A federal lawmaker visited Utah's Capitol Hill on Monday and advocated swinging more power back to states.

"If you want creativity and efficiency and you want the problem to be solved," Rep. Rob Bishop said, "[the state] is the level where it has to happen."

The 1st District Republican's advocacy of more state power builds on a theme already manifesting itself in the 2010 legislative session.

On the first day, the Patrick Henry Caucus, joined by Rep. Carl Wimmer, R-Herriman, and Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, rallied supporters to take back some of the power that they argued the federal government had snatched away.

"Some people have accused us of trying to pick a fight, but I just say that we're fighting back," Wimmer said, followed by loud cheers and chants.

Bishop warned that some staffers in Washington don't know how some bills -- including the No Child Left Behind Act, which is up for reauthorization -- could hurt the state.

"I asked how that would impact Utah's efforts, and it was almost like looking at a deer in the headlights," Bishop said. "I hope that one of the issues that we can get at is that the true solution to our problems is empowering the states to meet the needs of individuals, not empowering the federal government to meet the needs of those individuals."