Media Advisory: Hatch to Highlight Work for Utah, Lands Issues In Visit to “Mighty Five”
Washington, D.C.—This month Senator Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, will visit Utah’s “Mighty Five” national parks to affirm his consistent support for rural communities in Utah and to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service. Senator Hatch will speak with constituents about the importance of maintaining access to Utah’s public lands and emphasizing the need for increased coordination between the federal government, local authorities, and the state in order to protect the multiple-use mandate of our land management agencies.
Throughout the week Senator Hatch will also showcase his efforts to support Utah’s vital, thriving tourism economy with, most recently, a historic transportation bill impacting Utah’s highways, roads, and bridges, and an air transportation bill that will support expansion at Utah’s rural and regional airports.
Who:
Senator Orrin Hatch
What:
Hatch heads to Utah’s “Mighty Five” to work with local leaders to survey the impact of his legislative work for Utah
When:
Tuesday May 31st – Saturday June 4th
Where:
Zions National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park
Capitol Reef National Park
Arches National Park
Canyonland National Parks
Media:
Four events during the tour will be open to press. (detailed below)
Events Open to Media
*Four events during the tour will be open to press. Please RSVP to Matt Whitlock (Matt_Whitlock@hatch.senate.gov) for coordinating purposes if you’d like to attend any event.
Kick-Off Event
Tuesday May 31
10 AM
Senator Hatch will hold a kick-off event at the Utah office of Tourism (300 State Street, Salt Lake City) with a brief media availability.
Zion’s National Park
Wednesday June 1
9 AM
Senator Hatch will meet with Superintendent Jeff Bradybaugh at Zion’s National Park Visitors Center before hiking the Narrows via Riverside Trail. Senator Hatch will be available for pictures/video/brief interviews.
Bears Ears Meeting
Thursday June 2
2:30 PM
Senator Hatch, along with other members of the Utah delegation will meet at Natural Bridge National Monument/Bears Ears Butte with Rebecca Benally, San Juan County Commissioner to discuss the possible monument designation. Media will be invited to attend the meeting, tour the site, and Senator Hatch will hold a brief media availability.
Arches National Park
Friday June 3
2 PM
Senator Hatch will have lunch at the Arches Visitor Center with Superintendent Kate Cannon, and will be available for pictures/video/brief interviews.
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Hatch Statement on Utahn Ron Russell’s Committee Approval to District Court Seat
WASHINGTON—On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approved the nomination of Ronald Russell to the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah. Senator Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, a senior member and former Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, had introduced Russell to the committee in April and issued the following statement following his approval:
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Hatch, Gardner Introduce Bill Holding EPA Accountable for Gold King Mine Spill
Washington, DC – Today, Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Cory Gardner (R-CO) introduced the Gold King Accountability and Compensation for Taxpayers Act—a fiscally responsible bill that requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to compensate all communities impacted by the Gold King Mine spill, which occurred last August after the EPA unintentionally released millions of gallons of wastewater into the Animas River. The legislation follows reports that the federal government will not fully reimburse La Plata County for costs associated with the accident.
“Last year the EPA inadvertently spilled millions of gallons of waste into the Animas River in Colorado, exposing the waterways and surrounding environment to toxic heavy metals,” said Hatch. “This spill had a significant adverse impact on many downstream communities and businesses throughout multiple Western states—including Utah. The EPA must be held accountable for this travesty, and those that were impacted by this man-made disaster should be justly compensated. I am proud to join Senator Gardner in introducing legislation that will accomplish both these goals.”
“The EPA-born Gold King Mine disaster financially burdened families, businesses, tribal communities, and local governments not only in Colorado, but also neighboring states,” said Gardner. “The EPA is wholly accountable and therefore should be held to the same standard as private companies, and the Gold King ACT makes sure of it. I’ll continue to fight to ensure all of those affected by the Animas River spill are made whole, and encourage my colleagues to join Senator Hatch and me in rejecting Washington’s double standard and holding the EPA fully liable.”
Currently, there are more than 60 federal tort claims relating to the Gold King Mine spill. The Gold King ACT holds the EPA fully accountable by requiring the agency to pay for these claims out of its own budget. Additionally, the legislation expedites the payout of emergency response costs assumed by tribes, counties, and local governments. While some of the response claims have been paid, the EPA has stated that it is not preparing to process emergency response actions after October 31, 2015. This bill directs the EPA to process and pay claims filed after this date as long as a claimant’s action is consistent with standard emergency response costs listed in federal law. Lastly, the legislation requires the EPA to work in coordination with states and Native American tribes to develop and implement a program for long-term water quality monitoring of the Animas River, which includes collecting water quality samples and sediment data and releasing it to the public.
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Hatch, Murray Introduce EARNS Act to Help More Students, Workers, and Employers Compete in the Global Economy
(Washington, D.C.) – Today Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT), the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), the ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, introduced the Effective Apprenticeships Rebuild National Skills (EARNS) Act—a bipartisan bill that seeks to strengthen the nation’s workforce development system through registered apprenticeship programs. The EARNS Act will support pre-apprenticeship programs and new or expanding registered apprenticeship programs that provide national, portable credentials. Likewise, the legislation will help America’s workers secure academic credit for on-the-job learning portions of an apprenticeship.
“Today’s apprenticeship programs are in desperate need of reform,” Senator Hatch said. “Outdated models and overbearing federal requirements have strangled many job-training programs, preventing millions of workers from gaining the national credentials and transferable academic credits they need to sharpen their skills and progress in their careers. I am committed to advancing a bipartisan reform to update America’s aging apprenticeship programs. That’s why Senator Murray and I have introduced the EARNS Act—a transformative bill that will not only expand and promote apprenticeships, but also reform the registered apprenticeship program to meet the needs of employers and employees alike. Ultimately, this legislation will help bring American apprenticeship into the 21st century.”
“To ensure that our workforce can truly lead in the 21st century global economy, we need our students and workers to be prepared to compete for high-skill, high-wage jobs in industries across the economy,” Senator Murray said. “By strengthening and expanding registered apprenticeship programs, we can help workers get the training and experience they’ll need, while they are also earning a paycheck, and provide a ladder of opportunity to reach a stable middle class life. I look forward to continuing working with Senator Hatch and others to expand registered apprenticeships to serve more students, workers, and businesses across the country.”
Utah Governor Gary Herbert also weighed in on the bill. “I applaud Senator Hatch's leadership in reforming registered apprenticeships, including his work with state programs to develop state-focused legislation” Governor Herbert said. “Investing in an individual through an apprenticeship program launches careers and broadens our labor force, which is important to our overall economy. The EARNS Act fosters essential flexibility to ensure innovative and effective apprenticeship solutions meet industry needs in each state.”
The EARNS Act builds on a proven model supported by clear evidence of success. A 2012 evaluation of registered apprenticeship programs by Mathematica Policy Research found that the tax return on every public dollar invested in registered apprenticeship programs was $27. It further found that individuals who completed registered apprenticeship programs earned over $240,000 more over their careers than individuals not participating in such programs.
This bill is co-sponsored by Senators Tim Scott (R-SC), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Al Franken (D-MN).
FACT SHEET: Effective Apprenticeships Rebuild National Skills (EARNS) Act:
Effective Apprenticeships Rebuild National Skills Act
(EARNS Act)
Sponsored by Senators Hatch and Murray
Original Co-sponsors: Senators Scott, Kaine, Collins and Franken
Apprenticeships are a boon to American families and businesses; they boost wages, catalyze innovation, and jumpstart economic growth by preparing today’s workforce for the challenges of a 21st century global economy.
Yet today’s apprenticeship programs are in desperate need of reform. Indeed, outdated models and overbearing federal requirements have strangled many job-training programs, preventing millions of workers from gaining the national credentials and transferable academic credits they need to sharpen their skills and progress in their careers. To make matters worse, many apprenticeships operate without congressional oversight, creating an environment that encourages executive overreach and hampers economic productivity.
Senators Hatch and Murray are committed to fixing this problem by working in a bipartisan fashion to update America’s aging apprenticeship programs. That’s why they have introduced the Effective Apprenticeships Rebuild National Skills (EARNS) Act—a transformative bill that will not only expand and promote apprenticeships, but will also reform the registered apprenticeship program to meet the needs of employers and employees alike. Ultimately, this bipartisan proposal will help bring American apprenticeship into the 21st century.
The EARNS Act improves apprenticeships by:
· Ensuring that the Office of Apprenticeship at the U.S. Department of Labor is subject to strict congressional oversight;
· Supporting the development of pre-apprenticeship programs that will eventually prepare workers for success in an employer-led registered apprenticeship program;
· Promoting greater diversity in registered apprenticeship programs;
· Aligning registered apprenticeships with other federal education and training programs and with state and local workforce development boards;
· Reforming the National Advisory Committee on Apprenticeships and tasking the Committee to make recommendations on how best to streamline the apprenticeship registration process;
· Requiring an evaluation of the return on federal investment for each apprenticeship program;
· Establishing the Registered Apprenticeship College Collaborative—a voluntary program that will enable workers to earn academic credit after completing employer-led, on-the-job training; and
· Allocating federal funds to defray the upfront costs for companies that create their first apprenticeship programs.
Through these reforms, the EARNS Act will:
· Ensure that businesses have greater access to a high-skilled workforce by expanding the number of well-trained workers across all industry sectors and occupations;
· Promote professional development by allowing workers more opportunities to earn nationally recognized postsecondary credentials;
· Raise awareness among students, parents, workers, and employers about the value of the registered apprenticeship program model as an effective earn-and-learn model;
· Support the expansion of registered apprenticeship programs with employers, joint labor management partnerships, and other program sponsors; and
· Encourage collaboration between registered apprenticeship programs, the workforce development system, and postsecondary education.
Employers from all sectors are clamoring for a pipeline of skilled workers who are able to adapt quickly to the demands of a rapidly changing global economy. By fostering apprenticeship programs across the country, this legislation delivers a viable, proven pathway to strengthen the American workforce and ensure that our businesses are able to compete.
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Hatch Applauds Introduction of STOP Pain Act in the House of Representatives
WASHINGTON—Senator Orrin Hatch issued the following statement on the introduction of the Safe Treatments and Opportunities to Prevent (STOP) Pain Act in the U.S. House of Representatives:
“Yesterday’s House action exemplifies the bipartisan approach to pain research and chronic pain management that I have long championed for the people of Utah,” Hatch said. “Senator Brian Schatz and I introduced this legislation in March to change the conversation around chronic pain management and focus NIH research on the underlying causes of pain. To break the treacherous cycle of addiction that threatens our loved ones, we must provide alternatives to opioids. I applaud the House sponsors of this bill for joining us in furthering medical research and investing in future therapies that will help treat pain and prevent addiction.”
Background
The STOP Pain Act—a bipartisan proposal drafted by Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Brian Schatz (D-HI)—was introduced in the Senate on March 15, 2016. This legislation supplements the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2015 (CARA) by emphasizing the need for greater pain research and federal pain policy coordination. Previously, Senator Hatch was the Senate sponsor of the National Pain Care Policy Act of 2009, a bill which led to the creation of the National Pain Strategy—an interagency approach to pain policy and research.
Senator Hatch will continue working to ensure that the Schatz-Hatch STOP Pain Act is enacted into law, and he welcomes his House colleagues in this effort.
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