions and clean energy jobs are part of the energy future of the United States:\nNow, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives\n(1) supports the designation of National Clean 3 Energy Week'';\n(2) encourages individuals and organizations across the United States to support commonsense solutions that address the economic, environmental, and energy needs of the United States in the 21st century;\n(3) encourages the Federal Government, States, municipalities, and individuals to invest in clean, low-emitting energy technologies;\n(4) recognizes the role of entrepreneurs and small businesses in ensuring the energy leadership of the United States in the global marketplace and supporting low-cost, clean, and reliable energy in the United States.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=B2871D6B-B831-45FC-BFBF-52854FF53044", "Sen. Lee Says Senate Will Advise and Consent on Trump Court Nominee", "2020-09-21", "2020", "2020-09", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "Mike Lee", "L000577", "www.lee.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) issued the following statement Monday about the Supreme Court's new vacancy: In 2016, President Obama nominated a replacement for Justice Scalia and my Senate colleagues and I gave our advice and consent on the nominee, consistent with the Constitution, by rejecting him. This year, President Trump will nominate a replacement for Justice Ginsburg and, consistent with the Constitution, we will again give our advice and consent. If we like the nominee, we will confirm her. If we don't, we won't. It's that simple.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "truncated": false, "filtered_table_rows_count": 72, "expanded_columns": [], "expandable_columns": [], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "units": {}, "query": {"sql": "select url, title, date, year, month, party, chamber, state, member_name, bioguide_id, domain, scraper, source, date_source, text, has_text, collected_at, updated_at from releases where \"chamber\" = :p0 and \"state\" = :p1 and \"year\" = :p2 order by date desc limit 101", "params": {"p0": "Senate", "p1": "UT", "p2": "2020"}}, "facet_results": {"party": {"name": "party", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=UT&year=2020", "results": [{"value": "Republican", "label": "Republican", "count": 72, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=UT&year=2020&party=Republican", "selected": false}], "truncated": false}, "chamber": {"name": "chamber", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=UT&year=2020", "results": [{"value": "Senate", "label": "Senate", "count": 72, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=UT&year=2020", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "state": {"name": "state", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=UT&year=2020", "results": [{"value": "UT", "label": "UT", "count": 72, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&year=2020", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "year": {"name": "year", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=UT&year=2020", "results": [{"value": "2020", "label": "2020", "count": 72, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=UT", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}}, "suggested_facets": [], "next": null, "next_url": null, "private": false, "allow_execute_sql": true, "query_ms": 94.50113889761269, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}