Orrin Hatch: “I rise to discuss the state of the U.S. Senate. My 39 years of service in this body have given me an increasingly unique…”

“I rise to discuss the state of the U.S. Senate. My 39 years of service in this body have given me an increasingly unique vantage point to reflect upon this institution. Over the years, I have seen the Senate both at its best--rising to meet the lofty expectations of the Framers--and, unfortunately, I have seen it at its worst. Last year I came to the floor repeatedly to speak out against what I viewed as the abuse of the Senate by the previous majority, under which this great body fell into great dysfunction. In addition to identifying these abuses, I did my best to lay out a vision for how the Senate ought to function--how we could best live up to the best traditions of our forebearers. Over the past year, since my selection as President pro tempore, I have endeavored to continue to offer what lessons I have learned and what accumulated knowledge I have acquired over my nearly four decades here to help our new Republican majority to get the Senate working again. After a year of hard work, I can report a significant degree of success. Under the leadership of our new majority leader and his team, the Senate is back to work for the American people. By the end of last Congress, these best traditions of the Senate that have allowed it to serve the Republic for so well for so long were left, in my opinion, in severe disrepair.…”