Orrin Hatch
|
|
Orrin Grant Hatch (born March 22, 1934) is a five-term Republican United States Senator, from Utah.
Until 2004, Hatch chaired the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary and is the 2nd ranking Republican on the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, where he serves on the U.S. Subcommittee on International Trade, the U.S. Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight, and the U.S. Subcommittee on Health Care. Hatch is also on the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, the Committee on Indian Affairs and the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
| Contents |
Early life, marriage, and descendants
Hatch was born to Jesse Hatch in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His great grandfather, Jeremiah Hatch, founded what is now known as Vernal, located in eastern Utah. Hatch married Elaine Hansen of Newton, Utah. They have six children and have twenty grandchildren. He and his family are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Education
Hatch attended Brigham Young University and, in 1959, received a degree in History. In 1962, he received a J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh Law School. As a law student, he worked as a janitor, a metal lather, and a dormitory desk attendant.
Career
Senator Hatch worked as an attorney at law in Pennsylvania and Utah. In 1976, he was elected to the United States Senate defeating the incumbent Frank Moss. In 2000 he tried for the Republican Presidential nomination, but lost to Texas Governor George W. Bush.
Hatch caused an overnight controversy June 17, 2003 by proposing that copyright owners should be able to destroy the computer equipment and information of those suspected of copyright infringement, including file sharing. In the face of criticism, especially from technology and privacy advocates, Hatch withdrew his suggestion days later. One year later, he proposed a controversial INDUCE Act that attempted to make illegal all tools that may be used for copyright infringement. According to many critics, this act would effectively outlaw the internet and personal computers, giving unprecedented legal leverage to media companies.
Orrin Hatch was one of the architects and advocates of the expansion of H-1b visas and was generally an advocate (http://grades.betterimmigration.com/testgrades.php3?District=UT&VIPID=811) of looser immigration policy.
A vocal supporter of stem cell research, Hatch was one of 58 senators who signed a letter directed to President George W. Bush, in hopes of relaxing the federal restrictions on stem cell research.
Spoke in favor of rolling back provisions of the Fair Housing Act in 1980. Acting on his motion in 1988, Congress eventually voted to weaken the ability of plaintiffs to prosecute cases of discriminatory treatment in housing. At the time the 1988 Fair Housing Amendments were being debated, he introduced a bill endorsed by the National Association of Realtors to severely limit who can file anti-discrimination suits and to make the proceedings a private affair.
Trivia
Orrin Hatch has earned over $65,000 as a Christian music recording artist.
External links
- Hatch's website (http://www.senate.gov/~hatch/)
- Orrin Hatch, software pirate? (http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,59305,00.html)
- Hatch and H1-B Visa (http://www.zazona.com/ShameH1B/Library/Politicians/Hatch.htm)
- Immigration 'scorecard' (http://profiles.numbersusa.com/improfile.php3?DistSend=UT&VIPID=811)
- Campaign donation sources (http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/contrib.asp?CID=N00009869&cycle=2004)
| Preceded by: Frank Moss | U.S. Senator (Class 1) from Utah 1977- | Succeeded by: Incumbent Template:End box Template:UT-FedRep Template:Current U.S. Senators |