U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) speaks to reporters after leaving the Senate floor during debate over the Republican tax reform plan in Washington, U.S., December 1, 2017. REUTERS/James Lawler Duggan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch said on Wednesday that Republicans in the Senate and House of Representatives had reached a deal on tax reform legislation.

Asked by reporters, if an agreement had been reached in negotiations to hammer out differences between two competing tax bills, Hatch said: “We have. I think we have a deal.”

Hatch said it was more than just an agreement in principle.