Michael E. Hammond Made Washington And The World A Better Place

The Federalist ^ | August 11, 2025 | Dan Perrin, Brian Darling, Ed Corrigan, Greg Rothman, and Tony Rudy

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Mike Hammond’s life was proof that one person’s conviction and intellect can change the course of history.

It’s a story we’ve heard a thousand times: A young, idealistic person comes to Washington, D.C., driven by a deep desire to make the world a better place. For many, that idealism eventually gives way to pragmatism — or worse, to cynicism. What’s rare — extraordinary, even — is someone who can spend over 50 years in the Beltway without ever losing that original sense of purpose. What is even scarcer is finding someone who succeeded in making the world a better place. That person was Michael E. Hammond.

Hammond passed to the Lord last week. For anyone involved in Washington conservative politics since 1973, they probably knew Hammond or had heard of him. If anyone was self-made, it was Hammond. He graduated from law school without more than a few dollars to his name. He came to Washington, headed straight to the office of Sen. James Buckley, I-N.Y., and offered to work for free. Buckley reportedly responded with “the price is right,” and the rest is history.

Within days of joining the Senate, Hammond read and memorized Senate rules and procedures and, legend has it, outdebated the parliamentarian within his first month on the job. He soon became a fixture of the Senate, playing a key role in advising the senator and his staff, including on the famous Buckley v. Valeo case, the foundational First Amendment case that protects people’s right to criticize their government and elected officials. He drafted and got passed a rewrite of the U.S. Criminal Code, which he could cite from memory. From deregulation to Reagan’s tax cuts, from judicial nominations to every legislative battle from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s, Mike Hammond’s fingerprints could be found.

[b4me]

sounds like a really good guy.

unfortunately the many authors are so foolish as to write this:
“If anyone was self-made, it was Hammond” proving none of them is a believer in God or they would know Hammond was made by God, and appointed by God not only to do all he did, but Hammond was given by God the wisdom, endurance etc etc to be able to do all he did.

without God, no one can do anything good.

prayers for his family and all who knew him.

[marktwain]

An amazing talent. Consider how much his contributions were kept out of the Media.

Maybe he wanted it that way. He was not widely known outside of Washington political circles, as far as I can tell.