Utah’s federal delegation updates Senate on Contract with America, balanced‑budget push and federal‑state shifts

Salt Lake City — Federal delegation members addressed the Utah Senate during a committee of the whole on Feb. 17, laying out recent federal legislative changes and urging state action to adapt to a likely shift of responsibilities from Washington.

Representative Bill Orton summarized several recent measures passed in the U.S. House, telling senators the House had acted on the Congressional Accountability Act, the Unfunded Mandates Act and the line‑item veto and describing the balanced‑budget effort. "These are not partisan Republican issues," Orton said, and urged state lawmakers to focus on results‑oriented programs that promote self‑sufficiency, citing Utah’s SPED single‑parent employment demonstration as a model.

Senator Robert Bennett, speaking afterward, described the federal plan to devolve certain programs to states and warned that block grants could arrive at levels ‘‘frozen or slightly below’’ historical federal spending. Bennett said states would need to prepare for new responsibilities on welfare and Medicaid and cautioned that the federal fiscal path makes it imperative for states to prioritize education and health-care reforms.

Senator Orrin Hatch briefed senators on the status of the balanced‑budget amendment and other Contract with America items, noting the Senate’s filibuster rules make the path different from the House and that negotiations would determine which measures survive. He described ongoing efforts on crime, an anticipated line‑item veto, and steps to reduce federal regulatory burdens on states.

Senators used the visits to press for help on local priorities — including an international air route to London — and sought clarity on how block‑grant shifts would affect state budgets and program design. Delegation members invited continued input and offered to work with state leaders as federal policy evolved.