Sen. Orrin Hatch sparks backlash after claiming there's 'no money' for children’s health plan
Less than two days after the Senate passed widely criticized tax reform legislation, one of the tax bill’s key proponents came under fire for claiming there’s “no money” for a children’s health care plan he helped create.
On the Senate floor Thursday, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) responded to a question from Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) about the future of the Children’s Health Insurance Program, a low-cost health insurance plan for children from low-income families that Congress has yet to review since it expired Oct. 1.
The question came during a debate on the Republican tax bill, which Hatch presided over as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.
In response, Hatch claimed the health insurance program had not yet been renewed due to a lack of funds.
“The reason CHIP’s having trouble is because we don’t have money anymore,” Hatch said.
Though Hatch described CHIP as having done a “terrific job,” he then used the entitlement program as an opportunity to criticize programs that “help people [who] won’t help themselves” — seemingly appearing to equate such people with the 9 million children that rely on CHIP.
“I have a rough time wanting to spend billions and billions and trillions of dollars to help people who won’t help themselves, won’t lift a finger and expect the federal government to do everything,” Hatch said.
Hatch’s comments, which were highlighted on MSNBC’s website and tweeted Sunday by Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough, drew widespread criticism over the weekend as passage of the Senate tax bill continued to spark outrage.
CHIP helps kids, @OrrinHatch acknowledges. But? “I have a rough time wanting to spend billions and billions and trillions of dollars to help people who won’t help themselves – won’t lift a finger – and expect the federal government to do everything.” https://t.co/97GgZKn9uL
— Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith) December 3, 2017
Yesterday, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) voted for tax cuts for the rich, including tax breaks for winery, golf course and private jet owners.
Today he says: “We don’t have money anymore” to extend the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).https://t.co/2Q22d6LmTm— Facts Do Matter (@WilDonnelly) December 3, 2017
Others pointed out that Hatch was generally supportive of CHIP and that his most fiery complaint concerned other government programs that, in the senator’s estimation, take resources from the children’s insurance program.
So this morning people are beating on @OrrinHatch for his supposed "heartlessness" over funding #CHIP. Ah, but listen to the actual debate & see if his widely-tweeted quote is really about CHIP…https://t.co/LoIfWUzjcE
— Ira Goldman 🦆🦆🦆 (@KDbyProxy) December 3, 2017
Many considered the senator’s apparent criticisms of CHIP recipients — and his assertion the government did not have money to fund health care for underprivileged children — distasteful, especially considering the tax breaks for corporations and wealthy Americans included in the Senate legislation. MSNBC noted the bill will cost taxpayers approximately $1.5 trillion — including tax exemptions for owners of private jets and wineries, among others — while CHIP costs $15 billion, just 1% of the tax bill’s price tag.
Once upon a time, ensuring children had access to healthcare was a bipartisan issue.
Now, Orrin Hatch (who created CHIP!) is slamming children across our country because they won’t “lift a finger.”
What has become of us? https://t.co/L4aP29jNjY— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) December 3, 2017
A child needs food. His parents quit their jobs. "Now we have no $ to feed him," the dad says.
Millions of kids sick. Their working parents cant afford insurance. CHIP gets them care. GOP cuts taxes. "Now we have no $ for CHIP" Orrin Hatch says (real)
The logic of selfishness.— Kurt "Mask Up, Vote Early" Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) December 3, 2017
So Orrin Hatch got tax breaks for wineries - but as a #Mormon he is against alcohol. Double standard? Tax breaks to funders but no money for CHIP. How very religious of you Orrin. #Hypocrite! https://t.co/KnzskqzpGr
— Wendy McClelland (@wendyweb47) December 3, 2017
Though he did say he would “see that [CHIP] gets through,” Hatch’s failure to take immediate action to renew CHIP felt all the more incongruous given his history with the children’s health program. Together with Sen. Edward Kennedy, Hatch helped to create CHIP in 1997, with the New York Times reporting he was described at the time as a “latter-day liberal.”
Lots of chatter on Twitter this morning about Orrin Hatch and S-CHIP. He was a creator of the program, over Clinton Administration initial opposition. Read this from Ted Kennedy oral history at Miller Center: pic.twitter.com/Gf7iZoEhi9
— Karen Tumulty (@ktumulty) December 3, 2017
Left: Senator Orrin Hatch discusses CHIP in 1997
Right: Senator Orrin Hatch discusses CHIP in 2017 https://t.co/tULQ1UH74Xpic.twitter.com/rGHNzWugv0— Brandon Friedman (@BFriedmanDC) December 3, 2017
When announcing his support for CHIP in 1997, Hatch said the nation had “a moral responsibility” to provide for the vulnerable children covered by CHIP, the New York Times reported, and said he was voicing his support for the bill to prove the Republican Party “does not hate children.”
“Children [without insurance] are being terribly hurt and perhaps scarred for the rest of their lives,” Hatch said in 1997, as quoted by the Times.