Orrin Hatch: “I will always be extremely grateful for the service she has rendered. But more than that, she is a dear friend who could…”

“I will always be extremely grateful for the service she has rendered. But more than that, she is a dear friend who could always be counted on to tell me the truth. That was really important to me and has always been. Mr. President, I have been blessed to have superb staff in my 31 years here in the Senate. The devotion staff have to the institution of the Senate is understandable--we are all privileged to serve an institution that embodies the liberty and deliberation among free people that the Senate represents. But the devotion of staff to a Member is, for me, quite humbling. For 15 years, Trisha Knight has given me and the Senate her expertise, her knowledge, and her advice. I have been able to rely on her, literally, 24 hours a day during these 15 years. I have depended on her to help me pass landmark legislation, and surmount difficult challenges. I have relied on her advice--even when she felt obliged to tell me what I didn't want to hear. I have relied, without exception, on her integrity, and I am grateful for every day I have had the pleasure of her good character. We will all miss Trisha, but I suspect we will be seeing a lot of her in the future. We do have a saying: "Once a Hatch staffer, always a Hatch staffer," and we will expect her to adhere to that rule. And all the other applicable rules and laws, I hasten to add.”