[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 74 (Wednesday, May 4, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2300-S2302]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                       Remembering Orrin G. Hatch

  Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, much has already been said on this floor 
as we express our love and admiration for our friend and former 
colleague, Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah. He was not like any other 
Senator. Orrin was the best of all of us, and our household is very sad 
to hear of his passing.
  I will never forget the time he took to answer calls from an obscure 
State senator from Oklahoma. If you haven't figured it out, that was 
me. He had a way about him with everyone he met, an unwavering kindness 
and gentle nature that Kay and I will miss deeply. You don't see a lot 
of that in the U.S. Senate. We were close long before I was even in the 
House. Orrin was the one whom I would go to for wisdom. We had the same 
love for Jesus and everything that we hold dear.
  I will always remember his humor, but he also gave his best advice. 
He was not just a friend but a confidante. Whether he was talking about 
Scripture or history, he had a way of saying things that brought people 
together. You don't see that today. You see people fighting each other, 
and that is what people always say. When I go back home to Oklahoma, 
people talk about, why don't you guys get along? Well, we do. It just 
doesn't come across that way. But it did with him.
  I think back fondly on everything that we did while Orrin was in 
office. Despite strong opposition at the time, myself and Senators 
Hatch, Chambliss, and Thune were able to pass an amendment permitting 
the Air Force to enter into a multiyear procurement for a total of 60 
F-22s during the 2007 NDAA. The NDAA is something we pass every year. 
It is the National Defense Authorization Act. And that happened that 
year. Now, that turned out to be one-third of our total force in one 
effort, one NDAA effort.
  The argument against the amendment at the time was that we didn't 
need such an air-dominant fighter, but we knew we were making an 
investment in the future of our defense. Orrin had that foresight. He 
was always looking to the future. In advancing years,

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people would joke around about it because he was looking at the next 
generation. He showed that foresight always when others didn't.
  Not only that, but together we worked very closely to ensure the 
future of our Air Force depots. I remember the codel. A codel is a 
group of Members who go someplace to examine things. I led a group 
codel, along with Senator Hatch and Senator Chambliss, which toured 
each one of our depots as part of the initiative to restore their 
funding. This is something that we had to do at that time because our 
previous administration had not done an adequate job.
  Now, Orrin--you know, you think of him as always a serious person. He 
wasn't. Most of the time, he was poking fun at himself. I remember 
laughing often when he was around. Together, we supported funding for 
these Air Force depots that continue to be vital to our home States of 
Oklahoma, Utah, and Georgia, but we had fun while doing it. That was 
Orrin's way of doing it. He always had fun.
  For those of you who are not familiar with our Nation's depots, they 
are state-of-the-art maintenance and repair facilities for the Air 
Force's aircraft. We do this ourselves because we can't trust anyone 
else to get them done. Simply put, our Nation would not be able to rule 
the skies without the critical maintenance and repair work that is 
performed on our incredibly complex aircraft.
  To ensure our Nation will always have our Nation's depots, there are 
laws commonly called core and 50/50 laws which preserve the depots' 
maintenance. I know that a lot of people are not familiar with the term 
``depot,'' but it is critically important for our survival.
  Throughout my tenure on the Senate Armed Services Committee, I 
greatly appreciated the legal analysis that Senator Hatch provided my 
staff and me when the executive branch would send over suggested 
changes to these critical laws.
  Now, there were many times when, after reading those proposals, 
Senator Hatch would raise the alarm, and my colleagues on the Senate 
Armed Services Committee and I would then turn to do battle, and 
sometimes we had to do what was necessary, but we did it together.
  After the Obama administration canceled the NASA project 
Constellation, which was supposed to replace the space shuttle, there 
was a real question whether the civilian solid rocket motor industry, 
which employs thousands of people in Utah, was going to survive. 
Obviously it did survive, and that was due to Orrin Hatch. Using his 
considerable legislative skills, Senator Hatch was able to insert 
language in the fiscal year 2010 National Defense Authorization Act 
that directed the new heavy-lift Space Launch System be built to lift, 
from inception, 130 tons--an objective which at the time could only be 
accomplished by using solid rocket motors.
  And he did it. He did it. He looked out into the future. This is back 
when he was actually in advanced years himself. As a result, a few 
weeks ago, NASA rolled the SLS out to the launch pad for testing before 
it carries the astronauts to the Moon in what is projected to be 2025.
  I was also very impressed by how Senator Hatch used his prominence to 
promote the use of Hill Air Force Base. Whenever there was an Air Force 
official within hearing distance, Senator Hatch would espouse the 
strength and capabilities of the Hill, Ogden Air Logistics Complex, and 
he did so very persuasively. The results were there, and he was the guy 
who did it. In fact, I honestly believe that one of the reasons Hill 
was chosen to receive the first three squadrons of F-35s is that Orrin 
Hatch was always advocating for Hill with the Air Force senior 
leadership.
  Now, one of the things that I loved about Orrin Hatch was his 
placement of obscure words into many of his speeches. He would say 
things that were so obscure that no one would know what he was talking 
about. No one in the Senate wanted to believe that they didn't 
understand what he was talking about, but they didn't. He would use 
words that no one really had any idea what they meant. I actually wrote 
these down some time ago.
  ``Bovarism.'' That was defined, by him, as having an exaggerated, 
especially glamorized, estimate of oneself. I think we know what we are 
talking about there.
  ``Cockalorum'' is a small man with a big opinion of himself. We know 
that.
  ``Furphy'' is a false report or a rumor.
  When asked why he insisted on using that kind of vocabulary, Senator 
Hatch would beam his boyish grin and chuckle and respond:

       I like confusing the Democrats.

  He had a very peculiar way of trying to get to know volunteers. He 
would get people who had no status in life. He would have people who 
were driving cars. Many of them were young people who were escorting 
him to different places just to make speeches or something. He had a 
peculiar way of trying to get to know volunteers--people who no one 
else paid any attention to. If they were driving him to events, without 
fail, he would always compliment the volunteer about his car. It could 
be an old junker car, but, nonetheless, he would talk about it because 
he knew young people were proud of their cars. I am talking about the 
young volunteer could have been driving a 50-year-old Yugo, with the 
floor rusted through, but I can assure you that Senator Hatch would 
find something nice to say about the volunteer's car.
  My personal opinion is that one of the best ways to know someone is 
to listen to him pray. When we address our Creator, we reveal who we 
really are. Many of us waited around and listened and waited for Orrin 
to give one of his prayers. He had that kind of a love that everyone 
enjoyed. For those who have listened to this or who have read this 
record, I want to present the genuine Orrin Hatch to you--a person whom 
we all came to know and love.
  In 2010, Senator Hatch was chosen to say the main prayer at the 57th 
National Prayer Breakfast here in Washington. It has been going on for 
60 years, and we have had our 60th now. This is something that will 
last forever.
  I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record, at the 
conclusion of my remarks, the full text of Senator Hatch's prayer for 
peace and tranquility in front of that crowd of 4,000 people on that 
February morning 12 years ago.
  Today, I believe Orrin Hatch fully enjoys the peace and tranquility 
that he prayed for. All of that is to say, Orrin Hatch will be missed 
dearly by me and by the many friends of Orrin Hatch's. We have lost a 
true hero and one of my closest personal friends. Kay and I are praying 
for Elaine and their family and loved ones as they go through this 
difficult time.
  So today is goodbye to my friend.
  God bless you, Orrin Hatch.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

       ``Let us pray. As we bow our heads this morning before 
     Thee, we are so grateful for this great nation, and for the 
     nations of the world and especially for the opportunities we 
     have as a nation to bring peace and contentment and 
     tranquility throughout this world. We are grateful for our 
     great leaders and pray Thou will bless them. We pray that 
     Thou will bless our President and our Vice President and 
     their cabinet. And all the leaders throughout the federal 
     government, that they might be inspired to lead us to do the 
     things that are righteous in Thy sight. That we might be able 
     to be good followers and that we might be able to bind 
     together to do what is right. As Moses' father-in-law told 
     him, let's share the responsibility and let's work together 
     in the best interests of our country. Let's have 
     bipartisanship reborn again in this great nation. We are so 
     grateful for those who serve in the military, who are 
     represented here today and throughout this country. We are 
     grateful for all the sacrifices that they undertake on our 
     behalf. We are grateful for those who are in harm's way and 
     we pray Thou will pour out Thy special blessing upon them, 
     that they may be blessed and protected. And we pray that we 
     might be a nation that will help bring peace and tranquility 
     throughout the world. We are grateful for all the food, 
     clothing and shelter that Thou hast provided for us. We are 
     grateful for those who serve in governments throughout the 
     states and the respective state legislatures. And last but 
     not least, we are grateful for the Congress of the United 
     States and pray that the Congress might be able to work 
     together, as Democrats and Republicans and Independents, to 
     serve Thee and serve our country and to serve our fellow men 
     and women. And bring peace and content to this great nation 
     and throughout the world. We pray at this time for those who 
     are suffering in Haiti and elsewhere throughout the world and 
     ask you to bless them and help them and help us to do

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     our share in helping throughout this world. We are grateful 
     for leaders from other countries who are here and pray Thy 
     blessing upon them. Once again, we ask you to bless our 
     President and Vice President and the leaders of this country. 
     In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.''

  Mr. INHOFE. I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Hickenlooper). The Senator from Nebraska.