Orrin Hatch wanted to punish people for illegally downloading music files by having a technology developed that could remotely destroy their computers. This was the harshest recommendation of a senator ever to penalize those who violate copyright laws. The Utah senator, who raked in $18,000 last year in songwriting royalties, made the comments during a hearing on copyright abuse.
A member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Hatch was raised in a family that valued education and worked as a janitor and a journeyman lather to pay for his schooling. He brought his passion for sports and extracurricular activities with him to Brigham Young University, where he played on the varsity basketball team and served as the student body president.
He also wrote and performed religious folk songs, a hobby that provided him with a side income. In fact, he once earned $39,000 in royalties from one single record. Hatch grew up to become one of the most influential and longest-serving members of Congress in history. He championed a wide variety of issues, from helping AIDS patients to establishing programs to provide health care for the poor.
Although he was a steadfast conservative on many social issues, he often found ways to work with Democrats, including Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, with whom he had a longstanding friendship. His willingness to work across the aisle helped him pass a number of landmark pieces of legislation.
