2015 Annual Report

To The

State of Utah

United States Senator

Mike Lee
To the Citizens of Utah:
It is not every year that someone can say they have three friends running for president,
but that is exactly what ended up happening in 2015.

It has truly been honor to see some of best the ideas and policies my staff and I helped
develop become a focus of our national conversation.

From tax policy, to higher education, to transportation, to workplace flexibility, to K-12

education, the ideas you voted for when you selected me as senator, are now being
talked about in almost every state of the union.

This is not an accident. Utah has a unique way of approaching government. Unlike
much of the country, we don’t see public policy as a binary choice between radical individualism and top-
down government control. We understand that government has a fundamental and positive role in providing
a framework where the institutions of voluntary civil society can thrive; where individuals, families and
communities can come together and solve problems together. We know that freedom does not mean you are on
your own – it means we are all in this together.

In this annual report I will share with you some of the work my staff and I have done furthering this message.

I had the good fortune to meet with Utahns personally and listen to their concerns up close at four townhalls
in four different counties. We conducted eight tele-townhalls from Washington, DC, connecting with hundreds
of thousands of Utanhs by phone. And my staff met with Utahns in person and answered their questions at 91
mobile office visits in all 29 counties.

We also secured some big wins for Utahns back in Washington, including passage of the USA Freedom Act,
which President Barrack Obama signed into law this June. No longer do Americans have to worry about
the National Security Agency maintaining a database on every person they ever called and when. Now our
intelligence agencies have the tools they need to protect national security in a manner compliant with the
United States Constitution.

Progress was also made on criminal justice reform when the Senate Judiciary Committee passed the Sentencing
Reform and Corrections Act, which I co-sponsored with Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Richard Durbin (D-IL),
John Cornyn (R-TX), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Patrick
Leahy (D-VT), and Cory Booker (D-NJ). The bill has not yet passed the full Senate, but we will be fighting all
year to help heal Utah communities by bringing some common sense back to our nation’s sentencing laws.

Next year at this time we will have a new president. One hopefully more amenable to a reform agenda that
looks to fix government, not just throw money at it. If we work hard now, and establish a good foundation of
conservative policy, there is no telling what we can accomplish in the years ahead.

Sincerely,

Mike Lee
United States Senator, Utah
Principled, Positive,
and Proven

United States Senator

Mike Lee
Principled, Positive, and Proven
Feb 26 2015

For those of you I haven’t had a chance to meet yet: my name is Mike Lee. I’m
from Utah. And I’m not running for president.
I’m one of the few people up here today who can say that – and have reporters
actually believe me.

But that’s why I’m here. And it’s part of the reason I was asked to speak first
today.
As I see it, I have a different task up here than a lot of the other speakers.
I’m here to talk candidly with you – one conservative not running for president to
another – about the immense task before us.
Because you and I – we have a job to do.

I hope everyone here realizes that. Because over the next year and a half,
everyone in this room: it’s going to be our job very soon to help choose the next
President of the United States of America.
If, that is, we’re up to it.

So I’m asking you right now: what do you think? Are we up to it?! Are we
conservatives ready to pick the next great President of the United States?! Are
you sure?!
I sure hope so. Because let’s be very honest: in recent years we haven’t been.
Since Ronald Reagan left the White House in 1989, we’ve had six presidential
elections. My party’s nominee – the Republican nominee – has lost the popular
vote in five of those six elections.
And I’m here to tell you, if we don’t choose a serious, principled, proven
conservative in 2016, that number is going to be six out of seven.
Those are the stakes.
Now, for the conservatives running for president, the hardest part of their job will
begin on January 20, 2017 – when they hope to take the oath of office.
But for those of us conservatives who aren’t running, the hardest part of our job
starts right now.
Now is the time – before the campaign truly begins – for us to think, long and
hard, about the kind of candidate we’re looking for.

I’ve been thinking a lot about that lately. And if it’s alright, I’d like to tell you about
the leader I’m looking for... and why I think you might look for him – or her – too.
It seems to me conservatives should be looking for a candidate who is three
things: principled, positive, and proven.
First, what does it mean to be principled?

Principled means being a conservative every day, not just during the campaign.
Principled means there are no “buts” – as in, “I’m personally pro-life, but...” Or, “I
want to repeal Obamacare, but...”

A principled conservative doesn’t hide behind talking points – he tells you what
he thinks and why.
That’s not to say we have to agree on every issue. Serious conservatives
disagree on issues all the time. And real conservatives don’t run from these
disagreements – we embrace them.
Speaking to this conference in 1977, Ronald Reagan explained the importance of
open, robust dialogue – not as a way to purify the conservative movement, but
to expand it.

He said, [QUOTE] “If we truly believe in our principles, we should sit down and
talk. Talk with anyone, anywhere, at any time if it means talking about the
principles for the Republican Party. Conservatism is not a narrow ideology, nor is
it the exclusive property of conservative activists.”
This is crucial for us to remember as we make our choices in 2016. Very often,
you can learn a lot more about a candidate when he disagrees with you than
when he agrees.
When the principled conservative disagrees with you on an issue, he admits it,
and he has an authenticallyconservative reason for doing so.
That’s how you can tell the difference between someone who is a conservative
on the stump – and someone who is truly a conservative, in his head and in his
heart.
Ok... that’s “principled.” Next, what does it mean for a candidate to be positive?
A great man once said a true soldier fights not because he hates what’s in front
him but because he loves what’s behind him.
Conservatives should hold to the same standard.
Because true conservatism isn’t just about the kind of government we don’t want;
it’s about the kind ofcountry we do want.
This has been true since America’s Founding. As much as we honor it, the
original Boston Tea Party was just a protest. Dramatic and inspirational, yes, but
inherently limited.
Today, the Boston Tea Party would only be a footnote in our history if that same
generation of Americans didn’t make their way to Philadelphia fourteen years
later to write the Constitution.

Like our Founding patriots, the positive conservative I’m looking for can tell us
more than what he’s against. He will always tell us what he’s for.

He’s got a plan. He has specific political ideas about how to unite and grow our
coalition, and specific policyideas to reform our government.
And he doesn’t hesitate to tell you, in specific and concrete terms, what those
ideas are.
Specificity here is critical. Generalizations and abstractions are the province of
candidates who say one thing on the campaign trail, but do another thing once in
office.

If conservatives truly want a government of, by, and for the people, we need to
demand that our candidates tell us specifically how they will fix our tax code,
reform our broken health care and education systems, and put an end to
corporate welfare, like the Export-Import Bank and too-big-to-fail Wall Street
banks. Not justplatitudes, but policies.
Ok... that’s “principled” and “positive.” Now finally, what does it mean for a
candidate to be proven?
To me, it means two things.
I’m looking for someone who has proven himself by winning big, difficult fights on
election days. And I’m looking for someone who has won big, difficult
fights after election day, while in office.
We shouldn’t be looking for just one and rolling the dice on the other.
Conservatives should demand both: a candidate who has shown he can win
elections, and later shown that he deserved to.
Someone who has stood on principle when the going got tough, and has the
battle scars that prove it.

Yet also someone who has shown he can win broad mandates and build diverse
coalitions to overcome entrenched interests... And not just the special interests in
the other party, but those in his own.

The conservative candidate who ignores moderates is as misguided as

the moderate candidate who ignores conservatives. The candidate we all
deserve can attract both without alienating either.
Principled. Positive. Proven.
Right now, we don’t have any candidates yet, and everyone deserves an equal
chance to meet that standard. But make no mistake: that should be the standard.

That leads me to my final point: Meeting that standard – principled, positive, and
proven – isn’t just going to be up to the candidates themselves. It’s going to be
up to us.

Just as businesses in the free market follow consumer demand, political

candidates take their cues from the voters. We have the power in this process –
but only if we are willing to use it... only if we are willing to expect more of our
would-be leaders, and more of ourselves.
We have a job to do. And that job is not to find the guy who can shout “Freedom”
the loudest, or tell the funniest Joe Biden jokes.
If that’s what conservatives reward – in the next year and over the next two days
– with cheers and standing ovations and straw-poll votes, then that’s all
conservatives will ever get: Talking points, and platitudes, and empty promises.
When conservatives elevate unserious presidential candidates, who are not
principled, positive, and proven, it’s not the media’s fault, or the Establishment’s
fault... it’s ours.
Republican presidential candidates in 2016 are only going to be as good as
conservatives demand them to be in 2015.
So let’s demand that they be extraordinary.
Imagine for a moment the impression this audience could leave with a candidate
if each of you refused to give a standing ovation to every trite one-liner, empty
platitude, or hollow political slogan that you hear over the next day and a half.
Or imagine if no one in the conservative movement – not a single soul – donated
a dime of their money or a moment of their time to any candidate who talks a big
game about cutting big government, but never gets around to explaining how he
would fix broken government.

I guarantee you every one of our serious presidential candidates would

immediately run on a positive, innovative, and unapologetically conservative
agenda.
An agenda that takes our timeless principles and applies them to the challenges
of our time. An agenda that empowers the individuals, families, and communities
that Washington’s corrupt nexus of big government, big business, and big special
interests is leaving behind.
Imagine the conservative leader who would emerge from that campaign – what
he could do to reunite our party, reconnect it with the American people, and
reform the government policies holding them back.
That’s a candidate and a campaign we can all look forward to.
More importantly... far more importantly: that’s the candidate and the campaign
the American people have been waiting for.

It is the candidate Americans deserve, and the one conservatives can produce, if
we stay true to our ownhighest ideals.
That’s the candidate I’m looking for in 2016, and I’m asking for your help to find
this candidate.

 Committee
Assignments

United States Senator

Mike Lee
2015 Annual Report – Judiciary Committee

Throughout his fifth year on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Lee continued to
distinguish himself as a both a legal expert and a protector of constitutional freedoms. His
characteristic back-to-founding-principles approach to legislation and oversight led him to
several Judiciary Committee victories this year, including the final passage of the USA Freedom
Act of 2015 and the advancement of the long-anticipated Sentencing Reform and Corrections
Act of 2015 and the PATENT Act, originally cosponsored by Senator Lee.

The Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights also had an active
and engaging year in 2015. As the chairman of the subcommittee, Senator Lee worked with
ranking member Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) on a variety of merger and competition issues.
In addition to antitrust hearings on the AB InBev/SABMiller merger and consolidation in the
Health Insurance Industry, the Subcommittee also explored the need for the SMARTER ACT.
This legislation, introduced by Senator Lee, would ensure that all parties subject to merger
review would receive similar treatment regardless of the reviewing agency.

In April, Senator Lee introduced the USA Freedom Act of 2015 in the Senate Judiciary
Committee. After a hard-won victory, USA Freedom was signed into law in June, signaling a
huge win for both civil liberties and the Fourth Amendment. The new law successfully bans bulk
collection of Americans’ private records while providing the Intelligence Community with the
needed authority to collected phone records in a more targeted and efficient manner.

Senator Lee’s dedicated efforts to improving the criminal justice system also made strong
headway during 2015. The landmark Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act of 2015 passed
successfully through the Senate Judiciary Committee in October, but not without considerable
effort. The bipartisan effort required close collaboration with colleagues on both sides of the
aisle and reflects the growing and shared concern that, as Senator Lee said, “federal sentencing
laws too often require punishments that just don’t fit the crime.” If passed the act would reduce
some mandatory minimum prison sentences and would give the sentencing judge more discretion
in determining an appropriate sentence. In November, Senator Lee also co-sponsored the Mens
Rea Reform Act of 2015 with Senator Orin Hatch (R-UT), which would specify the state of mind
required for conviction for federal criminal offenses. Additionally, he worked with Senator Cory
Booker (D-NJ) to introduce the MERCY Act in an effort to reduce the use of solitary
confinement in juvenile detention centers.

As an original cosponsor of the PATENT Act, Senator Lee helped to advance the bill through the
Senate Judiciary Committee in June. This legislation, aimed at stopping abusive patent schemes,
would help small businesses haunted by the extortionist practices of patent trolls.

In conjunction with Representative Paul Labrador (R-ID), Senator Lee introduced S.1598, The
First Amendment Defense Act, in June. This act focuses on the right of conscience and
preventing the federal government from discriminating against anyone who believes that
marriage is a union between one man and one woman. Senator Lee’s bill would ensure—
especially in light of the Supreme Courts decision in Obergefell v. Hodges—that those with
opposing views on marriage will not be subject to government retaliation.
In February, Senator Lee introduced the Electronic Communications Privacy Act Amendments
Act of 2015 with Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT). This bill would prohibit an electronic
communications or remote computing service provider from voluntarily disclosing the contents
of customer emails or other communications. It would eliminate the current ability of
government agencies, such as the IRS to access emails more than 180 days old without a
warrant. It would require all requests for the content of electronic communications to require a
search warrant based on probable cause.

Senator Lee also joined with Senators Tester (D-MT), Grassley (R-IA), and Murkowski (R-AK)
to introduce the Inspector General Access Act of 2015. In an effort to improve transparency and
increase accountability within the U.S. Department of Justice, this bill would grant the Inspector
General complete jurisdiction to investigate allegations of misconduct by Department of Justice
personnel. Currently, the Department of Justice is the only agency in the federal government
whose Inspector General does not have the power to investigate these allegations. This act would
ensure that all DOJ allegations are investigated by the proper authority.

Working to strengthen protections for consumers against predatory debt collection practices,
Senator Lee introduced the Stop Debt Collection Abuse Act of 2015 with Senator Cory Booker
(D-NJ). This legislation would require the federal government to be governed by the same debt
collection rules as those to which private debt collectors are subject.

Bills and Amendments:

S. 356 Electronic Communications Privacy Act Amendments Act of 2015 (Sponsor)
S. 502 Smarter Sentencing Act of 2015 (Sponsor)
S.618 Inspector General Access Act of 2015 (Sponsor)
S.1123 USA FREEDOM Act of 2015 (Sponsor)
S.1598 First Amendment Defense Act (Sponsor)
S.2102 A bill to amend the Clayton Act and the Federal Trade Commission Act to provide that
the Federal Trade Commission shall exercise authority with respect to mergers only under the
Clayton Act and only in the same procedural manner as the Attorney General exercises such
authority.
S.J. RES. 2: A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States
requiring that the Federal budget be balanced.
S RES. 312: A resolution designating the week beginning November 8, 2015, as “National
Pregnancy Center Week” to recognize the vital role that community-supported pregnancy centers
(also known as pregnancy care and pregnancy resource centers) play in saving lives and serving
women and men face with difficult pregnancy decisions. (Sponsor).

Co-Sponsor:
S.2348 Rapid DNA Act of 2015
S.2298 Mens Rea Reform Act of 2015
S.2284 Syrian Refugee Verification and Safety Act
S.2123 Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act of 2015
S. Res. 287 A resolution condemning the senseless murder and wounding of 18 individuals in
Roseburg, Oregon on October 1, 2015.
S.2091 JOLT Act of2015
S.2040 Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act
S.2034 Thin Blue Line Act
S.1137 PATENT Act
S.1482 Need-Based Educational Aid Act of 2015
S.1965 MERCY Act
S.273 A bill to amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit the intentional discrimination of a
person or organization by an employee of the Internal Revenue Service
S. 1784 Federal Prisons Accountability Act of 2015
S.1668 Restoration of America’s Wire Act
S.1553 Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act
S.1032 Accountability Through Electronic Verification Act
S. 575 HERO Act of 2015
S.295 Amy and Vicky Child Pornography Victim Restitution Improvement Act of 2015
S.467 CORRECTIONS Act
S.435 State Marriage Defense Act of 2015
S.378 Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act of 2015
S.J. Res. 6 A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States
relative to balancing the budget.
S.328 A bill to amend the Trademark Act of 1946 to provide for the registration of marks
consisting of a flag, coat of arms, or other insignia of the United States, or any State or local
government, and . . .
S.255 FAIR Act
S.247 Expatriate Terrorist Act
S.153 I-Squared Act of 2015
S.48 Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act of 2015
S. 24 Due Process Guarantee Act of 2015
S.J. Res. 1 A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States
relative to limiting the number of terms that a Member of Congress may serve.

Notable Judiciary Hearings Attended

Dec. 9: Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation

Dec. 8: Ensuring Competition Remains on Tap: The AB InBev/SABMiller merger and the State
of Competition in the Beer Industry
Dec. 1: Puerto Rico’s Fiscal Problems: Examining the Source and Exploring the Solution
October 7: Standard Merger and Acquisition Reviews Through Equal Rules Act (SMARTER
Act)
November 17: The War on Police: How the Federal Government Undermines State and Local
Law Enforcement
September 22: Examining Consolidation in the Health Insurance Industry and its Impact on
Consumers
September 16: Reforming the Electronic Communications Privacy Act
July 29: Revisiting IRS Targeting: Progress of Agency Reforms
July 22: With Prejudice: Supreme Court Activism and Possible Solutions
July 21: Oversight of the Administration’s Misdirected Immigration Enforcement Policies:
Examining the Impact on Public Safety and Honoring the victims
July 8: Cyber Crime: Modernizing our Legal Framework for the Information Age
July 8: Going Dark: Encryption, Technology, and the Balance Between Public Safety and
Privacy
June 4: Rewriting the Law: Examining the Process that Led to the ObamaCare Subsidy Rule
May 20: Taking Sexual Assault Seriously: The Rape Kit Backlog and Human Rights
May 19: Body Cameras: Can Technology Increase Protection for Law Enforcement Officers and
the Public?
May 7: The “Patent Act” –Finding Effective Solutions to Address Abusive Patent Practices
April 28: Oversight of the Department of Homeland Security
April 15: The Need to Reform Asset Forfeiture
March 19: Reining in Amnesty: Texas v. United States and Its Implications
March 4: Whistleblower Retaliation at the FBI: Improving Protections and Oversight
March 3: Oversight of US Citizenship and Immigration Services: Ensuring Agency Priorities
Comply with the Law
Feb. 24: Human Trafficking in the United States: Protecting the Victims
Jan, 28/29: Attorney General Nomination
2015 Annual Report- National Security, Foreign Relations, Intelligence, and
Veterans Affairs

Senator Lee believes that one of the highest priorities of the United States
government is to provide security under which American citizens can exercise our
freedoms and rights. In 2015, the increased activity of the Islamic State in the Middle
East, terrorist attacks in Europe and the United States, the continued Russian and Chinese
belligerence towards their neighbors, and President Obama’s nuclear agreement with Iran
brought our national security back into the forefront of many American’s minds.

As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) for the third year,
Senator Lee was a leading participant in debates and discussions surrounding the U.S.
response to world crises, how the Department of Defense should confront fiscal
restraints, and military structure reforms to address 21st Century threats. Serving on the
Airland, Strategic Forces, and Readiness Subcommittees, Senator Lee was able to
successfully address concerns to our national security and continue to ensure that the
strong relationship between Utah and our nation’s military will remain viable for decades
to come.

In the SASC and on the Senate floor in 2015, Senator Lee continued his work to
strike a reasonable and cost-effective balance between protecting America’s vital security
and economic interests while preventing the United States from becoming unnecessarily
entangled in costly conflicts. In May, Congress passed and President Obama signed into
law Senator Lee’s USA Freedom Act with large bipartisan support. This brought much
needed reform to our nation’s intelligence gathering capabilities, striking unwarranted
provisions of the law that unconstitutionally intruded on American’s privacy while
providing our intelligence services with new tools to prevent terrorist attacks.

One of President Obama’s signature goals was the signing of an agreement to

limit Iran’s nuclear weapons program. Senator Lee studied the progress of these
negotiations closely for several years and was hopeful for an outcome that would
successfully address U.S. and Middle Eastern security concerns without risking open
conflict. Unfortunately, the agreement struck by Secretary Kerry in 2015 did not fully
address these concerns, and even increases the likelihood of a violent Middle Eastern
conflict in the coming decades. Senator Lee joined with a majority of his Senate
colleagues in voting to disapprove of the agreement, and will continue pressing for ways
to economically and diplomatically keep Iran from building a nuclear weapon.

Following the conclusion of the Iran Nuclear Deal, President Obama’s

administration set about to negotiate a controversial climate change agreement in Paris
that would circumvent Congress on carbon emissions regulations that have a negative
economic impact on American businesses and families. Senator Lee led the Senate’s
opposition to these negotiations, and introduced legislation calling for Senate advice and
consent to be given to the Paris accord in order for it to be implemented. He will
continue working to ensure that the harmful measures outlined in this document are not
put into practice.
 Senator Lee worked diligently to strengthen the National Guard and preserve the
hard-fought experience and expertise that our Guard members gained through a decade of
fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. He coordinated closely with the leadership of the Utah
National Guard to address their needs, and successfully inserted language into the
National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2016 that extended the time for Congress and
the Department of Defense to review proposed changes to the structure of the National
Guard before they are enacted. As a member of the Air Force Depot Caucus, Senator
Lee teamed with members of the Utah delegation and other Senators on the SASC to
ensure that depots received the funding and flexibility to continue keeping the Air
Force’s weapons systems effective and modernized.

When Senator Lee is able to be back in Utah, he has attempted to make the most
of his time working with constituents, including those who are serving in the military or
working to support the military’s vital functions. Senator Lee attended the swearing in
ceremony for General Steven Bleymaier as the Commander of Ogden Air Logistics
Complex in August, and was a speaker at the F-35 induction at Hill Air Force Base in
October. While in Washington in 2015, Senator Lee met with leaders and members of
the Utah National Guard, commanders of the base and fighter wings at Hill Air Force
Base, and numerous business and community leaders who work with the military in Utah.
Senator Lee’s staff has also attended monthly Top of Utah Military Affairs Committee
meetings and Hill AFB Community Leader meetings, quarterly Utah Defense Alliance
Board meetings, and the Air Force Association Air and Space Conference in Washington,
DC.

Bills and Amendments

National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2016: As a member of the
Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Lee participated in the May 2015 committee
mark-up of the annual defense policy bill and offered a series of amendments that were
passed out of committee. He offered further amendments when the bill was brought to
the Senate floor in June, and supported the bill’s final passage.

-An Amendment to strike provisions on the NDAA that extended authority for
training and equipping Syrian rebels through 2018. Given reports of the failures
of the program so far, Senator Lee believed that it was inappropriate to extend
such authority two additional years. This amendment was accepted in committee
and included in a final version.

-An Amendment extending the prohibition from moving Apache Attach

Helicopters from the National Guard to the regular Army so that Congress can
have more time to review the National Commission on the Future of the Army
report and recommendations. This amendment was accepted in the committee,
and a compromise version with House language was included in the final bill.
-An Amendment to prohibit the listing of the Sage Grouse on the Endangered
Species List because of the potential impact of the listing on the Utah Test and
 Training Range (UTTR). This amendment was ruled out of order in the
committee because of Department of Interior equities, and Senator Lee offered a
similar amendment on the House floor.

-An Amendment to codify that the Army National Guard is the combat reserve of
the regular Army. This is current practice in the military, but codification would
prevent the regular Army from more aggressively raiding the National Guard for
supplies and equipment. This amendment was rejected in committee.

-Report language that discussed the importance of the Utah Test and Training
Range and other military ranges in the western United States to our national
security and the readiness of the U.S. military, and the need to enhance and
modernize these ranges for 21st Century technology. The report was included in
Chairman’s mark.

-Report language calling on the Department of Defense and Department of State

to become more serious about addressing longstanding military capacity
deficiencies in our NATO partners, and calling on NATO allies to meet the
decade-old goals of spending 2% of their GDP on defense spending. The report
was included in the committee.

-Report language on the rights of chaplains and other service members to freedom
of religion and religious expression in the military. This language is a follow-up
to bill language Senator Lee had inserted in the FY 2014 NDAA. The report
language was included in the committee.

Legislation

• S. 24-The Due Process Guarantee Act of 2015 (Original Co-sponsor with Senator
Diane Feinstein)
• S. 165-The Detaining Terrorists to Protect America Act of 2015 (Co-sponsor)
• S. 247- The Expatriate Terrorist Act
• S. 269- Nuclear Weapons Free Iran Act of 2015
• S. 615- Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015
• S. 1238- Annual Report on United States Contributions to the United Nations Act
(Original Sponsor)
• S. 2239- Protecting Americans from the Proliferation of Weapons to Terrorists
Act of 2015 (Original Co-sponsor with Senator Udall)
• S. 2383- Utah Test and Training Range Encroachment Prevention and Temporary
Closure Act (Original Co-sponsor with Senator Hatch)
• S. Con.Res- A concurrent resolution expressing the Sense of Congress that the
President should submit the Paris climate change agreement to the Senate for
advice and consent (Original Sponsor).
• S. Res 76- A resolution welcoming the Prime Minister of Israel to the United
States for his address to a joint meeting of Congress
 • S. Res 251-A resolution on the failure of the administration to submit all legally
required information to Congress.

Senate Armed Service Committee- Notable Hearings:

The Senate Armed Services Committee under Committee Chairman John McCain held 75
full committee and subcommittee hearings in 2015 on issues ranging from counter-
terrorism policy to defense acquisition and healthcare reform.

• Sequestration and National Security; January 28, 2015

• Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission Report;
February 3, 2015
• Nomination of Ash Carter as Secretary of Defense; February 4, 2015
• Afghanistan Policy Update; February 12, 2015
• Department of Defense Budget and Posture hearing; March 3, 2015
• Army and Air Force Posture Hearing; March 18, 2015
• Air Force Structure and Modernization Review; March 19, 2015
• US Central Command, African Command, and Special Operations Command
Posture Review; March 26, 2015
• Counter-ISIL Strategy; July 7, 2015
• Nomination of Joseph Dunford to be Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; July 9,
2015
• Nomination of Mark Milley to be Army Chief of Staff; July 21, 2015
• Impact of Iran Nuclear Agreement on U.S. interests in the Middle East; July 29,
2015
• Counter-ISIL Strategy Update; September 16, 2015
• Asia-Pacific Maritime Security Review; September 17, 2015
• Military Strategy in the Middle East; October 27, 2015
• Goldwater-Nichols Review; November 10, 2015
• Personnel Reform and Strengthening the All-Volunteer Force; November 2, 2015
• Counter-ISIL Strategy Update; December 9, 2015
 2015 Annual Report – Public Lands, Energy, Environment, Water


Senator Lee believes that land management and ownership decisions are best made by
those closest to the ground. He was an active member of the Senate Energy and Natural
Resources Committee, sitting on the Water and Power; Public Lands, Forests, and Mining;
and National Parks subcommittees. From forest management to drought mitigation to
increasing oil and natural gas development, the committee addressed a number of issues in
2015 that concern the people of Utah. With the federal government’s outsized influence
within Utah, Senator Lee is constantly looking for ways to eliminate or mitigate federal
burdens imposed on Utahns.


KEY ISSUES AND ACTIONS TAKEN

Sage grouse:
Senator Lee had two goals during this past year’s sage grouse debate: (1) ensure that the
State of Utah, not the federal government, is allowed to effectively and independently
manage sage grouse, and (2) prohibit a sage grouse listing, with all of its onerous land
restrictions, under the Endangered Species Act.

Needing a must-pass legislative vehicle to attach these policy goals to, Senator Lee
attempted to amend the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in the Senate Armed
Services Committee to include sage grouse language. Due to senate rules, Senator Lee was
unable to offer his sage grouse amendment in committee but offered a similar amendment
(S. Amdt. 1687) once the NDAA bill reached the senate floor. Unfortunately, Senator Lee was
forced to pull the amendment after it became apparent that it would not be adopted.

Senator Lee subsequently attempted to include sage grouse language in the year-end
omnibus spending bill. Despite sage grouse being the Senator’s number one priority going
into omnibus negotiations, language defunding the Bureau of Land Management’s resource
management plans was not included. Senator Lee will continue to work tirelessly to ensure
that Utah is allowed to manage the sage grouse.

Utah Prairie Dog/Endangered Species Act:
In November 2014, the United States District Court for the District of Utah ruled that the
Constitution’s Commerce Clause does not allow the federal government to regulate the Utah
Prairie Dog under the Endangered Species Act because the animal lives solely in Utah and
has no affect on commerce. To codify into law the court’s ruling, Senator Lee introduced the
Native Species Protection Act (S.1142) which would prevent the federal government from
regulating intrastate animals, like the Utah prairie dog, that have no effect on commerce.

Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF):
The Land and Water Conservation Fund is a federal program that is primarily used to purchase
state and private land. Senator Lee worked with other reform-minded conservatives to try and
improve the program, which had not been updated in decades. Senator Lee attempted to update the
program in three ways:

1. Allow states to receive more LWCF money than the federal government. Fifty years
ago, LWCF was structured so that states received 60 percent of the funds and the
 federal government received 40 percent. That allocation has since changed with the
federal program now receiving more than 80 percent of the funding. Senator Lee
thinks that states should receive more of the money and would like to see the
original 60/40 allocation reinstated.
2. Address the $20 billion backlog. The Department of the Interior’s current
maintenance backlog on federal lands is $20 billion dollars. LWCF is primarily used
to add state and private lands to the federal estate but Senator Lee thinks that LWCF
funds should also be spent maintaining the land the federal government already
owns. Federal land ownership should entail responsible management.
3. Qualifying what the federal government can purchase. LWCF has been used to add
over 5 million acres to the federal estate, land that the government has inadequately
managed. While some land acquisitions are appropriate, like inholdings, many are
not. Senator Lee would like to see LWCF language that clearly defines what an
inholding is.

Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT):
Since federal land is not taxable, the Payment in Lieu of Taxes program was created to
compensate counties and local governments for essential service expenditures and tax
revenue losses due to the presence of federal land in their jurisdiction. Not only are counties
with federal land deprived of a tax base, local governments are often required to spend tax
revenue providing critical services like law enforcement, search and rescue, fire
management, and emergency medical services on those lands. Senator Lee has repeatedly
offered an amendment that would provide counties with a choice: receive PILT funding
using the current funding formula or opt into a new PILT funding program based on forgone
property taxes.

Because the presence of federal land is only one component of the current formula, many
counties do not receive adequate compensation for the presence of federal land within their
jurisdiction. Senator Lee’s amendment offers counties a more transparent and equitable
PILT compensation formula based on foregone property taxes.

Antiquities Act:
Senator Lee believes that the Antiquities Act has drifted far from its original intent and needs to be
reformed. In order to provide states with more input in the national monument designation
process, Senator Lee introduced S. 2004 which allows the President to designate a national
monument but requires the U.S. Congress and the legislature of the state in which the monument is
designated to pass resolutions approving the national monument for it to remain in effect.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Overreach:
Senator Lee has fought against many of the EPA’s onerous and potentially illegal
regulations, including:

- Waters of the United States (WOTUS) Rule: Senator Lee cosponsored and voted for a
number of bills that would amend or nullify the overly expansive WOTUS rule.
Senator Lee of course supports clean water but believes that the most recent rule is
a power grab that gives the EPA authority over far too many lands and bodies of
water.
- Carbon regulations: For the first time ever, the EPA has decided to regulate carbon
dioxide as a pollutant. Senator Lee does not think the Clean Air Act was ever
intended to regulate a nontoxic gas like carbon dioxide, and was certainly not
 intended to regulate it in the unprecedented manner the EPA has proposed. Senator
Lee has voted to negate these onerous regulations that could cause electricity prices
in Utah to skyrocket.


ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES HEARINGS ATTENDED

- Hearing on the Bureau of Land Management’s Final Hydraulic Fracturing Rule; BLM
Director Neil Kornze; April 30, 2015.
- Hearing on energy supply legislation; Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Director
Abigail Ross Hopper, American Public Power Association President Susan Kelly; May
19, 2015.
- Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining legislative hearing; U.S. Forest
Service Deputy Chief Leslie Weldon; May 21, 2015.
- Business meeting to markup the Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2015; July 28-
30, 2015.
- Hearing to examine the potential modernization of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve
and related energy security issues; Department of Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz,
Admiral Dennis C. Blair U.S. Navy (Ret.); October 6, 2015.
- Legislative hearing on Western and Alaska Water Legislation; Department of
Interior Deputy Secretary Michael Connor; October 8, 2015.
- Hearing on the development and potential implementation of the Office of Surface
Mining, Reclamation, and Enforcement’s proposed Stream Protection Rule;
Department of Interior Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management
Janice Schneider, National Mining Association President & CEO Hal Quinn; October
27, 2015.
- Hearing to review past wildfire seasons to inform and improve future federal
wildland fire management strategies; Government Accountability Office Natural
Resources and Environment Team Director Anne-Marie Fennell; November 17,
2015.
- Business meeting to consider the Bipartisan Sportsmen’s Act of 2015 and other
bills; November 19, 2015.
- Hearing to examine terrorism and global oil markets; RAND Corporation Senior
Economist Keith Crane, IHS Senior Director Jamie Webster; December 10, 2015.

 Economic Policy

In 2015 Senator Lee proposed major changes to the tax code, our early childhood
and higher education systems. He also presented ways to protect families and
religious liberty as the pillars of our society and culture. Faced with a system that
currently penalizes families, investment, and presents government as a solution to
societal problems, Senator Lee has presented a strong agenda that shifts power
away from the Federal government and empowers state and local institutions.

Economic Policy Legislation

Pro-Growth, Pro-Family Tax Reform, March 2015

Senator Lee proposed with Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) a tax reform plan that
would cut the corporate rate to 25%, integrate taxation for corporate and pass-
through entities, and eliminate capital gains taxes. For individuals and families, the
plan reduces the current seven brackets to two: 15% and 35%. It also creates a new
child tax credit of $2,500 per child, which would be refundable against income and
payroll tax liabilities including employer-side payroll tax liability.

Sound Dollar Act of 2015

The Sound Dollar Act would enact multiple changes at the Federal Reserve (the Fed)
including a single mandate for price stability and a transparent lender of last resort
policy. These reforms would enable market participants to form their expectations
about what the Fed will do – either in a crisis or when managing monetary policy in
relatively normal times. The bill would also provide for all twelve Federal Reserve
districts to have a vote on the Federal Open Market Committee rather than just
having four of the eleven non-New York districts as voting members in any given
year. The Fed would also be required to release meeting transcripts within three
years. The Fed would be limited in its ability to invest in anything other than
Treasuries, repos, and reverse repos unless in an emergency. Under the bill, the
Exchange Stabilization Fund at Treasury, which was established by the Gold Reserve
Act of 1934, would be converted into a fund that only holds Special Drawing Rights
to limit Treasury’s ability to secretly engage in currency dealings. The Sound Dollar
Act would also remove the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau from the Fed’s
funding stream and make the bureau accountable to Congress and subject to the
appropriations process.


Local Zoning Decisions Protection Act

The Local Zoning Decisions Act would restrict any federal funding from being used
to implement, administer, or enforce HUD’s “Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing”
rule. The bill also prohibits any funds from being used for HUD’s “Fair Housing”
database which could be used to further the administration’s radical pursuit of using
“disparate impact theory” to punish communities that are not as demographically
diverse as the administration would like.

Head Start Improvement Act, S.2990

Senator Lee introduced the Head Start Improvement Act to eliminate much of the
federal Head Start bureaucracy and block grant $8.6 billion budget to the states,
giving them full flexibility to spend on pre-K education for underprivileged children
as they see fit, including as vouchers to defray the costs of private pre- school
tuition. State and local governments are better equipped than the federal
government to tailor programs to meet the needs of the children they serve.
Additionally, the majority of states have robust pre-K programs available,
particularly for low-income families.

Enhancing Educational Opportunities for All Act, S.306

Senator Lee also introduced the Enhancing Educational opportunities for All Act to
ensure that all students should have access to a high quality education. The Act has
three primary components aimed at making sure that educational decision-making
authority resides in the home with parents and guardians, not with federal
bureaucrats in Washington. This legislation will empower parents to invest more in
their child's education and allow parents to choose what school best meets their
child's needs.

Higher Education Reform and Opportunity Act., S.649.

Current federal higher education policy has, unfortunately, stifled innovation and
diversity of American higher education by limiting access to federal student loans to
attend colleges accredited by federally sanctioned accreditors. Thus, federal law not
only drives up the cost of tuition by subsidizing existing colleges, but also prevents
new higher education models from emerging. To open the higher education system
to innovation, Sen. Lee reintroduced the Higher Education Reform and Opportunity
Act. The HERO Act authorizes States to create an alternative, state-run process for
accreditation, providing the State with the same authority as the Secretary of
Education has in selecting the institutions eligible to participate in Title IV funding.

First Amendment Defense Act, S.1598

To protect religious liberty, Senator Lee introduced the First Amendment Defense
Act. In the wake of the United States Supreme Court’s rulings in United States v.
Windsor and Obergefell v. Hodges, there is growing concern that individuals and
organizations that define marriage as the union of one man and one woman may be
vulnerable to government retaliation. Under the First Amendment Defense Act, the
Federal Government would not be able to discriminate against any individual or
institution that defines marriage as a union of one man and one woman. It would
prevent the Federal Government from denying any Federal grant, contract, license,
certification, accreditation, or tax exemption from individuals or groups based on
their belief that marriage is the union of one man and one woman.

Working Families Flexibility Act, S.233

For many individuals, especially working parents, time is more valuable than
money. Sadly, under current law, the only option available to private-sector
employees who work overtime is to receive monetary compensation at 1½ times
their normal pay. In 1978, Congress passed the “Federal Employee Flexible and
Compressed Work Schedule Act” providing Federal, State, and local governments
the ability to give their employees a choice between overtime pay or paid time off
for working overtime hours. This legal disparity unfairly discriminates against
private-sector employees and impedes those employers who want to offer their
employees this flexibility to balance work and family obligations. Recognizing this
disparity, Senator Lee re-introduced the “Working Families Flexibility Act.” The
House of Representatives passed the legislation (H.R.1406) last Congress in May.
This bill amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to provide employers with
the necessary flexibility to allow their employees to choose either the traditional
overtime pay or paid time off for any overtime hours worked.

Protecting American Made Jobs, S. 2084

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), which consists of unelected and largely
unaccountable members, has the power to investigate and adjudicate
representation disputes, unfair labor practice complaints, and contract disputes, and
the federal courts can review its decisions under only limited circumstances.
Essentially, the NLRB acts as investigator, prosecutor, and judge with a politically
appointed membership constantly turning-over—a structure that will never result
in due process for either employees or employers. The idea that a supposedly
independent agency whose membership is decided by political powers is a better
judicial system than that set up by the U.S. Constitution and used in most other
circumstances is absurd. Therefore, Senator Lee introduced legislation that would
return the adjudicatory functions of the NLRB to the U.S. Courts and take away the
Board’s power to prosecute unfair labor practice charges. The parties involved in an
unfair labor practice could still bring forth complaints that the NLRB would be able
to investigate, but the power to hear and adjudicate complaint cases would remain
with the U.S. Court system, just like the adjudication of all other disputes between
private parties.

Davis-Bacon Repeal Act, S. 1785

Senator Lee reintroduced the Davis-Bacon Repeal Act. The Davis-Bacon Act (DBA) is
an 80-year-old law that requires federally funded projects (over $2000) to pay local
prevailing wages—as determined by the Wage and Hour Division at the Department
of Labor. Unfortunately, because the calculation to determine local DBA wage rate is
based on an unscientific methodology, the DBA wages are on average 22 percent
above market wages—raising the costs of federal construction projects and wasting
taxpayer dollars. As the Highway Trust Fund continues to overspend, this is one way
among many to save the fund billion of dollars.

Protecting American Made Products Act, S.1518

Since 1997, the Federal Trade Commission has enforced a stringent national
labeling standard that requires products marked Made in the USA to be all or
virtually all manufactured in the U.S. While providing the necessary protection, it
gives companies a slight amount of leeway, permitting them to import negligible
components of their products. Under a new California specific standard, a product
could bear the “Made in the USA” label in California if 95 percent of its contents are
domestically sourced. If a company can certify that the components are unavailable
in the U.S., then a 90 percent threshold could apply. This single state standard
creates a substantial interstate commerce problem. Because of this, Senator Lee
introduced legislation to return the authority of country of origin labeling of goods
in interstate commerce to the FTC. This bill has passed out of the Senate Commerce
Committee.

Key Joint Economic Committee Hearings

“Ensuring Success for the Social Security Disability Insurance Program and Its
Beneficiaries”, November 4, 2015: Senator Lee asked questions about the role of
Private Disability Insurance in returning individuals to work and how the private
market might solve some of the problems that the SSDI program is unable to.

“Financing Higher Education: Exploring Current Challenges and Potential
Alternatives”, September 30, 2015: In his remarks, Senator Lee recognized the
success of Utah Valley University in having the lowest average loan amount out of
Utah’s four-year institutions in 2013, and he asked questions about how schools
provide prospective students about average debt load, average time to graduate,
and average starting salaries to help students make good decisions regarding their
college careers.

“What Lower Labor Force Participation Rates Tell Us about Work Opportunities and
Incentives”, July 15, 2015: Senator Lee focused his questions on the role that Federal
aid programs such as Social Security Disability have had in reducing labor force
participation, and what solutions to correct the work disincentives.

“The Economic Exposure of Federal Credit Programs”, June 17, 2015: Senator Lee
presided over this hearing that focused on how Federal accounting rules disguise
the risk that federal credit programs pose to taxpayers.

“Small Business, Big Taxes: Are Taxes Holding Back Small Business Growth?”, April,
15, 2015: Senator Lee asked about how the corporate tax code could be integrated
to benefit small, pass-through entities, and how to solve the problem of double
taxation.

 Constituent
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 2nd ANNUAL

SOLUTIONS ENERGY SOLUTIONS ARENA

SUMMIT
OCTOBER 12, 2015

In October I joined with the Salt Lake Chamber, the Utah Technology
Council, and the Utah Manufacturers Association to host the Second
Annual Utah Solutions Summit. The theme of this year’s Summit was
“Utah’s Idea Factory” – a way to engage in the kind of innovative
dialogue that makes Utah a special place, and America an extraordi-
nary success.

"Utah's Idea Factory" featured a group of local and national leaders

talking about the common problems that people experience in their
businesses and day to day lives, and how we can come up with solu-
tions—solutions we can apply to legislative reform in Washington.
Joining me for the 2015 Solutions Summit were:

Former Utah Governor, Mike Leavitt

U.S. Senator from Nebraska, Ben Sasse
Governor Gary Herbert
Rich McKeown, CEO of Leavitt Partners
Carol Hollowell, Executive Director of Switchpoint
Adam Terry, Founder of Waffle Love food truck

I believe that America is at its best whenever we’re a country of big ideas. This is a quality that has differentiated us
from the rest of the world. I believe our nation’s “idea factory” functions best when our businesses drive innovation,
and our elected officials serve to help promote bold agendas that empower those who generate innovative ideas.
Ultimately, it is those big ideas that create jobs in our economy—jobs that help build the middle class and lift the
poor out of poverty.

This year's Solutions Summit was a fantastic venue for fostering the kind of discussion that drives policy innovation
through collaberation and big ideas. As was highlighted by the many people who participated in the "Idea Factory"
this year, collaberation is a key ingredient to the kind of big thinking that brings innovation and institutional reform.
My hope for this year’s Solutions Summit is that we will walk away with a better view of our own “idea factory”,
and that we can engage in the kind of collaberative dialogue as business and civic leaders that will continue to make
Utah a special place, and America an extraordinary success.
OFFICE OF SENATOR MICHAEL S. LEE
NORTHERN UTAH REPORT – 2015

Northern Utah Director:
Ryan D. Wilcox
324 25th St., Suite 1410
Ogden, Utah, 84401
(801) 392-9623 (office)
(801) 200-5595 (mobile)

The Northern Utah Office is located at the James V. Hansen Federal Building in
Ogden, Utah. The geographic area covered by this office includes Weber, Davis,
Cache, Summit, Box Elder, Morgan, Rich, Tooele, Daggett, Uintah, and Duchesne
Counties. National defense, economic development, water and resource
management, transportation, taxes, federal and state regulation, federally managed
lands, energy, education, recreation and tourism are some of the major concerns in
this area of the state. As most outreach takes place outside of the physical office,
office hours at the Ogden location are by appointment only.

PUBLIC OUTREACH AND SERVICE
In addition to meeting with constituents in the office, we hold regular Mobile Office
visits and constituent outreach throughout the state. This is done in an effort to
reach as many constituents as possible, regardless of their ability to travel to one of
our physical locations. Mobile Office visits may also be scheduled upon request.
Constituent contact is the top priority and every opportunity to engage the public is
taken.

The office regularly attends and reports at public meetings. Monthly coordination
meetings, site tours, conferences, training and briefings are held in various cities,
with a wide range of participants, including but not limited to: Congressional
representatives, county commissioners, Associations of Government, elected city
and Utah State officials, federal agencies, students, Chambers of Commerce,
Charities and Civil-Service organizations, non-governmental organizations and
partners.

EDUCATION
School visits, guest lecturing and teaching opportunities are a priority in the
Northern Utah office. The Director is a regular guest speaker/instructor at schools
throughout the Northern Utah area. Particular attention is paid to Social Studies
curriculum in the 4th and 5th grades, and History and Government students at the
High School level. Whenever possible, each student returns home with their own
copy of the United States Constitution. The Director is also a frequent guest speaker
at both Weber State and Utah State Universities on the subjects of Public Service,
Legislative Process, Campaigns, and Constitutional Law.


OFFICE OF SENATOR MICHAEL S. LEE
ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES STATE REPORT – 2015

Energy and Natural Resources Advisor:
Ryan D. Wilcox
324 25th St., Suite 1410
Ogden, Utah, 84401
(801) 392-9623 (office)
(801) 200-5595 (mobile)

PUBLIC LAND POLICY
MAJOR ISSUES OF 2015

Proposed “Bears Ears” National Monument:
A coalition of Native American tribes has officially proposed the creation of a 1.9 million
acre national monument in Southeastern Utah. Disturbingly, the coalition’s principal
advisor is Dr. Charles Wilkinson, a law school professor from Boulder, Colorado and
board member of the Grand Canyon Trust…the same man who authored “Proclamation
6920” creating the now infamous 1.7 million acre Grand Staircase-Escalante National
Monument in southern Utah. The monument, justified under a creative, expansive
interpretation of the Antiquities Act of 1906, immediately became the largest national
monument in the continental United States. Grand Staircase-Escalante was created by
executive order by then President Bill Clinton at a ceremony in Arizona, with no
community input from Utahans’ in the waning days of his administration. Despite
protestations that the Bears Ears proposal is not connected to the same restrictionist
organizations behind Escalante, Dr. Wilkinson declared: “There is no other proposal.
The Bears Ears proposal is the SUWA (Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance) proposal. It
is the Grand Canyon Trust proposal.” While that proposal provides for oversight of the
proposed monument to the various Native American tribes and federal land managers, it
unfortunately includes no public oversight or input from the state of Utah, its
congressional delegation, or the local community in San Juan County.

By contrast, the Utah Public Lands Initiative spearheaded by Congressmen Rob Bishop
and Jason Chaffetz was created after a three year process that included over 1,200 local
meetings and public input at the state, county and community level.

It acknowledges and preserves sensitive historical and Native American cultural sites,
while preserving valid grazing, recreation, access, and natural resource development
concerns; yet provides for 1.1 million acres of conservation, and co-management
oversight with the tribes, the State of Utah, and San Juan County. In short, the inclusive,
open Utah Public Lands Initiative process stands in stark contrast to the top-down
dictatorial political payoff masquerading as government of, by and for the people. We
will continue to fight executive abuse and cronyist collusion under the Antiquities Act, as
we promote the principles of limited government and local control.

Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS): While the immediate threat on WOTUS has subsided,
there remains concern over the desire of the EPA to claim ownership and therefore
wrest regulatory authority away from the states. We have and will continue to work
to preserve the long-held state jurisdiction over water.

Utah Test & Training Range Protection: The office continues to work with the U.S.
Air Force, counties and local citizens impacted to ensure that both national security
interests and land users are protected as we ensure the long-term viability of this
essential installation.

Public Lands Initiative: The office has taken an active role in supporting each
participating counties efforts to resolve long-term management disputes in their
respective jurisdictions. We will continue to facilitate negotiations and encourage
productive dialogue as we move forward with a long-term solution to bring
certainty for the future of public lands management in rural Utah. We are pleased
with the process that has gone into this bill, and are convinced that the resulting
policy is a good-faith compromise. We are excited about the opportunities the bill
provides to resolve long standing conflicts over RS2477 roads, grazing, recreation,
natural resource development, and conservation.

Endangered Species Act: the threatened listing of the Greater Sage Grouse has long
been used as a weapon against the people and communities of rural Utah. We
continue to look for a legislative solution to offer relief to so many of the affected
towns and counties, as it has become increasingly clear that the administration
intends to simultaneously ignore actual numbers of the species throughout the state
(particularly on private land) while implementing dramatic restrictions absent a
listing.

Utah Prairie Dog: We continue to support efforts by our rural Utah county
Commissioners, mayors, and state officials working to complete all of the
requirements for de-listing as soon as possible. There is a lack of trust in the system
by elected officials.

Roads: Road closures continue to plague the public land debate, with the Forest
Service and BLM seemingly on a mission to eliminate access to Utah’s backcountry
at any cost. From the RS2477 road debate to denials of business permits within the
“view shed” of historic trails, access has been and will continue to be a serious
concern for many citizens into the future.

Cattle Grazing on BLM and F.S. Lands: This issue is a top priority and has taken
center stage in the Public Lands Initiative. The grazing language in the bill seeks to
preserve grazing rights and end the perpetual attack on Utah’s farmers and
ranchers.

Wild Horses: This issue has not been adequately resolved and will rear its ugly head
in the future. Logic and reason are needed to provide a long-term solution.

Wildfire: Because of a lack of adequate management by federal land managers, the
western wild fire situation continues to worsen. Until environmental concerns are
put in proper priority with realities on the ground, this problem with continue.
Politics needs to be taken out of the equation.

Conclusion

2015 was filled with several disconcerting instances of federal agency overreach
detrimental to positive growth, economic development and individual liberty. This
includes federal land mis-management, and at times, outright hostile actions
contrary to and inconsistent with internal policies and processes, including
collusion with restrictionist and exclusionary non-governmental organizations.
(i.e.: Proposed U.S. Forest Service Three-Forest Resource Management Plan)

The office strives to gain constituent trust and provide excellent personal service.
Mobile office visits were made to dozens of Northern Utah cities and towns, to
better provide assess to the Senator. The office has also made a specific effort to
engage with the youth of the state, regularly visiting classrooms and guest lecturing
on constitutional roles and process. This outreach focuses on engaging students in
discussions and providing experiences that will both inspire and prepare the next
generation to lead.

While 2015 brought serious challenges; we have also seen improved prospects for
long-term solutions. We look forward to seeing those through in 2016.



OFFICE OF SENATOR MICHAEL S. LEE
SOUTHERN UTAH REPORT – 2015

Southern Utah Director:
Bette O. Arial
285 W Tabernacle
St George, UT 84770
(435) 628-4277 (office)
(435) 971-7446 (cell)

The Southern Utah Office consists of: Bette Arial, Southern Utah Director/Natural
Resources Policy Advisor, Jolie Klawitter, caseworker/office manager, an winter
intern and a summer intern. The geographic area covered by this office includes:
Beaver, Garfield, Grand, Iron, Kane, Millard, Piute, San Juan, Sevier, Washington and
Wayne Counties. Growth (or the lack of growth), water, transportation, taxes,
federal and state regulation, federally designated and managed lands (natural
resources), wildlife management, immigration, economic development, education
funding, energy, endangered species, cattle grazing, and RS2477 rights-of-way are
some of the major concerns of the citizens in this area of the state.

PUBLIC OUTREACH AND SERVICE
Constituent contact is the top priority and every opportunity to engage the public is
taken. The office takes calls, greets walk-ins, handles a large number of casework
requests and attends a wide range of public meetings, tours, events and conferences.

Veterans Affairs casework comprises a large part of the office workload due to the
fact that twenty percent of Washington County’s population is made up of veterans.
The office participated in the “Honor Flight” trips to the WWII Memorial in
Washington D.C., was host, in the Lee office, to the presentation of past due military
awards to deserving veterans, attended coordination meetings and celebratory
events.

The office regularly attends and reports at public meetings. Monthly coordination
meetings, site tours, conferences, training and briefings held in various cities, with a
wide range of participants, including: Congressional representatives, county
commissioners, Associations of Government, elected city and Utah State officials,
Bureau of Land Management (DOI), U. S. Forest Service (USDA), National Park
Service (DOI), Fire Management, BIA, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Army Corps of
Engineers, Environmental Protection Agency, Bureau of Reclamation, Natural
Resources Conservation Service, Tribal Governments, Security/Law Enforcement,
Farm Bureau, Utah Cattlemen, Utah Dairy Producers, Utah Wool Growers, Utah
Farmers Union, Egg Producers, ATV clubs and Chambers of Commerce.

Travel is required to many counties in very isolated and remote areas of the state.


PUBLIC LAND POLICY
MAJOR ISSUES OF 2015

Waters of the U.S.: There is concern over the desire of the Forest Service to claim
ownership of the waters that flow through F.S. and BLM managed lands.

Endangered Species Act: Forest Service attempted to control the listing of the
Greater Sage Grouse but a decision to not list the grouse brought relief to many of
the affected towns and counties. BLM has now taken over the management
responsibility and in some instances has adopted more strenuous regulations than
the listing would have had.

Utah Prairie Dog: The “soft HCP” in affect for Iron and Garfield Counties is
functioning with county commissioners working to complete all of the requirements
for de-listing as soon as possible. There is a lack of trust in the system by elected
officials toward the federal government.

Washington County Habitat Recovery Plan: The Washington County Commission is
concerned about the renewal of the plan and the land trade required by the original
HCP. All meetings associated with the HCP are attended by the director and as the
trade progresses; help may be required of congress.

Draft Resource Management Plans for Beaver Dam Wash National Conservation
Area and Red Cliffs National Conservation Area: Washington County as a whole has
been anxiously engaged in protesting this process. Commissioners pointed out that
rules state that local governments will be notified and allowed to consult and
participate in all planning efforts and were not. Comment letters were sent from
individual citizens, groups and government leaders to BLM officials. An time
extension was granted by BLM National Director, Neil Kornse, to submit comments.
The process is ongoing. Major issues are the Northern Corridor and water access
and protection.

Cattle Grazing on BLM and F.S. Lands: The Utah Association of Counties Grazing
Sub-committee and the Five and Six County Associations of Government have taken
strong positions in support of grazing. They have requested letters be sent to the
national FS and BLM Directors with Congressional signatures. This issue is a top
priority. Grazing numbers (AUMs) continue to drop and many ranchers are barely
clinging on.

Wild horses: This issue has not been adequately resolved and will rear its ugly head
in the future. Logic and reason are needed to provide a long-term solution. The
abundance of wild horses is used as a ploy to reduce grazing and stocking numbers,
creating constant stress between the participants. The director took an extensive
tour of allotments in Beaver County. The over-stocked horses are suffering due to a
lack of feed on lands that have valid grazing permits.

Wildfire: Because of a lack of adequate management by federal land managers, the
western wild fire situation continues to worsen. Until environmental concerns are
put in proper priority with the realities that exist on the ground, this problem with
continue. Politics needs to be taken out of the equation allowing fire suppression
and treatment to be responsibly administered.

Conclusion

The 2014 dramatic events concerning federal BLM agents and special agents
continued over to 2015. Support for Cliven Bundy in Nevada, deceased Doctor,
James Redd and Commissioner Phil Lyman in San Juan County, continue to gain
momentum throughout the state.

The office strives to gain constituent trust and provide excellent personal service
even though some on the issues are complicated, as bills move through congress.

Mobile office visits were made to all eleven counties in the southern district and to
twenty-one cities.

The director is an active member and board officer with the Washington County
Republican Women, and the GOP parties of all counties.

The director travels to several meetings each month in the Cities of Cedar City,
Kanab, Richfield, Beaver, Panguitch and St George.

Director serves on the boards of the Dixie Transportation Council, Dixie/Arizona
Strip Interpretive Association, Dixie Center Inter-local Agreement Board,
Washington County Solid and Hazardous Waste Board, St George Arts Commission,
St George Art Museum Board, Children’s Museum Board and Art Around the Corner
Board. Director also serves as a member of the St George City Council (elected to a
four year term in 2015).

This was a great year with some serious challenges that will carry-over to 2016.






Office of Senator Mike Lee
2015 Central Utah and Mobile Office Report

Central Utah Director:
Robert Axson
125 South State Street STE 4225
Salt Lake City, UT 84138
(801) 524-5933 office
rob_axson@lee.senate.gov

Mobile Office:

Through five years in office, Senator Lee has directed his staff to make constituent
service and outreach visits throughout the state. Over this time, the interactions
with Utahns have been varied, insightful, and meaningful. During these meetings
with Utahns of all backgrounds, ages, and perspectives, dialogue concerning the
challenges facing Utah families and individuals have provided Senator Lee with the
insight and perspective necessary to continue to develop his Reform Agenda—
promoting economic growth and opportunity for Utah’s citizens.

Senator Mike Lee’s mobile office was able to once again meet directly with hundreds
of Utahns throughout the state during 2015. With many scores of unique Mobile
office visits in all 29 of Utah’s counties, many wonderful general and regionally
specific issues were discussed. Senator Lee has said: “I want my office to be open
and available to Utahns. The best way to achieve that is by going directly to them.
Utahns deal with a range of federal issues – from Social Security to veterans benefits
to navigating the bureaucracy of the federal government – and I want to be there to
help them get answers.”

In addition to general dialogue with Utahns, the mobile office helps Senator Lee, and
his staff, reach neighbors, veterans, students, and other Utahns who may be in need
of assistance with the federal government. At the Senator’s direction, we continue to
identify as many people as possible through these visits in need of assistance
(casework) and provide them the opportunity they might not otherwise have. The
mobile office travels throughout the state of Utah and opens a temporary U.S. Senate
staff office, on behalf of Senator Lee, in all of Utah’s counties – generally conducting
office hours in the morning and in the afternoon at pre-arranged and pre-advertised
locations. (In 2015, the locations of visits have included, among others: city halls,
community libraries, college and university campuses, businesses, veterans’ centers,
recreation centers, community events, and senior centers.)

Mobile office hours, dates, and event locations are regularly updated and available
for public notice at http://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/mobile-office.
Additionally, Utah residents may use the website to request a specific visit from the
mobile office, recommend a location for a future visit, and invite the mobile office
for an educational presentation on the U.S. Constitution and the process of the
federal government.

In recognition of the important relationship between the government of the State of
Utah and its elected federal representative, Senator Lee’s mobile office continued
the tradition of hosting mobile office hours at the Utah Capitol during the state
legislative session. The mobile office greeted, assisted and took comments from
state legislators, employees, and other capitol visitors throughout the session.

Even though Senator Lee's Washington D.C. office is over 2000 miles away and you
may have to drive on I-15 for hours to get to his Salt Lake City, Ogden, or St. George
offices, his mobile office visits are often as close as your local city hall or library.
When Utahns are unable to travel to Senator Lee, he and his staff will continue to
work hard on going to them.

Outreach:

As the Central Utah Director, I have focused my outreach, visits, and conversations
with constituents, elected officials, students, businesses, and activists in the middle
part of our state (Carbon, Duchesne, Emery, Juab, Salt Lake, Sanpete, Uintah, Utah,
and Wasatch counties). Whether visiting with businesses in and along the Wasatch
Front, energy producers in the Basin or “Coal Country,” Ranchers in the West Desert,
or Turkey Farmers in the high mountain valleys, Utah is filled with wonderful and
diverse people who want to raise their families in a State with economic
opportunities, recreation, freedom, and community.

I have continued to promote these pillars of opportunity, freedom, and community
throughout Utah in 2015. Regular meetings with various Associations of
Government, Chambers of Commerce, nonprofit organizations, service
organizations, and businesses introduced important perspectives and ideas. Senator
Lee firmly believes that the answers to the challenges facing our country will be
found in the minds and lives of those most affected—her citizens. Better than D.C.,
rural and urban Utah is where the entrepreneurs of ideas live. It is a pleasure to
meet on a daily basis with those who—like me—are proud to call Utah home and to
facilitate dialogue with Senator Lee who is committed to standing for Utah and with
Utahns.
Casework in Utah

Senator Lee has the opportunity to assist Utahns, businesses, and local governments in their daily
interactions with the federal government. Many of the federal agencies we work with include the
Departments of Veterans Affairs, Interior, Heath and Human Services, and Housing and Urban
Development. We also work with the Internal Revenue Service, Social Security Administration,
and Passport Agency.

Specially trained staff in Salt Lake City and St. George work daily to assist Utahns when they
encounter problems with federal agencies or federally funded programs. Utahns may call, email,
or visit one of Senator Lee’s offices to request assistance. The casework staff will then work with
the constituent to gather the necessary information needed to make an agency inquiry.

Constituents are often referred to Senator Lee for federal casework assistance from Governor
Herbert’s office, many Utah State legislators, and local businesses and nonprofit organizations.

The casework staff look for opportunities in the community to interact with individuals and
organizations. Often we are called upon to explain how Senator Lee can be of assistance, but we
also take advantage of the time to learn about the many ways Utahns find unique solutions to
issues facing their local communities.

2015 Casework

Cases Opened: 429
Cases Closed: 416

Examples of casework in 2015 include:

• A Utah family sadly learned that their grandmother had only weeks to live. Her wish was
to visit her children in England one last time, but the grandmother had lost both her
passport and birth certificate. Staff in Senator Lee’s St. George office worked with the State
of Utah to find her birth certificate in one day and the passport application was
overnighted to the Passport Agency. Staff at the Passport Agency were alerted ahead of the
application’s arrival and were watching for it. They worked hard to complete the
processing in one day. It went out that night, arrived the next morning, and the family flew
their grandmother to England that night. She had a beautiful final visit with her family in
England.

• International adoptions are always a wonderful experience, but can be very challenging on
both the immigration side and once the families are united in Utah. One family referred to
the office had been having trouble obtaining a Social Security card for their son. They had
been working for years with the Social Security Administration to obtain the card with a
corrected name and birthdate for their son. In the end, staff in Senator Lee’s office found
that the problem could be resolved and a card issued once the Department of Homeland
Security manually entered and approved the name and birthdate changes.

• Many of cases that come into the office are unique. Oftentimes the staff learn how to work
on these cases by making calls and asking questions. One constituent learned after an
 audit that his deceased parents had several savings bonds that had never been cashed. As
the executor of the will he had been receiving notices and attempting to respond to
document requests since 2006. He contacted Senator Lee’s office in October 2014. He
provided a timeline of each time he had tried to contact the Department of the Treasury
over the years. Later that month the department responded to Senator Lee’s request for
information by providing information about which office to work with. Even though we
now had the correct office it still took time to find someone who knew how an executor of
an estate could verify and obtain the cash value of the bonds. Staff in Senator Lee’s office
learned all about claims for lost, stolen, or destroyed savings bonds, disposition of
securities belonging to estates being settled without administration, and medallion seals.
Finally on September 11, 2015 the funds from the savings bonds were released to the
family.

• Cases sometimes involve multiple agencies just as one did for a veteran who served 20
years in the military before working with the U.S. Postal Service. After years of suffering
from debilitation health problems he was diagnosed with Lyme disease contracted during
his time in the military. No longer able to work he filed Social Security and OPM disability
claims. Both claims were denied and appeals were filed. Senator Lee made inquires with
OPM, Social Security, and the Veterans Administration. The VA provided paperwork
explaining he had been granted a 100% service connected disability determination. They
also provided information about the effects of Lyme disease and what happens if it is not
diagnosed and treated. This information was forwarded to OPM, which granted the
disability retirement one month later. Information collected from the VA and the new OPM
decision was then sent to Social Security, where the case has been appealed to the Appeals
Council, which recently approved expedited handling of the case.

• One young Utahn tragically lost her father during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Her mother, a
Japanese national, faced the decision of returning to her home in Japan or remaining in
Utah. The family chose to remain in Utah where her mother became a successful business
owner. Shortly after her father’s death, a Casualty Assistance Officer told the family that
his dependents could attend Department of Defense schools anywhere in the world at no
cost. After a number of years, the family made the decision to go to Japan. Due to the lack
of ability to read and write in Japanese, this young Utahn needed to attend a school that
taught in English. She enrolled at Kadena AFB High School in Okinawa, Japan but was
informed that because she did not enroll in a DoDEA school within one year of her father’s
death, she was ineligible to attend without paying the tuition herself. For a year and a half,
she was only able to attend on a space available basis. After Senator Lee’s office contacted
the Department of Defense and alerted them to the situation, the tuition fees were waived
and she was able to attend her senior year of high school. She also received a refund for
the tuition she paid for her first semester.


Casework Director
Jessica Christopher
124 South State Street, Suite 4225
Salt Lake City, UT 84138
801-524-5933
Jessica_Christopher@lee.senate.gov

U.S. Service Academy Nominations

Senator Lee has the honor to nominate outstanding young Utahns to our nation’s military
academies: Air Force Academy, Naval Academy, Military Academy at West Point, and Merchant
Marine Academy. Interested applicants can find information about the academy nomination
process on Senator Lee’s website at lee.senate.gov.

Senator Lee looks for applicants who can demonstrate they have a desire to serve and be a
leader in the U.S. Armed Forces. Successful applicants show they can handle the rigorous
academic and physical requirements of the academies while maintaining involvement and
interest in their local communities.

The 2015 nomination process concluded in May 2015 when Senator Lee invited all of the
appointed candidates and t heir parents to dinner before they entered the academies. This
opportunity to interact with these dedicated young people who have committed themselves to
military service is an annual highlight.

2015 Appointments

Military Academy at West Point Air Force Academy
Thomas Davenport Cole Biedermann
Stephen Kelly Jonsen Crandall
Julia Murray McKenna Fox
Matthew Schvaneveldt Allison Gorringe
Dean Smith Paul Lee
Dietrich Streuber Brandon Lloyd
Jace Miller
Naval Academy Joshua Proulx
Tanner Munson Mormon Redd
Taylor Porges Corben Ruf
Parker Sharp
Christopher Vincent
Jacob Witt

2016 Academy Nominations

Application Available: April 3, 2015 – October 28, 2015
Total Applicants: 65

Academy Interviews: Tuesday, November 17, 2015 (8:20 am – 11:40 am)
Total number of interviews: 102
Air Force Academy: 35 Military Academy: 25
Merchant Marine Academy: 8 Naval Academy: 34

Total applicants nominated by Senator Lee: 31
Total number of Senator Lee’s applicants nominated from any source: 65

The final 2016 academy appointments will be determined during the first quarter of 2016.
 2015 Sample Correspondence

Senator Lee,

With the recent events in France just happening a few days ago I am very concerned
about the fact that the United States might not be as safe as it is said to be. The big citys
like New York and Boston are likely to get hit by the terrorists. Do you feel like the steps
being taken by the federal government are good enough precautions?

Cole J
Logan UT

Dear Senator Lee,

I'm a boy scout and for a merit badge I need to send you a letter and I need a response. I
need to ask you a question, so what's your favorite kind of pizza.

Nathan B
North Ogden UT

Hello,

My name is Andrew. I wanted to know what kind of education is appropriate for youth
ages 15? I think every person should be able to have an education. I also think that going
to school is boring so how would you make school a better experience for people in
America? Education should be enjoyed and not something that seems more like a chore. I
hope that you think about this and let me know your feelings about it. Thank you for your
time.

Andrew F
Mapleton UT

Dear Mr. Lee,

I write to you today as a citizen concerned about the redefinition of marriage that has
been imposed upon the citizens of the United States of America. As a husband and a
father of four boys, I feel that something has been stolen from me. I'm also unsettled by
the threat to religious liberty that is posed by this legal redefinition of marriage. I'm
asking for your consideration of an idea that has the potential to redress my injuries and
to provide some protection to newly threatened religious institutions. In 1906, the
Antiquities Act was enacted to protect and preserve "historic landmarks, historic and
prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest" from abuse. This
and other legislative measures have been used to help preserve priceless natural assets of
our country that might otherwise be threatened by self-serving individuals or corporate
entities. Just as nature has defined and shaped these protected assets over the course of
millions of years, I believe nature has defined one (and only one) way that human life can
be conceived: through the union between a man and a woman. This natural monument is
being actively threatened today and needs to be protected and preserved in the same way
that our national parks and monuments are preserved. We need a special, legally-
recognized designation for the union between a man and a woman. Providing this special
designation for the union between a man and a woman would allow me to repair the legal
status of my marriage that I feel has been vandalized. It would also provide protection to
religious institutions that will have a more solid legal foundation on which to refuse to
perform any kind of marriage other than this specially-designated union. I believe that
there are those who will try to block the enactment of such a legal designation by
claiming it to be a means to unfairly discriminate, but the proposal does not seek to
recognize anything that has not been already recognized by natural law. Just as millions
of years of natural history has shaped and distinguished our national monuments, so has
millions of years of natural history shaped and distinguished the natural law that only a
man and a woman can conceive a child. I request that you introduce legislation to
establish a special, legally-recognized designation for the union between a man and a
woman. Thank you for your consideration.

Ryan H
Orem UT

Senator Lee:

I'm writing to express my concern and support for Israel. While times are dangerous
around the world, Israel's situation is particularly perilous. She is surrounded by nations
that repeatedly and publicly call for her destruction. When she tries to defend herself
from security threats she is harshly and unfairly criticized by the international media and
global governments. In these trying times, I support the state of Israel and affirm the
historic relationship between the Jewish state and the United States and her people. The
U.S. and Israel are united by common goals of freedom, democracy, and peace. I stand by
Israel in her front-line battle against radical Islamist terror aimed at the heart of the West.
I believe that Israel has a right to live within secure, recognized, and peaceful borders. I
affirm her right to protect her citizens. I respect her identity as a democratic and Jewish
state. And I recognize her capital in Jerusalem, where she ensures the rights of all faiths
in the Holy City. As my elected official, I trust you will make sure my voice is heard.

Kandie R
Logan UT
Hi Senator,

I think we have a serious crisis pending with Social Security Disability. I used to work in
the insurance industry, and followed the events and trends closely. It used to be that you
had to be a genuine basket case to qualify for Social Security Disability--but not
anymore. Got a hangnail? Stubbed your toe recently? If so, you're in--or get a lawyer, and
you're both in. The Obama administration has quickly figured out that the more people
they can get on the public dole, the more their careers and futures are guaranteed; just use
other people's money to buy a very loyal constituency--and it's working like a charm.
Obama could write the book on how to run this particular scam. Someone needs to step in
and start seeing this "entitlement" fiasco for what it really is--another way to fleece the
taxpayer and future generations. What say ye?

Joe T
Sandy UT

Dear Senator Lee,

I am deeply disturbed by the desperate situation facing the millions of displaced Syrians
fleeing their homes due to war. Hundreds of thousands of parents have risked everything
to find a safe place for their children outside of Syria. More than 4 million Syrians are
seeing refuge, making this the most catastrophic humanitarian crisis since World War II,
and the most pressing moral issue of our lives. I call on you as my elected representative
to stand up with your voice and your vote in Congress to help make the United States a
refuge for these families. I urge you to use your good offices in securing and sending
immediate and continuing humanitarian support to our European allies who bear the
brunt of this crisis. I believe the United States is a shining city in a dark world, and that
we shine brightest when we exercise our moral courage and humanitarian conviction. We
should never look back on this time and say, "I wish I had done more." Affixed to our
Statue of Liberty are the words below. Please read them, then act with compassion
toward our Syrian brothers and sisters living in harms way. Give me your tired, your poor
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free The wretched refuse of your teeming shore
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me I lift my lamp beside the golden door.

Max S
Farmington UT

Dear Senator,

When the founding fathers wrote the Constitution, they felt so strongly about the need for
bankruptcy rights that they listed the creation of a "uniform system of bankruptcies"
ahead of the congressional powers to declare war, coin currency, raise an army and a
navy. Yet, Congress has uniquely and without basis stripped this constitutionally
mandated right from lower and middle income people who go to college. The harm that
this has done to the nation is incalculable. Unchecked predatory lending, Astonishingly
harmful governmental profiteering, inflation in the price of college, corruptions across
higher education, perverted fiscal incentives to default student loan borrowers, and a
myriad of other effects are due in large part to the removal of standard bankruptcy
protections from both federal and private loans. This is not defensible or tolerable, and
must end. Congress must pass this legislation, and reaffirm to working people that the
"invisible hand" of free market economics can and should work for everyone, not just the
wealthy. Congress must take a stand against this government sponsored, predatory
lending system by returning the standard bankruptcy protections that should never have
been taken away if we are to see a stabilization of this lending system, which now teeters
on the brink of illegitimacy.

Ginny H
Sandy UT

Mr. Lee,

I just was looking at a notice sent to me from my health insurance provider. I was already
spending too much on a high deductible plan that I can barely afford. To my dismay, but
unfortunately, not to my surprise. My rate, deductible and maximum out of pocket
expenses are all going up 25%. Didn't I just read that inflation is 0% this year? Something
different needs to be done. I can't do anything. I am going to have to work more than I
already do to pay for my health insurance. I get my house paid off and try to start saving
for retirement and my health insurance bill takes the place of my mortgage. It's time for
the Republican majority to take action, stop worrying about what the main stream media
says or who they blame for everything. You speak a good game but cave to the pressure
from the left and the Obama White House on everything of substance. No one in
Washington represents me. I voted for you and my tax dollars pay your salary, but you do
absolutely nothing that will help me in my life. Two years ago I was paying $298 a
month for a high deductible HSA qualified health insurance plan. Now I will paying
$1394 and nothing is being done about it. Instead, you raise the debit limit, pass a budget
with $30 billion dollars in increased spending and live the live of a plutocrat. How much
did your family's health insurance cost your this year? How much will it go up next year.
In my mind, there are 544 criminals working in Washington who all need to be run out on
a rail. 535 of them are in organizations that are supposedly controlled by your party.

Michael R
Salem UT
Senator Lee,

Please vote in favor of the House passed reconciliation bill H.R. 3762, the Restoring
Americans' Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act. We now know that Planned
Parenthood will perform an abortion as late as 24 weeks and scavenge the parts of babies.
As a nation, we are without excuse in facilitating with our funding of Planned Parenthood
such inhumane treatment of mothers and their unborn children. We believe the Senate
should take every opportunity to defund a significant portion of Planned Parenthood's
federal money through this budget reconciliation bill. The Senate should do everything to
pass this and pass it with 51 votes to send to the President's desk. Repealing parts of
Obamacare is also worth sending to the President's desk. Congress should do everything
to repeal key provisions of Obamacare such as the employer and individual mandates and
block Medicare and Medicaid funds for the largest abortion provider in the country.
Please send a strong message to the Senate by supporting reconciliation efforts and
voting in favor of H.R. 3762.

Valerie B
Providence UT

Dear Mr. Lee,

I am a federal retiree in your state, and write to highlight a Medicare equity issue for
federal retirees, and other seniors, who are Medicare Part B beneficiaries. If there is no
increase to Social Security benefits for 2016, approximately thirty percent of Medicare
beneficiaries who are not protected by the current hold harmless provision under current
law will face a significant increase in their monthly Medicare Part B premiums in 2016.
In fact, their premiums will soar by more than fifty percent--from $104.90 to $159.30 per
month. The majority of federal retirees enroll in Medicare for their primary health care
coverage. Federal retirees who have no or very minimal Social Security benefits because
they retired under the non-Social Security-covered Civil Service Retirement System
(CSRS) will be affected. I am one of those covered by the CSRS system. Additionally,
retired federal workers who have enrolled in the Medicare program, but who have not yet
enrolled in the Social Security program, as well as newer federal retirees who will be
joining the Medicare program in 2016 will also be impacted. I urge you to cosponsor and
seek enactment of Senator Wyden's legislation, S. 2148, that would address this unfair
situation for millions of retirees across the country, and protect seniors from escalating
and unaffordable Medicare costs in 2016. Thank you for your consideration of this
request. I look forward to hearing back from you soon.

Wesley A
Sandy UT
Senator Lee,

As an employer in your district, I urge you to cosponsor the "Protecting Local Business
Opportunity Act" which will bring much needed certainty back into labor law, reversing
the new ambiguous and senseless joint employer standard included in the National Labor
Relations Board's (NLRB) Browning-Ferris Industries decision. I also urge you to
support any end-of-year spending measure that includes language to reverse the recent
NLRB decision and preserve the traditional definition of joint employer for the coming
year. For decades, the joint employer standard has protected small businesses from
liability involving employees over which they do not have actual or direct control. That
has always made sense. But now, through its Browning-Ferris decision, the NLRB has
invented a senseless "indirect" control standard. As a result, I may no longer have control
over the business that I built and operate, nor will the employees that I hired and trained
be able to depend on me for their livelihoods. I will lose the ability to set employment
terms, including their wages and work schedules. That is not only impractical, but it goes
against the very entrepreneurial spirit that you and your colleagues in Congress have long
supported. We need a simple definition of "joint employer" in the National Labor
Relations Act (NLRA) that protects small businesses and our employees. That's precisely
what the "Protecting Local Business Opportunity Act" will do. Small businesses like
mine play a vital role in both our nation's economy and our local economy here at home.
Therefore, I join with other small business owners in asking you to stand up for local
small businesses in our state and support the "Protecting Local Business Opportunity
Act." Thank you for your consideration.

Grant R
Bountiful UT

Sir,

Why I hate Obamacare. I am now 73 years old and collect Social Security and I am paid
from an annuity that took me 40 years to earn and therefore on a fixed income. My wife
(Born September 18, 1951) just retired in April of 2015 from 21 and one half years with
Walmart and is now 64 years old and is collecting her Social Security. Her health
insurance was terminated at that time. I had an IRA for her that amounted to about $6,000
and planned on using that money as a bridge to purchase Regence BCBS of Utah
insurance for the final 9 months of 2015. I was flabbergasted the premium was about
$400 per month ($3,600/9 months). Now to renew her coverage (2016) the premium was
raised to $500 per month ($4,500/9 months). And is a $5,000 deductable and only pays
for catastrophic medical procedures and the separate out-of-pocket is $6,250/year. The
Supreme Court ruled that the Affordable Care Act is basically a tax and required by
Federal law and if a person does not pay for their medical insurance needs that they will
be fined and the fine will be withheld from their IRS income withholding taxes. This
amounts to double taxation on that money that is being paid into the FICA account.
Basically I have to pay $6,000/year to Regence BCBS and have no benefits for Doctor
Office Visits and X-rays or Lab work. And if heaven forbid a major hospitalization
occurs then it's $6,000 in premiums plus $5,000 deductable plus $1,250 out of pocket
max per year. Even if my wife remains health it will require us to lower our standard of
living by $500/month and her Social Security check amount to $984 that we need to
maintain our monthly expenses. And we have to pay (medicare) taxes on her Social
Security to boot. We may be paying different entity than the Federal Medical Insurance
but the fact remains we get almost nothing for the amount of money we have to pay for
medical insurance because in is now the law of the land.

David M
Logan UT

Senator Lee,

I am writing to urge you to support S 2232, the Federal Reserve Transparency Act by co-
sponsoring this bill. I also urge you to vote FOR S 2232 when it goes to a floor vote this
month. For far too long the private, unelected bankers at the Federal Reserve have held
sway over our financial system with no oversight. This has to change immediately. This
January, Audit the Fed will go to a floor vote in the Senate. It has already passed the
house, so we are the closest we've been to a full audit. I urge you to strongly support for
this crucial transparency bill.
Unrepresented,

Teresa F.
Salt Lake City UT

Hello,

I have been trying to get VA benefits. Submitted paper work 1 year ago. Still haven't
heard from any one. No one will talk to me. I'm 90 yo. Retired military but never used
veterans benefits. Can you help?

Payl P
Washington UT

Senator Lee,

I was married this last year in Uganda. My husband Yusuf Ssempala is currently in the
process of trying to get his visa. We understand that we are just going to have to wait
through this process. The problem is that I am pregnant and really need him here for the
birth of our baby. We applied for a visitors visa so he can come for that event and then go
back to Uganda to continue to wait for the visa. We understood that the most difficult
part of that process is proving that you will return. We had TONS of evidence that he
would return. He owns a business in Uganda that he has not wrapped up, he had
contracted to do work for another company during the months after he would return, he
had a speaking engagement scheduled for after he would return. He had letters from the
University that he attends, his entire family is there. He put in the application paid the
$140 fee which as I am sure you can imagine is astronomical for someone in Uganda. But
he paid it because I am here alone trying to prepare for our babies birth in april, finish
school and work to support our family on my own. When he went in to the US embassy
for his interview he was there less than one minute and they gave him a letter saying that
he had been denied due to a lack of evidence that he would return. They refused to look
at the documentation that he brought, they refused to even talk to him. They just
demanded that he leave and said that if he wanted to he was welcome to re apply. I just
can not believe that America works that way. He paid for an interview, he expected fair
treatment. We are both willing and ready to accept that we will have to wait for our visa
to be together because that is the law. But the law also would allow him to come for a
visit, there is no reason why he should have been denied. IF they passed a law saying that
if you have a wife already in the United States you can't come for a visit because they are
afraid you won't return than pass that law, but don't allow someone to make the kind of
sacrifices he made to pay that fee, to gather the evidence and to travel to the embassy for
an interview when the employees there are going to be too lazy or stubborn or who
knows what else to even do the interview properly. I really need him here. I only got to
be with him for two months after our wedding. I need to see him, I need to not have to
watch him struggle with our seperation and with missing the birth of our baby and not
even be able to comfort him with a hug. It's terribly hard. I am calling the embassy in
Kampala today to protest the treatment he received and to ask for someone to reconsider
our request. But if you would call, or check into the processes there and the treatment that
he received, it would go so much further than what I could do on my own.

Vilate S
Spanish Fork UT
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