Former Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, who was the longest serving senator in U.S. history, has died at the age of 88.
No cause of death has been specified. He is survived by his wife Elaine and their six children.
Upon his retirement, Sen. Hatch held the distinction of having passed more legislation into law than any other senator alive, having sponsored or cosponsored more than 750 bills that became law during his career, the Hatch Foundation noted.
Hatch was a strong conservative voice in Congress on most economic and social issues. He advocated for religious liberty and was pro-life, supporting restrictions on abortion.
He was also a lay minister in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and also sang and recorded music with themes of his faith.
Hatch strongly advocated for conservative-leaning Supreme Court nominees, including Robert Bork, who was ultimately rejected by the Senate in 1987, and Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh, who were narrowly confirmed by the Senate in 1991 and 2018, respectively.
The former senator held powerful posts, including chairman of the influential Senate Judiciary and Finance Committees. As chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Hatch supported a major GOP amendment to U.S. tax codes that cut taxes, helping send the measure to Trump’s desk that was signed into law in 2017, amid strong Democrat opposition.
Trump later that year moved to drastically downsize two national monuments—the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase national monuments that cover millions of acres in Utah—that had been declared by past presidents. It was a key issue for Republicans in Utah, with Hatch supportive of the move, although the downsizing was opposed by conservationists.
In 2018, Trump awarded Hatch the Medal of Freedom, the highest U.S. civilian honor. Hatch is also the recipient of a total of 14 honorary degrees from institutions including the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Maryland, Pepperdine University, the University of Utah, and Utah State University.
The senator has authored or coauthored many impactful federal laws in the past half century, including: the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which protects the free exercise of religion; the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act (also known as Hatch-Waxman), which created the modern generic drug industry; and the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities.
During his career, Hatch also worked with Democrats several times on certain issues. In 1997, Hatch worked with late Democratic Sen. Edward M. Kennedy to create the State Children’s Health Insurance Program—another critical federal legislation—that provides health care for uninsured children from low-income families who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but still can’t afford private health insurance.Hatch was one of the architects of the Patriot Act, which expanded the federal government’s ability to track potential terrorists by expanding its surveillance powers. The measure was passed after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. Opponents said the Patriot Act infringes on individual freedoms, but Hatch called it constitutional and effective.
“Born the son of a carpenter and plaster lather, he overcame the poverty of his youth to become a United States senator. With the hardships of his upbringing always fresh in his mind, he made it his life’s mission to expand freedom and opportunity for others—and the results speak for themselves.”
Hatch grew up in a poor family in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, during the Great Depression. He practiced law after college and decided to run for public office after friends and colleagues urged him to consider public service.
He was a complete unknown when he decided to run for the Senate in Utah in 1976, but won the Republican primary against three-term Democratic Sen. Frank Moss after being boosted by an endorsement from future President Ronald Reagan.
“From tax and trade to religious liberty and healthcare, few legislators have had a greater impact on American life than Orrin Hatch,” Sandgren said. “He was a profoundly positive influence in the lives of those he served, whether they were the constituents he helped over four decades of casework, the hundreds of interns he sponsored in both Utah and D.C., or the robust network of Hatch staffers who carry on his legacy to this day.
“Senator Hatch touched the hearts of countless individuals, and I know I speak for all of them when I say he will be dearly missed.”
“His name and memory will forever be enshrined in the history of the U.S. Senate and the State of Utah,” Lee wrote.
