{"id":2629368,"date":"2026-07-13T23:27:02","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T03:27:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mike-lee-says-judiciary-chairmanship-hard-to-turn-down\/"},"modified":"2026-07-13T23:27:53","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T03:27:53","slug":"mike-lee-says-judiciary-chairmanship-hard-to-turn-down","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mike-lee-says-judiciary-chairmanship-hard-to-turn-down\/","title":{"rendered":"Mike Lee says Judiciary chairmanship \u2018hard to turn down\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmike-lee-says-judiciary-chairmanship-hard-to-turn-down%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2629368&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Senator Mike Lee from Utah expressed interest in perhaps chairing the Senate Judiciary Committee following the sudden death of Senator Lindsey Graham, who was set to assume the role. While Lee finds the chairmanship very appealing and has a strong background in legal matters, he has not committed to relinquishing his current chairmanship of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, as Senate rules limit members to chair only one committee at a time. Graham\u2019s death, caused by a heart condition, surprised colleagues and has created a vacancy in the Judiciary committee, were Lee has served since 2011. Lee described Graham as a close freind and colleague, expressing admiration and sadness over his passing. If Lee succeeds Graham, it would likely shift the committee\u2019s focus further to the right and enable him to push forward priorities like the REINS act, which seeks congressional review of major regulations. Lee also emphasized that his priority for the committee remains permitting reform, which requires bipartisan support. Additionally,Lee participated in White House events and is exploring legislation to make certain executive actions on Utah&#8217;s national monuments permanent.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/mike-lee\/\">Mike Lee<\/a> (R-UT) told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> it would be \u201chard to turn down\u201d a chance to chair the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/senate-judiciary-committee\/page\/31\/\">Senate Judiciary Committee<\/a> after the sudden death of Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/lindsey-graham\/\">Lindsey Graham<\/a> (R-SC) placed him next in line to hold the gavel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a Monday evening interview, Lee called the chairmanship \u201cvery appealing\u201d but stopped short of saying that he would give up his chairmanship on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee if Republicans maintain their Senate majority this fall. According to conference rules, Republicans can only chair one committee at a time.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4647139\/trump-i-dont-know-mitch-mcconnell-health\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump says \u2018I don\u2019t know\u2019 about McConnell\u2019s condition despite hospital photo<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4646870\/what-to-know-darline-graham-nordone-senator\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>What to know about Darline Graham Nordone, South Carolina\u2019s newest senator<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4646998\/lindsey-graham-sister-darline-sworn-in-senate-tuesday\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Lindsey Graham\u2019s sister to be sworn in to the Senate on Tuesday<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI also enjoy chairing Energy and Natural Resources, but, like I say, anybody who knows me knows it would be very hard to turn down an opportunity to chair Judiciary,\u201d said Lee, who has an extensive legal background and joined the Judiciary panel in 2011, at the beginning of his first term in the Senate.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and John Cornyn (R-TX) are the most senior on the committee, but Grassley is term-limited as its current chairman, and Cornyn will retire at the end of the year after his primary loss in May. Before his death, Graham was slated to take over the panel and previously led it from 2019 to 2021.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lee praised Graham as a friend and colleague in the interview, noting that they served together on Judiciary for more than a decade and overlapped for years on the Budget Committee, where Graham was serving as chairman.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAs much as anything, he and I were just good friends,\u201d Lee said, adding that his initial reaction to Graham\u2019s death was shock. Graham, 71, died from a heart condition, according to a preliminary medical exam, shortly after he returned from a trip to Ukraine.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI just still can\u2019t believe he\u2019s gone,\u201d Lee said. \u201cIt just seems wrong. It seems like it couldn\u2019t possibly be true. He\u2019s somebody who I keep imagining might show up to his own funeral, like Tom Sawyer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"> \u201cI will miss him badly,\u201d Lee added. \u201cI miss him already.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lee\u2019s ascension to the chairmanship would represent a rightward shift for the committee and allow him to advance longtime priorities, including the REINS Act, which requires congressional review of major regulations.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He called any conversation of how he might run the committee \u201cpremature\u201d and noted that \u201ca chairmanship presupposes that Republicans still hold the majority.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Lee said his focus will be permitting reform for the remainder of this Congress, a priority that will require buy-in from Democrats on both his panel and the Environment and Public Works Committee, chaired by Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV).<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4646998\/lindsey-graham-sister-darline-sworn-in-senate-tuesday\/\"><strong>LINDSEY GRAHAM\u2019S SISTER TO BE SWORN IN TO THE SENATE ON TUESDAY<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019ve been working on this for a year, the last year and a half. This needs to happen,\u201d Lee said. \u201cI can\u2019t think of anything going through this committee that is more important.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Earlier on Monday, Lee appeared at the White House for the signing of executive orders shrinking the size of two national monuments in Utah, his home state. Lee <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/cami_mondeaux\/status\/2076805072412168466?s=20\">told<\/a> the <em>Deseret News<\/em> he is looking for ways to make the orders permanent through legislation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-26\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-5\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) finds Judiciary chair role appealing after Graham&#8217;s death<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2651,"featured_media":2629369,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP26194795566003-e1783995572809.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[45114,4151,35410],"class_list":["post-2629368","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-chairmanship","tag-judiciary","tag-mike-lee"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP26194795566003-e1783995572809.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2629368","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2651"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2629368"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2629368\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2629372,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2629368\/revisions\/2629372"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2629369"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2629368"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2629368"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2629368"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}