Hatch Statement on Obama Administration’s Failure to Stand with Israel
Washington, D.C.—Senator Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, the President Pro Tempore of the United State Senate, issued the following statement after the United States abstained from a United Nations Security Council vote on Israeli settlements:
"Once again, President Obama has jeopardized Israel's security. Today's vote of abstention was tantamount to a vote in favor of this one-sided, anti-Israel resolution, and cements the President's legacy of withholding support from our most steadfast ally in the Middle East. This action follows in a long line of diplomatic missteps reaffirming the sad fact that in eight years, President Obama has never had a well-reasoned, comprehensive strategy for one of the world's most volatile regions. I am deeply disappointed with the President's lack of leadership and resolve as highlighted by today's impulsive action.”
Hatch and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in March prior to Netanyahu’s Address to a Joint Session of Congress
Throughout his entire term of service, Senator Hatch has fought to both highlight and strengthen our important relationship with Israel. Earlier this year as Senate President Pro Tempore, he traveled to Jerusalem to meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu and a number of Israeli officials to discuss issues of mutual concern, including national security, terrorism, religious liberty, and LDS-Jewish relations. And when Prime Minister Netanyahu visited in March to speak to a joint session of Congress, Hatch sat behind him in the seat of the Vice President. He also wrote an op-ed in the Washington Times urging the Obama administration to stand with Israel.
Hal Boyd: Utahns to play 'major role' in Trump's Supreme Court pick, Hatch says
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865669793/For-better-or-worse-Hatch-is-Utahs-Trump-whisperer.html
After extensive conversations with President-elect Donald Trump over the past several weeks, Sen. Hatch told the Deseret News on Thursday that “Utahns will play a major role in choosing the next Supreme Court Justice.”
The Hatch camp also expressed confidence that the President-elect would pick a nominee to “defend religious liberty.”
While the news seems straightforward (Trump has been consulting with Hatch and possibly other Utahns about his Supreme Court pick) the larger message is more subtle — i.e., for better or worse, Hatch is Utah’s Trump whisperer.
For the pro-Hatch camp this is yet more proof that he’s the Beehive State’s “indispensable” man; and yet, for some Utah Republicans this makes him all the more “disposable.” There’s little denying, however, that Hatch’s newfound influence with the soon-to-be chief executive is also coming at a time when the octogenarian is among the most productive — and prolific — Senators at the Capitol.
What's impressive is not only that Hatch has historically passed more bills than any other living Senator, but that he's evidently not slowing. This Congress alone Sen. Hatch passed 47 bills with fully 45 of those bills enacted into law—the most in the Senate.
And, as Hatch supporter Kirk Jowers recently pointed out “as chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee, ... Hatch’s committee has considered and passed 37 bipartisan bills relating to tax reform, international trade, retirement security, and health policy — the most bipartisan bills processed by the committee since 1980.”
The folks at Utah Policy also note that Hatch's role as chairman of the Finance Committee could become even more influential in the years ahead. “Much of Trump’s agenda," they write, "including changes to the tax code, repealing Obamacare and a trillion dollar infrastructure package, will have to move through the Senate Finance Committee, which Hatch chairs.”
This narrative is compelling. Yet, that’s not to say Hatch isn’t vulnerable. As Trump has proven, incumbency and a reputation as an “insider” is as much a liability in the current political climate as it is an asset.
Furthermore, Hatch’s close relationship with Trump is also by no means a universal positive. Trump, after all, struggled in Utah and won with a mere 45 percent of the vote (Bush and Romney both garnered more than 70 percent of the state’s vote).
What’s more, in Utah there’s already chatter about possible primary contenders. Jon Huntsman Jr. is a possibility even as his name is being floated as a potential pick for ambassador to Japan.
Yet, other names are percolating as well, including Boyd Matheson the President of the Sutherland Institute and former Chief of Staff to Sen. Mike Lee and Derek Miller, President of World Trade Center Utah and former Chief of Staff to Gov. Gary Herbert.
Perhaps the most intriguing name that politicos are discussing is the president of Utah Valley University, Matthew S. Holland. Although there is a strong sense that Holland is satisfied in his current role, there’s a growing cohort hoping Holland will succeed Hatch, becoming Utah’s analog to Nebraska’s Sen. Ben Sasse — a PhD-wielding university president turned U.S. Senator.
Anyone who decides to contest Hatch will undoubtedly have a steep hill to climb. Hatch has proven Teflon to the tea party insurgency, and he had the political foresight to stick with Donald Trump when others were abandoning the controversial candidate.
Given the senior senator’s ability to read the political tea leaves and use his senatorial power to be remarkably productive on behalf of Utah, those looking to replace Sen. Hatch will need savvy political whispers of their own come 2018.
Just wanted to pass on this quick clip from Jeopardy tonight—
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Hatch: Bears Ears monument “An Attack on an Entire Way of Life”
SALT LAKE CITY—Senator Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, issued the following statement following President Obama's decision to designate a National Monument in the Bears Ears area in southeastern Utah just 22 days before the end of his presidency:
With this astonishing and egregious abuse of executive power, President Obama has shown that far-left special interest groups matter more to him than the people who have lived on and cared for Utah's lands for generations. For Utahns in general, and for those in San Juan County in particular, this is an affront of epic proportions and an attack on an entire way of life.
The President’s proposal, like so many others, goes well beyond the original authorities of the Antiquities Act, which was intended to give presidents only limited power to designate special landmarks, such as a unique natural arch or the site of old cliff dwellings, in anticipation of broad support from Congress. The President was never meant to set aside millions of acres against the express wishes of local communities and their elected representatives.
In the next Congress under President Trump, I will do everything in my power to reverse this travesty and send a strong message to future presidents that decisions made without local support will not be tolerated.
- When I meet with Interior Secretary nominee Zinke prior to his confirmation, I will discuss the prospect of reversing this monument designation. His responses will largely determine my support for his confirmation.
- I also worked with Senator Lee to sponsor legislation that will exempt Utah from Antiquities Act designations, similar to an exemption Wyoming enjoys. We will reintroduce this legislation in the 115th Congress.
As every Utahn knows, land-use decisions should be made only through a collaborative process—a process like the Public Lands Initiative—that involves those who actually live on the land and know how to manage it. There are real benefits to a thoughtfully crafted legislative approach, and I remain committed to working with my colleagues to pursue a legislative solution when Congress reconvenes next month.
Senator Hatch has spent his time in public service fighting for local management of federal lands, having introduced the Western Lands Distribution and Regional Equalization Act, a bill that would have transferred federal lands to the states, in August of 1979.
In June, Senator Hatch visited the Bears Ears area to see the site of the proposed monument and to speak to local Navajo about the effects of a monument designation. You can find video and media coverage of that visit here. [Salt Lake Tribune] [KUTV] [KSL] [Daily Herald]
Hatch has also written extensively about how a Bears Ears monument would be the worst kind of federal overreach. [Salt Lake Tribune]
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SALT LAKE CITY—Senator Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, issued the following statement on the passing of his friend LaVell Edwards:
“I am deeply saddened by the passing of my good friend, LaVell Edwards. Coach Edwards was a gentle giant of the gridiron—a humble yet confident leader who guided the BYU football program through decades of unprecedented success. He was a champion both on and off the field. For thousands of athletes and millions of fans across the nation, LaVell was far more than a steady presence on the sideline; he was a visionary leader, a father figure, and a trusted friend. I will be forever grateful for my own friendship with LaVell Edwards. He was not only one of the most successful coaches in college football history but one of the greatest men I ever knew. Today, my prayers are with Patti and all members of the Edwards family.”
President Reagan, Senator Hatch, and Coach Edwards at the White House after BYU’S 1984 National Championship
GOP-controlled Senate has delivered for Utah
By Orrin Hatch
http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/4735578-155/orrin-hatch-gop-controlled-senate-has-delivered
With 2016 drawing to a close, now is an ideal time to take stock of the progress our nation has made under a Republican-controlled Congress. In particular, Utah deserves to know what their elected representatives have achieved on their behalf.
When Republicans took control of the Senate after the last mid-term election, we pledged to fix a broken institution. Two years later, the facts are clear: The Senate is back to work for the American people — and we are delivering real results for Utah.
Getting the Senate back to work wasn't an easy task. Under the previous Democratic majority, the upper chamber was crippled by gridlock, partisanship and cynical leadership that put winning cheap political points over working together for the good of the country. In this climate of dysfunction, Republicans promised change. From the outset, we pledged to reinvigorate the Senate by passing meaningful legislation that would improve the lives of all Americans. Today, the results speak for themselves. From enacting key health reforms and reducing federal control over our schools, to strengthening Hill Air Force Base and fixing our highways — this Congress has racked up a wide range of victories for our state and the nation as a whole.
In terms of bills passed, I had a record-setting two years. I even led my Senate colleagues by passing 47 legislative proposals — more than twice as many as the average senator. Most importantly, I was able to lead the charge to enact a number of landmark reforms that will directly benefit Utah's families. In the 114th Congress, I spearheaded legislation that:
These strong, bipartisan achievements bear testament to the fact that the Senate is back to work for the American people. Our success in the 114th Congress not only demonstrates Republicans' ability to govern but should also give Utahns hope for the future. Just think: If conservative legislators were able to accomplish this much in a divided government with a president who openly defied the law and dedicated himself to working around Congress, imagine what we can achieve in a unified government with a president who is eager to work with us.
Indeed, in the years ahead, Congress will have an unprecedented opportunity to implement a principled policy agenda that champions Utah values and strengthens the middle class. As chairman of the Finance Committee, I am eager to take the lead role in repealing and replacing Obamacare, reforming our nation's antiquated tax code and negotiating trade deals that will benefit all Americans. And as the longest-serving member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I look forward to playing an integral role in filling the Supreme Court with qualified Justices who uphold the Constitution and respect the proper role of the judiciary in our system of government.
As we look ahead to a new Congress and a new presidency, know that I will continue fighting on behalf of Utah's families to pass commonsense reforms that will benefit both our state and our nation.
