DC residents back Utah rep’s primary challenger

Washington, D.C., residents are forming a PAC to back House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz’s (R-Utah.) primary challenger, CNN reported Friday.

Chaffetz and the Oversight Committee earlier this month attempted to strike down Washington’s legislation legalizing assisted suicide — the latest effort by the committee to use its jurisdiction to overreach in controlling local D.C. laws, critics say.

In response, the angry residents are planning to send money to Damian Kidd, Chaffetz’s GOP opponent.

{mosads}”We here in the 3rd congressional district of Utah feel the same way that they do in Washington in that we disagree with federal overreach on local matters,” Kidd said.

“While we in the 3rd district disagree with some of the laws in DC, we are all frustrated with the federal overreach Chaffetz is utilizing.”

Chaffetz’s push to block the D.C. bill also sparked anger from the local lawmakers who accused Congress of violating its authority.

“If I were a voter in Utah, I didn’t send my congressman to D.C. to meddle in local politics. I think they’ve got a whole lot more they can be doing instead of dealing with local laws and taxpayers,” said the Washington City Council member Charles Allen.

“I have no ability to hold Chaffetz accountable, but he has a whole bunch of ways he can impact my life and I think that is absolutely a shame,” he added.