Yesterday, we bid our final farewell to an admired statesman and a cherished friend — Sen. Bob Bennett. Earlier this month, Bob passed away peacefully in his home with his wife and children gathered by his bedside. In the wake of his passing, the Bennett family has witnessed an outpouring of love as hundreds of individuals from throughout the state and across the nation have reached out to pay their respects to a man who served Utah to the very end.
To the many expressions of love and admiration that have already been offered in Bob’s honor, I wish to add a few words of my own. I had the distinct privilege of serving alongside Bob Bennett for nearly two decades as we jointly represented the state of Utah in the Senate. During our many years of service together, Bob became more than a respected partner; he was a trusted confidante and a loyal friend.
In Congress, Senator Bennett was widely revered as a wise and thoughtful leader committed to finding innovative solutions to the most difficult challenges of the day. But above all else, he was a passionate fighter for the people of Utah, who were always foremost in his mind. I have never met someone so committed to his constituency as Senator Bennett was to the people of Utah. It is no exaggeration to say that every Utahn has benefited from Bob’s public service. You cannot ride the train, take public transportation or drive on the freeway in our state without seeing the fruits of Bob’s labor in the Senate.
As Utah faced unprecedented expansion and economic growth, Senator Bennett worked tirelessly to ensure that our state’s infrastructure kept pace with the demands of a booming population. Were it not for Bob and the indispensable role he played in securing much-needed funding for transportation projects in Utah, our state would not be the prime destination for business, entrepreneurship and innovation that it is today. I need not rehearse all of Senator Bennett’s accomplishments in the Senate because his public legacy speaks for itself. The TRAX and FrontRunner public transportation systems in Utah are perhaps the most tangible symbols of that legacy, but there are plenty more.
In addition to fighting tirelessly for the people of Utah, Senator Bennett exercised remarkable prudence and provided principled leadership on the Banking Committee and as the chairman of the Joint Economic Committee. He was a talented lawmaker, skilled at forging consensus and reaching compromise without sacrificing his core values. Perhaps more than anyone, Bob understood the importance of working across the aisle to advance Utah’s interests and enact meaningful reform. He was an honest dealmaker who saw bipartisanship not as anathema but as opportunity. Yet throughout, he remained faithful to the key conservative principles that guided his conscience as a legislator. If all members of Congress approached their jobs like Bob Bennett, our country would be stronger today.
In all things, Bob Bennett was a model of selflessness. In fact, he was one of the most humble men I have ever met. In a chamber teeming with outsized egos and rampant self-importance, Bob stood apart. He always eschewed the spotlight and never esteemed himself above anyone. He resisted the trappings of public office and truly saw himself as a servant of the people. Perhaps most importantly, he never let the office of senator define him. For Bob, being a senator was never something that was central to his personal identity; it was merely a job title that allowed him to serve others in a greater capacity. And he was just as committed to serving others in private as he was in public.
One of my favorite stories of Bob illustrates this point. Many years ago, Bob befriended a blind couple in his local church congregation. Every Sunday without fail, he would pay this couple a personal visit, drive them to church, and stay by their side for the duration of meetings — always ready and eager to help. For Bob, faithfully serving this elderly couple was just as important as fulfilling his duties in the Senate.
Both in public office and in private life, Bob Bennett was a model of diligent service. We were blessed by his work in the Senate and will continue to benefit from his example of humble leadership. I pray that we might always remember Bob’s humility and kindness, and seek to emulate these qualities ourselves as we work to overcome the challenges facing our country.
Orrin Hatch is the senior U.S. senator from Utah