Orrin Hatch: Senator Reaches Out to Democrats
He is one of America's Best Leaders for finding common ground while passing legislation
Through word and deed, Sen. Orrin Hatch has demonstrated that a member of Congress can work to pass meaningful, bipartisan legislation without compromising his core principles and strongly held ideological convictions.
Indeed, no one would ever accuse Senator Hatch of being a liberal. He is, by all accounts, a true and proud conservative. What sets him apart and makes him an effective legislator is his willingness to find common ground with Democratic counterparts when he believes it is the right thing to do—even when it isn't the politically convenient thing to do.
It is common knowledge that Senator Hatch had a good working relationship and friendship with the late Sen. Ted Kennedy. The two made an unlikely tandem, but they teamed up to pass a number of landmark pieces of legislation, particularly in the area of healthcare. I served alongside Senator Hatch for 33 years. We hailed from different parties, different parts of the country, and different ideological traditions. But in those 33 years, he and I also shared more than a few legislative victories.
Over the years, we worked on a number of laws designed to make Americans safer. For example, in 1994, he cosponsored my proudest legislative achievement, the Violence Against Women Act. VAWA created some of our most successful federal programs aimed at reducing domestic violence and providing assistance to community shelters that aid victims of such violence.
Party and principle. That bill and others we worked on together passed through Congress with broad, bipartisan support. This was due, in good measure, to Senator Hatch's ability to recognize common goals among his colleagues and his unwillingness to put party ahead of principle. He knew then, as he knows now, that when it comes to protecting the Ameri-can people, particularly the weakest among us, no lines should be drawn between Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives. When other Republicans saw that Senator Hatch was on board, they were more inclined to give their support. In many cases, he was able to persuade even some his most conservative colleagues to join him.
This is not to say that Senator Hatch and I were frequently in agreement. In fact, far more often than not, the opposite was true. But even in those circumstances when partisan divides were the widest, he didn't make his disagreements personal. And while he didn't always have many Democratic allies, he had even fewer Democratic enemies.
Continuing in this tradition, Senator Hatch worked with the Obama administration and Senator Kennedy to enact the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, legislation that will greatly expand opportunities for public service. The bill passed overwhelmingly in the true Kennedy-Hatch fashion, with both Democrats and Republicans on board.
It was another lesson in bipartisanship that politicians of all stripes, from staunch conservatives to committed liberals, can learn from Orrin Hatch.
Joseph Biden is the vice president of the United States.
Reader Comments
Can you imagine any Republican saying this of Sen. Reid?
"This is not to say that Senator Hatch and I were frequently in agreement. In fact, far more often than not, the opposite was true. But even in those circumstances when partisan divides were the widest, he didn't make his disagreements personal."
I have frequently had disagreements with Sen. Hatch. But I consider him a decent man, which makes him a rare commodity in the Senate these days.
I beleive that Hatch IS a trator and not a patriot
I believe that Hatch is a traitor to his party and pushover and has little to no moral standing. And I will call him a RINO, a liberal and a liberals best friend.
I believe that Senator Hatch does not really care about our Constitution, nor about real laws that should be passed. Instead he seems to care more about the will of big businesses and the popular opinion of congress with little to no concern for his constituents. What happened to his oath of defending the Constitution? Instead he creates and passes laws that are destroying the primary law of this land.
Senator Hatch should be fired and replaced with someone that knows the Constitution and will defend it to his dieing breath. His agreement to the appointment of several of Obama's key personnel prove that he does not care about the American people. Holder being the worst person to have as the US AG. This man will destroy our right to bear arms, a right that is ours simply for living and a right that is guaranteed by the Constitution, yet Hatch seemed to think that it was OK to allow an avowed anti-gun activist to be our AG.
Give it up Hatch. Quit your job, and give it to someone that will defend our Constitution.
Joe Joe Joe....
Hatch who, always smiling, twisted the knife in Clinton's back promoting false evidence to support impeachment - and you say he's among the best American leaders? Ha!
advertisement
