Sen. Bennett urges Utah lawmakers to push back on unfunded federal mandates and take a cautious approach to health care reform

U.S. Sen. Bennett addressed the Utah State Senate on Jan. 19, urging state lawmakers to gather and send information showing the fiscal and administrative impacts of unfunded federal mandates so he and other freshman senators can press the Governmental Affairs Committee in Washington.

Bennett told the chamber that opposition to unfunded mandates is bipartisan and that a panel of senators he sat with described how mandates are "breaking the backs not only of states, but of mayors and local governments as well." He asked senators to provide "ammunition"—data and testimony—so those on relevant committees can challenge mandates effectively.

On health care, Bennett said he expects congressional movement on reform but warned against rushing a sweeping bill. "It's more important to do it right than it is to do it now," he said, adding that he favors a phased approach that packages broadly acceptable reforms into an initial "phase 1" bill and defers more contested items to later legislation.

Several Utah senators pressed him for specifics. Senator Stevenson asked whether Congress would remove the federal tax penalty that makes self‑insured individuals pay insurance premiums with after‑tax dollars; Bennett said deductibility for self‑employed people was included in bills he has cosponsored and that he had not heard heavy opposition to that measure. Senators also discussed market‑driven options such as medical savings accounts and the need for antitrust and malpractice reforms to complement tax changes.

Bennett also raised western land‑use issues, saying members from non‑public‑land states do not always appreciate the challenges in states where the federal government owns large tracts of land. He noted his work to bring Interior Department officials to Utah and to press those officials to understand western priorities on resource and land‑use decisions.

The senator accepted questions on a range of federal policy concerns raised by Utah senators, including centralized vehicle emissions testing, helmet and seat‑belt enforcement tied to federal highway funds, and the viability of the dual banking system for Utah charter banks. He invited senators to send documentation on those problems so he could press the relevant committees and agencies in Washington.

The session ended with Senate members thanking Bennett for the visit and dissolving the committee of the whole so regular business could resume.