In the News

U.S. Rep. Jodey Arrington addressed military strength, tax reform, the farm bill and reflections on the 9/11 terrorist attacks at a Chamber of Commerce legislative luncheon Tuesday.

Acknowledging the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Arrington said it is important for the “collective consciousness of America” to remember the day's mixture of heroism and tragedy.

America, he said, is about "making sacrifices for others for the future freedom of this great country.”

Arrington recalled he was in the White House on that fateful day, an experience he described as chaotic, surreal and terrifying.

But out of those initial emotions grew a “great resolve," he said.

It was a defining moment for President George W. Bush, Arrington said.

“From that point on, it was almost the singular focus for the administration," he said. "To say: ‘We’re going to bring these people to justice, we’re going to hold the countries accountable that harbor them, and we’re going to make sure it never happens again.’”

By contrast, the current state of divisiveness in Washington is having a palpable negative effect on the country, Arrington said.

“Washington has never been crazier, politics in this country have never been so unsettling,” he said. “Emotions are running high, and we know there is a lot at stake for the future of this country.”

While he does not endorse “everything (President Trump) has ever tweeted,” Arrington argued the president has the “right agenda for this country," filtered through his background as a "non-politician," and an "unconventional leader with an unconventional style."

“I believe he has made good and is working with all of his might to make good everything he said he would do in the campaign,” Arrington said. “The biggest piece of that is rebuilding the military and restoring our military strength, not just from an investment in defense, but in our posture and (in) engaging. Not having idle threats but making good on the red line in Syria and other things.”

The president does at times “bring on himself” the wrath of critics and opponents, he said.

“But I also think he’s got a lot of forces that are trying to resist, trying to hold back his agenda and distract him,” he said. “If you look at tax reform, if you look at regulatory relief, the response from this economy, if you look at work we’ve done … we’ve passed more bipartisan legislation that this president has signed than we have in 20 years.”

Tax reform, Arrington said, has “created a resurgence” in the economy that is pro-energy, pro-agriculture, pro-business, and “therefore pro-West Texas.”

The upcoming B-21 bomber represents a particular opportunity for Dyess Air Force Base, he said.

“We’ve got a commitment from the (Air Force) Secretary that (the) new generation of bombers will be based at Dyess, but there are other opportunities around that we’ll still be working on,” he said.

“There’s a flight-training component,” he said. “We are the training base for the B1. We want to maintain that for the B-21. There’s also a weapons school component. So there are lots of assets that would make this footprint bigger, that would make our mission more important at Dyess.”

Arrington, who faces Democrat Miguel Levario in the Nov. 6 general election, also addressed the farm bill, now in a conference committee, of which he is a part.

“What the B-21 represents to Dyess, getting cotton back into the farm bill safety net is important for a 100-mile radius around Lubbock, Texas,” he said. “We did that. It’s done. … And now we’re in the red zone to get the farm bill done, get it funded, and make some critical investments not only in the safety net for stability in the ag economy but in our rural communities.”

Such communities are struggling, especially in maintaining access to quality health care in the form of community hospitals.

“If you lose health care and access to quality care for these rural families, it’s going to be hard to sustain these communities,” he said. “If you can’t sustain the small towns, you will not have a vibrant and growing ag economy. So they’re inextricably linked, we know that.”

The food stamp program is 85 percent of the farm bill, Arrington said, and represents a major “holdup” in current debate.

“We put work requirements in to say look: If you’re an able-bodied, work-capable adult, and you want to receive food stamps, you need to demonstrate that you’re going to work,” he said. “And I think that is a reasonable and compassionate policy.”

But “the Senate didn’t touch that, the Democrats didn’t touch it, we didn’t get a single Democrat vote in the House,” he said.

“That’s going to be the sticking point,” he said of the legislation, which will need to be passed by the end of the month when the current bill expires. “We’ve got to work out a deal."