Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) called the compromise legislation to prevent a default “a path forward to reopen the government and prevent an economy-shaking default.”
While noting that the legislation was not perfect, Hatch said that “we have to understand what is achievable and what is not…This legislation locks in significant spending reductions against…opposition from the other side of the aisle who want to raise the American people’s taxes to spend more money we simply don’t have. That is an achievement that cannot be overstated.”
Hatch added that it was frustrating that “common sense” changes were not added to the Affordable Care Act – Obamacare – including a repeal he pushed for the repeal of the medical device tax that impacts more than 10,000 jobs in Utah alone.
“Washington’s runaway spending is going to swallow us whole unless we act, and that’s going to require the president to step into the fray and be the leader he was elected to be, because the fact is that there are more fights ahead to get our spending under control,” Hatch said.
Hatch is the senior senator from Utah. He served as the chairman or ranking minority member of the Senate Judiciary Committee from 1993 to 2005. He also served as the chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee from 1981 to 1987.