News from Washington and Across West Texas

Dear Friend,

Every week, it seems Democrats in the House are trying to move us further and further away from the free-enterprise system that has helped make America the most powerful and prosperous nation on the planet by taking another step towards a full-fledged embrace of soviet-style socialism. Whether it’s a federal takeover of our elections or completely eliminating conventional forms of energy under “Green New Deals,” Democrats are constantly pushing legislation that would put our nation on a road to ruin, but which have no chance of passing the Senate or being signed into law by the President.

We saw this once again as just last week, the House Ways and Means Committee held a hearing on one of the Democrats’ signature legislative proposals: Medicare for All. While Medicare for All might be a dream for the modern-day Democrat Party, it would be a nightmare for the tens of millions of Americans who would lose the healthcare coverage they rely on if we adopted this single-payer system. In fact, under Medicare for All, all forms of private insurance would be outlawed, taking away coverage from over 180 million Americans. To add insult to injury, implementing Medicare for All would cost U.S. taxpayers $32 trillion over the first ten years. That means even if we doubled every American’s taxes, we still wouldn’t be able to raise enough revenue to cover the costs. And despite the $30 trillion plus price tag, Democrats haven't included any proposals for how they would pay for it!

Instead of government-run healthcare and one-size-fits-all plans, we should unleash the forces of competition, transparency and innovation to empower patients with more choices – all of which will bring down costs while improving the quality of care for West Texans and all Americans. Click here to watch some of my remarks from the House Ways and Means Committee’s hearing on Medicare for All.

Putting American Energy First
Last week also marked the start of appropriations season, where Congress allocates money to fund federal agencies and keep the government running. Unfortunately, the partisan spending package pushed by Speaker Pelosi is a nearly $1 trillion dollar boondoggle that would only continue to balloon the over $22 trillion in debt our nation owes. On top of this, while it increases funding for grants that flow to Planned Parenthood, it would fund the Department of Defense at levels below our Commander-in-Chief’s request, weakening our defense capabilities even as tensions in the Middle East continue to surface.

While I am opposed to the overall package, I was proud to offer an amendment that would prevent your taxpayer dollars from going to the UN climate change convention – a program promoted by climate change activists that has spawned fundamentally flawed agreements like the Paris Accord and which seeks to completely eliminate conventional fuels like oil and gas.

The fossil fuel resources we’ve been abundantly blessed with are the foundation of America’s energy independence, and they’ve allowed us to have the most powerful and prosperous economy and highest standard of living anywhere in the world. Instead of implementing costly, ineffective agreements that hurt West Texas, we can and must balance environmental stewardship, economic growth and energy independence. The U.S. is already leading the world in curbing carbon emissions and greenhouse gases, and we should continue building on the real results and environmental progress we’ve made, not in hostility to our traditional sources of energy, but in partnership with states and other stakeholders. Click here to watch my remarks from the House floor during amendment debate.

Full Steam Ahead For USMCA
Recently, nearly 1,000 agriculture and food groups across America sent a letter to Speaker Pelosi urging swift passage of the USMCA. By improving access for our farmers and ranchers, USMCA would increase American ag exports by $2.2 billion and lead to freer markets and fairer trade. President Trump has done his job by renegotiating NAFTA so it works better for American ag producers, and it’s vital that we in Congress do ours by passing USMCA before the August recess. Click here to read the letter from ag and food groups and stressing the importance of USMCA ratification.

Securing the Border
I also welcomed the opportunity to meet with Acting ICE Director Mark Morgan along with some of my colleagues last week. Director Morgan reiterated what Democrats have ignored for months: that the situation at our southern border is a full-blown security and humanitarian crisis. It is long past time that Congress acts to reform our broken asylum laws, fund the President’s request for humanitarian aid at the border, and give him the necessary tools to stem the tide of illegal immigration into our nation. Thank you, Director Morgan and ICE for all that you do to defend our sovereign borders and keep the American people safe!

Please know, it is an honor to be your Representative. Feel free to reach out to my office and let me know how I can best serve you.

Your friend and fellow West Texan,

Jodey C. Arrington
Member of Congress