Chaffetz, Hatch agree on one thing: Washington woes

It was a study in contrasts at the state Capitol on Tuesday as both the newest and longest-serving members of Utah's federal congressional delegation paid a visit to talk with Utah lawmakers.

Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, elected to represent the state's 3rd Congressional District last fall after defeating incumbent congressman Chris Cannon in the Republican primary, was passionate, highly partisan and energetic.

Sen. Ross Romero, D-Salt Lake, told Chaffetz after his remarks that he felt like he needed "a loaded baked potato to go with all that political red meat you just fed us."

Sen. Orrin Hatch, who has been re-elected five times by Utah voters and served for more than three decades in Washington, was more subdued, conciliatory and reflective.

After his remarks, Senate Minority Leader Patricia Jones, D-Salt Lake, thanked Hatch for his "statesman-like tenor today," calling it a "welcome breath of fresh air."

Differences in style aside, both men agreed on one thing: They were less than pleased with the way things have gone in Washington since the 111th Congress convened in early January.

First on the list of complaints for the leg-wrestling, cot-sleeping freshman congressman Chaffetz was the federal stimulus plan that President Barack Obama signed into law in Denver Tuesday, which he said he proudly voted "no" on.

Not a single House Republican voted in favor of Obama's plan and only three U.S. Senators gave their support.

Chaffetz called the nearly trillion-dollar spending and tax cut plan "legislative malpractice" and told lawmakers that "not one member of the United States Congress read" the largest spending proposal in the country's history.

"It's absolutely out of control," Chaffetz said. "We can no longer fund our federal government on a credit card."

Chaffetz said that although Utah will get about $1.5 billion of the stimulus funds, less than one percent of that would go toward helping small businesses, which he said were the engine driving the American economy.

"It's not about jobs," Chaffetz said. "It's about growing government and it is sick."

Hatch described the economic stimulus package as 74 percent government spending and 26 percent what he termed "revenue spending."