Chaffetz: Spending vote means GOP ‘lost every single bit of credibility’ on debt

Former Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) slammed a budget deal signed by President Trump on Friday, telling Fox Business that “Republicans have lost every single bit of credibility on the idea that they care at all about debts and deficits” for agreeing to the $400 billion budget that avoided a government shutdown.

.@jasoninthehouse: “Republicans have lost every single bit of credibility on the idea that they care at all about debts and deficits.” pic.twitter.com/EqCBrqxLvV

— FOX Business (@FoxBusiness) February 9, 2018

“They can talk all they want, but when they had the chance to do it, they caved and they spent so much money it’s stunning,” Chaffetz added in a panel discussion with “Mornings with Maria” host Maria Bartiromo. {mosads}

Most House Republicans voted for the deal in a 240-186 vote early Friday morning. It previously was approved by the Senate in a 71-28 vote.

The measure includes spending increases for both defense and nondefense programs. The bill also includes money for disaster relief, the opioid crisis, a four-year extension of the Children’s Health Insurance Program and more than $7 billion for community health centers.

While the conservative House Freedom Caucus opposed the measure and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) sought to hold up the bill in the Senate by demanding a vote on an amendment to keep lower budgetary ceilings in place, most Republicans in both chambers voted for the bill. 

In the House, 167 Republicans and 73 Democrats voted “yes,” compared to 67 Republicans and 119 Democrats who voted “no.” The Democrats mostly opposed the bill because it did not include language protecting immigrants brought to the United States illegally as children. 

Trump backed the deal and hailed it on Twitter after signing the legislation into law. 

“Just signed Bill. Our Military will now be stronger than ever before. We love and need our Military and gave them everything — and more. First time this has happened in a long time. Also means JOBS, JOBS, JOBS!” he tweeted.

Chaffetz, 50, left Congress in 2017 and signed with the network just days later. He appears on Fox News and Fox Business almost daily to offer political analysis.