Washington a Senate leaders heralded Sen. Orrin Hatch on Thursday as the longest-serving Republican senator in U.S. history, while the Utah Republican turned the love-fest moment into a pitch to confirm President Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees and give him “a little bit of leeway for him to make some verbal mistakes.” As of Thursday, Hatch, who first took office on Jan. 3, 1977, had served 40 years, one month and six days, surpassing the late Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska as the longest-serving Republican senator.