Hatch: GOP senators won't support Baucus bill

Few Republicans are likely to support the compromise healthcare proposal floated in the Senate Finance Committee, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) asserted Thursday.

Hatch said that the bill crafted by Sen. Mac Baucus (D-Mont.), the chairman of the Finance Committee, wouldn't win his support, or the backing of many other Senate Republicans.

"I can't support what Sen. Baucus is arguing for, and I'm not sure any Republicans can," Hatch said in an appearance on MSNBC this afternoon.

The Finance Committee's bill had been considered one of the few preliminary healthcare bills in Congress able to win substantial Republican support, with the so-called "group of six" centrist senators working to reach a consensus agreement.

Hatch said that any bill to emerge from the Senate would likely end up being a Democratic bill, and not joined in by Republicans -- even the most centrist of lawmakers.

"There's no question about that," he said when asked if it'd be a Democratic bill. "I really sincerely doubt it if Olympia or Susan will go with them. And I really doubt Chuck Grassley or Sen. Enzi would go with them."