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Hatch Praised by Colleagues at Final Finance Committee Hearing
Finance Committee Members Recognize Decades of Utah Senator’s Leadership, Accomplishments
WASHINGTON – Members of the Senate Finance Committee recognized Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) at his last hearing leading the committee yesterday. Senators on both sides of the aisle highlighted his successes and strong character as a leader and as a member of the committee since 1991. Take a look at what they had to say:
Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.):
“Long before I had the opportunity to work with him in this committee, Senator Hatch had a record of legislative accomplishment that would match up against anybody else’s. But I’m fortunate and proud to have worked with him…on a 10-year extension of the Children’s Health Insurance Program he and Ted Kennedy created, on a transformation in how Medicare treats chronic conditions, on the largest overhaul of our child welfare program in a generation, and much, much more.”
Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.):
“I want to discuss how much the Senator from Utah has meant to this institution and to all of us personally. As a matter of fact, I don’t think members are aware of this and maybe the chairman isn’t either. The definition of gentlemen in the latest Webster’s dictionary list two words: Orrin Hatch…Senator Hatch is not most people. Simply put, the institution he truly loves will not be the same without him. So Orrin, I still have your back, I will always have your back. I love you, God’s speed, and best wishes.”
Senator Bill Nelson (D-Fla.):
“Mr. Chairman you’ve been a wonderful chairman, you’ve been a wonderful senator, you’ve been a wonderful patriot as the president pro-tem, and you have stood very tall as is your stature. Mr. Chairman I want to say in addition and most importantly you have been a gentleman. Especially in a time that civility, courtliness, and respect for the other fellow is so important, and that you have been.”
Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.):
“I will miss Orrin Hatch for many reasons. I love sitting with him on the floor and just talking. I love serving with him on this committee. But I will be most grateful of all for the spirit of youth that he has instilled in me these last 18 years. God bless you Mr. Chairman.”
Senator John Thune (R-S.D.):
“ I, like everybody here, cannot imagine the Senate without Orrin Hatch. I came here as a young staffer in January of 1985, and Senator Hatch had already been here for 10 years making a mark. He wasn’t yet on the Finance Committee, but I remember looking up to him as a man of character, a great role model and example for all of us who aspire to be in public life.”
Senator Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.):
“[Hatch] is a man of great dignity and civility and has done a great job for this committee and our country for years and years. You’re a great chairman, you’re a great friend, and you’re a great example to our country of what we all hope we can be like as Senators in the United States of America.”
Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.):
“Mr. Chairman I want to thank you for your dedication to public service. When I ran for the United States Senate and was able to join this body I looked to Senator Hatch for what a United States Senator should be. Your civility, your commitment to the issues, your listening to both Democrats and Republicans, your ability to bring us together, your legacy of legislation, and your friendship. It’s been pointed out civility is lacking in our society today, it’s not lacking in Orrin Hatch.”
Senator Bob Casey (R-Pa.):
“I’m just grateful for all of the work you’ve done on a range of issues that are important to families. Frankly for a lot of them are essential to their lives when you consider the impact of healthcare on a family and on the life of a child. In a personal way Mr. Chairman were not just going to miss your work and your leadership, that’s obvious, but also your willingness and your efforts to reach across the divide to bring people together.”
Senator Michael Bennet (D-Colo.):
“Mr. Chairman I’ve had the privilege of serving with you on this committee for the past five years, and over that period you’ve been a model for the Senate the way you’ve served with dignity and grace, and perhaps most of all humility. I think you really have embodied the qualities of the West here, and you have reminded everybody of what this place is about. I will remember your legacy every time I meet with one of the 90,000 kids in Colorado that has healthcare because of CHIP.”
Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.):
“Your 42 years of service to the United States of America as a United States Senator has been an example for all of us to follow. They say that you embody the concept of a fellow. Your approach and your graciousness has not been unnoticed, it has become an example for many of us to follow your leadership, your wisdom, your grace…It is a blessing to have served on this committee under your leadership and you will be sorely missed by the United States of America, you’ll be sorely missed by your Senate colleagues, and you certainly will be missed by a fellow who considers you a mentor.”
Senator Bill Cassidy (R-La.):
“I’ve long been a fan of yours. Your Hatch-Waxman bill for example which made such a difference among my patients who could not otherwise afford their medicine. It really set up a paradigm which has made the United States a leader in the world in that regard. In fact, I was such a fan of yours that when you ran for President and said you wanted everyone to give $35, I sent in $35. You have been a servant, and so I thank you for your leadership of this committee, on behalf of the people of Utah, and on behalf of all Americans.”
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