Senator Orrin Hatch

Born Orrin Grant Hatch in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on March 22, 1934, his family has historic ties to the state of Utah.  Hatch’s great-grandfather Jeremiah Hatch founded Vernal, Utah, one of only a few cities in Utah that were not founded by Mormons.  He moved to Utah in 1954 on a mission trip with his church, the Church of Latter Day Saints, and shortly thereafter became the first in his family to attend college, graduating from Brigham Young University in 1959 with a degree in history.  As with many other members of Congress, Hatch went on to receive his Juris Doctorate, graduating from the University of Pittsburgh Law School in 1962.  While pursuing his J.D., Hatch worked as a janitor, a construction worker in the Wood, Wire, and Metal Lathers Union, and as a dormitory desk attendant.

After practicing law in Pittsburgh, Hatch moved back to Salt Lake City.  His entrance into politics is unprecedented.  Unlike many of his peers, who ascended through city and state legislatures before landing on the national stage, Hatch’s Senate bid in 1976 was his first foray into public office.  During the campaign against Democrat Frank Moss, a three-term incumbent, Hatch criticized Moss’s 18-year tenure saying that many Senators, including Moss, had lost touch with their constituents.  Moreover, Hatch received an all-important endorsement from Ronald Reagan.  He went on to win his by an unexpectedly wide nine-point margin.  In his reelection bid in 1982, Hatch won by 17 points and hasn’t faced substantive opposition since.  He has been reelected five times, becoming the longest-serving Senator in Utah history in the process.

C. Everett Koop with Senators Arlen Specter and Orrin Hatch

When Hatch joined Senate in 1977, he was seated 100^th in seniority.  He quickly rose through the ranks after he became the top surrogate for Reagan’s 1980 presidential campaign.  Hatch would go on to become chairman of the Senate Labor Committee after Republicans won the majority in the Senate.  In 1993, Hatch moved from ranking member of Labor to ranking member of the Judiciary Committee when Senator Strom Thurmond vacated the post.  In 1995, he became chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, where he served as chairman or ranking member until 2005, when term limits forced him to give up his position to Senator Arlen Specter.

In the summer of 1999, Hatch launched a brief and unsuccessful bid for the White House.  Entering the race on July 1, 1999, Hatch faced an uphill battle attracting voters and funding.  At the time of his announcement he trailed George W. Bush in campaign funds by $36 million.  In August 1999 he came in last in an Iowa straw poll, taking just 2 percent.  The disappointing straw poll translated into a disappointing finish in the Iowa caucuses, winning only 1 percent of the vote.  Immediately after, he withdrew his candidacy for the Republican nomination and endorsed George W. Bush.

A self-labeled “compassionate conservative”, Hatch has become more moderate over his long career in Senate.  Though his allegiance with the Republican Party is strong in terms of voting record, he has split with Republicans on hot-button issues such as immigration and embryonic stem-cell research in recent years.

Unbeknownst to many, Orrin G. Hatch is also an accomplished musician who plays the piano, violin, and organ.  As a Church of Latter Day Saints music recording artist, Hatch has earned over $65,000.  Additionally, he has experience in arts management.  In the early 1970s he was the band manager for a Mormon-themed folk group called the Free Agency.  Over the course of his musical career the senator has written more than 300 songs and has earned a platinum record.  His association with the music industry has made him a strong supporter of increased copyright protections in response to prevalent file-sharing technology.  His legislative proposals, which include a ban on technologies that commit copyright violations and allowing the Justice Department to file civil and criminal charges against illegal internet downloading, have put him at odds with many in the technology and communication industries.

Orrin G. Hatch’s longevity in Congress can be attributed to a slew of factors.  He entered politics in a single swoop and advanced in seniority at a meteoric rate that is rarely seen.  Perhaps more importantly, Senator Hatch has relied on self-composed ideological barometers to guide his decision-making.  As a member of the so-called “old guard”, Hatch has avoided the downfalls of his colleagues while maturing as a lawmaker.  His adaptation and devotion to his position has been the backbone of a career routinely praised by both Democrat and Republican.

–Amendment202

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