Orrin Hatch, a former Republican senator from Utah, passed away on April 23rd at the age of 88 in Salt Lake City. Prior to his death, he had retired in January 2019 at the end of his last term. Hatch served in the Senate for 42 years, acting as President-Pro-Tempore of the Senate and fourth in the U.S. Presidential succession for his last four years. Hatch was the longest-serving Republican U.S. Senator in history.
Matt Sandgren, executive director of the Hatch Foundation, provided a statement saying, “Senator Orrin G. Hatch personified the American Dream. Born the son of a carpenter and plaster lather, he overcame the poverty of his youth to become a United States Senator.”
Sandgren’s statement revealed that Hatch had sponsored or cosponsored more than 750 bills that became law, making him the most prolific Senator alive in his time, with regard to bills passed into law.
Hatch was not just the longest-serving Republican U.S. Senator, however, he was likewise the longest-serving U.S. senator in Utah history. He was first elected in 1976 and announced his retirement in January 2018.
When the Senator retired, he harkened back to his days as a fighter, stating,“Every good fighter knows when to hang up the gloves. And for me, that time is soon approaching.”
President Joe Biden stated he “was, quite simply, an American original.” Biden served in the Senate with Hatch for more than 30 years.
“He was the fighter who carried with him the memory of his humble upbringing near Pittsburgh, who never humored a bully, or shied from a challenge,” Biden said in his statement.
“Senator Hatch was also a man of deep faith; a gentle soul who wrote songs and poems, and shared them with friends, colleagues, and the world. This was the Orrin who looked out for the people who often didn’t have a voice in our laws and our country. I saw this in his efforts to pass the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.”
As part of his tradition, the Senator released the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation. The foundation is concentrated on helping improve bipartisan governance and assistance in all locations of the country’s legislature.
H/T Timcast
