Why did most of Utah delegation vote no on fiscal cliff compromise?

Bishop said he was especially frustrated that cuts in military spending weren’t addressed in the deal. “It’s still up in the air,” he said, expressing concern for his constituents who work at Hill Air Force Base and other installations.

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, was one of just eight votes against the compromise in the Senate. That’s what Utahns wanted him to do, his communications director, Brian Phillips, said.

“Overwhelmingly, the people who called form Utah were asking him to vote no,” Phillips said. “The predominant message we received from the people who called was that this was being done in secret. … They were very upset.”

State GOP Chairman Thomas Wright said the Utah delegation shouldn’t be judged on how they voted on the deal because it didn’t address spending.

“We’re looking at this one vote thinking something happened. Nothing happened,” Wright said. “It’s all theater. Nothing’s getting done.”

University of Utah political science professor Matthew Burbank said he was surprised there wasn’t more support for the deal among Utah’s congressional delegation.

“It’s very clear that for most Americans, that was a priority,” Burbank said. “I think Utahns fall into that same category. I don’t think most Utahns want a tax increase (on the wealthy) but I think they wanted to get this deal done more.”

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