Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Federal Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
U.S. Sen. Mike Lee urges balanced‑budget amendment and pushes back on federal wildlands policy in House visit
Summary
Senator Mike Lee addressed the Utah House and urged a balanced‑budget amendment, warned about rising national debt, and criticized a Department of the Interior wildlands policy as bypassing congressional process; he fielded questions on timing and immigration during a Committee of the Whole appearance.
U.S. Senator Mike Lee addressed the Utah House in Committee of the Whole on Feb. 22, urging state legislators to help press for a balanced‑budget amendment and criticizing recent federal public‑lands actions.
Lee described the national debt as approaching $15 trillion and said the balanced‑budget amendment he proposed (Senate Joint Resolution 5 / Lee‑Kyle proposal) would limit federal spending to a share of GDP and make it harder to raise the debt ceiling without broad congressional support. ‘‘We are unfortunately stuck in the mud in Washington,’’ Lee said, warning that mounting interest costs would crowd out other federal programs.
He also criticized a wildlands policy announced by the Interior Department, saying it ‘‘appears to be a pronouncement of Executive Branch authority to essentially create de facto wilderness areas within the state without going through Congress’’ and said he has pressed the secretary of the interior for a legal citation for that action. Lee said he would maintain regular contact with state legislators and set up a direct line for state lawmakers to raise federal issues.
Lawmakers questioned Lee on the timing of a balanced‑budget amendment vote, immigration policy and whether the amendment could pass by October. Lee said he hoped for a vote by October and said he planned to use Senate procedures to press the issue. He also urged focusing on drivers of illegal immigration and possible changes to birthright‑citizenship rules.
The exchange lasted through a sequence of questions from House members and ended with Lee offering to continue dialogue and make himself available to state lawmakers.
