Hatch: GOP’s ‘Big Six’ will not dictate committee tax reform work

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) on Thursday sought to downplay the work of the Republican-only “Big Six” tax-reform negotiators, saying the group “will not dictate the direction we take in this committee.”

The Big Six consists of Hatch, other House and Senate GOP leaders, and members of President Trump’s economic team. The group is planning to release a tax-reform framework document during the week of Sept. 25.

But Hatch stressed at a Finance Committee hearing that the panel and the House’s tax-writing committee would ultimately be responsible for crafting legislation.

{mosads}”Any forthcoming documents may be viewed as guidance or potential signposts for drafting legislation,” he said. “But, at the end of the day, my goal is to produce a bill that can get through this committee. That takes at least 14 votes, and hopefully we’ll get more.”

Hatch added that he’s hoping to work closely with Republicans and Democrats on the committee to produce a bill.

“Anyone with any experience with the Senate Finance Committee knows that we are not anyone’s rubber stamp,” he said. “If a bill — particularly on something as consequential as tax reform — is going to pass in this committee, the members of the committee will have to be involved in putting it together.”

The top Democrat on the Finance Committee, Ron Wyden (Ore.), said he appreciated Hatch’s comments about the Big Six, but also pointed out that members of the group have circulated pictures about their work on tax reform.

Hatch said his preference would be for a tax bill to pass with bipartisan support.

“I have no desire to exclude any of my Democratic colleagues from this discussion, and I’m not determined to report anything by a party-line vote,” he said.