Blog Entries

Reconciliation On Health Care Would Be An Assault To The Democratic Process

orrinhatchforsenate+hatch@gmail.com — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

The following originally appeared as an op-ed in the Washington Post. -Staff

America's Founders gave us a system of governance designed to limit government power and maximize liberty. The legislative branch is different from the executive, and the Senate is different from the House. No single branch has all the power. That can be frustrating for those with ambitious agendas, but everyone benefits by respecting those checks and balances even as we fight over policies.

While [...]

Creating National Monuments Without Utahns' Input, Consent An Abuse Of Power

orrinhatchforsenate+hatch@gmail.com — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

The following originally appeared as an op-ed in the Ogden Standard-Examiner and the Provo Daily Herald.. -Staff

Here we go again.

Fourteen years ago, President Bill Clinton created the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument without Utahns' input or consent. Now we have the Obama administration poised to do the same thing.

Just last week an Obama administration memo was leaked that outlines two Utah areas for the president to consider for monument designatio [...]

Americans Deserve Affordable Care

orrinhatchforsenate+hatch@gmail.com — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100

The following originally appeared as an op-ed in the Deseret News. -Staff

Health care reform is a critical national issue that must transcend political labels and parties. It should be guided by the voices of the American people, who expect Congress to work together to solve this challenge in an open, bipartisan and fiscally prudent manner. If we take a realistic approach, we can achieve responsible health care reform that enjoys support on both sides of the aisle.

America [...]

Start From Scratch

orrinhatchforsenate+hatch@gmail.com — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100

The following originally appeared as an op-ed in USA Today. -Staff

Obama's big-government proposal attempts to do too much, too fast.

Americans want health care reform that reduces costs and provides affordable access. But they also worry about preserving quality, improving a struggling economy and reducing the nation's unsustainable debt. Amid this uncertainty, we should be careful not to do too much too fast, risking mistakes of lasting consequence.

The pre [...]

Video: Senator Hatch Discusses The Need To Cut Federal Spending

orrinhatchforsenate+staff@gmail.com — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Senator Hatch discussed the need to curb deficit spending on Fox Business yesterday:

[video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBAYKVaycog 425x344]

Obama 'Wrong' On Campaign Finance

orrinhatchforsenate+hatch@gmail.com — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100

The following originally appeared as an op-ed in Politico. -Staff

During his State of the Union address last week, President Barack Obama attacked the Supreme Court -- with the justices sitting right in front of him -- for its decision that will allow American corporations and labor unions to speak during election season. Whether or not the criticism was appropriate, it should at least have been correct. Unfortunately, this time he was flat wrong.

The Bipartisan Campai [...]

State Of The Union Address: Will The Rhetoric Match The Policy?

orrinhatchforsenate+staff@gmail.com — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100

The following originally appeared as an op-ed in the National Review. -Staff

Tomorrow night, President Obama will head to the Capitol to deliver his State of the Union address to the nation. While it is sure to include the rhetorical flourishes and impeccable delivery that President Obama is renowned for, I fear it will unfortunately be dominated by populist rhetoric instead of the actual policies the administration is pushing behind closed doors -- away from the scrutiny of the Ame [...]

A Payroll Tax Break For Jobs

orrinhatchforsenate+hatch@gmail.com — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100

The following originally appeared as an op-ed with Charles Schumer in The New York Times. -Staff

With national unemployment rate at 10 percent, and more than 15 million Americans looking for work, ideas to spur job creation are at the forefront of everyone's minds. While we may represent different political philosophies, we recognize that high unemployment -- particularly long-term unemployment -- is not a liberal problem or a conservative problem; it's a national problem that takes [...]

Why I Will Vote Against Increasing The Debt Limit

orrinhatchforsenate+hatch@gmail.com — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100

The following originally appeared as an op-ed in the Ogden Standard-Examiner. -Staff

Working hard and living within our means is something that, as a father, I tried very hard to instill in my children. But as a parent, I can't think of a worse role model than the federal government. One of the first votes the Senate will take this year will be to raise the $12.4 trillion debt limit -- the amount Washington can charge to the nation's credit card -- just a month after they increased [...]

Healthcare Legislation Is A Threat To Liberty

orrinhatchforsenate+hatch@gmail.com — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100

The following originally appeared as an op-ed with Mark Shurtleff in the LA Times. -Staff

Congress is ignoring the Constitution by requiring all Americans to buy health insurance and ordering states to establish health benefit exchanges to run the new federal healthcare system.

The House and Senate have passed their respective versions of the legislation to take over the healthcare system, and a common bill is being hammered out, once again behind closed doors. The essenti [...]

Bandwidth Capacity Jeopardized Amid Boom In Innovation, Demand

orrinhatchforsenate+hatch@gmail.com — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100

The following originally appeared as an op-ed in The Hill. -Staff

Over 40 years ago, the Internet was invented in the United States. From its humble beginnings as a research project sponsored by the Department of Defense's Advanced Research Project Agency, use of the Internet has exploded.

Consumers and businesses around the world rely on the Internet to communicate, compete and obtain information. The United States not only invented the Internet, we also invented the imp [...]

Is Health Care Reform Bill Unconstitutional?

orrinhatchforsenate+hatch@gmail.com — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100

The following originally appeared as an op-ed with Mark Shurtleff in the Salt Lake Tribune. -Staff

The legislation being crafted in Washington to take over the health care system is not only bad policy for Utah and America but a threat to liberty itself. It undermines the rights of both individual Americans and states. We will work together, fighting on both political and legal fronts, to prevent this big-government plan from unconstitutionally expanding federal power and control ov [...]

Why The Health-Care Bills Are Unconstitutional

orrinhatchforsenate+hatch@gmail.com — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100

The following originally appeared as an op-ed with J. Kenneth Blackwell and Kenneth A. Klukowski in the Wall Street Journal. -Staff

President Obama's health-care bill is now moving toward final passage. The policy issues may be coming to an end, but the legal issues are certain to continue because key provisions of this dangerous legislation are unconstitutional. Legally speaking, this legislation creates a target-rich environment. We will focus on three of its more glaring constitu [...]

The Leadership Challenge That Is Facing Our Nation

orrinhatchforsenate+hatch@gmail.com — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The following originally appeared as an op-ed in the Ogden Standard-Examiner. -Staff

We find ourselves in perilous times. We face the great challenge of spiraling federal debt that threatens the soundness of our currency, the security of economic recovery and the aspirations of the next generation. Federal spending is taking the largest share of national income since the early 1950s and the deficit is as large as it has been since World War II.

The future is just as bleak. [...]

Cold, Hard Numbers On Health Reform Point To Out-Of-Control Spending

orrinhatchforsenate+hatch@gmail.com — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The following originally appeared as an op-ed in the Deseret News. -Staff

We, as a nation, are standing at historic crossroads. Despite growing opposition from the American people, the Democratic majority continues their brazen efforts to jam through a 2,074-page edict before Christmas day that will impact every American life and every American business. The most disturbing part of this exercise is that it is a bill that is yet to be seen in its entirety. Major sections of this bill [...]

Lessons Unlearned

orrinhatchforsenate+hatch@gmail.com — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The following originally appeared as an op-ed in the New York Post. -Staff

The trial of the century will take place when Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the alleged 9/11 mastermind, and his cohorts stand trial in New York City. Yet Attorney General Eric Holder's decision to treat them as ordinary criminals -- rather than as terrorists captured during wartime -- ignores the lessons of the trial of Zacarias Moussaoui.

The federal government is certainly capable of detaining terro [...]

Keep Enemy Combatants Out Of The US

orrinhatchforsenate+hatch@gmail.com — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The following originally appeared as an op-ed in the Chicago Tribune. -Staff

President Barack Obama has decided the federal government should purchase an Illinois state prison and use it to house Guantanamo detainees. After unsuccessfully lobbying the International Olympic Committee to bring the 2016 Summer Games to Chicago, he has decided to bring captured enemy combatants to Illinois instead. This has to be worst consolation prize in human history.

I am concerned that thi [...]

Don't Allow Federal Funds For Abortion

orrinhatchforsenate+hatch@gmail.com — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The following originally appeared as an op-ed on CNN.com. -Staff

The Democratic health care proposal being debated in the Senate not only contains large new taxes, enormous government expansion and huge spending, but I'm convinced it also seeks to allow federal funding for abortion -- something 61 percent of Americans do not support, according to a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey.

Recently, the House of Representatives passed a health care reform bill containing language [...]

On Health Care, A Vote To End Debate Is A Vote For The Bill

orrinhatchforsenate+hatch@gmail.com — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The following originally appeared as an op-ed in Human Events. -Staff

The federal government takeover of America's health care system is under way. Whatever form it finally takes, Americans need to know what is being done to them and who is responsible.

Everything the Senate or the House does has two parts, process and substance. In the Senate, for example, debate on a bill must end before there can be a vote on the bill itself. When there might be enough votes to pass a co [...]

Unconstitutional

orrinhatchforsenate+hatch@gmail.com — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The following originally appeared as a letter to the editor in the Politico. -Staff

There are many very serious reasons to oppose the government takeover of America's health care system. But before debating whether Congress should take this step, we must first determine whether Congress may do so. In "Health Care Reform Is Constitutional" on Oct. 23, professor Erwin Chemerinsky wrote in POLITICO that "there is no doubt that bills passed by House and Senate committees are constitu [...]