Why Rep. Jason Chaffetz Thinks He Is the Fresh Face Congress Needs
Utah rep says he's "earned a reputation of being fair/"
— -- With Capitol Hill in turmoil over who will be the next speaker of the House, one Congressman is standing up to say he is the right person for the job.
Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, told Martha Raddatz today on ABC News' "This Week" he believes he has what it takes to lead a Congress rife with dysfunction and in need of a speaker after Ohio Rep. John Boehner's sudden resignation.
"We need a fresh start. We have a gulf and a divide that needs to be bridged. We need a speaker, I think, who takes the communications realm and drives the discussion in this country about what it is we're standing for and what it is we're trying to do," said the four-term Republican and Chair of the House Oversight Committee.
The race to find a new speaker comes after Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California surprised House Republicans by removing his name from the ballot to replace Boehner. McCarthy bowed out when he learned that the conservative House Freedom caucus made clear they would not support his candidacy.
With the front-runner out, only Chaffetz and Rep. John Webster of Florida, backed by the House Freedom caucus, remain in the race.
Chaffetz, once a McCarthy supporter, had stepped into the race earlier after outrage over McCarthy's comments on the Benghazi Committee, saying the investigation helped sink Hillary Clinton's poll numbers. Chaffetz claims he has the communication skills to effectively bring Congress together.
"I think I've earned a reputation of being fair and that I'll hear all sides from the entire political spectrum. And really, the role of the speaker is to be the constitutional officer that makes sure that the process is fair, it's balanced. We protect minority rights and that we allow these good bills and ideas to percolate from the bottom up, rather than a top-down driven process, where the speaker is telling the body what to do," Chaffetz said.
He is not without his own critics though. Rep. Darrell Issa of California, the former House Oversight Committee chair and another potential speaker candidate, says Chaffetz is not holding government accountable anymore.
Chaffetz countered, citing his high-profile investigations into Planned Parenthood and the Secret Service.
"We've been very aggressive. People have seen me fighting everything from Fast and Furious [the flawed Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives program that lost track of hundreds of guns] to the IRS on Planned Parenthood to a host of things, Benghazi and others. I've earned that reputation over six and a half years," he said.
Most Republicans, however, are not supporting Chaffetz, but another influential member -- Rep. Paul Ryan. The chair of the House Ways and Means Committee and former vice presidential candidate initially said he would not run for the position, but is now reconsidering.
Chaffetz has said he would not seek the House's top post if Ryan enters the race.
"I think he checks every box," Chaffetz said. "He's got the great experience. He's a visionary. He understands the institution. He's a great spokesperson."
But barring his entry, Chaffetz sees himself as the one who can help bridge the divide between Republicans and Democrats in Congress.
"If there's somebody better who can unite us, I will support them. But you're either part of the solution or part of the problem," he said. "Right or wrong, I have thrown myself in there and said, 'I think I can do this.'"