Orrin Hatch: “I rise today to speak about the passing last month of Mark Hatfield, a former colleague of mine in the U.S. Senate whose…”

“I rise today to speak about the passing last month of Mark Hatfield, a former colleague of mine in the U.S. Senate whose service to the people of our great Nation and his beloved State of Oregon is truly noteworthy and continues to inspire public servants today, 15 years after his retirement in 1996 from the world's greatest deliberative body. Indeed, service is the hallmark of Senator Hatfield's legacy; I know because I had the pleasure of serving alongside him for many years. Senator Hatfield served the people of Oregon as a State legislator, as their secretary of state, as their Governor, and as a U.S. Senator. The only election he ever lost was for student body president for his beloved alma matter, Willamette! Although that is a record any statesman can envy, it is more importantly, an example of public service we can all admire. As a Senator, Mark Hatfield served the people of Oregon for 30 years--longer than anybody in the history of the State--and he served them well. He was an Oregonian through and through, and you could tell he loved his home State. He worked tirelessly for all Oregonians, regardless of their background or political persuasion. As a young naval officer, Mark Hatfield experienced the battle of Iwo Jima and the aftermath of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima. These experiences had a profound and lifelong effect on Senator Hatfield. He hated war, but he always had respect for our servicemen and women.…”