Jodey Arrington questions whether GOP has ‘courage’ to cut spending
By Jenny Goldsberry
May 4, 2025
AS SEEN IN WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-TX) suggested his own party might not pass what he called “entitlement cuts” to Medicaid due to political pressure.
Republicans are committed to trillions in federal spending cuts, and Medicaid is appearing as a large target. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) predicted that the majority leadership is trying to “enact the largest Medicaid cut in American history.” Arrington implied there are cuts to be made in the “waste and abuse” of the service.
“Are you convinced that the president, the speaker, the other host chairs, including our next guest Jason Smith, share that level of concern that you do about the out-of-control spending?” Fox News host Shannon Bream asked Arrington on Fox News Sunday.
“I think every Republican says that they share that, but the question is, will we have the political courage to execute on that,” Arrington said. “The question is, will Republicans surrender the opportunity to actually bend the curve on entitlement spending and enact entitlement reform? Because there is tremendous amounts of waste and fraud. In fact, the Government Accountability Office says upwards of $500 billion over the 10-year budget window just in Medicaid. You’ve got hundreds of billions siphoned out for other purposes than serving the Medicaid beneficiary; there is no work requirement for able-bodied adults like there is in every other means-tested welfare program.”
Arrington explained that the population that qualified for the Obamacare expansion has “hurt access” to pregnant, blind, disabled, and most vulnerable because they are able-bodied but utilizing the same system. According to the Texas representative, as much as $1.5 trillion could be saved without touching benefit funding.
“The question is, will we be susceptible to the fearmongering and the false rhetoric that you just heard from the Democrat minority leader in the house? This is the same tired play that they run, and unfortunately, Republicans have not collectively leaned in and on the right thing,” Arrington said. “This will not have been in my political lifetime again.”
The last continuing resolution on the budget froze federal funding until Sept. 30.
