Get AI Briefings, Transcripts & Alerts on Local & National Government Meetings — Forever.
Senator Hatch urges work on PILT, immigration and health-care alternatives in House visit
Loading...
Summary
Senator Orrin Hatch addressed the Utah House on federal priorities including securing one year of PILT in the farm bill, criticisms of the Affordable Care Act and an outline of a state-focused CARE Act; he answered questions on immigration, public lands and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.
U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch visited the Utah House on Thursday and urged state lawmakers to weigh in on several federal issues, including Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT), immigration reform and health-care alternatives.
Hatch told the House he and colleagues secured one year of PILT funding in the farm bill and urged continued advocacy for a more permanent solution. “We were able to finally get 1 year of PILT in the farm bill,” he said, calling it a hard-fought win. He described PILT’s importance to many rural counties that rely on the payments for essential services.
On health care, Hatch criticized the Affordable Care Act, saying it is “not working very well” and described a GOP alternative, the CARE Act, being developed by senators including himself. He invited input from House members: “I would like you to look at it…let us know what you like about it and what you don't like,” he said.
House members asked about immigration, H-1B reforms, public-lands transfer and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). Hatch described prior efforts on H-1B and the senate process, said he has long supported returning public lands to states in principle but noted political obstacles, and offered to pursue classified briefing materials related to CTBT analysis for Utah’s senators.
What’s next: Senator Hatch invited members to send comments on the CARE Act and to follow up on CTBT materials; several representatives indicated they would confer with him after floor time.
Representative attribution: Direct quotations and paraphrases above are taken from Senator Orrin Hatch’s remarks and subsequent exchanges recorded on the House floor.
