Senate Republicans have named Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, to a small group that will lead health-care reform efforts for them.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., named Hatch and Sens. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Judd Gregg, R-N.H., to lead the Senate Republican effort in that area.

"Republicans believe health-care reform requires input from our entire conference and cooperation across the aisle because access to affordable quality health care is an issue that touches all Americans," McConnell said.

He added, "Sens. Enzi, Grassley, Gregg and Hatch have not only been involved in every major health-care discussion in recent history, they bring a range of perspectives which will be useful in leading the conference to common sense solutions."

Hatch was chairman of the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee from 1981 to 1986 when it was the Senate committee in charge of health-care issues. Enzi is the ranking Republican on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which now oversees health issues.

Gregg is the ranking Republican on the Budget Committee, and Grassley is the ranking Republican on the Finance Committee.

Hatch said, "Health care is not a Republican issue or a Democrat issue — it is a national issue that must be resolved in a bipartisan and fiscally responsible manner. We have a responsibility to ensure that every American has access to the quality and affordable health of their choice."

He added, "By controlling costs through more efficient and quality-focused health-care delivery, and by building on private sector choices, we can make this aspiration a reality."

The four have begun preliminary discussions and will lead regular Senate Republican Conference meetings on health reform.

---

E-mail: lee@desnews.com