Press Releases

First-term Congressman, Jodey Arrington (TX-19), today announced two major victories for West Texas have been achieved, all within one week. Today, the U.S. Air Force announced that existing bomber bases, including Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, will remain bomber bases into the future as Northrop Grumman’s next-generation B-21 “Raiders” become operational. The B-21’s are expected to arrive beginning in the mid-2020’s, and will eventually replace the B-1 bombers based at Dyess. "Dyess Air Force Base is one West Texas-sized step closer to basing the B-21 bomber," said Arrington. "This is no doubt a tribute to the quality of our Airmen and women at Dyess, and the unmatched support from the community of Abilene. Abilene and Dyess are inseparable and in order to ensure a bright and prosperous future for the Big Country, securing the B-21 is absolutely essential. This is a generational opportunity for West Texas and, while I am extremely confident the B-21 will grace the Key City, I will continue to be vigilant in championing Dyess to Secretary Wilson, General Rand, and the entire Air Force leadership until I see the Secretary's signature on the dotted line." Late last week, the Bipartisan Budget Act was signed into law. This legislation fully funds our military, providing certainty to Airmen and women at Dyess, and includes a provision Arrington long fought for that brings cotton back into the safety net of the Farm Bill, covering cotton as both a seed and lint for the first time ever. “This legislation provides critical support for our farmers by restoring cotton to the agriculture safety net, a solution we have long been fighting for, and comes at one of the most challenging economic times in our nation’s agriculture history, with farm income over the last three years experiencing its steepest decline since the Great Depression. As the largest cotton-producing district in the country, this farm policy solution will save billions of dollars and secure a prosperous future for the next generation of West Texans. This has been my top priority, and I'm proud we can deliver on this promise to our farmers," said Arrington. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (CA-23), commended Arrington for his work, stating, “Farms across our country are experiencing hardship and I am proud of the work we have done in the budget agreement to help support and strengthen our nation’s farmers. Including this fix in the budget agreement restores a critical safety net for cotton growers. My friend and colleague, Representative Arrington, has been a champion for agriculture from day one and helped drive this legislative fix for our cotton farmers. This is a big win for American-grown cotton and producers in California, West Texans, and across America.” BACKGROUND Over the course of his first year in office, Arrington had several conversations with Air Force leadership, including Global Strike Commander, General Rand, and Secretary of the Air Force, Heather Wilson, advocating for the B-21 to be based at Dyess. He brought Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Mac Thornberry, to Dyess, and he recently met with Senator John Cornyn, the second highest ranking Republican in the Senate, to discuss opportunities for promoting Dyess as the frontrunner to base the B-21. Arrington worked closely with House and Senate leadership to ensure a fix for cotton was included in the supplemental appropriations bill. Click HERE for more information.

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