Sen. Lee Applauds Senate Passage of the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act
WASHINGTON - Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) applauded yesterday’s Senate passage of the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act. This bill incorporated much of the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability First Act of 2017 which Sen. Lee cosponsored, and he hopes it will be expediently sent to the President’s desk.
“The reforms and protections stipulated in this bill are desperately needed for the VA to provide better and more efficient healthcare services to the men and women who served in our Armed Forces. I am glad Secretary Shulkin has taken steps to address these issues, and I look forward to working with the administration and my Senate colleagues to improve the level of care, choice, and access for our veterans across the country.”
The full text of the bill can be found here.
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Sens. Send Bipartisan Letter Questioning DOJ Sentencing Policy
WASHINGTON – Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Rand Paul (R-KY) sent a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions Wednesday, seeking answers about the Department of Justice’s May 10, 2017 memorandum, directing federal prosecutors to pursue the most serious offense possible when prosecuting defendants.
“The Department’s policy is based on the premise that ‘[i]t is of the utmost importance to enforce the law fairly and consistently.’ We agree. The problem is that, in many cases, current law requires nonviolent first-time offenders to receive longer sentences than violent criminals. Sentences of this kind not only ‘[undermine] respect for our legal system,’ but ruin families and have a corrosive effect on communities.”
The letter asks five specific questions about the Department’s policy change and requests answers to those questions within 30 days.
Full text of the letter can be found here.
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