WASHINGTON—Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts today issued the following statement on the death of former Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah: 

“Orrin Hatch was no stranger to pulling himself up by his bootstraps. He was the first in his family to go to college. While attending the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, he lived with his young family in a refurbished chicken coop.  

 

“He was the American Dream, come alive, rising from obscurity to serve his state and his country for more than four decades in the U.S. Senate. From 2015 until his retirement in 2019, he acted president pro tempore of the Senate. 

 

“An admirer and fierce defender of the Constitution, Orrin Hatch was a perfect match for the Senate Judiciary Committee. And for more than two decades, he provided its members with steady, principled leadership—either as chairman or as ranking minority member. 

  

“Orrin Hatch will be missed by all those who knew and loved him—a category that includes most everyone who ever worked for or with him. He radiated a raw confidence and self-assurance that showed others he knew exactly what needed to be done and how to do it. He will be dearly missed.”