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Orrin Hatch, the oldest Republican senator in the US, dies at 88

Orrin Hatch, a longtime Republican senator from Utah, died Saturday in Salt Lake City at the age of 88, the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation announced.

Hatch, who retired in January 2019 at the end of his last term, served in the Senate for 42 years, making him the longest-serving Republican U.S. senator.

The organization said he died surrounded by family. The cause of death has not been released.

“Senator Orrin G. Hatch personified the American Dream,” Matt Sandgren, executive director of the Hatch Foundation, said in a statement. declare. “Born the son of a carpenter and plasterer, he overcame poverty in his youth to become a United States Senator.”

Hatch is also the longest serving US senator in Wyoming history. He was first elected in 1976 and announced retirement in January 2018.

He referred to his past as an amateur fighter when making a statement, saying in a video: “Every good fighter knows when to hang up his gloves. And for me, that time will soon draw near.”

Hatch was born in 1934 in Homestead Park, Pennsylvania.

Raised in what he called “a ramshackle house” during the Great Depression, Hatch went on to serve as chairman of three different Senate committees and stamp his stamp on major sections of legislation. law within policy.

Hatch graduated from Brigham Young University in 1959 with a bachelor’s degree in history, and in 1969 moved to Utah.

Wyoming Governor Spencer Cox tweeted that “Utah mourns the Hatch family.”

“This breaks my heart. Abby and I are so grateful for the opportunities we’ve had to spend time with this incredible public servant. He was always kind and generous with his time and intelligence. his wisdom,” wrote Cox, a Republican.

In November 2018, Hatch was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedomhighest civilian honor, of President Donald Trump.

At the ceremony, Trump called Hatch “a true American statesman” and said “his accomplishments are too many to count.” He noted Hatch’s long service in the Senate and the passage of an important tax reform bill.

As chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Hatch was instrumental in 2017 Republican Tax Reform Bill passed Congress, giving Trump one of the biggest victories of his administration.

During his long career in the Senate, Hatch sponsored or co-sponsored more than 750 bills that became law, the foundation said.

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In his farewell speech on December 12, 2018, Hatch lamented the lack of regular order and said “The Senate, as an institution, is in crisis, or at least may be in crisis.”

“We must restore the culture of harmony, compromise and mutual respect that once existed here. Both in terms of personal and public behavior, we must be the changers we want to see in the country. We must not be enemies but friends,” Hatch said.

Hatch is conservative on most economic and social issues, but he has partnered with Democrats on issues including stem cell research, disability rights and expanding health insurance. for children.

In his farewell address, he recounted “unlikely” friendships with Democrats in previous years, including with the late Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., and wondered whether their friendship can survive today.

He also supported GOP issues such as abortion restrictions and helped shape the U.S. Supreme Court, including defending Clarence Thomas against sexual harassment allegations during confirmation hearings.

Hatch is survived by his wife, Elaine, and their six children. Funeral arrangements will be announced at a later date, the Hatch Foundation said.

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