WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (TX-19) joined “Mornings with Maria” on Fox Business to discuss national security funding, including the importance of tying border security funding together with overall defense spending and ensuring greater transparency and accountability on foreign assistance.
Click HERE to watch the full interview.
Chairman Arrington on Congress’ Duty to the American People
“That's why the American people, Maria, gave Republicans the majority in the House: to use the power of subpoena and the power of the purse to change the course that our country's on, namely, reduce spending, so we don't bankrupt America's future, and to secure the border and deal with this security threat…So we have to do what Mike Johnson, our new speaker, is doing, which is changing the culture to one that considers fiscal accountability to the taxpayer.”
“With the debt ceiling debate, if your viewers remember, we held the line in the House and the Senate, and it took both chambers, Republicans in both chambers. to hold fast to our principle that we were going to reduce spending year over year, and that we were going to start to walk, and then run, and restore fiscal accountability in our nation's capital. That has to happen in this case, as it relates to border security. And I believe our Senate colleagues, led by Senator Lankford in the negotiations are going to hold true to what we committed to our fellow Americans with respect using the power of the purse to make sure that first and foremost we deal with our southern border crisis.”
Chairman Arrington on Efforts to Curb Bureaucratic Waste in Defense Spending
“There's a lot of waste and woke, unnecessary spending at the Pentagon, probably more waste in that bureaucracy than any. And I think our Chairman, Mike Rogers, and his colleagues on both sides of the aisle, in fairness, have found ways to shift money internally. about 40 billion to legacy programs and otherwise wasteful spending, to things that matter to our security interest today. So, I think there's a lot more money than just what you see in the top line that's being shifted from wasteful and unnecessary spending to things that have to do with real readiness for the United States.”
Chairman Arrington on Potential Government Shutdown
“Well, I hope we don't shut the government down. I think it's disruptive. I think it costs taxpayer money. And we shouldn't do it if we don't have to. But I will tell you, there are some things that are worth keeping the shutdown on the table, including border security. So, we've got to get our work done. And then we've got to take the fight to the Democrats. And we’ve got to bring the American people along, and they have to put pressure on Democrats in the Senate to reduce funding and secure the border. Those are the two main objectives.”
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