In an invitation-only forum held early Tuesday afternoon, southern Utah residents gathered to hear Utah Congressman Jason Chaffetz’s thoughts on the latest deficit spending bill, the Tea Party, and the possibility of running against senior Senator Orrin Hatch in next year’s race.
Approximately 40 people listened as Chaffetz called America’s spending “rutterless” and drawing on his previous campaign ideals that if the United States is to remain a superpower, it needs to have limited government, fiscal responsibility, accountability, and a strong national defense. “We can and must do better. We have to change the way we do business,” he said. If it were up to him, we’d be in session tomorrow voting on a balanced amendment, Chaffetz said.
Spending a good amount of time on the Tea Party organizations sweeping across the nation, the Congressman wholeheartedly accepts the grassroots organization and applauded those for doing it right. Saying that the definition of the Tea Party is “good, old-fashioned Americans who are getting up, doing something… they’re proclaiming ‘I want to take my country back and be a part of the process.’” He, on the other hand, won’t be part of the national Tea Party because he feels it’s a way for people to target and demonize others.
The issue on everyone’s mind, though, was whether or not Chaffetz will seek re-election in Congress or opt for a change and move to the Senate. With somewhat of an inside joke, he says he won’t make anything official until this Saturday, but did say that there needs to be a change.
Congressman Chaffetz is holding a town hall meeting Tuesday night in Cedar City at the Southern Utah University Education Building in room #104 at 7:00 p.m., followed by one in American Fork Wednesday evening.