Senators Hatch and Lee continue to demonstrate animus toward working Utahns. Isaac Holyoak, communications director for Better UTAH, argued in an op-ed this weekend in the Salt Lake Tribune that Utah’s senators are actively working against Utahns.
With a combined 42 years in Washington, D.C., Senators Hatch and Lee are proving that what binds them is neither ideology nor their Utah heritage, but the degree to which Utah’s distance from the capital city has made it easier for them to ignore the Utahns who need them most. Recent votes by Hatch and Lee suggest that the two senators are actively engaged in harming Utahns in matters related to employment opportunities.
Both senators voted against reducing the wage gap between men and women. They also voted against extending unemployment benefits to Utahns who are currently looking for work.
It’s worth noting that Hatch hasn’t always viewed feeding families as anathema to his now rightwing-approved agenda. In the past, he has demonstrated ample support for safety net spending, most notably in his support for the Children’s Health Insurance Program, or CHIP. Hatch hasn’t been able to adequately account for why he’s concerned about whether or not a child is insured, but not if a child’s unemployed parents can afford to put food on the table. (Which is to say nothing of Hatch and Lee’s willingness to provide aid to Ukrainians but not their fellow Utahns).
