Orrin Hatch: “I appreciate my colleague's commitment to this particular issue. However, this is just one of many tax provisions which…”

“I appreciate my colleague's commitment to this particular issue. However, this is just one of many tax provisions which will expire at the end of the year. In the past, the senior the Senator from New York supported the extension of numerous provisions, as have I, particularly the State and local sales tax deduction in his case. I can only wonder if he is signaling that the State and local sales tax provision, along with all the others which are expiring, are no longer a priority for him. In any event, the Senate Finance Committee has jurisdiction over all the tax extenders, including the one being offered here today. As of yet, the committee has not been able to fully consider and report a tax extenders bill. As a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee himself, I would hope my colleague would want to work with other members of the committee to preserve its jurisdiction. Since the House of Representatives has been out for 1 week, my colleague's request--even if agreed to in the Senate--would not result in extending the mass transit provision. Finance Committee Republicans stand ready to work with our Democratic colleagues when we return in a couple of weeks, and the House will be back then too. If we want to enact this extension into law, rather than just sending out talking points, we ought to engage in regular order when we get back. On that basis, I ask unanimous consent to modify my colleague's unanimous consent request.…”