Not yet 40 years old and the youngest U.S. Senator, Michael Lee has arrived in Washington, DC, complete with his Tea Party membership and his self-described ''constitutional conservative'' label. The Provo, Utah citizen hit the floor running and announced his first goal is to finally turn the run-away train, better known as the U.S. deficit, around. While it reveals his determined side, his announcement just two weeks into the new session has many concerned. First, he told Fox News that no government program is ''immune from review''. He goes on to say that he encourages Congress as a whole to consider across the board cuts with little, if any, consideration to its ''perceived importance''. A look into Lee's conservative background will provide insight into his confident mindset.
The son of Brigham Young University's J. Reuben Clark Law School founding dean, it was perhaps meant for Michael Lee to go into law all along. Couple this with half his childhood spent in Washington D.C. - his father was an Assistant U.S. Attorney General in the Ford Administration and then served as the U.S. Solicitor General, charged with representing the American Government before the Supreme Court during the Reagan years - and it becomes clear that he likely knew all along where he'd eventually find himself.
Lee received his Political Science degree from Brigham Young University in 1994. He also served as Student Body President during his senior year. From there, he attended and graduated from Brigham Young University's J. Reuben Clark Law School. Following graduation, he clerked for Samuel L. Lito on the U.S. Court of Appeals before he chose to then specialize in Supreme Court litigation and accepted a position with the renowned Sidley Austin. Eventually, his home state of Utah beckoned him back, where he served as general counsel to its Governor Jon Huntsman, Jr. After returning to the D.C. Area once more to focus on both courtroom advocacy and constitutional law with the firm Howrey, LLP, he felt the political winds of change and decided it was time for a new approach.
After defeating Tim Bridgewater and incumbent Bob Bennett, he went on to win the seat of U.S. Congressman. Now, all eyes are on Lee as he moves forward with the same determination that he's so well known for in both Washington and Utah. Many say his is the attitude for true change; one thing is certain, he's wasted no time. Of course, the fact he fought the Obama Administration to reopen more than 75 gas and oil leases in the Uintah Basin was likely a clue that he means business.
Lee still calls Alpine, Utah home. He and his wife, Sharon, have two sons and a daughter.
