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Orrin Hatch (born March 22, 1934 in PittsburghOrrin Hatch is a five-term Republican United States Senator, from Utah.

Hatch is the second-ranking Republican on the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, where he serves on the subcommittees on International Trade, Taxation and IRS Oversight, and Health Care. Hatch is also on the Select Committee on Intelligence, the Committee on Indian Affairs, and the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Until 2004, he chaired the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary.

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Hatch was born to Jesse Hatch in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His great-grandfather, Jeremiah Hatch, founded what is now known as Vernal, located in eastern Utah. Hatch married Elaine Hansen of Newton, Utah. They have six children and have twenty grandchildren. He and his family are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Hatch attended Brigham Young University and, in 1959, received a degree in History. In 1962, he received a J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh Law School. As a law student, he worked as a janitor, a construction worker in the Wood, Wire and Metal Lathers Union (putting up walls over various kinds of lath), and a dormitory desk attendant.

For fourteen years after graduating, Orrin Hatch worked as an attorney at law in Pittsburgh and Utah. In 1976 in his first run for public office, he was elected to the United States Senate defeating three-term incumbent Sen. Frank Moss (D).

In 1980, Hatch spoke in favor of rolling back provisions of the Fair Housing Act. Acting on his motion in 1988, Congress eventually voted to weaken the ability of plaintiffs to prosecute cases of discriminatory treatment in housing. At the time the 1988 Fair Housing Amendments were being debated, he introduced a bill endorsed by the National Association of Realtors to severely limit who can file anti-discrimination suits and to make the proceedings a private affair.

In 2000 he made a failed bid for the Republican Presidential nomination, losing to Texas Governor George W. Bush.

Hatch caused an overnight controversy June 17, 2003 by proposing that copyright owners should be able to destroy the computer equipment and information of those suspected of copyright infringement, including file sharing. In the face of criticism, especially from technology and privacy advocates, Hatch withdrew his suggestion days later after it was discovered his website was designed with unlicensed software. One year later, he proposed a controversial INDUCE Act that attempted to make illegal all tools that may be used for copyright infringement. According to many critics, this act would effectively outlaw the internet and personal computers, giving unprecedented legal leverage to media companies.

Orrin Hatch was one of the architects and advocates of the expansion of H-1b visas and was generally an advocate of looser immigration policy.

A vocal supporter of stem cell research, Hatch was one of 58 senators who signed a letter directed to President George W. Bush, in hopes of relaxing the federal restrictions on stem cell research.

Hatch also won his original congressional seat in the U.S. Senate in 1977, running on the idea of creating term limits for Senators. He claimed that Senators, including three-term incumbent Sen. Frank Moss, had lost touch with their constituents.

Hatch is expected to win reelection for his 6th term in November 2006. His challengers include State House Majority Whip Steve Urquhart (R) and Pete Ashdown (D), who opposes Hatch's stand on technology issues.

Hatch long expressed interest in serving on the US Supreme Court. He had long been mentioned as a possibility after George W. Bush became president. But after the appointments of John Roberts and Samuel Alito, his appointment seems to be very unlikely.

Orrin Hatch can sing and play the piano, violin, and organ. In addition to his work as a U.S. Senator, he has earned over $65,000 as a Christian music recording artist. Fueled by his interest in poetry, Hatch also has written many songs for other artists.

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