Reckless spending is the reason for inflation this season

Inflation is making this holiday season more expensive than ever. While the Federal Reserve has been reluctant to raise rates, Congress is also to blame. End the reckless spending.

— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) December 23, 2021

Friendly reminder that if you were to climb Mount Everest and drop a billion dollars for every foot of elevation, you would fall short of our national debt.⁰#MountainOfDebt

— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) December 22, 2021

Mike Lee proposes paring back protectionism to address port woes

The Cato Institute’s Colin Grabow writes, “Sen. Mike Lee (R‑Utah) has a better idea of how to help the country’s ports meet their dredging needs: remove outdated protectionism. Earlier this week Lee introduced four bills that would either reform or repeal the Foreign Dredge Act.

Rather than simply spending more money to fix U.S. port problems, Sen. Mike Lee has a better idea: pare back protectionist laws. https://t.co/6UeF2ysXjM #CatoTrade #EndTheJonesAct pic.twitter.com/1wOPB9nuZW

— Cato Institute (@CatoInstitute) December 17, 2021

Passed in 1906, the Foreign Dredge Act restricts domestic dredging—the removal of sediment and debris from bodies of water (such as to deepen them to accommodate larger vessels)—to vessels that are U.S.-registered, U.S.-built and mostly U.S. owned and crewed. Shielding U.S. dredging firms from foreign competition means Americans must rely on a domestic fleet that is small, old, and expensive. The results range from costly coastal restoration projects to the less efficient operation of key ports and waterways.

Two bills proposed by Sen. Lee would address the Foreign Dredge Act in the most straightforward way: repealing it.”

Read the entire column.

When will the spending end?

Worst inflation in decades, and Democrats want to borrow 2.5 trillion dollars more. When will it end? https://t.co/TtsmqqzIR8

— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) December 14, 2021

That’s 15,918,750,000,000 Chinese Yuan—figured we’d get the currency exchange out of the way up front. https://t.co/UjpmdqG88w

— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) December 14, 2021

Congress should not be in the business of imposing mandates and threatening to take paychecks

From the Christian Science Monitor, “Today, all 50 GOP senators were expected to vote to invalidate that mandate, which they see as counterproductive and damaging to the economy. They argue the administration has not struck the right balance between the good of the community and individual liberty, nor adequately addressed studies raising questions about the push for universal vaccination, especially for those with natural immunity.

We should not be in the business of imposing this Administration's medical orthodoxy at the threat of taking away American paychecks.https://t.co/DQ4Nnl4h1j @csmonitor

— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) December 9, 2021

For GOP Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, who has introduced a dozen bills targeting the mandates, the president’s actions violate a key founding principle: that the people are sovereign.

‘The use of overwhelming government power without even considering the implications on freedom is precisely why our founders thought the Declaration of Independence, a revolution, and our Constitution were necessary,’ he said on the Senate floor.”

Read the entire story.

Congress shouldn’t rely on courts to do its job

Matt Kibbe is joined by Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) to discuss the bloated end-of-year budget that always keeps Congress in town right up until Christmas. This year, it’s particularly grim, as the bill contains funding to implement the Biden administration’s unconstitutional vaccine mandate.

While many Republicans are hoping the courts will strike down the mandate, this creates a dangerous precedent in which Congress abdicates its responsibility to the voters, ceding that power to unelected judges. While there’s a good chance that the vaccine mandate will not be allowed to stand, it doesn’t excuse the legislative branch from properly fulfilling its role to rein in the executive power of the president.

I stand with American workers: End the vaccine mandate

I’ll stand with American workers every time. pic.twitter.com/ssxLkfmuRN

— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) December 2, 2021

People have the right to make their own healthcare decisions. I'm proud to stand with @SenMikeLee and @RogerMarshallMD to oppose President Biden’s unconstitutional vaccine mandates that command working Americans and private businesses to submit upon penalty of loss of livelihood.

— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) December 3, 2021

STOP the GRINCH Act would ease the supply chain crisis

My STOP the GRINCH Act will ease our supply chain crisis and help Utah businesses and families get the things they need as we head into the holidays.

It’s great having @WTCUtah’s help as we STOP the GRINCH and save Christmas!#utpol #STOPtheGRINCH https://t.co/mf4N8ciMc9 — Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) November 19, 2021

Utah’s ABC4 reports, “Covering our supply chain shortage, Utah Senator Mike Lee says he has a plan to help, introducing what he called the ‘Stop The Grinch Act.’

Senator Lee says supply chain issues are taking their toll on things like Thanksgiving meals and Christmas gifts. His bill looks to ease supply chain issues and rising inflation by streamlining or suspending certain federal regulations on ports, ships, and trucks.”

Inflation hurts the poor the most

Fox Business reports, “American consumers are grappling with the highest inflation rate in more than three decades, and the surge in the price of everyday goods is disproportionately hurting low-income workers, according to a new analysis published Monday by the Joint Economic Committee Republicans.

My team’s new research shows that while inflation hurts everyone, it hurts the poorest Americans the most.#Bidenflation #Inflation #Economy @JECRepublicans https://t.co/aUVR6LXXcs

— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) November 16, 2021

The research concluded that higher inflation – which erodes individual purchasing power – is especially harmful to low- and middle-income Americans. The GOP lawmakers cited research from both the Federal Reserve Banks of Cleveland and New York, which found that inflation reduces poor individuals’ lifetime consumption opportunities more than their wealthier counterparts – largely due to rising gasoline prices.

‘Inflation reduces poor Americans’ quality of life, and rising gas prices specifically increase the cost of living for poor Americans living in rural areas much more than for richer Americans,’ the JEC analysis said.”

Read the entire story.

The Fifth Circuit is right: The vaccine mandate is unconstitutional and wrong

Utah’s Fox 13 reports, “The Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has sided with Utah and other states seeking to block the Biden administration's efforts to mandate the COVID-19 vaccine or regular testing on businesses with more than 100 employees.

The Fifth Circuit is right. This vaccine mandate is unconstitutional and wrong. @POTUS’s vaccine mandate has to go.https://t.co/g5cWQdTGbB

— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) November 13, 2021

In a ruling handed down Friday night, the Louisiana-based Court granted a stay on any enforcement of the rule pending further litigation. It also ordered the Occupational Safety and Health Administration take no steps to enforce the mandate until further court order. Utah, Texas, South Carolina and Mississippi filed a petition challenging the mandate.

‘It is clear that a denial of the petitioners’ proposed stay would do them irreparable harm. For one, the Mandate threatens to substantially burden the liberty interests of reluctant individual recipients put to a choice between their job(s) and their jab(s),’ Judge Kurt Engelhardt wrote.”

Read the entire story.

We honor all who served

We honor all who served.#VeteransDay pic.twitter.com/jzqs1HXoil

— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) November 11, 2021