What’s Next For Jason Chaffetz? | For The Record

CLARIFY AND I THINK HE SHOULD RECUSE HIMSELF ABSOLUTELY.
>> JOINING ME, UTAH CONGRESSMAN AND CHAIRMAN OF THE HOUSE
OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE JASON CHAFFETZ MAKING NEWS TODAY
ANNOUNCING HE WON'T RUN FOR REELECTION.
NICE TO SEE YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. >> HI, GRETA.
>> SO, WHY? WHY ARE YOU WALKING AWAY FROM
ALL THIS POWER? >> WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT, I JUST
TURNED 50. I'M SLEEPING ON A COT IN MY
OFFICE. I'VE SPENT MORE THAN 1500 NIGHTS
AWAY FROM MY FAMILY AND, YOU KNOW WHAT, I HAPPEN TO LOVE MY
WIFE AND ADORE OUR KIDS. MY LIFE HAS CHANGED OVER THE
LAST YEAR. TWO OF THREE OF MY KIDS ARE
MARRIED. WE'RE SOON GOING TO BE EMPTY
NESTERS. I REALLY, REALLY LIKE THE WORK
IN CONGRESS, I REALLY DO, BUT I LOVE MY FAMILY MORE.
PEOPLE MAY TRY TO MAKE IT MORE THAN THAT, BUT IT'S REALLY THAT
SIMPLE. >> HAVE YOU SPOKEN TO SPEAKER
RYAN ABOUT IT? >> I DID.
I CALLED HIM LAST NIGHT AND HE SAID, BOY, I DIDN'T SEE THAT
COMING. AND THEN HE SAID, PLEASE DON'T
DO THAT YET. AND I SAID, WELL, I DIDN'T CALL
TO ASK PERMISSION. I CALLED TO INFORM YOU THAT
JULIE AND I HAVE MADE THAT
DECISION. HE WAS VERY NICE.
I'M VERY GOOD FRIENDS WITH THE SPEAKER.
I LIKE PAUL RYAN AS A PERSON AND I LISTENED TO HIM, BUT I LET HIM
KNOW WHERE I WAS AT. >> ALL RIGHT.
THE CHAIRMAN OF THE HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE IS A VERY
POWERFUL POSITION. YOU HAVE TAKEN PRESIDENT TRUMP
TO TASK A BIT. DOES THAT HAVE ANY BEARING ON
YOUR DECISION? >> NO, NO.
LOOK, THE CONTENTION THAT IS -- THE TENSION THAT IS BETWEEN THE
EXECUTIVE BRANCH, THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH, I THRIVE ON
THAT. I LIKE IT.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE VERY CONTENTIOUS WITH THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION,
WE HAVE BEEN WITH THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AND, NO, I WORRY
THAT I'M GOING TO MISS THAT A LITTLE BIT.
YOU KNOW, I WAS A PLACE KICKER ONCE UPON A TIME IN COLLEGE AND
I DON'T MIND BEING IN THE FIRE STORM.
IN FACT, I KIND OF THRIVE TO. I'M KIND OF ATTRACTED TO IT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, STEPPING BACK AND SAYING, HEY, THERE'S MORE TO
LIFE THAN BEING A MEMBER OF CONGRESS, I'M DOING WHAT I SAID
I WAS GOING TO DO, SERVE, AND THEN GET OUT.
>> ONE OF THE CONTROVERSIES IS PRESIDENT TRUMP'S TAX RETURNS.
EVERYONE IS CLAMORING FOR THEM. WHAT'S YOUR POSITION ON THAT?
>> MY POSITION IS IT'S NOT AGAINST THE LAW, YOU KNOW.
I DISAGREED WITH THE PRESIDENT. WHEN DONALD TRUMP WAS
CAMPAIGNING, I SAID VERY CLEARLY, IF YOU'RE GOING TO RUN
FOR PRESIDENT, YOU SHOULD HAVE TO OPEN UP YOUR KIMONO AND SHOW
EVERYBODY EVERYTHING, INCLUDING YOUR TAX RETURNS.
SO, I WAS VERY CRITICAL OF HIM. BUT IT IS NOT REQUIRED BY LAW.
AND I'VE HAD DEMOCRATS AND OTHERS WHO WANT TO HAVE ME ISSUE
A SUBPOENA TO GET THOSE TAX REFORMS.
IT'S JUST NOT GOING TO -- THE COUNTRY ISN'T GOING TO OPERATE
BASED ON WHAT JASON CHAFFETZ BELIEVES.
THEY SHOULD ACTUALLY BE A LAW TO DO THAT.
AND I'M ACTUALLY WORKING ON THAT AND I THINK THEY SHOULD HAVE TO
DISCLOSE THEIR MEDICAL BACKGROUND AND I THINK THEY
SHOULD ALSO HAVE TO DISCLOSE THEIR TAXES.
BUT GIVEN THAT IT'S NOT IN THE CODE, I DON'T THINK IT'S RIGHT
TO JUST FORCE SOMEBODY TO HAVE TO DO THAT.
>> SO, WHAT ABOUT YOUR FUTURE? IS POLITICS OVER?
>> WELL, I'M JUST SAYIN SAYING T GOING TO BE A CANDIDATE FOR THE
SENATE SEAT THAT'S UP IN 2018 NOR AM I GOING TO RUN FOR THE
HOUSE AGAIN. I VERY WELL MAY COME BACK INTO
POLITICS AT SOME POINT. I'M NOT GOING TO CLOSE THE DOOR
ON THAT. I'D LIKE TO BE A VOCAL VOICE IN
POLITICS. BUT I'VE GOT TO FIND THE RIGHT
BALANCE IN MY LIFE, AND THAT BALANCE HAS GOTTEN A LITTLE OUT
OF WHACK. I'VE GOT TO GET A BIT MORE WITH
MY FAMILY. >> A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE ADDICTED
TO THIS. IT'S HARD TO WALK AWAY FROM
THIS. I'VE KNOWN YOU A NUMBER OF
YEARS. I BELIEVE YOU.
I BELIEVE IT'S YOUR FAMILY AND IT'S TIME, I GOT THAT.
BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE, IT'S HARD TO WALK AWAY FROM WASHINGTON.
>> WELL, THEY CALL IT POTOMAC FEVER FOR A REASON, AND IT IS
CONTAGIOUS AND IT IS EXCITING AND DYNAMIC AND YOU CAN DO
THINGS THAT OTHERS CAN'T DO. BUT, YOU KNOW, IT DOES TAKE A
BIT OF A STRONG WILL TO SAY, YOU'RE WILLING TO GIVE THAT UP.
BUT MY PRIORITY IS MY FAMILY AND MY HIERARCHY OF NEEDS, THE
FAMILY IS FIRST AND WE'LL DO OTHER THINGS.
WE'LL BE ENGAGED. WE'LL BE OUT THERE PUBLICLY.
BUT IT'S JUST -- I WISH MORE PEOPLE WOULD ACTUALLY GET IN,
SERVE, AND GET OUT. THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSEDPOSE
DO. >> CONGRESS SAYS REPUBLICANS
COULDN'T GET HEALTH CARE PASSED. WHAT IS GOING ON -- OBVIOUSLY I
SEE AT THE FREEDOM CAUCUS, I SEE THE DISSENSION.
WHY CAN'T THINGS GET PASSED? >> LOOK, REPUBLICANS HAVE THE
HOUSE, THE SENATE AND THE PRESIDENCY.
WE HAVE TO LOOK TO OURSELVES IN THE MIRROR.
WE HAVE TWO BIG TASKS THIS YEAR. ONE IS TO REPEAL AND REPLACE
OBAMACARE AND THE OTHER IS TO ENGAGE IN MEANINGFUL TAX REFORM.
AND I STILL THINK WE CAN ACCOMPLISH BOTH, BUT WE'RE ON
THE CLOCK. TIME IS PASSING AND WE'VE GOT TO
GET THOSE THINGS DONE OR WE'RE GOING TO SPELL DOOM FOR
OURSELVES IN MANY FRONTS. >> ARE YOU DISAPPOINTED IN
CONGRESS? >> IT IS FRUSTRATING.
I MEAN, WHEN YOU HAVE 535 PEOPLE WHO ARE ALL WANT TO CONTROL THE
LEVER AND DO THEIR THING INDIVIDUALLY, IT IS A BIT
FRUSTRATING, BUT I BET IT'S BEEN FRUSTRATING THE LAST COUPLE
HUNDRED YEARS, YOU KNOW. AT SOME POINT I WISH OTHERS
WOULD SAY, HEY, LOOK, I'M NOT GOING TO GET EVERYTHING I WANT,
TAKE THE SORT OF RONALD REAGAN APPROACH TO SAY I'M NOT GOING TO
GET 100% OF WHAT I WANT IF I CAN MOVE AND GET 80%, IS THAT GOOD
ENOUGH? AND I DO WISH THERE WAS MORE
COMING TOGETHER ON STUFF. WE'VE DONE THAT IN THE OVERSIGHT
COMMITTEE. ELIJAH CUMMINGS AND I.
THE MAJORITY OF LETTERS WE'VE SENT THIS YEAR, WE'VE DONE
TOGETHER. WE PASSED MEANINGFUL BIPARTISAN
POSTAL REFORM. I KNOW THAT'S NOT ON THE TOP OF
EVERYBODY'S LIST, BUT WE DID IT IN A BIPARTISAN WAY.
IT PASSED OUT OF OUR COMMITTEE UNANIMOUSLY, BUT YOU NEVER HEAR
ABOUT THOSE THINGS. YEAH, I GET FRUSTRATED WITH
CONGRESS AND I THINK THE COUNTRY DOES.
>> IT'S USUALLY PEOPLE LEAVE IN THE MINORITY.
YOU'RE THE MAJORITY. YOU'RE THE CHAIRMAN SO THERE'S
BEEN MUCH ATTENTION ON IT. I WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK AND
I HOPE TO GET OVER THE CAMERA SEE THAT COT THAT YOU SLEEP IN
YOUR OFFICE WITH. >> COME

What’s Next For Jason Chaffetz? | For The Record | MSNBC

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