Utah U.S. Senate candidates discuss higher education

Orrin Hatch said there are many important issues he's waiting to tackle in the Legislature. "I'll be working on trying to make sure that we have the needs of our people covered," Hatch said. The incumbent senator said he is first ranking on the Judiciary Committee, Finance Committee and Intelligence Committee, and is a member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and Taxation Committee. He said higher education is an important issue to him. "It's very high in my eyes," Hatch said. "An educated United States is a highly competitive United States. If we don't educate our young people and others, we're not going to continue to maintain ourselves as the greatest nation in the world." But, he said, more emphasis is needed on math and science. He said there are four reasons he should be re-elected. First, Hatch said, a strong economy is needed for students' futures. He said a strong economy needs continual tax relief so that people can decide how to spend their money, instead of the government decide what to do with it. Secondly, he said he is in important committees and ranks highly in many of them and is able to do more for Utah. Thirdly, he also added that he has a reputation of helping young people. "Fourthly, nobody outworks me, and I really work my tail off to try and do what's right back there," Hatch said. "And if you want good government, and you want a strong national economy, and you want to keep our national security interests strong and also have good laws that curtail crime and criminal conduct, I have a long record of doing all of that." He added that in his 30 years as senator, he has "the experience to be able to break through the maze back there and help our fellow citizens of Utah." Hatch also said that he has worked for Weber State University and Utah's other university's, as well as securing the future of Hill Air Force Base. "It takes that kind of, not only experience, but leadership as well to be able keep Utah at the forefront," Hatch said. For more information on Hatch's campaign, visit www.orrin2006.com.