Hatch Statement on Selection as Chairman of Senate Finance Committee
Utah Senator Says, “With a history that runs deep in bipartisanship, the Finance Committee has a real opportunity to unite behind smart, innovative policies that will lift the economy and bring prosperity to the American people.”
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, issued the following statement today after the Senate Republican Conference ratified his selection to serve as Chairman on the Senate Finance Committee for the 115th Congress:
“I am humbled and honored to once again serve as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. With a history that runs deep in bipartisanship, the Finance Committee has a real opportunity to unite behind smart, innovative policies that will lift the economy and bring prosperity to the American people.
“We will thoroughly vet and act swiftly to put in place a strong and capable cabinet that will ensure the United States is ready to confront a number of pressing obstacles and opportunities.
“We will take on the monumental challenges of the U.S. tax code in earnest and remake the system so that it’s more efficient for families and individuals and keeps American businesses competitive with the world.
“We will work to advance a strong trade agenda that will not only break down barriers to new markets for American-made products, goods, and services, but also ensure that American workers and job creators have access to the tools they need to compete in the global marketplace.
“And, with the repeal of Obamacare on the horizon, we will work to implement commonsense reforms that will actually address costs and increase choice and continue to work to ensure the nation’s safety-net programs, like Medicare and Social Security, are there for children and grandchildren.
“There is room for bipartisan compromise in all of these areas. And, given the productive relationship I have garnered with Ranking Member Wyden over the years, I’m confident that we’ll be able to bridge the divide, build on our historic accomplishments from the last Congress, and work to promote policies that will yield bigger paychecks, better jobs, and more opportunity for all Americans.”
Senator Hatch delivered a speech today on the need to repeal Obamacare, which appears below. More background follows the video.
Background: The Senate Finance Committee, the Committee with the largest jurisdiction in either House of Congress, oversees more than 50 percent of the federal budget and has jurisdiction over tax, trade and health care policy. U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) became the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee in January 2011. He has served as Chairman of the Committee since January 2015. During his time as the Republican leader of the Finance Committee, Senator Hatch has fought to enact a robust pro-growth economic agenda to strengthen the American economy, spur new job growth, and tackle the nation’s unsustainable debt. In addition to serving on the Senate Finance Committee, Hatch is a current member and former Chairman of both the Senate Judiciary and the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committees. He also serves on the Joint Committee on Taxation as well as the Senate Aging Committee.
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In First Speech of New Congress, Finance Chairman Hatch Outlines Plans for Repealing and Replacing Obamacare
Washington, D.C.—Senator Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, delivered his first speech of the 115th Congress today, addressing Obamacare. Hatch is the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, which will be leading efforts to repeal President Obama’s healthcare law, replacing it with a patient-centered system that gives Americans access to high-quality, affordable care.
In the speech, Hatch outlined how his Finance Committee will lead efforts to repeal the healthcare law quickly to limit the damage it continues to cause, ensure a responsible and secure transition that prevents coverage loss, and create a pathway to a better system of healthcare.
On the timeline and urgent need for repeal, Hatch said:
To be sure, the first few steps in this effort are going to happen quickly. Once again, the plan is to produce repeal legislation before the end of this month. This, of course, is how it has to be. The American people don’t have the time for us to wait around on these issues, and we don’t have the luxury of sitting back and watching the problems get worse over time.
We intend to act quickly, but methodically, to begin providing relief for the millions of Americans who are currently suffering as a result of Obamacare and the unworkable system it has created.
On Utahns continuing to suffer under Obamacare:
A number of Utahns have written to me to express their concerns about the increases in their insurance premiums.
For example, last month, Austin from Provo, Utah told me that, due to the growing cost of his insurance plan, “I’m going to have to drop the insurance and face the penalty next year. I’m worried because as a young husband and father, I’m barely making ends meet and I’m not sure I can afford to pay the penalty for not having insurance.”
Similarly, Eryn from Spanish Fork, Utah noted that, because her family’s previous insurer dropped out of the Utah marketplace, the remaining plan that best met her family’s needs was “a plan with a small list of in-network providers and no coverage for out-of-network providers.” She continued, saying that, under this new plan “We will have a higher deductible ($13,000 for the family), we will have to pay the full cost of any visit to the doctor…and we will not be able to save as much money in our Health Savings Account each month because of the high premiums, which add up to $11,000 a year…The premium is basically another mortgage payment for us, only we have no property to show for it. This is too much.”
The principles behind reform efforts:
Therefore, it is only fitting that we begin this new Congress by repealing Obamacare and setting the stage for workable reforms that will actually bring down costs, provide more options, and let the American people – and not Washington bureaucrats – make their own healthcare choices.
On the process and timeline for a transition and eventual replacement plan:
Once we pass the repeal legislation, we will come to the most important step in this process: Replacing Obamacare with a healthcare system worthy of the American people.
This won’t be a simple endeavor. It’s going to take a great deal of work, and it will almost certainly require the efforts of people from both parties.
The Finance Committee is going to have a major role to play throughout this process of repealing Obamacare, providing for a secure transition, and replacing the law with more effective reforms. Our committee has jurisdiction over all the major federal health programs, including Medicare and Medicaid. In addition, we’ll have jurisdiction over the tax provisions, which include all of Obamacare’s harmful taxes as well as the premium tax credits provided to purchase plans in the Obamacare exchanges.
The full speech, as prepared for delivery, is below:
Mr. President, I rise today in support of S. Con. Res. 3 and the ongoing effort to repeal the most harmful elements of the so-called Affordable Care Act.
While our friends on the other side of the aisle have been trying to convince the American people that there’s nothing to see here and that this poorly-named law is working according to plan, the vast majority of our citizens know the truth: Obamacare just doesn’t work.
According to the results of a recent Gallup poll, 80 percent of Americans want Congress to either change the Affordable Care Act significantly or repeal and replace it altogether.
Let me repeat that: Eight out of every ten people in this country agree that the status quo is unacceptable and that we need a major course correction in our health care system.
It’s not hard to see why this is the case.
After all, under Obamacare, the cost of health insurance has increased dramatically, and will continue to do so into the future.
Under Obamacare, individuals and families are being left with fewer and fewer choices when it comes to buying health insurance.
Under Obamacare, patients have fewer options and reduced access to healthcare providers.
And, under Obamacare, the American people have been hit with steep taxes, burdensome mandates, and a healthcare system that simply does not meet their needs.
This year alone, premiums in the benchmark plan for the Obamacare exchanges have gone up by an average of 25 percent. And, in some parts of the country, the increases have been significantly larger than that.
In addition, over the past few years, insurance plans have been dropping out of markets all over the country. As a result, it is estimated that more than half of the counties in the U.S. will have two or fewer available health insurance plans on the exchanges this year. And, about a third of them have only one available option.
I’m quite certain that every single member of this chamber has heard from a number of their constituents about the problems they’ve faced as the Affordable Care Act has been implemented. I know I have.
A number of Utahns have written to me to express their concerns about the increases in their insurance premiums.
For example, last month, Austin from Provo, Utah told me that, due to the growing cost of his insurance plan, “I’m going to have to drop the insurance and face the penalty next year. I’m worried because as a young husband and father, I’m barely making ends meet and I’m not sure I can afford to pay the penalty for not having insurance.”
Similarly, Eryn from Spanish Fork, Utah noted that, because her family’s previous insurer dropped out of the Utah marketplace, the remaining plan that best met her family’s needs was “a plan with a small list of in-network providers and no coverage for out-of-network providers.” She continued, saying that, under this new plan “We will have a higher deductible ($13,000 for the family), we will have to pay the full cost of any visit to the doctor…and we will not be able to save as much money in our Health Savings Account each month because of the high premiums, which add up to $11,000 a year…The premium is basically another mortgage payment for us, only we have no property to show for it. This is too much.”
Mr. President, no family should have to choose between paying their mortgage and paying for health insurance. Yet, with all of Obamacare’s failures and broken promises, families throughout the country are currently having to make those kinds of choices.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t get better from here, not without a major change to the status quo. In fact, I think it’s safe to say that, if we fail to act, the worst is yet to come.
Therefore, it is only fitting that we begin this new Congress by repealing Obamacare and setting the stage for workable reforms that will actually bring down costs, provide more options, and let the American people – and not Washington bureaucrats – make their own healthcare choices.
The budget resolution before us is the first step in this effort. As we all know, the resolution contains reconciliation instructions to the relevant committees – including the Senate Finance Committee, which I chair – to draft legislation to repeal Obamacare.
So, after approving this resolution, the next step will be for Finance Committee, the HELP Committee, as well as the Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce Committees over in the House, to get to work on putting together a repeal package.
This process will be more difficult than it sounds. We don’t want to be reckless, and we don’t want to inflict more harm on the American people or our healthcare system. Therefore, in addition to repealing Obamacare, the legislation we draft pursuant to this budget resolution will have to include a stable transition period to give us the time and space we need to provide more sensible reforms.
Under the budget resolution, the legislation to repeal Obamacare and provide that transition period will need to be reported to Budget Committee by January 27th. Then, both the House and Senate will debate the legislation, hopefully passing it by simple majority votes and sending it to the desk of the incoming President.
Once we pass the repeal legislation, we will come to the most important step in this process: Replacing Obamacare with a healthcare system worthy of the American people.
This won’t be a simple endeavor. It’s going to take a great deal of work, and it will almost certainly require the efforts of people from both parties.
The Finance Committee is going to have a major role to play throughout this process of repealing Obamacare, providing for a secure transition, and replacing the law with more effective reforms. Our committee has jurisdiction over all the major federal health programs, including Medicare and Medicaid. In addition, we’ll have jurisdiction over the tax provisions, which include all of Obamacare’s harmful taxes as well as the premium tax credits provided to purchase plans in the Obamacare exchanges.
I’ve spoken at length to my Republican colleagues on the Finance Committee about these issues, and all of them are ready and willing to do whatever is necessary to put our nation’s healthcare system on a more responsible path.
We’re going to get it done. I have no doubts.
To be sure, the first few steps in this effort are going to happen quickly. Once again, the plan is to produce repeal legislation before the end of this month. This, of course, is how it has to be. The American people don’t have the time for us to wait around on these issues, and we don’t have the luxury of sitting back and watching the problems get worse over time.
The problems facing our healthcare system are growing by the day. We need to take the swiftest possible action.
We intend to act quickly, but methodically, to begin providing relief for the millions of Americans who are currently suffering as a result of Obamacare and the unworkable system it has created.
As I noted, if that effort is going to be successful, it should be bipartisan. And, both Congress and the incoming administration will need to work together.
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Advisory: TODAY: Hatch to Speak on Repealing and Replacing Obamacare
Washington, D.C.—Today at 2:15 PM EST, Senator Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, will deliver his first speech of the 115th Congress on one of his top priorities: repealing Obamacare and replacing it with a patient-centered healthcare system that gives Americans access to quality, affordable care. The Senate Finance Committee will play a leading role in healthcare reform, and in his remarks today, Hatch will outline the case for repeal, the transition period that will ensure stability for insurance markets and prevent immediate losses of coverage, and the principles behind the replacement plan that will follow.
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