Commissioner JR Nelson discussed a trip to Moab with Utah Congressman Jason Chaffetz and Maryland Congressman Elijah Cummings, along with Senator David Hinkins, on Tuesday at the Emery County Public Lands Council meeting. Chaffetz and Cummings are two of the key members of the House of Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
In June, Chaffetz visited Cummings’ district in Baltimore to learn about the issues that he faces in his district and that matter to his constituents. This month, Chaffetz and Cummings took a two-day tour of Moab and Arches National Park for Chaffetz to share the issues of his district with Cummings.
“There are issues that are uniquely western, that are uniquely Utah oriented that you can’t understand unless you feel, touch, see and talk to the people that are affected,” stated Chaffetz.
“It is so wise for each of them to see what the issues are in each other’s districts,” Nelson said at the public lands meeting. “If I had my way, I would have that happen all over the US a lot more.”
“The American people want us to get things done,” Cummings said. “These are the first steps of making bipartisanship a reality.” Cummings and Chaffetz both have a new understanding of the some of the issues they face in each district, which gives them a new perspective.
They ended the trip with a tour of the operations at the welfare facilities of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at Welfare Square in Salt Lake City.