Interviewed by Neil Cavuto on the Fox News Channel. Watch the interview here.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama and Democratic lawmakers weighed a temporary cut in Social Security taxes, eager to get a year-end agreement with Republicans to extend expiring income tax cuts to all Americans and renew jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed.

Officials familiar with the discussions said the plan would reduce the payroll tax for workers from the current 6.2 percent to 4.2 percent. The proposal would replace a tax credit for middle- and low-income workers that ends Dec. 31.

UPDATE: Here is the Out of Context blog post with the correction about the earmark striking amendments:

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/blogs/outofcontext/50088043-64/group-percent-amendments-congress.html.csp

Glad to get such a high score from Citizens Against Government Waste. But the last paragraph in this blog is totally wrong. Rep. Flake's amendments absolutely lower government spending by removing the total cost of a specific earmark from the bill.

See the Salt Lake Tribune for more details.

Friday, July 30, 2010 - 3:02pm

Utah U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz has enjoyed success in big-time sports under pressure. In the 1988 Freedom Bowl, Chaffetz calmly kicked two field goals in the final minutes of the game to lead the BYU Cougars to a 20-17 win over the Colorado Buffaloes.

So, while we may not agree with Republican Chaffetz on every issue, we respect his opinions on sports. And we agree with Chaffetz that congressional resolutions related to sports have gotten way out of hand. We're glad the freshman congressman has decided to vote against all symbolic sports resolutions, and we hope colleagues will follow his lead.

"It's an absolute embarrassment," Chaffetz said on the House floor before opposing a resolution honoring the start of the racing season at Saratoga race course in New York. He's right. What in the heck does that have to do with running our country? It's ridiculous, particularly when we are locked in partisan deadlock and squabbles over crucial issues such as health care, the environment, the war on terror, immigration, financial reform, etc. What need is there to honor a race course or the Penn State women's volleyball team, or even Real Salt Lake soccer club's 2009 league championship?

Chaffetz took heat from some lawmakers, who were angered at his stance. They pointed out, correctly, that Chaffetz sponsored a 2009 resolution saluting RSL for its soccer championship. Chaffetz admitted his past complicity in the resolution game, but said he now realizes they are a waste of time.

The Utah congressman's history as an athlete of note with the BYU football team should prompt his colleagues to listen carefully to his arguments. The sheer number of resolutions passed in Congress have diminished the impact and importance of a congressional resolution. It's become more like a souvenir for participants and fans of a team, person or event than a notable mark of historical importance. And sports, no matter how seriously millions of us follow games, is not important enough to waste valuable congressional time on.

There may be a solution. Chaffetz and Rep. Jason Altmire, D-Penn., have suggested a bill at the end of the year for all sports resolutions to be honored in one take. Frankly, we don't need any of them. But if Congress can't control its need to have them, this is a good compromise to stop the time-wasting.

Read article in its entirety at the Standard-Examiner.

Friday, July 2, 2010

The time has come to make tough decisions. I know it. My constituents know it. Many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle know it. Unfortunately, House leadership has not gotten the message.

Their failure to propose a budget resolution for 2011 or to allow an open amendment process underscores some of my deepest concerns. There seems to be a complete disconnect between those who make the decisions and those who pay for them. While Americans across the political spectrum call on the government to cut back, Congress has continued to tax, spend and borrow. While Americans ask us to work together, Congress has continued to shut down debate.

This month, Congress should be voting on a budget resolution that creates the framework for next year's spending decisions. Since 1974, the House has never failed to offer such a resolution. Yet last week, we learned that leadership has no intention of crafting one.

I believe managing the federal budget is the most fundamental function of the House of Representatives. I know my colleagues on the other side of the aisle agree in principle. Four years ago, when Republicans controlled the House, Rep. John Spratt, D-S.C., said, "If you can't budget, you can't govern." Similarly, then-Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md., proclaimed that enacting a budget was "the most basic responsibility of governing." Yet today, as Reps. Hoyer and Spratt control the budget process, they refuse to offer a budget resolution.

If we're going to confront the problems our overspending has created, we have to make tough decisions. That means we have to be willing to talk candidly, even in an election year, about the amount of red ink we've created on the federal balance sheets.

I didn't create this mess in Washington, but I was sent here to help clean it up. Unfortunately, overwhelming majorities on one side of the aisle have led to a stronghold on the process. Changes in the House rules for the 111th Congress have totally eliminated the ability of the minority party to offer an amendment on the floor.

If the House leadership refuses to listen to the American people — or even to the deficit hawks within their own party — what recourse do we have? In the past, bills could be amended and improved. But today, only the Rules Committee decides which amendments will be heard.

As a freshman, I have never yet seen an open rule that would allow anyone to amend a bill. Never in history has the legislative process been so tightly controlled. For the duration of the 111th Congress, there has never been an open rule in the House. Democratic leadership should be embarrassed. Congress should be the world's greatest deliberative body. There is no excuse for shortchanging the American people by shutting down debate.

We must do our fundamental job. The parameters for next year's spending decisions should be open and transparent. We must talk about how to address the mess our irresponsible spending has created. The American people have demanded it. The Congress must deliver it. If Congress is unwilling to do its job, then the American people must hold them accountable.

See the Deseret News Article in its entirety here.