Orrin Hatch

Orrin Hatch was an American politician and attorney who served as a United States Senator from Utah from 1977 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he became the longest-serving Republican senator in U.S. history and a powerful institutional figure, holding key leadership roles including President pro tempore and chairmanships of the Judiciary, Finance, and Labor and Human Resources Committees. Known as a staunch conservative with a pragmatic streak, he was instrumental in shaping federal judicial appointments, tax policy, and significant legislation like the Americans with Disabilities Act and the State Children's Health Insurance Program.

Early life and education

Orrin Grant Hatch was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to a family of modest means, his father a metal lather. He was raised as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and attended Brigham Young University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in history in 1959. He then returned to Pennsylvania to study law at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, receiving his Juris Doctor in 1962. During his education, he served a mission for his church in Ohio and briefly served in the United States Army Reserve.

Early career

After law school, Hatch moved to Utah and began practicing law in Salt Lake City. He developed a specialty in labor law and represented several unions, an experience that later informed his legislative work. He became active in state Republican politics, serving as a delegate and building a network of conservative supporters. His legal career and growing political involvement set the stage for his first run for federal office in 1976, when he challenged three-term incumbent Democratic Senator Frank Moss.

U.S. Senate career

Elected in 1976 as part of a national conservative wave, Hatch quickly established himself as a forceful advocate for conservative judicial philosophy and free-market principles. As chairman of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary from 1995 to 2001 and again later, he presided over the confirmation hearings of justices including Clarence Thomas, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Stephen Breyer. He also served as chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance from 2015 to 2019, playing a central role in crafting the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. Throughout his tenure, he sponsored or co-sponsored landmark bills such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, the State Children's Health Insurance Program, the Hatch-Waxman Act governing generic drugs, and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. He served as President pro tempore of the United States Senate from 2015 to 2019.

Post-Senate career and death

After retiring from the United States Senate in 2019, Hatch remained in Washington, D.C., founding The Hatch Foundation to promote public service and civic discourse. He also worked with the law and lobbying firm Holland & Knight. Hatch died on April 23, 2022, in Salt Lake City, Utah, at the age of 88. His funeral was held in the Salt Lake Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and he was buried at the Salt Lake City Cemetery. He was succeeded in the Senate by fellow Republican Mitt Romney.

Political positions and legacy

Hatch was a fiscal and social conservative, consistently advocating for lower taxes, a strong national defense, and restrictions on abortion. He was a key architect of the modern federal judiciary, having interviewed and voted on every sitting Supreme Court justice from 1981 onward. His legacy is marked by both ideological conviction and a noted ability to craft bipartisan compromises, particularly with longtime colleague Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts, on issues like AIDS research funding, children's health insurance, and generic drug approval. The Orrin G. Hatch United States Courthouse in Salt Lake City is named in his honor.