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Third District challenger Jason Chaffetz was on the offensive again Sunday, attacking Rep. Chris Cannon's voting record and attempting to draw distinctions between the two Republicans' views.

“If we want different results we're going to have to elect different people,” Chaffetz said. “If you like the status quo, vote for Chris Cannon.”

“We agree entirely except the status quo. I am a change factor. I am making a difference in Washington, D.C.,” Cannon retorted during the televised debate on KUTV's "Take Two" leading up to the June 24 Republican primary.

Chaffetz criticized Cannon for voting in favor of the No Child Left Behind education bill, increased federal spending, the Medicare prescription drug benefit and allowing EnergySolutions to import radioactive waste from Italy - all issues Chaffetz said he opposes.

Cannon said the decision of whether to allow EnergySolutions to import about 20,000 tons of radioactive waste from Italy should be up to the state. About 1,600 tons of waste would ultimately be buried in Utah.

“The state has the right, the authority, the responsibility to govern that, and all I said is we should stay out of that and let the state control its own destiny in that regard,” Cannon said.

Actually, the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission is considering whether to grant EnergySolutions a license to import the radioactive waste.

“I'm totally opposed to importing waste,” Chaffetz said. “I would vote to keep the waste out of Utah, absolutely.”

Cannon said that the No Child Left Behind bill was a good bill that was poorly implemented and that he voted for the Medicare prescription drug benefit because he supported the expansion of health savings accounts, which was packaged with the drug benefit.

Chaffetz said he would have voted against both bills and would fight to approve health savings accounts independent of the drug benefit.

The candidates also returned to their predominant themes in the campaign.

Cannon again said that if he wanted to change Congress, Chaffetz should run against Rep. Jim Matheson, a Democrat, who represents the 2nd District, where Chaffetz lives. The Constitution does not require a House member to live in the district he or she represents.

Chaffetz said he ran against Cannon partly because he's easier to beat but also because “we have to do some house cleaning with Republicans.”

Chaffetz, as he has in the past, slammed Cannon for his 2006 vote for what Chaffetz said was the largest budget and largest deficit in history.

In fact, Congress passed the largest budget last week, a $3.1 trillion package setting funding targets for the 2009 budget year. Cannon voted against that budget, and the 2008 budget. Deficits peaked in 2004 and have been smaller since, according to the Office of Management and Budget, although Cannon also voted for that 2004 budget.

Chaffetz also hammered Cannon on his stance on illegal immigration. Cannon said he believes immigrants should have to pay a penalty for their illegal acts and remain in the country. Chaffetz supports a “pathway to deportation,” that would allow immigrants to stay in the country for some unspecified period of time, then be returned to their homeland.