Orin Hatch, the longest-serving Republican senator in history who has been an integral part of Utah’s politics for more than four decades, died Saturday at the age of 88.
His death was announced in a statement from his foundation, which did not specify the cause.
A staunch conservative on most economic and social issues, he has also partnered with Democrats several times during his long career on issues ranging from stem cell research to rights for people with disabilities to expanding children’s health insurance. He also made friends throughout the aisle, especially with the late Edward Kennedy.
Hatch also backed Republican issues such as restrictions on abortion and helped shape the U.S. Supreme Court, including defending Judge Clarence Thomas against allegations of sexual harassment during confirmation hearings.
He later became an ally of Donald Trump, using his role as chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee to rewrite the major rewriting of U.S. tax codes at the president’s office. In return, Trump helped Hatch resolve a key issue for Republicans in Utah with a controversial move to drastically reduce the size of two national monuments declared by past presidents.
Hatch retired in 2019 and was known for his accompanying career as a singer and musician with themes from his religious faith, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
He is survived by his wife Elaine and their six children.
One issue Hatch returned to in the course of his career was restricting or banning abortion, a position that put him at the center of one of the nation’s most controversial issues. He is the author of various “Hatch amendments” to the Constitution aimed at reducing access to abortion.
In 1991, he became known as one of Thomas’ most vocal defenders against allegations of sexual harassment by law professor Anita Hill. Hatch read aloud at the Exorcist confirmation hearings and suggested that Hill had stolen details from the book.
Hatch also helped introduce legislation that tightens child pornography laws and turns illegal music downloads into a criminal offense.
For Hatch, the problem with downloading music was personal. A member of the faith widely known as the Mormon, he often writes religious songs and records music in his spare time as a way to relax from the stress of life in Washington. Hatch earned about $ 39,000 from his songs in 2005.
One of his songs, Unspoken, went platinum after appearing in WOW Hits 2005, a compilation of Christian pop music.
Without fear of fighting politically, he said he always wanted to quickly become friends with those with whom he had disputes. Hatch was used to playing hard – he learned to box as a child in Pittsburgh to repel the attacks of older, older students.
When Hatch announced that he would not run for re-election in 2018, he said that “every good fighter knows when to put on his gloves.”
After moving to Utah in the early 1970s, Hatch _ a former bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints _ ran for his first public office in 1976 and slightly upset Democrat Senator Frank Mos.
In 1982, he overtook contender Ted Wilson, the Democratic mayor of Salt Lake City, to win a second term by a solid margin.
He was never seriously challenged again.
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