Baucus objects to Hatch's motion to recommit sequester bill

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) filed a motion to recommit Thursday on the sequestration alternative, which would send the Democratic bill to the Finance Committee.

Only 30 minutes before the procedural votes on both a Democratic and Republican sequester replacement, Hatch said the bill should have come through regular order.

“At some point we have to have a real conversation about returning to regular order,” Hatch said. “If it has not gone through the regular committee, it has not been vetted.”

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) objected to Hatch’s motion, saying it would delay the process. Lawmakers are working to avert the $85 billion automatic spending cuts set to take effect Friday.

“Time is of a premium and recommitting the bill will delay the matter for weeks if not months,” Baucus said.

Hatch said that because leaders draft these bills, committees have been cut out of the legislative process, damaging the process of open government.

“This place is not being run in regular order,” Hatch said. “The committees are being ignored.”

Hatch also suggested that lawmakers look at Sen. Tom Coburn's (R-Okla.) "Back in Black" report, which recommends $142 billion-worth of wasteful federal spending.

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