Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) said during a Senate floor speech Thursday that the American people have the right to know if their representatives in Congress oppose President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate.
“Sen. [Chuck] Schumer is in a bind,” Lee said in a fiery floor speech. The Utah senator has called for a 51-vote amendment vote to defund President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate. He has led the movement alongside Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Roger Marshall (R-KS), and Ron Johnson (R-WI).
Lee emphasized that he does not want to force a government shutdown, but he simply wants the chamber to have the opportunity to declare to the American people whether of not they support the Biden vaccine mandate.
“I just want a vote on one amendment. I want the members of this body to go on record on whether they support funding in this bill. President Biden’s vaccine mandate,” Lee said. “The American people have a right to know through our votes where we stand.”
The Utah conservative said he is “not asking for a pet project” or “dramatic reforms,” he simply wants the vote on whether Congress should defund the mandate.
Lee said that the vote would put lawmakers on “record” about support for the Biden mandate.
“I don’t want to shut down the government. The only thing I want to shut down is Congress funding enforcement of an immoral, unconstitutional vaccine mandate,” Lee said.
The Utah senator emphasized that lawmakers have the constitutional as well as “moral” right to prevent “unconstitutional” regulations, laws, and proposals.
He said that Congress must confront the Biden mandate as the court litigates the constitutionality of various Biden vaccine mandates.
Lee has said that if Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) would allow for a 51-vote amendment to defund the Biden amendment, he would consent to speed up the passage of the continuing resolution (CR). The CR would fund the government through February.
Lee said that the vote on his proposed amendment would only take 15 minutes, and then they could proceed to vote on the passage of the CR.
Sean Moran is a congressional reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.