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Washington • Sen. Mike Lee will serve as chairman of a caucus of conservative senators in the next Congress, taking the lead in promoting conservative causes and proposed solutions.
Lee, R-Utah, will take over in January from Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Penn., who has led the Senate Steering Committee since 2012. A majority of Republican senators reportedly belong to the caucus, though the group doesn't make its membership public.
"Mike Lee is a knowledgeable and principled movement conservative," Toomey said after Lee was selected Tuesday. "I look forward to continuing to work with Mike, and my colleagues, to advance innovative conservative ideas that help create jobs and grow the economy."
The Steering Committee has existed since 1974 and provides a forum for senators to work together on conservative legislation and policies, according to Lee's office. Then-Sen. Jim DeMint, now the president of the Heritage Foundation, previously led the group.