Jim Inhofe: “much has already been said on this floor as we express our love and admiration for our friend and former colleague…”

“much has already been said on this floor as we express our love and admiration for our friend and former colleague, Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah. He was not like any other Senator. Orrin was the best of all of us, and our household is very sad to hear of his passing. I will never forget the time he took to answer calls from an obscure State senator from Oklahoma. If you haven't figured it out, that was me. He had a way about him with everyone he met, an unwavering kindness and gentle nature that Kay and I will miss deeply. You don't see a lot of that in the U.S. Senate. We were close long before I was even in the House. Orrin was the one whom I would go to for wisdom. We had the same love for Jesus and everything that we hold dear. I will always remember his humor, but he also gave his best advice. He was not just a friend but a confidante. Whether he was talking about Scripture or history, he had a way of saying things that brought people together. You don't see that today. You see people fighting each other, and that is what people always say. When I go back home to Oklahoma, people talk about, why don't you guys get along? Well, we do. It just doesn't come across that way. But it did with him. I think back fondly on everything that we did while Orrin was in office.…”