Political Quotes

“Madam President, this is legislation that would name the Federal courthouse in Salt Lake City, which was completed a few years ago, after my friend and former colleague and also a longtime mentor of mine, Senator Orrin G. Hatch. Senator Hatch, long before he became a statesman, was a lawyer--and not just any lawyer, he was a lawyer's lawyer. He was really good. He received the prestigious Martindale-Hubbell AV rating as a litigator. His skills as a litigator were so good that they helped convince some of his friends and neighbors that he ought to seek public office. The first public office he sought as an elected official was to the U.S. Senate. He was elected in 1976. He then served in the U.S. Senate from 1977 all the way up until 2019. During that 42-year time period, Senator Hatch had a profound impact not only on the U.S. Senate and his colleagues here--and he certainly did; he was a friend to everyone who knew him--but he also had a much broader impact, one that will have far-reaching, lasting, durable impacts on the Federal court system. I took a look at a list of all Federal district judges--the trial court judges who have served on the Federal bench from Utah ever since our statehood. There are only about 20 people on that list. All but five of those came on to the court either during or right after; in other words, with some input--significant input from Senator Hatch.…”