Jason Chaffetz served as the U.S. Representative for Utah’s 3rd Congressional District from 2009 to June 2017. From 2015 to 2017, he chaired the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
Harvard Political Review: Before becoming a Republican, you were affiliated with the Democratic Party and even worked for Michael Dukakis’ 1988 presidential campaign. You previously stated that you switched parties after meeting Ronald Reagan in 1990. How exactly did former President Reagan influence you politically?
Jason Chaffetz: I like to joke that I was a Democrat before I learned to read and write, but once I became married, got a job, and started having kids, I realized I was a very conservative person. I had grown up in my earlier life with Ronald Reagan as the president, and he was an iconic figure who believed in many things I ended up believing in: his commitment to limited government and understanding that, often times, government is the problem and not the solution. It was a very peaceful time for the United States. We were in the midst of the Cold War, but I believe in the mantra of peace through strength, and I got to see him in person talk about these things. It was compelling. It was not a lightning bolt of conversion, but it was an impactful part of my journey to realize that there is a proper role of government, and it is limited in its scope.
HPR: Can you elaborate more on how marriage and children impacted your politic beliefs?
JC: I believe in personal responsibility. My wife and I were two able-bodied adults, and there are consequences for your decisions. The safety net of government is for those who cannot take care of themselves, but if you can, you should work and take care of yourself. There are people who fall on hard times and need help with the transition, I get that, but I just worry that we are becoming this welfare nanny state. It bothers me.
HPR: For the 2008 Utah House of Representatives election, you defeated six-term incumbent Chris Cannon 60 percent to 40 percent despite Cannon outspending you and having endorsements from prominent politicians. What made your underdog campaign successful?
JC: It was time for a change, and Utah voters were looking for a change. I think I offered a viable solution. It was based on commitments to policy and principle. I showed an energy level that was appealing, and I just flat-out worked my butt off to get there.
HPR: Can you go more into more detail about what measures you took for your campaign and why you think they were successful?
JC: [Nobody] ever loses a campaign by starting too early. Congress was a big, big step. There are some 800,000 people you represent, so it takes time to get to a lot of people, share your message, and hear from the business community and others [about] what they would like in their representatives. You have a combination of rural issues and suburban issues and a federal government that is intruding into every aspect of people’s lives. It was good-old-fashioned grunt work, going neighborhood [to] neighborhood and working with people one at a time. It paid off. People saw how committed I was and how hard we were working.
HPR: During your tenure as a U.S. Representative, you opposed the Affordable Care Act, same-sex marriage, and environmental activism. Have your positions on these issues changed?
JC: Not really. I worry that we get too into bumper sticker politics, where people try to pin you down based on what you can fit on the back side of a car bumper. It is more complicated than that, but generally, I have advocated the traditional conservative position on these issues. There is a proper role of government, and it is limited. States ought to be making many of these decisions as opposed to the all-encompassing federal government.
HPR: You previously stated that you opposed net neutrality. What about it concerns you?
JC: The Internet was working. It has been the Wild West, but it has provided growth, jobs, and [an] injection of enthusiasm into the economy. We have the opportunity to continue to lead the world. I did not want to suddenly regulate the “pipes,” so to speak, as a public utility. More government involvement was going to create unintended consequences. We had something that did not need fixing in the first place, so leave it alone.
HPR: In early October of 2016, you rescinded your endorsement of Donald Trump yet expressed your intent to vote for him three weeks later. What caused your change of heart?
JC: There was absolutely, positively no way I was going to vote for Hillary Clinton. No way, no how. At that point, there were only two people that had a chance at becoming President of the United States, and you had to make a choice. I am glad I picked Donald Trump. It is obviously working out that we picked the right person. I withdrew my endorsement, and I am glad I did that. I could not endorse someone who was going to act and behave like that. But voting is different. It is the one time I get to vote for myself and not have to represent everybody else in my district. But again, Donald Trump won the majority of the vote in Utah, and I am glad he did. He did it with 30 out of the 50 states. I wish he had not said or done any of those things. He did, but with two candidates on the ballot, certainly the Clintons could not carry the baton of high morality – I mean, based on what Bill Clinton did? How he acted when he was the president of the United States was appalling: far worse than what Donald Trump did, or what I heard on tape.
HPR: What are your thoughts on the current administration?
JC: Donald Trump achieved one of his signature things right [off] the bat [with] the appointment of Neil Gorsuch. The president has been rolling back regulations, which stimulated the economy. They still need to deliver on tax reform, but that could happen any day. He has accomplished a lot, and Republicans in Congress have been more of an impediment than the president has.
HPR: In April, you announced that you would be taking a leave of absence from Congress after doctors recommended immediate surgery for a prior orthopedic injury. What happened?
JC: I did have to take a few weeks off as I had surgery. I was in the hospital for five days, but I had to cut all my shoes.
(Jason Chaffetz lifts up his right foot)
See how my foot sticks out like this? It is like a permanent sprained ankle. I had an original injury, but the years of walking on those hard marble floors and wearing dress shoes took its toll and ultimately caused the skin barrier to break down, and it got infected. I will spare you all the gruesome details. Nevertheless, I had to go in and have surgery. Prior to that, I had announced that I was retiring and leaving Congress early. But after eight-and-a-half years, I was also fulfilling a pledge to get in, serve, and then get out.
HPR: I guess they are not kidding when they say politics is taxing.
JC: Yes, it is. It is an honor and a privilege to serve, but I believe in getting in, [serving], and then [getting] out. I needed a better balance in family life, and there came a point where I started to sour on Congress and how it operated. That is not healthy for me or the institution. It was time to move on, pass the baton.
HPR: You have been in Congress for eight years. What have you been most proud of?
JC: The work we did on oversight was imperative. It is always difficult for the executive branch to have the legislative branch looking over its shoulder. I did some important things in legislation that got passed that helped with the Secret Service, the border patrol, and the FBI, that I am proud about. I worked a lot of public lands issues that are still playing out. I contributed most heavily to holding the Obama administration accountable for what they did and did not do.
HPR: What are your plans for the future?
JC: I have a relationship with Fox News, which I enjoy. I have been a fellow at Harvard. I am writing a book about the deep state and how it works and operates. I have been out speaking across the country. It is still a full plate, but I have better balance in my life.
HPR: If you could re-live your life all over again, would you do it? If so, would you change anything?
JC: If I get a second bite at the apple, I might as well get back in line and go again. It has been an amazing ride. I love what I do and have been blessed to have an amazing family. What would I do? It would be fascinating to be an astronaut. Or Jacque Cousteau. I grew up watching him. I like doing wildlife photography when I want to get away from things, but the ocean is still a great mystery to me. Think about it. It consumes two-thirds of our planet, and we know relatively little about it. I did go scuba diving once, and I went snorkeling, and I have just been fascinated by the ocean. It is amazing. The resources we need to fuel our future and feed our people are probably in the ocean.
Image Credit: Flickr/Michael Jolley
This interview has been edited and condensed.