TAXES/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch prides himself on a history of bipartisan legislating, but in the push for a U.S. tax overhaul, it has been anything but that.
In a heated exchange last week, Mr. Hatch, a Utah Republican, shouted at Sen. Sherrod Brown after the Ohio Democrat argued the plan was aimed at helping the rich…
Mr. Hatch, 83 years old, not only has to fight off arguments from Democrats that the bill favors the wealthy and big business, he needs to corral Republican senators, some of whom have reservations about how the plan affects deficits, small business and health care. He also faces a shifting White House strategy, which has called on lawmakers to include a provision in the tax bill repealing the insurance mandate in the Affordable Care Act, but on Sunday said it would live without…
The most senior Republican senator, with 40 years in the Senate, Mr. Hatch was a part of the ‘Big Six,’ four lawmakers and two White House officials, who crafted a blueprint for the legislation during the summer and as Finance Committee chair led the bill’s markup in the Senate.
The bill passed his committee on a 14-12 party line vote and heads to the Senate floor after Thanksgiving. No Democrats are expected to vote for it and six Republicans are at risk of defecting.”
-Natalie Andrews, “With Tax-Plan Push, Orrin Hatch Faces a Deal-Making Test,” The Wall Street Journal online, Nov. 21, 2017 07:00am