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Sen. Mike Lee tells Utah lawmakers federal policies are squeezing opportunity; urges full funding for PILT
Summary
U.S. Sen. Mike Lee addressed the Utah House on Feb. 19, warning of an "economic opportunity crisis," criticizing regulatory costs and the attachment of PILT to the recent Farm Bill. He said he voted against the bill and urged lawmakers to press for standalone, fully funded PILT.
U.S. Sen. Mike Lee told members of the Utah House on Feb. 19 that the country faces an "economic opportunity crisis" that has weakened upward mobility and burdened middle‑class families.
"We do have something of an economic opportunity crisis in America," Lee said, arguing that excessive federal regulation and special‑interest protections have reduced economic mobility. He cited what he described as the annual compliance cost of federal regulations: "about $2,000,000,000,000 a year."
Lee focused questions from members on the recent Farm Bill and Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT), which help Utah counties compensate for nontaxable federal land. He said PILT is “extraordinarily important to the state of Utah” and that federal managers and officials should not rely on politics to allocate the funding.
Describing how PILT was handled in Congress, Lee said lawmakers attached the program to the Farm Bill to secure votes and that, in his view, it was treated as a "game piece." "They took it out of the appropriations measure and they put it into the farm bill…It was used as a game piece in a political game," he said, adding that the package funded PILT for only one year and left counties exposed thereafter.
On his vote for the Farm Bill, Lee said: "I voted against it and I wouldn't do it again." He said his preferred approach is to pursue PILT as a standalone funding item so lawmakers can secure stable, full funding for counties.
Lee also described federal privacy and sentencing‑reform initiatives he is pursuing with colleagues across the aisle, and he urged state legislators to press for more state authority and local decision‑making where possible.
The senator opened the floor to questions from representatives and agreed to review requests such as the bipartisan Women, Peace and Security Act after members supplied bill numbers. Lee left the chamber after a roughly one‑hour visit and a brief question period.
