Hatch Honored by Finance Committee Colleagues

[CLICK HERE to watch each Senators’ remarks honoring Chairman Hatch]

WASHINGTON – Yesterday, Senate Finance Committee leaders spoke on the Senate floor to honor Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and his legislative accomplishments achieved while serving as a member and chairman of the committee for over two decades:

Former Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on Hatch’s commitment to free and fair trade policies:

“[I]t’s virtually impossible to recall any trade policy in recent history that does not have the fingerprints of my esteemed friend Senator Hatch all over it. In fact, he led the renewal of the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015. It paved the way for a robust, transparent review of trade negotiations. Like Senator Hatch, I understand America needs to speak with one voice on the world stage for effective, lasting trade agreements. We also agree on the constitutional authority of the legislative branch to maintain oversight of trade agreements. Consultation with Congress is a focal ingredient to ensure America’s workers, job creators and consumers benefit from the global economy.”

Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight Chairman Rob Portman (R-Ohio) on tax reform:

“After 31 years, it’s probably a good idea to update the tax code. And he did that. It’s pro-growth. It’s resulting in more investment in people, equipment, and jobs, and, as a result, I believe, you see this expansion of our economy out there. I think it’s the biggest single reason for it. Wages, finally going up for the first time really in a decade and a half. And families having just a little more cash to be able to spend for their Christmas shopping, for their retirement, for their health care, for their kids and grandkids. That’s exactly what Senator Hatch intended when we crafted that new law and that is a heck of a capstone for an amazing career.”

Subcommittee on Health Care Chairman Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) on Hatch’s healthcare policy impact:

“Chairman Hatch achieved passage of a really monumental law in the healthcare space…everybody around here simply refers to is as Hatch-Waxman. This is the legislation that really laid the foundation for the generic drug industry that we see today. Really when you think about this, this has really been an astonishing really revolutionary innovation that has been enormously helpful for American consumers. You go back to 1984 and only about 19 percent of all the drugs dispensed in America were generic…by 2017 largely as a result of the legislation that Senator Hatch authored that dynamic had completely flipped, in fact, it had more than flipped. By 2017 branded drugs are less than 15 percent of all the drugs dispensed, and generic drugs, the low-cost alternative, are over 85 percent of all the medicines dispensed in America.”

Subcommittee on Social Security, Pensions, and Family Policy Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-La.) on Hatch’s work over the years to improve the retirement system:

“Since first elected Senator Hatch has worked to help Americans in their retirement years by increasing access to various types of retirement savings plans to ensure that the widest ranges of people save for their future. His legislation gave businesses, particularly small businesses, the tools needed to offer retirement plans to workers at the lowest possible cost, leveraging the interface of government policy with the market to improve the lives of many…It is this work that those of us who remain in Congress must now pick up and continue.”

Chairman Hatch’s remarks on his tenure at the Finance Committee can be found HERE.

###

Next Article Previous Article