Utah Republican served in U.S. Senate for 42 yearsFought for judicial nominees Bork, Thomas, KavanaughWASHINGTON, April 23 (Reuters) – Orrin Hatch, the gentlemanly long-serving Republican U.S. senator from Utah who promoted deep tax cuts, an anti-terrorism law and a childrens health program while combating for conservative judicial candidates, died on Saturday at age 88. His death was revealed by the nonprofit Orrin G. Hatch Foundation, which stated he died surrounded by household in Salt Lake City.Outpourings from fellow legislators, some of whom had actually known Hatch for years, began flooding the internet late on Saturday as word of his death spread.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comRegister”This breaks my heart,” Utah Governor Spencer Cox composed on twitter. “His name and memory will forever be enshrined in the history of the U.S. Senate and the State of Utah,” Lee wrote.A sustaining conservative voice in Congress, Hatch held a seat in the Senate from 1977 to 2019 and served under 8 presidents, starting in the subsiding days of Gerald Fords term and ending with Donald Trumps very first 2 years in office. Hatch fiercely advocated for conservative Supreme Court candidates consisting of Robert Bork – chosen in 1987 by Reagan but rejected by the Senate – as well as Clarence Thomas, nominated in 1991 by Republican George W. Bush and narrowly verified by the Senate, and Brett Kavanaugh, chosen by Republican Trump and likewise directly validated by the Senate in 2018.”Im not sure I must stand here on the floor of the United States Senate and pass judgment on anybody,” Hatch informed Helms.
His death was announced by the not-for-profit Orrin G. Hatch Foundation, which said he died surrounded by family in Salt Lake City.Outpourings from fellow legislators, some of whom had known Hatch for decades, began flooding the web late on Saturday as word of his death spread.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comRegister”This breaks my heart,” Utah Governor Spencer Cox wrote on twitter. “His name and memory will permanently be preserved in the history of the U.S. Senate and the State of Utah,” Lee wrote.A sustaining conservative voice in Congress, Hatch held a seat in the Senate from 1977 to 2019 and served under 8 presidents, starting in the waning days of Gerald Fords term and ending with Donald Trumps first two years in office. Hatch fiercely promoted for conservative Supreme Court nominees including Robert Bork – chosen in 1987 by Reagan but declined by the Senate – as well as Clarence Thomas, nominated in 1991 by Republican George W. Bush and narrowly verified by the Senate, and Brett Kavanaugh, nominated by Republican Trump and also directly validated by the Senate in 2018.
