In the recent investigation into how Congress made it harder for the DEA to keep the number of people clear of opiate addiction and helped those that supply what is all too often a death sentence (60 Minutes, The Washington Post), it is sobering to realize that this legislative effort was sponsored by our own Sen. Orrin Hatch.
For several years, Hatch has made numerous statements, claims and views that aides are quick to explain, but increasingly show lapses in judgment. His sponsorship of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act has added to a growing feeling that, while comprehension of complex documents is certainly an issue for Hatch, the bigger evil may be not knowing who is telling him what to say and do.
The fact that is he received the greatest sum of campaign money from the pharmaceutical industry suggests that there was influence, but we don’t know who crafted and then promoted the bill to our octogenarian. Sens. Strom Thurmond, Robert Byrd and now Thad Cochrane have traveled this late-in-life path but Hatch, as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, is more susceptible to influence and we don’t know the puppeteer. It is time to diligently search for a senator who will speak for himself, time for Hatch to go to the pasture where he has been feeding for years, time to know who is running the ranch.
Norman Anderson, Ivins