(Washington, DC) — Utah Senator Mitt Romney says the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City would not have been successful if not for the work of former Senator Orrin Hatch. The Utah Republican paid tribute to Hatch in a speech on the U.S. Senate floor yesterday. Romney called Hatch a “lion of the Senate” who believed in friendship over politics while working on behalf of every American. Romney said the late senator’s guidance and help following the 9/11 terrorist attack ensured a safe and successful staging of the Winter Olympics. He said everyone should savor life in the same way Hatch did.