Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) delivered two speeches today -- one at the Man in the Moon Independence Speaker Series and the other at FreedomWorks' Free the People. And both sent the audience into a flurry.
In front of an excited audience earlier in the day, Lee asked, "Any fans of the constitution in here?" Naturally, the audience erupted in cheers and applause.
From there, he praised the separation of powers and the values that have traditionally been embedded in American society.
"We believe in American exceptionalism ... where men and women were meant to be free ... where we would be protected from over-extended government," he told the audience.
FILE - This May 18, 2013, file photo, Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee addresses the Utah Republican Party's annual organizing convention in Sandy, Utah. Credit: AP
And, in both speeches, he decried the increasing size of government.
"Our government is getting bigger and bigger," he added. "When government grows -- when it expands and becomes more powerful -- it does so at the expense of liberty."
Lee also spoke about personal responsibility -- the sentiment rooted in people working diligently to ensure their own destinies. The senator issued a call for every citizen to reach out and help those in need. He said that all Americans are "called...to take care of each other."
"What we want at the end of the day is a society where people live freely ... where suffering isn't rampant and people take care of one another," he said.
While the solution isn't rooted in the government providing all services, Lee noted that it is essential for citizens to step up to fill voids before bureaucrats do. He encouraged the audience to ask themselves: How can I be of help? How can I serve?
"We also have to remember the fact that when we ... lose sight of how we can best help other people, we run a grave risk that, if the needs are not met by us ... those needs will be met by someone," Lee warned. "And before long, if those needs remain unmet, government will try to step in and solve problems."
This, he said, wouldn't be good for anyone.
Credit: AP
As for the government's power, Lee warned of the possibility of tyranny. Unrestrained bureaucracy, he said, has its dangers.
"Any national government will, in time, start to exercise a degree of tyranny unless its power is held in check," he said. "Tyranny will ultimately happen unless you limit those powers and you limit them carefully."
In addition to lambasting Obamacare, Lee spoke out during the FreedomWorks event against the contentious immigration reform bill. Rather than ignoring these government actions, Lee called all citizens to take action and to seek a restrained federal government -- a battle that must be engaged in daily.
If people fail to assert this right to small government, Lee warned that it could be lost.
"We live in a land where we have a right which we must constantly assert by not having legislation amended by five black robe-wearing justices," he said of the Supreme Court.
The audience applauded wildly.
Watch the video below:
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