Hatch Statement at Finance Markup of the Hire More Heroes Act

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, today delivered the following opening statement at a committee markup of the Hire More Heroes Act, H.R. 22:

This is the committee’s first markup of the 114th Congress. And, as Chairman, I chose the most bipartisan bill I could find for our first markup.

I want the committee to conduct its business in an efficient, effective manner and I think marking up this bill is a great way for the committee to get off on the right foot in this new Congress.

The Hire More Heroes Act passed the House overwhelmingly. In fact, it passed without a single “no” vote. You can’t get more bipartisan than that.

The Hire More Heroes Act will provide incentives for companies to hire more veterans by ensuring they don’t count against the 50 employee threshold if the veteran already has medical coverage through the TRICARE program or the VA.

Quite simply, passing this legislation is something we can do that will help our nation’s veterans find needed jobs as well as help the small businesses that want to hire them.

So I encourage every member of the committee today to embrace this bipartisan effort.

Now, like all of you, I am a legislator. And I know that there will be days when it is necessary, even important, to lock horns in legislative battle.

But this is not one of those days.

I believe that this is one of those rare days when we can set aside our political differences and just do something good for our military veterans and for American job creators.

I want to thank my good friend from Oregon today. Senator Wyden, as Ranking Member, you have cooperated every step of the way toward making this a bipartisan markup, and for that I am sincerely grateful.

So, as I yield to the Ranking Member for his opening statement, after which any member who wishes to make an opening statement will be recognized in turn, I encourage all of you once again to help Senator Wyden and I move the Hire More Heroes Act through the markup process as cleanly and efficiently as possible.

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