Hatch, Orrin Grant (1934-2022), a Republican from Utah, was a member of the United States Senate from 1977 to 2019. He was chairman of the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee from 1995 to 2001 and from 2003 to 2005. He chaired the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources from 1981 to 1987. From 2015 to 2019, Hatch served as president pro tempore (temporary president) of the Senate. The office is customarily held by the longest-serving member of the Senate’s majority party.
Hatch was born on March 22, 1934, in Homestead Park, Pennsylvania. He received a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University in 1959 and a law degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1962. In 1963, Hatch began to practice law in Pittsburgh.
In 1969, Hatch moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, and continued to work as a lawyer. He was elected to his first term in the U.S. Senate in 1976 and took office in 1977. As a senator, Hatch became known for his interest in health care issues. With Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Hatch helped create a program that provided health insurance for millions of uninsured children. Hatch later became a strong critic of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, a health insurance reform law popularly known as Obamacare. Hatch also became known for his interest in limiting government spending and trimming business regulations. In an area of personal interest, Hatch, a songwriter, also sponsored a bill to establish performance rights for certain sound recordings. The bill became law.
In 1999, Hatch began campaigning for the Republican nomination for the 2000 presidential election. But he withdrew from the race in early 2000 because of lack of funds and lack of voter support. Hatch reviewed his Senate career in Square Peg: Confessions of a Citizen Senator (2002). He did not seek reelection to the Senate in 2018. Hatch died on April 23, 2022.
