Sen. Lee recently sat down with Reason TV’s Nick Gillespie
to discuss the rise of the Tea Party faction in Congress (of which
he is a leader), why the GOP is failing to connect with
millennials, and the role of religion in politics.
Originally published on July 11, 2014:
“We’ve had a 75 or 80 year run with some really
aggressive progressive policies,” Sen. Mike
Lee (R-Utah). “They haven’t worked. They have
enhanced America’s opportunity deficit, and the American people
want a more conservative government.”
In 2010, Lee launched a successful primary challenge to
three-term incumbent Sen. Bob Bennett and went on to win the
general election with 61 percent of the vote. Lee credits
hotly contested primary elections not just with his own career but
with keeping the Republican Party accountable to its constituents
and the values it claims to hold.
“In order for the Republican Party, or any political party for
that matter, to be able to lay any claim to be a party of
principle, there needs to be a robust debate within that party. And
for that to occur I think primary elections will always need to
happen,” Lee tells Reason TV‘s Nick
Gillespie.
Lee talks about the rise of the Tea Party faction in Congress (of
which he is a leader), why the GOP is failing to connect with
millennials, and the role of religion in politics. A graduate
of Brigham Young University, Lee says
his Mormon faith shapes his views on the proper role of government,
but adds:
“As a voter what I look for is whether somebody shares my view
of government and its proper role. That person may or may not share
my faith; that person may or may not have any faith. I’m hiring
them not to be my minister. I’m hiring them to represent me in
government. I want to know what they think the proper role of
government is.”
About 20 minutes.
Camera by Amanda Winkler and Meredith Bragg. Edited by
Winkler.
Music by Onyx Ashanti (http://ift.tt/IVJYho)
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