How former GOP Senator Orrin Hatch spent his career 'making the country worse'
AlterNetApr 24, 2022
Orrin G. Hatch, who holds the US Senate record for longest-serving Republican, has passed away at 88. His cause of death has yet to be disclosed by his foundation, which announced his passing.
Hatch, who represented Utah from 1977 until his retirement in 2019, served as chairman of the prestigious Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee, Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senate Finance Committee at points in his tenure.
Hatch left the US worse off after his time in the Senate. He had brief bouts of bipartisanship but mostly was a non-compromising hatchet man. He was terrible on labor, gay rights, the budget, and health care. The Hatch Act is a vile limitation on abortion access.
Regardless of your political persuasion, you had to respect Hatch's sincerity and determination. Hatch did great things for his side of the aisle by prioritizing religious liberty and limits on abortion. He also reached across party lines to produce important legislation related to public health, biomedical research, AIDS, child care, summer job programs, and civil rights for the disabled. Hatch left this world a lot better than he found it.