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Sen. Orrin Hatch urges Utah lawmakers to press federal governments on public lands, health care and defense
Summary
U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch addressed the Utah House, urging coordination on returning public lands to state control, criticizing aspects of federal health reform and promising to defend Hill Air Force Base; he took questions on strategy and intergovernmental coordination.
U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch spoke at the Utah House Committee of the Whole, framing federal-state relations as central to Utah policy and urging lawmakers to press for a political solution to return public lands to state control.
Hatch, who said he had been named chair of a subcommittee on federal lands by the Western Caucus, called for unified state legislative action and coordination with the congressional delegation. “We have to stay vigilant on it,” he said, urging a bipartisan approach to win broader support. He described federal control of western public lands as both an economic and sovereignty issue for Utah.
On federal health reform, Hatch criticized the Affordable Care Act and said the U.S. Supreme Court’s pending decision could be decisive. “We’re gonna find out whether health care reform in the form of Obamacare is constitutional or not,” he said, adding his view that the case could come down to a narrow 5–4 vote.
Lawmakers pressed Hatch on practical support. Representative Barris and others described plans to brief congressional staff on the state’s public-lands bills and to seek both political and, if necessary, legal avenues to press the issue. Hatch said he would “do everything in my power to help you” and described efforts in Washington to build a bipartisan coalition of state legislators and members of Congress.
Hatch also addressed defense and Hill Air Force Base, stressing his long record of advocacy for the base and warning that across-the-board military cuts could threaten installations. He noted local economic ties to defense contracts and described steps to protect missions and programs at Hill.
The appearance included extended Q&A on coordination with federal staff, the prospects for litigation, and how state lawmakers should sequence political and legal strategies. Hatch praised state efforts to tailor health and energy policy to local demographics and encouraged Utah lawmakers to work with their counterparts nationwide to amplify pressure in Congress.
The House thanked Hatch for the time allotted and returned to regular business after dissolving the Committee of the Whole.
