Orrin Hatch

Orrin Hatch

Republican Party

Prior offices

U.S. Senate Utah

Successor: Mitt Romney

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Education

High school

Baldwin Public High School

Bachelor's

Brigham Young University

Law

University of Pittsburgh

Personal

Religion

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon)

Orrin Grant Hatch (b. March 22, 1934, in Pittsburgh, Pa.) was a former Republican member of the U.S. Senate, serving from 1977 to 2019. Hatch did not seek re-election in 2018.

Hatch died on April 23, 2022.

Hatch served as the president pro tempore of the Senate from 2015 to 2019.

Biography

Hatch graduated from Baldwin Public High School. He then earned his bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University and his J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh. After graduating from law school and passing the Pennsylvania bar, Hatch practiced law in Pittsburgh, Pa. and then in Utah.

Career

Below is an abbreviated outline of Hatch's academic, professional, and political career:

• 1977-2019: U.S. Senator from Utah
  • 2015-2019: President Pro Tempore of the Senate

Committee assignments

U.S. Senate

2017-2018

At the beginning of the 115th Congress, Hatch was assigned to the following committees:

• Joint Committee on Taxation
• Committee on Aging (Special)
• Committee on Finance
• Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
• Committee on the Judiciary

2015-2016

Hatch served on the following committees:

• Special Committee on Aging
• Finance Committee, Chairman
• Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
  • Subcommittee on Children and Families
  • Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security
• Judiciary Committee
  • Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights
  • Subcommittee on Oversight, Federal Rights and Agency Action
  • Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law
• Joint Committee on Taxation, Chairman

2013-2014

Hatch served on the following Senate committees:

• Committee on Finance Ranking Member
  • The Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness
  • The Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight
  • The Subcommittee on Healthcare
• Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
  • Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety
  • Subcommittee on Children and Families
• Judiciary Committee
  • Subcommittee on Oversight, Federal Rights and Agency Action Ranking Member
  • Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law
  • Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and Border Security
  • Subcommittee on The Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights
• Special Committee on Aging

2011-2012

Hatch served on the following committees:

• Committee on Finance, Ranking member
  • Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure
  • Subcommittee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Growth
  • Subcommittee on Health Care
  • Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness
  • Subcommittee on Social Security, Pensions and Family Policy
  • Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight
• Judiciary Committee
  • Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism
  • Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and Border Security
  • Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law
• Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
  • Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety
  • Subcommittee on Primary Health and Aging

Key votes

See also: Key votes

Ballotpedia monitors legislation that receives a vote and highlights the ones that we consider to be key to understanding where elected officials stand on the issues. To read more about how we identify key votes, click here.

Key votes: 115th Congress, 2017-2018

For detailed information about each vote, click here.

• Votes on domestic policy (click to expand)

  Voted Yea on: First Step Act of 2018 (S 756)

   Motion Agreed to (87-12) on December 18, 2018

  Proposed making changes to the criminal justice system.

  Voted Yea on: Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (HR 2)

   Conference Report Agreed to (87-13) on December 11, 2018

  Proposed providing funding for commodity support, conservation, trade and international food aid, nutrition assistance, farm credit, rural development, research and extension activities, forestry, horticulture, and crop insurance through fiscal year 2023.

  Voted Yea on: "Brett M. Kavanaugh, of Maryland, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States" (PN2259)

   Nomination Confirmed (50-48) on October 6, 2018

  Brett M. Kavanaugh, of Maryland, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States

  Voted Yea on: "Brett M. Kavanaugh, of Maryland, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States" (PN2259)

   Cloture Motion Agreed to (51-49) on October 5, 2018

  Brett M. Kavanaugh, of Maryland, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States

  Voted Yea on: Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (HR 2)

   Bill Passed (86-11, 3/5 majority required) on June 28, 2018

  Proposed providing funding for commodity support, conservation, trade and international food aid, nutrition assistance, farm credit, rural development, research and extension activities, forestry, horticulture, and crop insurance.

  Voted Yea on: Immigration reform proposal from Sen. Chuck Grassley and the Trump administration (S Amdt 1959 to HR 2579)

   Cloture Motion Rejected (39-60, 3/5 majority required) on February 15, 2018

  Proposed providing a path to citizenship for 1.8 million individuals brought into the U.S. without legal permission as children, $25 billion for border security, limits on chain migration or family-based migration, and eliminating the visa lottery system.

  Voted Nay on: Immigration reform proposal from the Common Sense Coalition (S Amdt 1958 to HR 2579)

   Cloture Motion Rejected (54-45, 3/5 majority required) on February 15, 2018

  Proposed providing a path to citizenship for individuals brought into the U.S. without legal permission as children, $25 billion for border security, and limitations on chain or family-based immigration.

  Voted Yea on: Stop Dangerous Sanctuary Cities Act amendment (S Amdt 1948 to S Amdt 1959)

   Cloture Motion Rejected (54-45, 3/5 majority required) on February 15, 2018

  Proposed withholding funding from sanctuary jurisdictions for not cooperating with federal immigration officials.

  Voted Nay on: Coons-McCain immigration plan (S Amdt 1955 to S Amdt 1958)

   Cloture Motion Rejected (52-47, 3/5 majority required) on February 15, 2018

  Proposed providing a path to citizenship for individuals brought into the U.S. without legal permission as children and conducting a study to determine what border security measures were needed. It also proposed requiring the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to secure the U.S.-Mexico border by 2021.

  Voted Yea on: Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (S 2311)

   Cloture on the Motion to Proceed Rejected (51-46, 3/5 majority required) on January 29, 2018

  Proposed amending the federal criminal code to make it a crime for any person to perform or attempt to perform an abortion if the probable post-fertilization age of the fetus was 20 weeks or more. The bill proposed providing exceptions for an abortion: (1) that was necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman, or (2) when the pregnancy was the result of rape or incest.

  Voted Yea on: An amendment to repeal the requirements for individuals to enroll in health insurance and for employers to offer it—"Skinny bill" (S Amdt 667 to S Amdt 267 to HR 1628 the American Health Care Act of 2017)

   Amendment Rejected (49-51) on July 28, 2017

  The amendment proposed repealing the requirements for individuals to enroll in health insurance and for employers to offer it.

  Voted Yea on: An amendment to repeal the ACA, including Paul amendment (No. 271) (S Amdt 271 to S Amdt 267 to HR 1628)

   Amendment Rejected (45-55) on July 26, 2017

  An amendment to repeal the ACA, including Paul amendment (No. 271)

  Voted Yea on: Motion to advance the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017, including Cruz and Portman amendments (S Amdt 270 to S Amdt 267 to HR 1628)

   Motion Rejected (43-57, 3/5 majority required) on July 25, 2017

  A procedural vote to advance the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017 (BCRA), including the Cruz and Portman amendments.

  Voted Yea on: Motion to begin debate on the American Health Care Act of 2017 (HR 1628)

   Motion to Proceed Agreed to (50-50, Vice President voted Yea) on July 25, 2017

  Proposed providing for reconciliation pursuant to title II of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2017.

  Voted Yea on: Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (PN55(4)—confirmation vote)

   Nomination Confirmed (54-45) on April 7, 2017

  Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States—confirmation vote.

  Voted Yea on: Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (PN55(3))

   Cloture Motion Agreed to (55-45) on April 6, 2017

  Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States—second vote to end debate and move to a vote on Gorsuch's nomination under the new precedent requiring only a simple majority to pass.

  
  

  Voted Nay on: Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (PN55(2))

   Decision of Chair Not Sustained (48-52) on April 6, 2017

  Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States—a vote to keep the Senate precedent of requiring 60 votes to close debate on Supreme Court nominations.

  Voted Yea on: Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (PN55)

   Cloture Motion Rejected (55-45, 3/5 majority required) on April 6, 2017

  Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States—initial vote to end debate and move to a vote on Gorsuch's nomination.

• Votes on economic affairs and regulations (click to expand)

  Voted Yea on: "Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019" (HR 6157)

   Conference Report Agreed to (93-7) on September 18, 2018

  Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and Education.

  Voted Yea on: "Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019" (HR 5895)

   Conference Report Agreed to (92-5) on September 12, 2018

  Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Department of Energy, water resources, the legislative branch, military construction, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, among other programs.

  Voted Yea on: "Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019" (HR 6157)

   Bill Passed (85-7) on August 23, 2018

  Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and Education.

  Voted Yea on: "Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019" (HR 5895)

   Bill Passed (86-5) on June 25, 2018

  Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Department of Energy, water resources, the legislative branch, military construction, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, among other programs.

  Voted Yea on: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 1625)

   Motion Agreed to (65-32) on March 23, 2018

  Proposed providing appropriations for fiscal year 2018, and for other purposes.

  Voted Yea on: The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (HR 1892)

   Motion Agreed to (71-28) on February 9, 2018

  Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through March 23, 2018

  Voted Yea on: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 695)

   Cloture Motion Rejected (55-44, 3/5 majority required) on February 8, 2018

  Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through March 23, 2018.

  Voted Yea on: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 195)

   Motion Agreed to (81-18) on January 22, 2018

  Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through February 8, 2018.

  Voted Yea on: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 195)

   Cloture Motion Agreed to (81-18, 3/5 majority required) on January 22, 2018

  Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through February 8, 2018.

  Voted Yea on: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 195)

   Cloture Motion Rejected (50-49, 3/5 majority required) on January 19, 2018

  Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through January 19, 2018.

  Voted Yea on: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 1370)

   Motion Agreed to (66-32, 3/5 majority required) on December 21, 2017

  Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through January 19, 2018.

  Voted Yea on: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (HR 1)

   Motion Agreed to (51-48) on December 20, 2017

  Proposed providing for reconciliation pursuant to titles II and V of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018 and proposed changes to the tax code.

  Voted Yea on: "A joint resolution making further continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2018, and for other purposes." (HJ Res 123)

   Joint Resolution Passed (81-14) on December 7, 2017

  Proposed funding the government until December 22, 2017.

  Voted Yea on: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (HR 1)

   Bill Passed (51-49) on December 2, 2017

  Proposed amending the Internal Revenue Code to reduce tax rates and modify policies, credits, and deductions for individuals and businesses.

  Voted Yea on: A concurrent resolution establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2018 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2019 through 2027. (H Con Res 71)

   Concurrent Resolution Agreed to (51-49) on October 19, 2017

  Proposed establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2018 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2019 through 2027.

  Voted Yea on: Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2017 (Included amendments to suspend the debt ceiling and fund the government) (HR 601)

   Motion Agreed to (80-17) on September 7, 2017

  Proposed suspending the debt ceiling and funding the government until December 8, 2017, and providing funding for Hurricanes Harvey and Irma relief efforts.

  Voted Yea on: Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017 (HR 244)

   Motion Agreed to (79-18) on May 4, 2017

  The $1.2 trillion budget bill proposed funding the government through the end of the fiscal year on September 30, 2017.

• Votes on foreign policy and national security issues (click to expand)

  Voted Nay on: "A joint resolution to direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities in the Republic of Yemen that have not been authorized by Congress." (SJ Res 54)

   Joint Resolution Passed (56-41) on December 13, 2018

  Proposed removing United States Armed Forces from hostilities in the Republic of Yemen that were not authorized by Congress.

  Voted Yea on: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (HR 2810)

   Bill Passed (89-8) on September 18, 2017

  Proposed authorizing appropriations for fiscal year 2018 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, and to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes. On November 15, 2017, the Senate passed the defense policy bill by voice vote. This bill was the result of compromises made in the conference report. For more information on the compromise bill, click here.

  Voted Yea on: Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (HR 3364)

   Bill Passed (98-2) on July 27, 2017

  Proposed providing congressional review and proposed countering aggression by the governments of Iran, the Russian Federation, and North Korea, and for other purposes.

  Voted Yea on: Countering Iran's Destabilizing Activities Act of 2017 (S 722)

   Bill Passed (98-2) on June 15, 2017

  Proposed providing congressional review and proposed countering aggression by the governments of Iran, the Russian Federation, and North Korea, and for other purposes.

Key votes: Previous sessions of Congress

Key votes (click "show" to expand or "hide" to contract)

114th Congress The first session of the 114th Congress enacted into law six out of the 2,616 introduced bills (0.2 percent). Comparatively, the 113th Congress had 1.3 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the first session. In the second session, the 114th Congress enacted 133 out of 3,159 introduced bills (4.2 percent). Comparatively, the 113th Congress had 7.0 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session. The Senate confirmed 18,117 out of 21,815 executive nominations received (83 percent). For more information pertaining to Hatch's voting record in the 114th Congress, please see the below sections. Economic and fiscal Trade Act of 2015 See also: The Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, 2015 On May 22, 2015, the Senate passed HR 1314, which was used as a legislative vehicle for trade legislation with the titles "Trade Act of 2015" and the "Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015," by a vote of 62-37. The bill proposed giving the president trade promotion authority (TPA). TPA, also known as fast track authority, allows the president to negotiate trade deals that cannot be amended by Congress. Congress casts a simple up or down vote on a trade agreement, and the legislation only requires a simple majority for approval. The bill also included a statement of trade priorities and provisions for trade adjustment assistance. Hatch voted with 47 other Republican senators to approve the bill. Trade promotion authority On June 24, 2015, by a vote of 60-38, the Senate approved trade promotion authority (TPA) as part of HR 2146 - Defending Public Safety Employees' Retirement Act. Hatch was one of 47 Republicans to vote in favor of the bill. After, Senate Republican leadership honored a pledge to support trade adjustment assistance (TAA) by passing the measure as part of HR 1295 - Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015 by voice vote. The House passed HR 1295 the following day, on June 25, 2015, and both TPA and TAA were signed into law on June 29, 2015. 2016 Budget proposal On May 5, 2015, the Senate voted to approve SConRes11, a congressional budget proposal for fiscal year 2016, by a vote of 51-48. The non-binding resolution will be used to create 12 appropriations bills to fund the government. The vote marked the first time since 2009 that Congress approved a joint budget resolution. All 44 Democrats voted against the resolution. Hatch voted with 50 other Republican senators to approve the bill. Defense spending authorization On November 10, 2015, the Senate passed S 1356 - the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 by a vote of 91-3. The second version of the $607 billion national defense bill included "$5 billion in cuts to match what was approved in the budget" and language preventing the closure of the Guantanamo Bay military prison. Hatch voted with 47 Republicans, 42 Democrats and one independent to approve the bill. On November 5, 2015, the House passed the bill by a vote of 370-58, and President Barack Obama signed it into law on November 25, 2015. On June 18, 2015, the Senate passed HR 1735 - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 by a vote of 71-25. The bill "authorizes FY2016 appropriations and sets forth policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, including military personnel strengths. It does not provide budget authority, which is provided in subsequent appropriations legislation." Hatch voted with 48 Republicans, 21 Democrats and one Independent to approve the bill. The House passed the bill on May 15, 2015. President Barack Obama vetoed the bill on October 22, 2015. 2015 budget On October 30, 2015, the Senate passed HR 1314 - Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 by a vote of 64-35. The bill increased military and domestic spending levels and suspended the debt ceiling until March 2017. Hatch voted with 17 Republicans, 44 Democrats and two independents in favor of the bill. It passed the House on October 28, 2015. President Barack Obama signed it into law on November 2, 2015. Foreign Affairs Iran nuclear deal See also: Iran nuclear agreement, 2015 On May 7, 2015, the Senate voted to approve HR 1191 - A bill to provide for congressional review and oversight of agreements relating to Iran's nuclear program, and for other purposes, by a vote of 98-1. The bill required President Barack Obama to submit the details of the nuclear deal with Iran for congressional review. Congress had 60 days to review the deal and vote to approve, disapprove or take no action on the deal. During the review period, sanctions on Iran could not be lifted. Hatch voted with 52 other Republican senators to approve the bill. Senator Tom Cotton (Ark.) was the only Republican who voted against the bill. Hire More Heroes Act of 2015 On September 10, 2015, the Senate voted to filibuster the measure to disapprove of the Iran nuclear deal by a vote of 58-42. Sixty votes were needed to proceed to HJ Res 61 - the Hire More Heroes Act of 2015, the legislative vehicle the Senate was expected to use to disapprove of the Iran nuclear deal. Hatch voted with 53 other Republicans and four Democrats to proceed to the measure of disapproval. Hire More Heroes Act of 2015 follow up votes On September 15, 2015, the Senate voted for a second time to filibuster the measure to disapprove of the Iran nuclear deal by a vote of 56-42. Sixty votes were needed to proceed to HJ Res 61 - the Hire More Heroes Act of 2015, the legislative vehicle the Senate was expected to use to disapprove of the Iran nuclear deal. Hatch voted with 51 Republicans and four Democrats to proceed to the measure of disapproval. The legislation was voted on for a third time on September 17, and it failed for a third time by a vote of 56-42. Hire More Heroes Act of 2015 fourth vote On September 17, 2015, the Senate voted to filibuster a vote on S.Amdt.2656 to S.Amdt.2640 by a vote of 53-45. The amendment proposed prohibiting "the President from waiving, suspending, reducing, providing relief from, or otherwise limiting the application of sanctions pursuant to an agreement related to the nuclear program of Iran." Hatch voted with 51 Republicans and one Democrat to proceed to the amendment. Domestic USA FREEDOM Act of 2015 On June 2, 2015, the Senate passed HR 2048 - the Uniting and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ensuring Effective Discipline Over Monitoring Act of 2015 or the USA FREEDOM Act of 2015 by a vote of 67-32. The legislation revised HR 3199 - the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005 by terminating the bulk collection of metadata under Sec. 215 of the act, requiring increased reporting from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court and requiring the use of "a specific selection term as the basis for national security letters that request information from wire or electronic communication service providers, financial institutions, or consumer reporting agencies." Hatch voted with 29 Republicans, one Democrat and one independent against the legislation. It became law on June 2, 2015. Loretta Lynch AG nomination On April 23, 2015, the Senate voted to confirm Loretta Lynch as United States Attorney General by a vote of 56-43. All 44 Democratic senators voted to confirm Lynch. Hatch voted with nine other Republican senators to confirm Lynch. Cyber security On October 27, 2015, the Senate passed S 754 - the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 by a vote of 74-21. The bill proposed procedures that would allow federal agencies and private entities to share information about cyber threats. Hatch voted with 42 Republicans, 30 Democrats and one independent in favor of the bill. Immigration On October 20, 2015, the Senate voted against proceeding to a vote on S 2146 - the Stop Sanctuary Policies and Protect Americans Act by a vote of 54-45. The bill proposed withholding federal funding from "sanctuary jurisdictions" that violate the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 and other federal immigration laws. In addition, the bill proposed increasing "penalties for individuals who illegally reenter the United States after being removed" and providing "liability protection for State and local law enforcement who cooperate with Federal law enforcement." Hatch voted with 51 Republicans and two Democrats in favor of proceeding to the bill. 113th Congress The second session of the 113th Congress enacted into law 224 out of the 3215 introduced bills (7 percent). Comparatively, the 112th Congress had 4.2 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session. The Senate confirmed 13,949 out of 18,323 executive nominations received (76.1 percent). For more information pertaining to Hatch's voting record in the 113th Congress, please see the below sections. National security John Brennan CIA nomination Hatch voted for the confirmation of John Brennan as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. The nomination was confirmed by the Senate on March 7, 2013, with a vote of 63 - 34. Most Democrats supported the nomination, while Republicans were somewhat divided with roughly one-third supporting the nomination. Drones filibuster See also: Rand Paul filibuster of John Brennan's CIA Nomination in March 2013 On March 6, 2013, Senator Rand Paul (R) led a 13-hour filibuster of President Obama's CIA Director nominee, John Brennan. Paul started the filibuster in order to highlight his concerns about the administration's drone policies. In particular, Paul said he was concerned about whether a drone could be used to kill an American citizen within the United States border, without any due process involved. Paul and other civil liberties activists criticized President Obama for not offering a clear response to the question. A total of 14 senators joined Paul in the filibuster -- 13 Republicans and one Democrat. Hatch was one of 30 Republican senators who did not support the filibuster. The day after the filibuster, Attorney General Eric Holder sent a letter to Paul, responding to the filibuster. Holder wrote, "Does the president have the authority to use a weaponized drone to kill an American not engaged in combat on U.S. soil? The answer to that is no." Economy Farm bill On February 4, 2014, the Democratic controlled Senate approved the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013, H.R. 2642, also known as the Farm Bill. It passed the Senate with a vote of 68-32. The nearly 1,000-page bill reformed and continued various programs of the Department of Agriculture through 2018. The $1 trillion bill expanded crop insurance for farmers by $7 billion over the next decade and created new subsidies for rice and peanut growers that will kick in when prices drop; however, cuts to the food stamp program cut an average of $90 per month for 1.7 million people in 15 states. Hatch joined with 19 other Republican senators in favor of the bill. 2014 Budget On January 16, 2014, the Democratic-controlled Senate approved H.R. 3547, a $1.1 trillion spending bill to fund the government through September 30, 2014. The Senate voted 72-26 for the 1,582 page bill, with 17 Republicans and 55 Democrats voting in favor of the bill. The omnibus package included 12 annual spending bills to fund federal operations. It included a 1 percent increase in the paychecks of federal workers and military personnel, a $1 billion increase in Head Start funding for early childhood education, reduced funding to the Internal Revenue Service and the Environmental Protection Agency and left the Affordable Care Act without any drastic cuts. Hatch voted with the 17 Republican and the 55 Democratic members in favor of the bill. Government shutdown See also: United States budget debate, 2013 During the shutdown in October 2013, the Senate rejected, down party lines, every House-originated bill that stripped the budget of funding for the Affordable Care Act. A deal was reached late on October 16, 2013, just hours before the debt ceiling deadline. The bill to reopen the government, H.R. 2775, lifted the $16.7 trillion debt limit and funded the government through January 15, 2014. Federal employees also received retroactive pay for the shutdown period. The only concession made by Senate Democrats was to require income verification for Obamacare subsidies. The final vote on H.R. 2775 was 81-18, with all 18 votes against the bill from Republican members. Hatch voted with the Democratic Party for the bill. During the shutdown, Hatch said he would "donate his paycheck to the LDS church." No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013 Hatch voted against H.R.325 -- No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013. The bill passed the Senate on January 31, 2013, with a vote of 64 - 34. The purpose of the bill was to temporarily suspend the debt ceiling and withhold the pay of members of Congress until a budget could be passed. The vote largely followed party lines with Democrats overwhelmingly supporting it and many Republicans in opposition to the bill. Immigration Mexico-U.S. border Hatch voted for Senate Amendment 1197 -- Requires the Completion of the Fence Along the United States-Mexico Border. The amendment was rejected by the Senate on June 18, 2013, with a vote of 39 - 54. The purpose of the amendment was to require the completion of 350 miles of fence described in the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 before registered provisional immigrant status may be granted. It would also require 700 miles of fence be completed before the status of registered provisional immigrants may be changed to permanent resident status. The vote followed party lines. Social issues Violence Against Women (2013) Hatch voted against S.47 -- Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013. The bill was passed by the Senate on February 12, 2013, with a vote of 78 - 22. The purpose of the bill was to combat violence against women, from domestic violence to international trafficking in persons. All 22 dissenting votes were cast by Republicans. Previous congressional sessions Fiscal cliff Hatch voted for the fiscal cliff compromise bill, which made permanent most of the Bush tax cuts originally passed in 2001 and 2003, while also raising tax rates on the highest income levels. The bill was passed in the Senate by an 89 - 8 vote on January 1, 2013.

Issues

National security

Letter to Iran

On March 9, 2015, Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) wrote a letter to Iran's leadership, warning them that signing a nuclear deal with the Obama administration without congressional approval constituted only an executive agreement. The letter also stated that "The next president could revoke such an executive agreement with the stroke of a pen and future Congresses could modify the terms of the agreement at any time." The letter was signed by 47 Republican members of the Senate. Hatch was one of the 47 who signed the letter. No Democrats signed it.

Members of the Obama administration and of Congress reacted to the letter. Vice President Joe Biden said of the letter, "In thirty-six years in the United States Senate, I cannot recall another instance in which senators wrote directly to advise another country — much less a longtime foreign adversary — that the president does not have the constitutional authority to reach a meaningful understanding with them."

Immigration reform

On June 25, 2013, Hatch announced that he would vote in favor of the Senate's immigration legislation.

In a column in the Salt Lake Tribune Hatch wrote, “Is this legislation perfect or what I would have drafted? Absolutely not. But as it stands now, the Senate immigration bill makes sure that these 11 million people are paying into society, and fixes many of the pressing issues associated with our broken immigration system. That’s why I will vote for it this week.”

2016 presidential endorsement

✓ Hatch endorsed Jeb Bush for the Republican primary in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

See also: Endorsements for Jeb Bush

2012

See also: Endorsements by state officials of presidential candidates in the 2012 election

Orrin Hatch endorsed Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election.

Elections

2018

See also: United States Senate election in Utah, 2018

Orrin Hatch did not file to run for re-election..

2012

See also: United States Senate elections in Utah, 2012

Hatch won re-election in 2012. He and Dan Liljenquist defeated Kevin Fisk, Dale Ash, Loy Arlan Brunson, Tim Aalders, Jeremy Friedbaum, Christopher Herrod, William Lawrence and David Chiu in the Republican convention. Liljenquist and Hatch went on to compete in the Republican primary on June 26, 2012, and Hatch won. He then prevailed in the general election on November 6, 2012.

U.S. Senate, Utah, General Election, 2012

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Orrin G. Hatch Incumbent	65.8%	657,608
	Democratic	Scott Howell	30.2%	301,873
	Constitution	Shaun Lynn McCausland	3.2%	31,905
	Utah Justice	Daniel Geery	0.8%	8,342
	Independent	Bill Barron	0%	0
Total Votes				999,728
Source: Utah Lieutenant Governor, "2012 General Election Results"

Tea party challenge

In response to primary challenges from tea party candidates, Hatch said, "These people are not conservatives. They're not Republicans. They're radical libertarians and I'm doggone offended by it."

Prior to advancing to the general election in 2012, Hatch was characterized as following Sen. Mike Lee's lead on most issues. Lee, Utah's junior senator, defeated Republican incumbent Bob Bennett in 2010. Before the 2012 primary, Hatch opposed Lee on only 16.8 percent of votes. After, however, the differences increased to 25.7 percent. As of September 2013, Hatch and Lee were on different sides of an issue on over one-quarter of all votes.

Full history

To view the full congressional electoral history for Orrin Hatch, click [show] to expand the section.

2006 On November 7, 2006, Hatch won re-election to the U.S. Senate, defeating Pete Ashdown (D), Scott N. Bradley (Constitution), David Starr Seely (L), Roger I. Price (Personal Choice) and Julian Hatch (Desert Greens). U.S. Senate General Election, Utah, 2006 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican Orrin G. Hatch Incumbent 62.4% 356,238      Democratic Pete Ashdown 31.1% 177,459      Constitution Scott N. Bradley 3.8% 21,526      Libertarian David Starr Seely 0.8% 4,428      Independent Roger I. Price 1.6% 9,089      Independent Julian Hatch 0.4% 2,512 Total Votes 571,252 2000 On November 7, 2000, Orrin Hatch won re-election to the United States Senate. He defeated Scott Howell (D), Carlton Edward Bowen (T) and Jim Dexter (L) in the general election. U.S. Senate, Utah General Election, 2000 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican Orrin Hatch incumbent 65.6% 504,803      Democratic Scott Howell 31.5% 242,569      Independent American Carlton Edward Bowen 1.6% 11,938      Libertarian Jim Dexter 1.4% 10,394 Total Votes 769,704 1994 On November 8, 1994, Orrin Hatch won re-election to the United States Senate. He defeated Patrick Shea (D), Craig Oliver (I), Nelson Gonzalez (T), Gary Van Horn (T) and Lawrence Rey Topham (T) in the general election. U.S. Senate, Utah General Election, 1994 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican Orrin Hatch incumbent 68.8% 357,297      Democratic Patrick Shea 28.3% 146,938      Independent Craig Oliver 1.8% 9,550      Socialist Workers Nelson Gonzalez 0.3% 1,514      American Gary Van Horn 0.5% 2,543      Independent American Lawrence Rey Topham 0.3% 1,462 Total Votes 519,304 1988 On November 8, 1988, Orrin Hatch won re-election to the United States Senate. He defeated Brain Moss (D), Robert Smith (T) and William Arth (T) in the general election. U.S. Senate, Utah General Election, 1988 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican Orrin Hatch incumbent 67.1% 430,089      Democratic Brain Moss 31.7% 203,364      American Robert Smith 0.9% 6,016      Socialist Workers William Arth 0.2% 1,233 Total Votes 640,702 1982 On November 2, 1982, Orrin Hatch won re-election to the United States Senate. He defeated Ted Wilson (D), Lawrence Kauffman (T) and George Mercier (L) in the general election. U.S. Senate, Utah General Election, 1982 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican Orrin Hatch incumbent 58.3% 309,332      Democratic Ted Wilson 41.3% 219,482      American Lawrence Kauffman 0.2% 953      Libertarian George Mercier 0.2% 1,035 Total Votes 530,802 1976 On November 2, 1976, Orrin Hatch won election to the United States Senate. He defeated Frank Moss (D), George Merl Batchelor (T) and Steve Trotter (L) in the general election. U.S. Senate, Utah General Election, 1976 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican Orrin Hatch 55.6% 290,221      Democratic Frank Moss 42.9% 223,948      American George Merl Batchelor 0.9% 4,913      Libertarian Steve Trotter 0.6% 3,026 Total Votes 522,108

Campaign themes

2012

Hatch's campaign website listed the following issues:

• Finance Committee

Excerpt: "Senator Hatch will likely be the next chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. This means that for the first time in 80 years, a Utahn will be able to set a pro-growth, pro-job creation agenda for America."

• Balanced Budget Amendment

Excerpt: "Reducing spending, restoring Constitutional limits on the size of government, and balancing Washington's books are essential to our nation's future. A pivotal piece of accomplishing that goal is to pass a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution. I have led this charge by sponsoring and co-sponsoring a Balanced Budget Amendment 24 times during my tenure."

• Hatch vs. ObamaCare

Excerpt: "Orrin Hatch was the first member of Congress to challenge the constitutionality of the individual mandate, requiring Americans to purchase health insurance."

• Repeal ObamaCare

Excerpt: "Health care choices should not be made by the federal government and bureaucrats; they should be made by consumers and patients. The unconstitutional federal mandate forces citizens to purchase health care while making it more expensive for employers to provide insurance."

• Utah Lands

Excerpt: "One of the more troubling issues facing the people of Utah is the federal governments stranglehold on Utah's lands. More than 60 percent of the land in Utah is owned by the federal government, which means that people thousands of miles away in Washington have more say over Utah lands than the folks who live here."

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Orrin Hatch campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2012	U.S. Senate (Utah)	Won	$11,577,851	N/A**
2006	U.S. Senate (Utah)	Won	$6,580,325	N/A**
2000	U.S. Senate (Utah)	Won	$5,417,289	N/A**
Grand total			$23,575,465	N/A**
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Personal Gain Index

See also: Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress)

The Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress) is a two-part measurement that illustrates the extent to which members of the U.S. Congress have prospered during their tenure as public servants.
It consists of two different metrics:

• Changes in Net Worth
• The Donation Concentration Metric

PGI: Change in net worth

See also: Changes in Net Worth of U.S. Senators and Representatives (Personal Gain Index) and Net worth of United States Senators and Representatives

Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org, Hatch's net worth as of 2012 was estimated between $1,474,070 to $4,234,000. That averages to $2,854,035, which is lower than the average net worth of Republican Senate members in 2012 of $6,956,438.47. Hatch ranked as the 49th most wealthy senator in 2012. Between 2004 and 2012, Hatch‘s calculated net worth increased by an average of 1 percent per year. Between 2004 and 2012, the average annual percentage increase for a member of Congress was 15.4 percent.

Orrin Hatch Yearly Net Worth
Year	Average Net Worth
2004	$2,691,599
2012	$2,854,035
Growth from 2004 to 2012:	6%
Average annual growth:	1%
Comparatively, the American citizen experienced a median yearly decline in net worth of -0.94%.

The data used to calculate changes in net worth may include changes resulting from assets gained through marriage, inheritance, changes in family estates and/or trusts, changes in family business ownership, and many other variables unrelated to a member's behavior in Congress.

PGI: Donation Concentration Metric

See also: The Donation Concentration Metric (U.S. Congress Personal Gain Index)

Filings required by the Federal Election Commission report on the industries that give to each candidate. Using campaign filings and information calculated by OpenSecrets.org, Ballotpedia calculated the percentage of donations by industry received by each incumbent over the course of his or her career (or 1989 and later, if elected prior to 1988). Hatch received the most donations from individuals and PACs employed by the Pharmaceuticals/Health Products industry.

From 1989-2014, 27.29 percent of Hatch's career contributions came from the top five industries as listed below.

Orrin Hatch Campaign Contributions
Total Raised	$29,502,754
Total Spent	$29,046,954
Top five industries that contributed to campaign committee
Pharmaceuticals/Health Products	$2,178,863
Securities & Investment	$1,915,291
Lawyers/Law Firms	$1,788,326
Insurance	$1,186,245
Health Professionals	$982,209
% total in top industry	7.39%
% total in top two industries	13.88%
% total in top five industries	27.29%

Analysis

Like-minded colleagues

The website OpenCongress tracks the voting records of each member to determine with whom he or she votes most and least often. The results include a member from each party.

Hatch most often voted with:

• Dan Coats
• Joe Manchin

Hatch least often voted with:

• Susan Collins
• Elizabeth Warren

Ideology and leadership

See also: GovTrack's Political Spectrum & Legislative Leadership ranking

Based on an analysis of bill sponsorship by GovTrack, Hatch was a "moderate Republican leader," as of August 2014. This was the same rating Hatch received in July 2013.

Lifetime voting record

See also: Lifetime voting records of United States Senators and Representatives

According to the website GovTrack, Hatch missed 495 of 14,211 roll call votes from January 1977 to September 2015. This amounts to 3.5 percent, which is worse than the median of 1.6 percent among current senators as of September 2015.

Congressional staff salaries

See also: Staff salaries of United States Senators and Representatives

The website Legistorm compiles staff salary information for members of Congress. Hatch paid his congressional staff a total of $2,439,498 in 2011. He ranked 24th on the list of the lowest paid Republican senatorial staff salaries and ranked 33rd overall of the lowest paid senatorial staff salaries in 2011. Overall, Utah ranked 43rd in average salary for senatorial staff. The average U.S. Senate congressional staff was paid $2,529,141.70 in fiscal year 2011.

National Journal vote ratings

See also: National Journal vote ratings

Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of Congress voted in the previous year. Click the link above for the full ratings of all members of Congress.

2013

Hatch ranked 29th in the conservative rankings in 2013.

2012

Hatch ranked 10th in the conservative rankings in 2012.

2011

Hatch ranked 15th in the conservative rankings in 2011.

Voting with party

The website OpenCongress tracks how often members of Congress vote with the majority of the chamber caucus.

2014

Orrin Hatch voted with the Republican Party 86 percent of the time, which ranked 29th among the 45 Senate Republican members as of August 2014.

2013

Orrin Hatch voted with the Republican Party 87.4 percent of the time, which ranked 22nd among the 46 Senate Republican members as of June 2013.

Personal

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Hatch and his wife, Elaine, had six children.

Recent news

This section links to a Google news search for the term Orrin + Hatch + Utah + Senate

Orrin Hatch News Feed

See also

• United States Senate
• United States congressional delegations from Utah

External links

Suggest a link

 

• Social media:
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  • NNDB
• Political profiles:
  • GovTrack
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• Fact-checking:
  • FactCheck
  • PolitiFact
• Financial (federal level):
  • FEC contributions
  • OpenSecrets.org
  • LegiStorm.com
  • Washington Post
• Interest group ratings:
  • Project Vote Smart
• Issue positions:
  • On The Issues
  • Project Vote Smart
• Legislation:
  • Congress.gov
• Public statements:
  • Project Vote Smart
• Voting record:
  • Project Vote Smart
  • Washington Post
• Works by or about:
  • WorldCat
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• Media coverage:
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  • Washington Post

Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Frank Moss	U.S. Senate - Utah 1977-2019	Succeeded by Mitt Romney
Preceded by Patrick Leahy	President Pro Tempore- U.S. Senate 2015-2019	Succeeded by Chuck Grassley (R)

[show]

Utah's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

John Curtis (R)

Mike Lee (R)

Representatives

District 1

Blake Moore (R)

District 2

Celeste Maloy (R)

District 3

Mike Kennedy (R)

District 4

Burgess Owens (R)

Republican Party (6)