Hard on the heels of announcing that he’s not running again in 2018 and may even resign before then, House Oversight Chair Jason Chaffetz is taking three or four weeks off from his duties to have foot surgery.
“Almost 12 years ago, I shattered several bones in my foot which required 14 screws and a metal plate to repair,” Chaffetz wrote on Instagram. “The University of Utah doctors now recommend immediate surgery to remove all the hardware or I could be at risk for serious infection.” Okay … but here’s where it gets good:
I’m sorry to miss the important work we are doing in Washington. This is not an opportune time to be away but medical emergencies are never convenient. I appreciate my constituent’s patience and understanding as I take time to recover.
Uh huh. This actually sounds pretty darn convenient. I’m sure he’s distraught at missing the infighting, failed votes, and general series of disasters House Republicans are likely to inflict on themselves as they tackle Trumpcares 3.0, 4.0, and 5.0, along with whatever else they come up with. In fact, Chaffetz is leaving so quickly he’ll avoid the government spending vs. government shutdown debate happening as this week draws to a close—he told Politico he’s flying out Thursday morning.
Perhaps this experience will help Chaffetz gain sympathy for people with invisible disabilities, because:
Well, at least he’ll have health coverage despite this pre-existing condition. Unless his fellow Republicans do away with that while he’s recuperating.