Arrington, Jodey RSS Articles

Arrington Hosts Russ Vought at Hearing on President Trump’s FY2027 Budget

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. – Today, House Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington (TX-19) hosted Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought at a hearing on President Trump’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget request.

Click HERE to watch Chairman Arrington’s opening statement.

Remarks as delivered:

"Russ, I don't know of a president in my lifetime that has inherited such a complete and utter mess as President Trump did in January of last year.

"One self-inflicted disaster after another for four years of the Biden-Harris administration, utter lawlessness, incompetence.

"A border that was wide open, millions of people, criminals, gangs, drugs that killed a plane load of Americans effectively every week, more people dying of the drugs coming across the border than the people dying from the Vietnam War.

"Again, all because of the dereliction of duty to uphold the laws of this land and a failure to do the first and most important job, which is to provide for the common defense, and the American people suffered.

"Our resources were drained, our safety was jeopardized, and there was no rule of law, the cornerstone of any civil society...

"And the result was we had a much more unstable world. I think we were made a mockery by our enemies.

"Finally, we saw unbridled spending, about seven to eight trillion in record deficit spending. You add in the additional cost of interest, that went skyrocketing. It's about $12 trillion overall. We had a weaker economy, recessionary economy, we had a cost-of-living crisis that we haven't experienced as a nation in almost a half a century...

"The list goes on. We taxed and regulated our job creators. And again, the most regressive tax in my lifetime was the 20 plus percent increase in prices for working families.

"Trump comes in. You and the team, in one year, secure the border, stop the flow, deport criminal aliens, broker a peace deal in the Middle East, provide the greatest investment in national defense in the history of our country, pulled down the drain and the drive of our deficit and looming debt crisis in mandatory spending by rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse to the tune of about one and a half trillion dollars, constrained spending on the discretionary side, cut taxes, cut spending at historic levels, and opened up domestic energy production.

"We had lower interest, lower inflation. A growing economy. Wages are up. People putting more money in their pockets before my Democrat colleagues shut the government down over a COVID-era, fraud-ridden program to expand a failed underlying policy of Obamacare.

"That was the first shutdown before the shutdown that we're in today. We would have been at two and a half percent plus growth.

"We were made a mockery, derided for putting that assumption in our Big Beautiful Bill, but that's exactly what CBO said, where we'd be over the 10-year budget window. That's a trillion and a half dollars to reduce the deficit.

"So, there is a reason that CBO, in their recent report six months into this fiscal year, shows a ten percent reduction in our deficit. It's been decades since we've seen a ten percent reduction in our deficit because of growth.

"That’s because of rooting out waste and bending the curve on mandatory spending and controlling cost and cutting wasteful and unnecessary spending on the discretionary budget, and because President Trump decided to lead on the world stage with respect to trade and give our workers, manufacturers, and farmers a head-to-head fighting chance at trade deals, and the revenue helped shore up our balance sheet.

"So, I'm pleased with what the President has done. I'm proud he's our Commander in Chief...

"Russ, thanks for being here. That's the context. I think this budget of yours shows, directionally, that we're going to continue to do that and double down on it. Right? We're reducing wasteful spending, investing in our defense, and continuing to promote the growth that we so desperately need, and all boats will rise on that prosperity."

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Arrington Secures Broad Conservative Support for Resolution Affirming States’ Right to Defend Against Border Invasion

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. – Today, House Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington (TX-19) highlighted a new coalition letter led by the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) and dozens of national and state leaders urging Congress to pass Arrington’s H.Res. 50 – a resolution affirming states’ constitutional authority to defend themselves when the federal government fails to secure the border.

The letter, signed by leading policy organizations, law enforcement officials, and conservative leaders across Texas and the country, underscores growing support for congressional action to clarify states’ sovereign authority under the Constitution.

The effort comes in response to the unprecedented border crisis under the Biden Administration and is aimed at ensuring states are never again left defenseless under a future administration.

“Our constitutional system does not render the states defenseless. To the contrary, states retain the unequivocal right to defend themselves against invasion and imminent threats,” the letter reads, in part. “We respectfully encourage your support of H.Res. 50. Doing so reaffirms the constitutional structure the Framers designed—one that preserves both national security and the sovereign capacity of states to defend themselves when necessary.”

Click HERE to read the full letter.

“Under Biden’s open-border chaos, millions of illegals invaded our southern border, flooding communities with drugs, crime, and criminals,” said Chairman Arrington. “Fortunately, border crossings are now at historic lows under President Trump’s leadership - but we cannot rely on who occupies the White House to determine whether our border is secure. The Constitution is clear: Article IV, Section 4 says the federal government ‘shall protect each [state] against invasion,’ but when the federal government fails to fulfill this constitutional duty, Article I, Section 10 expressly guarantees states the sovereign power to repel an invasion and defend their citizenry from ‘imminent danger.’ We’ve seen the consequences of federal failure, and states like Texas cannot afford another border crisis. Congress has the opportunity to pass my H.Res. 50 and ensure that states are not passive victims of a failed federal government under a future Democrat presidency.”

H.Res. 50 affirms states retain the sovereign authority under Article I, Section 10 of the Constitution to defend their territory and citizens from invasion or imminent danger, particularly when the federal government fails to meet its constitutional obligation under Article IV, Section 4 to protect states from invasion.

“The Constitution, as interpreted by the Supreme Court, forbids states from interfering with the federal government’s monopoly over our territorial sovereignty,” said John Yoo, constitutional scholar and former deputy assistant attorney general for the Office of Legal Counsel. “But the House of Representatives could make its own findings of fact that failures at the border rose to the level of an ‘imminent danger’ that would justify a state’s exercise of self-defense. Such a set of findings might bolster Texas’s case in the courts as well as its political case to the public. Rep. Jodey Arrington, R.-Texas, has introduced H.Res 50, for example, to do exactly that. Without such congressional support, Texas is likely to fail.”

Background:

In June 2021, Chairman Arrington introduced H.Res. 50 to reaffirm states’ constitutional right to secure their borders and protect their citizens when the federal government fails to act.
The resolution is grounded in the Constitution’s Guarantee Clause (Article IV, Section 4) and Article I, Section 10, which preserves states’ sovereign authority to act in self-defense when facing invasion or imminent danger.
Under the Biden administration’s failed border policy, record levels of illegal border crossings, cartel activity, and drug and human trafficking placed unprecedented strain on border states and communities.
During that time, Texas and other states were forced to take action to protect their citizens, while the federal government failed to fulfill its constitutional duty to provide for the common defense.
H.Res. 50 does not expand state authority – it affirms the constitutional balance of federalism, ensuring states are not left defenseless when Washington fails to act.

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Rep. Arrington Pushes States' Border Defense Resolution

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Rep. Arrington Pushes States' Border Defense Resolution

By Solange Reyner
Thursday, April 9, 2026
AS SEEN IN NEWSMAX

House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, is highlighting renewed support for a House resolution aimed at affirming states' authority to defend their borders, as a coalition of conservative groups and officials urges Congress to act.

In a letter led by the Texas Public Policy Foundation and signed by dozens of national and state leaders, advocates called on lawmakers to pass a measure introduced by Arrington that emphasizes states' constitutional power to respond when the federal government fails to secure the border.

The signatories include policy organizations, law enforcement figures, and conservative leaders from Texas and across the country.

The letter argues that the Constitution preserves a state's right to act in self-defense under certain circumstances, citing Article I, Section 10, alongside the federal government's obligation under Article IV, Section 4 to protect states against invasion.

"States retain the unequivocal right to defend themselves against invasion and imminent threats," the letter states, urging Congress to reaffirm that principle through the resolution.

Arrington framed the effort as a response to what he described as federal failures during the Biden administration, pointing to high levels of illegal border crossings and related criminal activity.

He contrasted that period with more recent declines in crossings, which he attributed to policy changes under President Donald Trump. Still, Arrington argued that border security should not depend on changes in administration.

"We cannot rely on who occupies the White House to determine whether our border is secure," Arrington said, adding that the resolution would ensure states are not left "passive victims" if federal enforcement falters in the future.

The proposal has drawn support from some conservative legal scholars, including John Yoo, a former Justice Department official, who said congressional findings could strengthen legal arguments for state-level action.

Yoo noted that while the Supreme Court has generally limited states' authority over immigration and border enforcement, a congressional resolution could bolster legal and political cases for state intervention in situations deemed an "imminent danger."

Arrington first introduced the resolution in 2021 amid rising border crossings.

The resolution has yet to receive a full vote in the House.

EXCLUSIVE: Texas Lawmakers Support Congressional Resolution Affirming State Sovereignty in Border Defense

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Texas Lawmakers Support Congressional Resolution Affirming State Sovereignty in Border Defense

Twenty-five Texas lawmakers signed a letter to the U.S. House requesting that the resolution be
passed.

By Mary Elise O'Bar
April 8, 2026
AS SEEN IN THE TEXAN

A resolution re-affirming states’ constitutional right to defend their borders in cases of invasion was introduced in Congress to act as future supporting material if the issue is one day taken to the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS).

Congressman Jodey Arrington (R-TX-19), who is currently serving his fifth and last term due to his impending retirement, has collected support from 25 Texas state lawmakers and several other state leaders for his House Resolution 50.

Arrington said the resolution uses Texas’ and other border states’ experiences under former President Joe Biden’s administration as “context,” describing Biden’s policies to The Texan on Tuesday as causing a real “invasion of people, drugs, and all kinds of criminal elements.”

He noted that such a resolution wouldn’t establish a new law per se, but “affirms what the Constitution says about the sovereign right of every state to defend itself in the circumstance of an invasion.”

H. Res. 50 was introduced in the 118th Congress before Arrington re-introduced it in 2025 during the 119th Congress. During its first introduction, it was supported by every member of Texas’ U.S. House delegation and over 60 Congress members in total.

Arrington said that while he hopes it doesn’t occur, a future “invasion and endangerment of the citizens of a number of sovereign states” under another Democratic president through a return to Biden-era border policies is possible, and if or when that happens, he believes that SCOTUS will be faced with making a decision on states’ authority in the issue.

“There will be a case that will go all the way to the Supreme Court, and the Supreme Court will then look for definitional clarity from Congress about what an invasion is and about what constitutes imminent danger for states,” Arrington asserted.

“So to elucidate that and to bring greater clarity and congressional intent, it's important that the that the United States House and Republicans who are leading the House pass this resolution to inform what will be, no doubt … a case that will be the precedent for decades, if not centuries, to come.”

Among the various challenges that Texas faced in its attempt to address the heightened border crisis during the Biden administration was a legal challenge from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), which sued the state over legislation passed in 2023 that prohibited any foreign national from illegally entering the state between ports of entry and in violation of federal law. Once Trump took office, the DOJ withdrew its opposition to the case.

Arrington partially blamed the “lack of clarity on the constitutional right of each state” for the DOJ being allowed to “obstruct and harass” Texas seeking a closed border.

Arrington said that if states’ sovereign authority in this issue were fully recognized in practice, states like “Texas would have been able to put up the barriers along the border” under the Biden administration. SCOTUS was involved in the Biden DOJ’s litigation against Texas over its placement of razor wire barriers to secure its southern border with Mexico.

In January 2024, SCOTUS issued an order that lifted an injunction imposed by the U.S. 5th Circuit in December 2023 that had prevented the Biden administration from removing the state’s barriers.

“We don't want to have any question whatsoever, any hesitation whatsoever for every sovereign state that they don't have to be passive victims of a failed federal government. They can engage and they can exercise that sovereign constitutional right to protect their citizens,” Arrington said.

John Yoo, who served as deputy assistant attorney general for the Office of Legal Counsel under former President George W. Bush, assisted Arrington in crafting this resolution to serve as supporting material for a future SCOTUS case on the issue.

Yoo told The Texan in a written statement about H. Res. 50 on Tuesday, “The Constitution, as interpreted by the Supreme Court, forbids states from interfering with the federal government’s monopoly over our territorial sovereignty.”

“But the House of Representatives could make its own findings of fact that failures at the border rose to the level of an ‘imminent danger’ that would justify a state’s exercise of self-defense. Such a set of findings might bolster Texas’s case in the courts as well as its political case to the public,” he added.

In a letter obtained by The Texan, lawmakers who support the resolution include 24 Republican members of the Texas House of Representatives and one state Sen. Adam Hinojosa (R-Corpus Christi). Additionally, Texas GOP Chairman Abraham George signed on, as did all members of the Texas Senate Republican Executive Committee.

The letter was addressed to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Leon Rios, Director of the Border Security Operations Center at the Texas Department of Public Safety, was included in the list of supporters, as was Mark Morgan, the former acting commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and former chief of the U.S. Border Patrol

The letter was spearheaded by the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF), with its opening statement and pledge of support for the resolution written by TPPF CEO Greg Sindelar.

The letter asserted that the resolution would not “diminish federal authority,” but that it instead “clarifies constitutional reality. It affirms that states possess inherent sovereign authority to act in defense of their territory and people.”

“For these reasons, we respectfully encourage your support of H.Res.50. Doing so reaffirms the constitutional structure the Framers designed—one that preserves both national security and the sovereign capacity of states to defend themselves when necessary,” the letter concludes.

Arrington Applauds Trump Administration Rolling Back Costly Biden-Era Methane Rule

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. – Today, House Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington (TX-19) released the following statement after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a rule scaling back the Biden administration’s costly methane regulations for oil and natural gas producers. EPA estimates the rule will save roughly $2.5 billion over 15 years, or $208 million annually in industry compliance costs. Arrington previously led efforts in the House to reverse the rule.

“The decision by President Trump and EPA Administrator Zeldin to roll back the Biden administration’s job-killing Methane Rule is a major win for American energy security and working families.

“This harmful regulation imposed costly, unnecessary burdens on oil and gas producers, driving up energy prices for consumers and undermining domestic energy production.

“Last Congress, I was proud to lead the effort in the House to repeal President Biden's burdensome rule. Now that the Trump administration has taken action, Congress must codify this policy to cut bureaucratic red tape on production and unleash American energy dominance.” – Chairman Arrington.

Background:

Under the Biden administration, the EPA imposed costly regulatory requirements on oil and gas producers under Section 111 of the Clean Air Act and Subpart W of the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program.

Chairman Arrington introduced legislation during the 118th Congress to nullify this Biden-era rule.

On April 6, 2026, the EPA under President Trump announced a final rule that would significantly scale back this burdensome regulation, a decision which is estimated to save $2.5 billion over 15 years in industry compliance costs.

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OPINION: Here’s how we put America on a path to fiscal balance

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Arrington: Here’s how we put America on a path to fiscal balance

Economists say a 3% ratio of deficit to GDP will create a virtuous cycle.

By Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-Texas)
March 26, 2026
AS SEEN IN THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS

The sirens are blaring. Our government now spends more than $1 trillion a year on interest payments just to service our national debt, which will surpass $40 trillion this year. Ray Dalio, among the most successful investors and global macroeconomic thinkers of our time, warns our economy is barreling toward a “debt-induced heart attack.” As our fiscal condition worsens, Washington is busy staging shutdowns and showdowns while the arteries of our economy constrict in front of our very eyes.

Instead of spending and borrowing our way to cardiac arrest, this moment calls for medicine. Congress needs to achieve meaningful deficit reduction, but without a universal standard, “meaningful” tends to mean whatever is politically expedient in the moment.

Every fiscal conservative’s goal is a balanced budget — rightly so. When I came to Congress in 2017, balancing the budget required identifying $5.8 trillion in savings. Ambitious, but achievable. Today, that figure has nearly tripled to over $16 trillion. The goal posts keep moving because Washington keeps spending.

While Washington may not yet have a plan, there is a clear, economic life-saving target we should pursue: reducing federal budget deficits to 3% of GDP. When nominal economic growth averages around 3% to 4%, deficits held near that level allow debt to stabilize relative to the size of the economy, rather than outpace it. That is why economists and fiscal watchdogs resoundingly point to the 3% threshold as a useful benchmark for fiscal sustainability. Framed this way, the debate stops being about unrealistic ambitions and abstract promises of fiscal responsibility and focuses instead on reasonable debt targets and practical strategies to achieve them.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent endorsed the 3% standard shortly after President Trump was re-elected. Dalio has made the case for it. So has Warren Buffett. A bipartisan group of House lawmakers has introduced a resolution limiting deficits to 3% of GDP by 2036 as our fiscal north star. On Thursday, the House Budget Committee is leading the effort to achieve this benchmark and will examine a healthy process for achieving the 3% deficit-to-GDP target by fiscal year 2036.

In my experience, when you use the wrong measures of success, you focus on the wrong strategies. If you set impractical goals, you end up going nowhere. It’s time for a paradigm shift toward implementing a pragmatic and objective approach to framing the fiscal discipline necessary to avoid an economic cardiac arrest.

We have our work cut out for us. The federal deficit has not fallen below 3% of GDP since 2015. According to current projections, it will continue to exceed 5% of GDP every year for the next three decades. Throughout our history, deficits this large have only appeared in the shadow of wars and economic collapse. If we continue at this dangerous level, debt will grow faster than the economy and interest costs will more than double over the next decade, exceeding what we spend on Medicare by 2028.

Bringing deficits down to 3% of GDP would put the nation on much stronger fiscal footing — bolstering bond market confidence, lowering borrowing costs and kicking into gear a virtuous cycle of reduced interest payments and increased private sector investment.

Restoring responsible levels of borrowing will not be easy. It will depend on a responsible approach to identifying trillions in savings in the coming years. But the path forward is clear: a combination of discretionary spending discipline, pro-growth economic policies and entitlement reform. Last year, Congress took historic action to eliminate $1.6 trillion in waste, fraud and abuse — twice as much as any previous Congress in history. That was an important start, but it will take more to achieve the 3% goal by 2036.

Most importantly, this path to stability preserves our ability to control our own fiscal destiny. The alternative is stark: a sovereign debt crisis where the choices are no longer ours to make. We have seen what that looks like in countries that waited too long — painful, chaotic austerity imposed not by elected representatives accountable to taxpayers, but by bond markets and international creditors. America should never put itself in that position.

We cannot reverse our curse of public debt overnight. But we can unclog the arteries, prove to taxpayers — and to the world — that we are still capable of living within our means, and leave our children and grandchildren a country worth inheriting.

History won’t ask which party created the problem. It will ask which leaders finally had the courage to fix it.

Jodey Arrington, R-Lubbock, chairs the U.S. House Committee on the Budget.

Arrington Calls for an Article V Constitutional Convention as U.S. National Debt Hits Record Breaking $39 Trillion

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. – Today, House Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington (TX-19) released the following statement as the U.S. national debt crossed the $39 trillion mark, an unfortunately historic and deeply troubling milestone in our nation.

“America is now $39,000,000,000,000 in debt—yes, $39 trillion. It took roughly 200 years to accumulate the first $1 trillion. Now we add that in a matter of months. Every child in America today carries a $530,000 share of this debt—a crushing legacy we must reverse. To add insult to injury, we spend more than $1 trillion a year just on interest to service our debt, more than the entire defense budget. The national debt continues to pose an existential threat to the future of our nation.

“The sad, sobering, and stunning fact: despite the urgency of our fiscal crisis, Congress is paralyzed—unable to meet the urgency of the moment. So, if Washington won’t act, then it’s time to look beyond our nation’s capital. The Founders gave us another path in Article V of the Constitution, empowering the states and the American people to step in and demand fiscal discipline. I’m calling on Congress to pass the resolution calling for an Article V Convention. It’s time to restore sanity in our nation’s capital and reverse the curse looming large over this country.” – Chairman Arrington.

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Arrington Supports Balanced Budget Amendment, Calls for Article V Convention to Restore Fiscal Sanity

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. – Today, House Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington (TX-19) delivered remarks on the House floor in support of H.J.Res.139, proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States requiring a balanced budget for the Federal Government, warning of the nation’s worsening fiscal crisis and calling on Congress to take action to restore fiscal discipline through passage of the amendment or by advancing an Article V Convention of the States.

Click HERE to watch

Remarks as Delivered:

Ladies and gentlemen, let's pause for a brief moment of intellectual honesty. Both parties have failed. This institution has failed. We have failed our country. We have jeopardized our economy, our security, our leadership in the world, and worst of all, we have compromised on our children's future and the blessing of their inheritance of freedom and opportunity.

We have failed.

That's why we're talking about a constitutional amendment to impose fiscal responsibility on a body politic that has not done that, that has not mustered the political will to do that. We have a national debt per GDP that exceeds World War II levels of debt. We have an annual deficit that is larger than both the defense and non-defense discretionary budget. Fifty cents or greater on every dollar that we borrow of the $2 trillion going to service our interest payment. Half of what we borrow, a trillion dollars, is more than what we spend on defense.

Then there's this ominous forecast by CBO that even at $39 trillion today, where we're teetering on potential sovereign debt crisis, we will add $180 trillion to the national debt in the 30 years out. If that's not unacceptable to everybody, I don't know what is.

If we can't concede to the fact that this body politic does not have the political will to address it. To rein in the spending that's driving this unsustainable debt trajectory that will bankrupt our country and our children's future, then we must support this forcing mechanism. Force us to do what the American people have to do. Force us to do what state and local governments do.

Here's another, stunning and startling for some, but for all a sobering fact: we won't even get a simple majority vote today. So, what shall we do? Well, we should look to Article V of the Constitution, where the sovereign states and We the People can petition their government for another path to amend the Constitution.

Guess what? They've done that.

Well, in the late '70s and early '80s, they did that, and they had the requisite applications to have an Article V Convention of the States, to rein in us, the knuckleheads that refused to accept that it's not a Democrat or a Republican problem. It's an institutional problem that persists and will destroy the greatest nation in human history.

So, let's look to the states, and let's call that convention like we should have done in the '70s and '80s. Let's let them rein us in, restore fiscal sanity in their nation's capital, and reverse the curse that looms large over this country, and with that, I yield back.

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U.S. Rep. Arrington talks about his to-do list before leaving Washington

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 04:00:00 GMT

U.S. Rep. Arrington talks about his to-do list before leaving Washington

By Mateo Rosiles
March 17, 2026
AS SEE IN THE LUBBOCK AVALANCHE-JOURNAL

As West Texas voters still work to decide who will represent them in Congress come next year, U.S. Rep. Jodey Arrington said he doesn't intend to be a lame duck in his final months in office.

Arrington, R-Lubbock, has less than a year left representing U.S. House 19 district after he opted not to seek re-election, putting a clock on what he can accomplish before leaving Washington, D.C.

"I've taken on this job as a sacred trust from West Texans, and I hope they're as proud as I am with the results of our 10 years of leadership and representation," Arrington said. "But there's always more work to do to preserve the Republic."

Annabelle Gordon/ REUTERS

His to-do list is far from a collection of small bills he wants to pass. At the top of Arrington's list is his Reconciliation 2.0 bill.

Following up on the One Big Beautiful Bill

Many might remember hearing that word — "reconciliation" — as it refers to the process the House Budget Committee, the one that Arrington chairs, that combines the normal separate funding/spending bills into one bill for easier passage.

This is done for multiple political and procedural reasons, but most recently was done for President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill in 2025 — a bill that Arrington championed.

"I feel like there's a tremendous opportunity to build on the first one," Arrington said. "I'm hopeful that we can address some of the other affordability issues in the country."

The so-called Reconciliation 2.0 bill would focus on codifying Trump's America First trade agenda and rooting out what Arrington and his colleagues call waste, fraud and abuse in federal programs.

Mateo Rosiles/ Avalanche-Journal

But there is another issue the bill would focus on that Arrington has championed previously — cutting the cost of healthcare in America.

"It actually fixes the problems with Obamacare, which is which has increased by 200% premiums and deductibles since 2014," Arrington said. "The Reconciliation 2.0 bill has provisions that will close loopholes, that will repeal mandates so that the cost comes down.

Arrington said one of those provisions — the cost-sharing reduction provision — would reduce premiums by over 10% according to the Congressional Budget Office, and that the same provision would save taxpayers $30 billion.

Improvements to healthcare

Other provisions would foster healthcare insurance competition, increase transparency requirements from the healthcare system, while also pulling back on government intervention.

Mateo Rosiles/ Avalanche-Journal

But Arrington doesn't want to stop there, he wants to transform healthcare so that health savings accounts are the foundation of patient-centered systems and not an afterthought

"If we don't have tax-free health savings accounts where families can keep more of their money, then it distorts the entire healthcare market, and it allows monopoly forces to gouge our hard-working families," Arrington said. "So that the idea is, instead of sending money to big insurance like Obamacare does, let's redirect those resources, and let's build out even more money with a health savings account."

Arrington recently told Punchbowl News in early March that he will mark up a budget resolution within the next 30 days.

Addressing the nation's debt

While still on the topic of budgets, Arrington said he hopes to also pass another balanced budget framework out of the House Budget Committee, but also set up a new budget commission.

"I want to establish a bipartisan debt commission so that Democrats and Republicans can come up with a plan to address our trillions of dollars in unfunded liabilities, mainly in entitlement programs, because I think ultimately it's going to require Republicans and Democrats to work together on that," Arrington said.

Mateo Rosiles/ Avalanche-Journal

Other bills Arrington said he is looking at are related to:

The Farm Bill — help not only cotton producers with greater risk management tools when it comes to weather volatility, but it also incentivizes them to bring their crops to harvest.
Rural health care — help the small rural hospitals become sustainable.
Ports-to-Plains — securing more funding for the I-27 portion of the project.
Dyes Air Force Base — securing funding for critical infrastructure around security gates to operate the B21 bomber.

With a long to-do list and his term ending in January 2027, Arrington said he is grateful for the opportunity to have represented the people of West Texas for nearly a decade.

"I fully expect that whoever succeeds me will continue the good work of restoring fiscal sanity in our nation's capital and making sure that our children inherent strong country, and with all the freedom and opportunities that we've enjoyed," Arrington said.

"I want to establish a bipartisan debt commission so that Democrats and Republicans can come up with a plan to address our trillions of dollars in unfunded liabilities, mainly in entitlement programs, because I think ultimately it's going to require Republicans and Democrats to work together on that," Arrington said.

Arrington Introduces Legislation to Strengthen Customs Enforcement

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. – House Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington (TX-19) introduced the Securing Accountability in Foreign Entries (SAFE) Act, legislation aiming to strengthen the integrity of the U.S. customs system by closing loopholes that make it possible for foreign importers to avoid paying tariffs.

This legislation is being led in the Senate by Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA).

“President Trump has taken decisive action to confront unfair global trade practices, but Congress must do its part to close loopholes that allow foreign companies - often backed by adversaries like China - to skirt U.S. trade enforcement,” said Chairman Arrington. “My Securing Accountability in Foreign Entries (SAFE) Act requires every Importer of Record to have a real and verifiable presence in the United States and subjects them to enforcement by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). I’m proud to support the President’s America First trade agenda by leading this effort to safeguard taxpayer dollars and ensure a level playing field for American businesses and workers.”

“American markets should be safe from foreign fraudsters,” said Senator Cassidy. “We’re making it easier to do business with the partners we trust, and harder for those we don’t.”

“Right now, the U.S. is the only major economy that allows foreign companies to import without meaningful accountability. That creates a huge enforcement gap and an uneven playing field for businesses that are doing things the right way.” said Ryan Petersen, Founder and CEO of Flexport. “The fix here is actually pretty simple. We should continue allowing foreign companies to import into the U.S. but require basic accountability—like establishing a U.S. subsidiary, having at least one local employee, and a U.S. bank account. That’s a common-sense standard that would weed out bad actors while still supporting open trade.”

“The International Trade Surety Association recognizes the need for new legislation and enhanced CBP processes to meet the increasingly fraudulent use of Non-Resident-Importer privileges and the ability to easily create new importers of record that later are found to be insolvent shell companies.” said the International Trade Surety Association. “This legislation provides new tools important for protecting US revenue and enforcement of law.”

Background:

Non-Resident Importers (NRIs), primarily from China, frequently declare import values far below the cost of the product to pay fewer tariffs.

When an American importer commits fraud, CBP can take action through domestic legal channels as their form of enforcement. However, when a Chinese importer does the same thing, they often disappear, making it nearly impossible for CBP to track them down and take legal action.

The SAFE Act would prevent this form of customs fraud by requiring that all importers have U.S. citizenship, lawful permanent residency, or a physical presence in the United States, with some exemptions for trusted trading partners.

The legislation also requires importers to pay duties, taxes, and fees directly to CBP from a verified U.S. bank account tied to the importer’s legal entity; ensuring CBP can trace payments to legitimate and identifiable entities.

This bill would ensure that only accountable entities benefit from expedited customs processing, while protecting U.S. systems from exploitation by adversarial regimes.

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Arrington, Jodey RSS Articles

Arrington Hosts Russ Vought at Hearing on President Trump’s FY2027 Budget

Arrington Secures Broad Conservative Support for Resolution Affirming States’ Right to Defend Against Border Invasion

Rep. Arrington Pushes States' Border Defense Resolution

Rep. Arrington Pushes States' Border Defense Resolution

EXCLUSIVE: Texas Lawmakers Support Congressional Resolution Affirming State Sovereignty in Border Defense

Texas Lawmakers Support Congressional Resolution Affirming State Sovereignty in Border Defense

Twenty-five Texas lawmakers signed a letter to the U.S. House requesting that the resolution be passed.

Arrington Applauds Trump Administration Rolling Back Costly Biden-Era Methane Rule

OPINION: Here’s how we put America on a path to fiscal balance

Arrington: Here’s how we put America on a path to fiscal balance

Economists say a 3% ratio of deficit to GDP will create a virtuous cycle.

Arrington Calls for an Article V Constitutional Convention as U.S. National Debt Hits Record Breaking $39 Trillion

Arrington Supports Balanced Budget Amendment, Calls for Article V Convention to Restore Fiscal Sanity

U.S. Rep. Arrington talks about his to-do list before leaving Washington

U.S. Rep. Arrington talks about his to-do list before leaving Washington

Following up on the One Big Beautiful Bill

Improvements to healthcare

Addressing the nation's debt

Arrington Introduces Legislation to Strengthen Customs Enforcement

Twenty-five Texas lawmakers signed a letter to the U.S. House requesting that the resolution be
passed.