Senate Report Card: Orrin Hatch R-UT

Senator Orrin Hatch is the senior Republican United States Senator from the state of Utah. Senator Hatch assumed office in 1977.

Senator Hatch serves on the Taxation, Intelligence, Health Education, Labor and Pensions, Judiciary and Finance Committees.

When Senator Orrin Hatch came to office he led the longest filibuster on a legislative issue in Senate history. He effectively took the Labor Law Reform Act to a record six unsuccessful cloture votes, thusly killing the bill and earning Hatch a reputation as anti-labor. He created the idea of "filibuster by amendment" tactic, proposing and filing more than 2,000 amendments to the bill.

As a senior member of the Finance Committee, Senator Hatch has been a leading advocate for policies to encourage savings and investment, such as the Capital Formation Act. He has also sponsored numerous pro-growth tax bills. He has proposed a tax credit for families to defray adoption expenses, extension of the research tax credit, he's opposed to the estate tax, is for the elimination of the marriage penalty and 100 percent health insurance deduction for the self-employed. He has also sponsored legislation and led the fight for a capital gains tax relief.

Hatch has also led a charge for welfare reform legislation including the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act. He also passed the Personal Responsibility, Work, and Family Promotion Act which would encourage marriage, and provide for disability rehabilitation and child-care funding.

He has pushed for tougher anti-crime laws, civil justice reform to unclog the courts and legislation to protect individual property rights. He is pro choice.

Hatch opposed the Fair Housing Act. He voted to weaken the ability of plaintiffs to prosecute cases of discriminatory treatment in housing, which severely limits who can file anti-discrimination suits and requires the proceedings to be a private affair.

He proposed a law that would allow copyright holders to destroy the computer equipment and information of those suspected of copyright infringement, which would include those who participate in file sharing. He offered the INDUCE Act that attempted to make illegal all tools that could be used for copyright infringement.

Senator Hatch offered legislation under the Equal Opportunity to Govern Amendment, which would alter the Constitution and allow anyone who has been a United States citizen for twenty years to seek both the presidency and vice-presidency. He also favored a law that would allow illegal immigrants access to higher education.

Senator Orrin Hatch voted for the use of military force in Iraq. He is opposed to any troop withdraws and voted against timetables for the war and restrictions on troop deployments.

Senator Orrin Hatch is up for reelection in 2011.