Jodey Arrington discusses national budget cuts & its local impact

BIG COUNTRY, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – House Budget Committee Chair Jodey Arrington says the newly approved 2025 budget resolution marks the biggest spending cut in U.S. history, slashing approximately $2 trillion. He says the plan will help rein in the nation's growing debt while securing funding for border security, defense, and economic growth.

"He is off like a rocket ship, to reverse again the disastrous policies and effects of the last administration and to advance the America First agenda. The first part of that is to declare a national emergency and to lock the border down. We've seen the numbers go from about 20,000 a day to under 1,000. We've basically got operational control of the border within like days because this president prioritizes the American people. In addition, we're working on things to open up American energy after the four-year regulatory assault on an industry that is the lifeblood of our economy," Arrington shared.

As House Budget Committee Chair, Arrington has been working on the budget resolution, which President Trump recently endorsed.

"I'm working on the budget resolution, which is the vehicle that will have the preponderance of policies for the America First agenda, including locking in low tax cuts, making sure that we open up domestic energy production, reining in the regulatory state, and then cut spending so that we can actually restore fiscal health, stave off a debt crisis, and make sure that we can make America not only safe but prosperous again," Arrington explained.

The 2025 budget concurrent resolution, which outlines a framework to cut approximately $2 trillion, was approved by the committee last week.

"This is the most we've ever reduced in spending in the history of our country. But then again, we now have 36 trillion in debt, which is more indebtedness relative to economic output than we've ever had, surpassing World War Two," Arrington explained. "So just reducing the deficit will probably take away the biggest drag on the economy, but the President needs resources to implement his border security agenda, the detention, and deportation of criminal aliens, and that's exactly what we intend to do; that's built into the budget resolution."

Arrington says the budget committee has set broad spending reduction targets, leaving specific policy decisions to individual committees.

"We've basically put out top-line numbers on what we expect each of the committees of jurisdiction to find in terms of spending reductions, but I'm not giving them the specifics. Each committee will write those policies and will roll them back up to the budget committee," Arrington shared. "I have provided examples of reforms that will have savings, for example, if you have a work requirement for able-bodied adults in Medicaid as we have in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or food stamps, will not only prevent people from being trapped in poverty and government dependence, but will also save taxpayers some 120 plus billion dollars, and there's a long list of things like that."

Arrington has many plans for the 119th Congress, with border security and military strength at the top of the list.

"Our men and women in uniform fight for our freedom to protect our homeland. They do the most important and most dangerous job on behalf of the American people. So that's job number one, and I want to make sure President Trump has the resources. We have a commander in chief now with the will to do the necessary things. I think we're already seeing the restoration of America's respect on the world stage," Arrington said. "Secondly, I would say we need to restore law and order across the land, make sure people feel safe in their own homes, in their own neighborhoods, and on the streets of our once great American cities. Lastly, we've got to unleash economic growth. We've been on high center at best, at all the spending, all the paying people not to work, the taxes and regulations have been a beat down on the greatest economy in the world. So we have to untangle this, and we have to reignite economic growth and bring down spending. If we do both of those, I think we're going to see greater opportunities for our fellow Americans, better quality of life, bigger paychecks, and a prosperity economy that we're all longing for after 40 years of high inflation and an economy and a debt position as a country that's very dangerous."

In Abilene, Meals on Wheels is facing a $1.9 million budget cut. Executive Director Betty Bradley warned the program could be eliminated entirely, potentially leaving more than half of those who rely on daily meals without service.

Arrington said that every federally funded program is undergoing the same scrutiny, but that doesn’t necessarily mean funding will be cut.

"It just means that everybody must have the same level of scrutiny to ensure tax dollars are being spent wisely to make sure that when we look to rein in the spending that is unnecessary, that is reckless and fraudulent, and to make sure that we right scope and right scale the federal government," Arrington said. "There are no cuts in place today that I have a list of things that we could do that would save money, but those are things that are being considered at the committee level, and that is what's going to happen now that we've passed the budget resolution out of my committee now the financial services committee that oversees the social service block grant program and Energy and Commerce commerce that oversees Medicaid, they will look at these programs. They will make sure that the tax dollars are well spent. They will root out the waste and fraud. They will make sure that inefficiencies will be dealt with so that we can save money, bring down our debt, and make sure that the beneficiaries who we intended to receive these services are the ones benefiting, not fraudsters and not some bureaucrat that doesn't know how to manage his way out of a paper sack."

Earlier this month, Arrington introduced the Protecting American Energy Act, legislation to prohibit any federal moratorium on fracking and ensure states have control over energy production on state and private land.

"West Texas is ground zero for producing the fuel that runs this great economy of ours, the best in the world. It's not only that, but it keeps consumers' costs low. We've seen just how much we depend on the ocean of natural gas that was discovered in the shale revolution because of fracking and what's at risk when you have an administration come in that's very hostile to conventional fuels," Arrington explained. "We saw a whole of government regulatory assault on the oil and gas industry for four years, and it's wreaked havoc on our economy, for small businesses and manufacturers, and on our families who have to put gas in their car to go to and from work and to heat and cool their homes. So we're putting in place, basically, a preventative of ever having a ban on something that is so critical, not just to our economy and our lifestyle, but to national security, because energy independence is national security, and we're doing many other things. Ted Cruz and I are also working to repeal Biden's moratorium on 600 million acres worth of offshore drilling. I mean, the list is long because we've seen an extreme climate agenda thrust on this country, and it's weakened us. It's made us more vulnerable, and it's made the expenses for every family and working person in this country unsustainable."