Sens. Lee, Rubio Call for Fair Taxes for Families
WASHINGTON – Yesterday, Senators Mike Lee (R-UT) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) sent a letter to the Chairs and Ranking Members of the Senate Committee on Finance and the House Ways and Means Committee encouraging them to make tax reform a priority in the 115th Congress and to consider the Economic Growth and Family Fairness Tax Reform Plan.
“Tax reform should not only reduce the burdens that businesses face, but also do the same for working families,” the letter readers. “Families are the building blocks of our country, the fundamental units of society, and vital to passing down our values from generation to generation. Strong families are also incubators of economic opportunity, financial security, and generate the social capital upon which our free enterprise economy and constitutional republic depend.
With this in mind, it is concerning that our tax code today treats parents unfairly. The payroll taxes that help pay for federal retirement benefits fall on American parents who simultaneously bear the financial cost of raising their children, the next generation of workers whose paychecks will be taxed to fund federal retirement benefits. This function of the tax code creates an implicit “parent tax penalty” – in effect, a tax bias against parents.”
The letter continues, “Tax relief for working families has been a bipartisan effort in the past, and we hope that will continue to be the case this year. As your committees draft legislation to reform the tax code, we urge you to carefully consider the merits of our proposal and ensure tax fairness for working families is not left out.”
The entirety of the letter can be read here.
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Lee Introduces Global Trade Accountability Act
WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced the Global Trade Accountability Act Friday, a bill that would subject all Executive Branch trade actions (including raising tariffs) to congressional approval.
“Congress has ceded far too much law making power to the Executive branch including the power to unilaterally raise tariffs,” Lee said. “Sudden hikes in trade barriers could wreak havoc on many small and midsize manufacturers in my home state of Utah that rely on imports and globally connected supply chains. Congress must be involved in any decision that would increase barriers to trade.”
The Global Trade Accountability Act would require the president to secure a joint resolution approved by both houses of Congress before any “unilateral trade action” could take effect. The act does allow for “national emergency” exceptions, but only for 90 days, after which the president would still have obtain approval from both houses of Congress.
You can read Sen. Lee’s oped on the Global Trade Accountability Act here.
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Senators Ask President Trump to Reapply Modernized Mexico City Policy
WASHINGTON - Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT), Steve Daines (R-MT), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Ben Sasse (R-NE), Ted Cruz (R-TX), John Cornyn (R-TX), and Rand Paul (R-KY) introduced a resolution Friday expressing the sense of the Senate that the Mexico City policy, or a modernized version thereof, should be permanently established in statute. The resolution also encourages President Trump to immediately take action to reapply the policy.
“There is long-standing statute limiting US foreign assistance from being spent on the promotion or provision of abortion services. Through executive memorandum, Mexico City Policy was created almost 33 years ago. During more than half of the time since the policy’s creation, it has been enforced as standing US foreign aid policy – for a total of 17 years,” Sen. Lee said. “The resolution is a Congressional support document, rooted in legislative and executive history, representing the will of the majority of Americans to see more restrictions on funding for abortion – restrictions President Trump can immediately impose – applied to our foreign aid expenditures of taxpayer dollars.”
The resolution encourages a new executive memorandum from President Trump today or in the coming days, reapplying the policy and its family planning foreign aid restrictions as it was during the Bush administration, while leaving the opportunity for the new administration to review the policy and apply an “improved version thereof.” This language lays the predicate for future legislative action to codify whatever policy the executive applies.
In 1984, President Ronald Reagan established the ‘‘Mexico City Policy,’’ which prohibits foreign aid for family planning purposes from being given to foreign nongovernmental organizations that provide or promote abortion as an option for family planning, regardless of the source of funding. When applied, this prohibits any foreign private or nonprofit entity from receiving US family planning foreign assistance that provides or promotes abortion.
The resolution states, “That it is the sense of the Senate that— (1) the President should immediately reapply and consider improving the Mexico City Policy; and (2) Congress should expeditiously consider statutory changes that permanently codify the Mexico City Policy or an improved version thereof.”
The resolution text can be found here.
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Lee Applauds President Trump’s Action on Modernized Mexico City Policy
WASHINGTON - Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) - leading Republican voice in the Senate on Mexico City Policy - applauds President Trump’s bold, pro-life action taken today to reapply an updated version of the Reagan-era Mexico City Policy.
“I am delighted that this long-standing pro-life foreign aid restriction has been reapplied by President Trump,” Sen. Lee said. ‘Not only has it been reapplied; it has been modernized to take into account the current global health foreign aid environment and will be inclusive of other US foreign aid funding sources beyond simply the USAID family planning account.”
Senator Lee looks forward to working to put such pro-life restrictions into statute later this year.
On Friday, January 20, Senators introduced S. Res. 15, A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that the Mexico City policy should be permanently established, urging presidential action to reapply the Mexico City Policy or an updated version thereof. Senators Steve Daines (R-MT), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Ben Sasse (R-NE), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Ted Cruz (R-TX), John Cornyn (R-TX), Rand Paul (R-KY), and James Lankford (R-OK) are cosponsors of this resolution.
In 1984, President Ronald Reagan established the ‘‘Mexico City Policy,’’ which prohibits foreign aid for family planning purposes from being given to foreign nongovernmental organizations that provide or promote abortion as an option for family planning, regardless of the source of funding. When applied, this prohibits any foreign private or nonprofit entity from receiving US family planning foreign assistance that provides or promotes abortion. President Trump’s version of this policy is updated to encompass the UN Population Fund and other global health funding streams.
The resolution text can be found here. An electronic version of this release can be found here.
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What People Are Saying About Sen. Lee’s Global Trade Accountability Act
WASHINGTON – On Friday, Senator Lee (R-UT) introduced the Global Trade Accountability Act, which subjects all Executive Branch trade actions (including raising tariffs) to congressional approval. Here is what people are saying about the act:
David McIntosh, President for the Club for Growth:
“Senator Lee’s bill is pro-growth, and will protect the free market from tariffs and protectionist tendencies by any administration, and it’s a good way for Congress to reassert its Article 1, Section 8 authority.”
The National Taxpayer’s Union:
“National Taxpayers Union has long opposed tariffs because they are simply taxes on goods imported into the United States; the higher costs of which are borne by American families and businesses. Since World War II, the United States has wisely rejected broad protectionism, which has been enormously beneficial to American taxpayers. Yet, regrettably the tide of protectionism is rising across the globe. Thankfully there is a solution in sight.
NTU enthusiastically endorses Senator Lee’s Global Trade Accountability Act, which would require Congressional approval of every unilateral executive action that would raise tariffs or restrict imported items. The Global Trade Accountability Act would not only help prevent a backsliding toward protectionism, it is consistent with the demands of Article 1, Section 8 of the United States Constitution, which gives Congress the power to set tariffs and regulate commerce between nations.”
The R Street Institute:
“The R Street Institute applauds Sen. Mike Lee for the introduction of the Global Trade Accountability Act. Few policies have the power to affect our economy more than trade, yet the power to set those policies resides almost entirely in one branch of our government. It's high time for Congress to get involved, ensuring future adjustments are subject to the scrutiny they deserve and set America on a path of economic growth. We encourage all Members to join Sen. Lee in this effort.”
You can read Sen. Lee’s op-ed on the Global Trade Accountability Act here.
Text of the bill can be found here.
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Sen. Lee Issues Statement on Ajit Pai’s Appointment as FCC Chairman
WASHINGTON - Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) issued the following statement today regarding Commissioner Ajit Pai’s appointment as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.
“As an FCC Commissioner, Ajit Pai has demonstrated his commitment to empowering consumers through a free and vibrant market. As a new member of the Senate Commerce Committee, I appreciate Chairman Pai's desire to reform our anachronistic technology and telecommunications laws, and I look forward to working with him in identifying ways Congress can unleash American innovation and promote competition to benefit consumers."
Pai will be replacing outgoing chairman Tom Wheeler, who left the FCC on January 20th.
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