Orrin Hatch On Budget Deal: 'Sometimes The Answer Has To Be Yes'

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) said he will support the budget agreement proposed by Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), saying "sometimes the answer has to be yes."

Hatch said the deal "isn't everything I'd hoped it would be," but said that it does "uphold the principles conservatives stand for."

"I know that crafting this budget was hard fought, and it’s built on the necessary consensus that reflects divided government," Hatch said.

Other Republicans have supported the deal, including House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.). The House passed the deal on Dec. 12, and the Senate will take up the deal this week.

Reach Hatch's full statement on the budget deal below:

This agreement isn’t everything I’d hoped it would be, and it isn’t what I would have written. But sometimes the answer has to be yes. The reality is that Republicans only control one-half of one-third of government. Ultimately, this agreement upholds the principles conservatives stand for and, with Democrats controlling the White House and the Senate, it is the best we could hope for. I know that crafting this budget was hard fought, and it’s built on the necessary consensus that reflects divided government.

I appreciate the hard work of Paul Ryan, Speaker Boehner, and House Republicans in crafting this commendable compromise that reduces our debt over the long-term, prevents another government shutdown, and stops the budget battles that have rocked America with economic uncertainty and political pessimism. Much more work needs to be done to address the number one drivers of our country’s debt – our entitlement programs. But my hope is that this budget agreement paves the way to greater stability, lasting deficit reduction, and the political will to tackle those challenges in the near future.