December 17,2011

Press Contact:

Julia Lawless, Antonia Ferrier, 202.224.4515

Hatch Statement on Short-Term Senate Deal

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following statement today on legislation temporarily extending the payroll tax holiday and allowing the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline to move forward:

“Though I remain concerned with the continued extension of a temporary payroll tax holiday and its long-term implications for social security, I’m supporting this legislation, because it allows the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline to move forward and prevents physicians from getting hit with a 27.4 percent pay cut that could hinder access to quality care for American seniors. For one of the most anti-American-energy Administrations in recent memory, I’m glad this legislation will force the President to make a decision rather than punting on this shovel-ready, private-sector project that will spur job-creation now and in the future. The President can no longer avoid making a tough decision until after the elections.
 
“At the end of this legislative session, I hope the White House has learned that these trying times demand real leadership – leadership that the American people are rightly demanding.”

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