If the measure passes, Senate Republicans have enough votes on at least two points of order to alter the measure and send it back to the House for a second round of votes, Hatch said in an interview on Bloomberg Television’s “Political Capital with Al Hunt,” airing this weekend.
“If those people think they’re only going to vote on this once, they’re nuts,” Hatch said as House Democratic leaders rounded up support before the scheduled vote on President Barack Obama’s top domestic priority.
The senator from Utah also said the approach Democrats are using to pass the legislation in the House may be unconstitutional because the House and Senate aren’t voting on “exactly the same language.”
The second-ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Hatch also said Supreme Court Associate Justice John Paul Stevens, 89, is “likely” to announce he is stepping down next month.
That would allow Obama to name his replacement, and Hatch suggested Solicitor General Elena Kagan and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano as possibilities.
‘Pick Another Woman’
“I suspect he’s going to try and pick another woman or somebody from some ethnic group that hasn’t had a chance to be on the court,” Hatch said.
Replacing Stevens would be Obama’s second pick for the nine-member court. Last year he named Sonia Sotomayor, the first Hispanic justice, to the court to fill the seat vacated by David Souter.
On the issue of terrorism, Hatch, a member of the Senate intelligence committee, said the U.S. “may very well catch Osama bin Laden,” the leader of the al-Qaeda network.
“We are knocking off the top 20 one by one,” Hatch said. He criticized Attorney General Eric Holder for telling lawmakers March 16 that bin Laden isn’t likely to be captured alive.
“I don’t think he should have said that,” Hatch said.
Asked if he knew whether bin Laden’s capture is imminent, Hatch said, “I couldn’t say even if I did.”
College Football
On college sports, Hatch called the Bowl Championship Series, which oversees the college football national championship game, “a corrupt system” that funnels billions of dollars to “privileged conferences.”
The Department of Justice has told Hatch it is considering whether to investigate the BCS for possible violations of antitrust law.
“It’s a corrupt system and frankly we really do need to change it,” said Hatch, who turns 76 on March 22. “And I understand why they’d try and hold onto it. It’s a gravy train to them that nobody seems to look at or supervise or review.”
Hatch said one of the points of order raised against the health-care legislation in the Senate would be related to the effect on Social Security revenue, and he expects Republicans will have the votes to win on that because it would require 60 votes to overturn.
Less Revenue
A proposed tax on high-end insurance plans would be scaled back under the House measure, which would mean less revenue for the Social Security system, Republicans say. That would violate Senate rules, they say.
Democrats and two independents who usually side with the party have 59 seats in the 100-member body.
The legislation represents the most significant health-care revamp since the Medicare program for the elderly was created in 1965. Under it, Americans would have more access to preventive care, Democrats say. Also, young adults could stay on their parents’ insurance until age 26. The measure has a 10-year $940 billion price tag.
Hatch, who was first elected to his seat in 1976, predicted “outright warfare” in the Senate if Democrats use a process called reconciliation that would allow the chamber to pass the health-care measure with a simple majority.
“That’s going to be something they’re going to have to live with the rest of their lives,” Hatch said.
To contact the reporter on this story: Nicholas Johnston in Washington at njohnston3@bloomberg.net
Last Updated: March 20, 2010 00:00 EDT
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