U.S. Rep. Bill Orton urges Utah Senate to invest surplus in education; stresses health-care and unfunded-mandate concerns

U.S. Congressman Bill Orton addressed the Utah Senate on Feb. 18, speaking about federal health-care reform efforts, unfunded federal mandates, and the state's budget surplus.

Orton described work in Washington on market-oriented reforms to lower health-care costs as well as regulatory approaches to expand coverage. He said the budget committee had adopted measures to cap discretionary spending and that work remains to reconcile market and regulatory approaches. On federal mandates he argued that if the federal government requires states to act it should provide funds to implement those mandates.

Turning to Utah's budget, Orton urged senators not to rebate an apparent state surplus. "I would encourage you as a private citizen not to rebate that surplus, but to divert that into education," he said, calling education "the investment" most likely to improve the state's future economy. He also offered to assist Utah in Washington where federal legislation or funding could help state priorities.

Why it matters: A visiting member of Congress publicly urged the state's lawmakers to invest a budget surplus in education and warned against shifting costs to states through unfunded federal mandates; Orton also signaled federal interest in rural health-care solutions and welfare reform pilot programs being piloted in Utah.

Next steps: Orton invited members to consult him on federal legislative steps that could support state priorities.