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Freshman Class: Sen. Mike Lee

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    Republican from Utah brings experience from all branches of government

  • Duration 4:10
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In terms of being an attorney and assistant US attorney how did that prepare you for this.

Well I've worked in the various capacities in government state local one of the level.

It's state level -- the federal level.

As far as being.

An assistant US attorney gave me a familiarity with.

Federal law especially as it relates to our federal criminal code.

But I've I've worked in all three branches of the federal government and -- who worked in state government and that's been a good preparation.

To develop a firsthand understanding of how state law and federal law interact with -- you have a number EP -- EPA issues coming up.

Front of I guess hydroelectric power irrigation those types of issues those are important for you -- you see your committee assignments helping me and that there's.

My energy and natural resources committee assignment is especially important or state because most of the land in our state is owned by the federal government.

It's unusual in any state than anyone landowner world.

On more than say 5% of the land mass but where in our state where you've got about two thirds of it being owned by the federal government that's highly unusual.

Particularly given that this states are prohibited from charging any property tax on that way.

So puts us -- a disadvantage in that most of our land is non taxable it also puts us at a disadvantage in that.

That land much of it most of it can't be utilized in the same way that private land could be.

And a lot of our energy resources happened to be locked up and -- What -- -- well like I I think we need to do everything we can to open up that land to oil and gas exploration to drilling.

We can do it in an environmentally responsible way but we do need to do we need to be aggressive about it.

We're buying about 500 billion dollars a year every year.

In -- from countries outside the United States and in many instances.

That that.

Money in some cases his.

Ending up in the hands of people who don't like us very much and and in some cases even used to -- acts of terrorism against us up.

That we have a responsibility to utilize.

Our own natural resources responsibly and I'd like to see that happen to a greater degree than it has been senator from Utah.

What is the most crucial.

It's.

Item from -- right I think for all of us as Americans including.

Constituents from my own state.

Constituents my -- who as voters we we we are the youngest state in the union got the lowest median.

Age of any state in the United States of America.

And I hear is that travel throughout my state.

From a lot of people who were concerned about this huge national -- that were acquiring its huge debt that.

By the end of this year will reach fifteen trillion dollars or -- about 50000 dollars for every man woman and child in America.

Works out to about a 120000.

Dollars for every wage -- in America.

And Americans and in particular younger Americans are concerned about that about what that will.

Implicate -- for their future about what that could do our economy.

So we've got to get a handle on that and that's why I've been pushing a balanced budget amendment I think we need to restrict Congress's authority to engage in.

Perpetual deficit spending.

When he hadn't figured that feeling issues.

Playing -- the next by August 2 has been raised hadn't -- that going through and what kind of cuts to think about.

-- what what I'm insisting on it that we need a combination of budget cuts immediate short term cuts.

Along with -- -- spending caps and most importantly a balanced budget amendment I've indicated that.

I would do everything I can to block -- debt limit increase.

Unless congress has first passed.

A balanced budget amendment of the constitution out of both houses of congress by the -- -- two thirds majority.

And submitted that amendment to the states for ratification.

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