Former U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch Dead at 88

Former Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch, Utah’s longest serving Senator, died on Saturday at the age of 88. 

Hatch was surrounded by his family at his time of death, according to The Hatch Foundation. 

Hatch Foundation Chairman A. Scott Anderson said:

A man of wisdom, kindness, character, and compassion, Orrin G. Hatch was everything a United States Senator should be. He exemplified a generation of lawmakers brought up on the principles of comity and compromise, and he embodied those principles better than anyone. In a nation divided, Orrin Hatch helped show us a better way by forging meaningful friendships on both sides of the aisle. Today, more than ever, we would do well to follow his example. May we honor Orrin’s memory by living as he lived—committed to our country, to our principles, and to each other.

Hatch was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1976, where he served until his retirement in January 2018. At 750 bills, Hatch sponsored or cosponsored the greatest number of bills to be signed into law of any U.S. Senator in history, according to the Hatch Foundation.

As chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Hatch was instrumental in getting the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed through Congress. 

Former President Donald Trump awarded Hatch the Presidential Medal of Freedom in November 2018 after his retirement from the Senate. Trump extended his “deepest condolences” to Hatch’s family in a statement. 

Trump said:

I want to extend my deepest condolences to the family of the great Senator Orrin Hatch, his wife Elaine, and his six children. Orrin was a true warrior for our Country, for liberty, and for his beloved state of Utah. He was as wise as he was kind, and as tough as he was smart—he loved America and his contributions to our Country were tremendous. His legacy will surely live on through the many lives he impacted. May God bless Orrin Hatch.

Hatch is survived by his wife, their six children, and their dozens of grandchildren and great grandchildren.