Sen. Orrin Hatch

I read Donald Baker's letter, published on-line Dec. 21, "Hatch should have voted to oppose liberal judge"), and need to clarify the facts.

I strongly oppose Caitlin Halligan's nomination and voted against it in the Judiciary Committee. I did so for reasons similar to those Mr. Baker identified, as well as because the position to which she had been nominated does not need to be filled.

The Standard-Examiner's May 23 editorial, "The party of big oil," appears to tar Senate Republicans as the "party of big oil." But its arguments are unconvincing at best and disingenuous at worst.

In what appears to be an effort to cheerlead for the Obama administration and parrot its talking points on energy, the newspaper's editorial board neglected to mention a few facts that readers should know to get a full picture of why they are paying so much at the pump.

Yes, U.S. oil companies have tax incentives -- the same incentives provided to all U.S. manufacturers to encourage them to stay in this country and provide jobs for Americans. But the administration and its leftist allies in Congress are only interested in ending those incentives for U.S. energy producers, even though nearly everyone agrees that will not lower gas prices.

Just over 30 years ago, Ronald Wilson Reagan was inaugurated as our nation's 40th president. It is hard to believe that three decades have passed since he stood in front of the U.S. Capitol and announced to the nation that America's moment had not passed. And it is hard to think that we have been without him now for more than six years. Yet the recent bipartisan celebration of his legacy shows that he has become as much a part of the American story as his greatest predecessors in office.

Like other great men before him, Reagan seemed to embody the times in which he lived. His personal story, in many ways, personified America's 20th century. He was born in the Midwest but became a Westerner, moving to California like so many other mid-century Americans.

With our nation on the verge of economic recovery, hardworking Utahns and other Americans are continuing to tighten their belts and cut nonessential spending so that they have the resources to meet their financial obligations.

Just as they have had to make tough choices, taxpayers across the nation made it clear at the ballot box in November that they expect Washington to follow suit and get its fiscal house in order. I agree with them, that is why Sen. John Cornyn and I will introduce a constitutional amendment next week that would force Washington to make the same kinds of tough choices that Utahns and other Americans are making to live within their means.