News from Washington and Across West Texas 

Dear Friend,

Throughout the month of August, I had the opportunity to meet with many of you during my travels throughout West Texas, from our job creators, agriculture & energy producers, senior citizens, and many more. Now with school back in full swing and Congress coming back into session next week, I remain committed to advancing the policies and priorities that I heard about from the good people back home, which will ensure that our region stays strong and vibrant for decades to come.

Celebrating the American Worker
This Monday, we marked Labor Day, and thanks to the economic policies we’ve enacted under President Trump’s leadership, there has never been a better time to celebrate the American worker. By lowering taxes on American families, rolling back red tape, repealing onerous, burdensome regulations, and providing incentives for companies to invest in our country, our employment picture looks the best it has been in decades.

Unemployment is near the lowest rate in 50 years, with 17 straight months of unemployment below 4% and over seven million job openings, including one million more jobs open than there are workers to fill them. Not only are people looking for work and finding work, including our veterans who are seeing an 18-year low in unemployment, they are also seeing more take home pay as well. In fact, wages are rising for workers at the fastest pace in over a decade. Perhaps most importantly, wages are rising the fastest for workers on the lower end of the income ladder.

The ingenuity, entrepreneurial spirit, and the indomitable work ethnic of the American people is why we are the most prosperous, generous nation on the face of the planet. Thank you to every West Texas worker for all the good you do for America!

Confronting China
There’s no question that, going forward, our nation’s greatest existential threat is the Communist-controlled People’s Republic of China. That is why I support our Negotiator-in-Chief, President Trump, holding firm in trade negotiations so we can secure a real and meaningful deal with China – not merely political window dressing. President Trump is right to take aim at China’s long history of abuse and cheating on the United States and its unfair trading practices – from theft of our intellectual property to forced technology transfer, mass state subsidies of their industries, and dumping of cheap product on the global market. I applaud the administration’s work to fight back against these economic abuses so we can ensure a more balanced, more reciprocal trade relationship in the years and decades ahead.

Click here to watch a conversation I had on Fox Business recently to talk trade and the latest on negotiations with China.

Securing the Border and Stopping Illegal Immigration
When it comes to welcoming immigrants, the United States is the most generous and compassionate nation in the world, but allowing for open borders and illegal immigration to persist is not compassionate for anyone, including those who are risking the safety of themselves and their families by making the dangerous trek to come to America.

To help stem the tide of illegal immigration into our country, I recently introduced the Securing Comprehensive Review in Entry Enforcement Now (SCREEN) Act, which will ensure our already overwhelmed immigration system does not get further bogged down by those who abuse it.

Not only will this legislation alleviate bureaucratic inefficiencies in the asylum process, it will also help reduce the troubling number of asylum seekers who have been released into the interior of our country, ensuring that migrants who do not have credible fear claims are not allowed in the United States in the first place. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House and Senate, as well as the Trump Administration, to advance this legislative fix, which will fill a critical gap and close a loophole in our broken immigration process. Click here to learn more about my legislation, which advances my goal of securing our border and safeguarding our sovereignty as a nation.

Pro-American Energy Policies
I was glad to be on hand in Lubbock last week to join EPA Region 6 Deputy Administrator David Gray for the announcement of a proposed rule on methane that will provide regulatory relief for our energy producers in West Texas and throughout the United States.

It’s no secret that the heart of America’s economic prosperity and unrivaled security is an abundant, affordable, and reliable supply of domestic energy. The energy revolution and especially the innovations in technology we have seen from industry leaders here in West Texas in recent years have advanced our nation’s energy security while creating a significant reduction in carbon emissions.

The EPA’s new rule will reduce unnecessary and burdensome regulations, empowering our energy producers, especially our small and independent producers, to continue to lead the way in our nation’s energy dominance and environmental stewardship. I applaud President Trump and his administration’s EPA for finding meaningful ways to balance the stewardship of our environment and economic growth, leaving our nation safer, stronger, and cleaner for our children and grandchildren. Click here to watch media coverage of the announcement and here to read more about this new methane rule.

The Hub City
During my time in Lubbock last week, I also had the opportunity to meet with some of our local community leaders. Small businesses are the cornerstone of rural communities and the engine of the American economy, and I was pleased to speak with local business leaders at a Lubbock Chamber of Commerce roundtable. I also enjoyed getting to break bread and provide a legislative update to folks from the Texas Farm Bureau and the Plains Ginners Association, two groups that play a critical role in representing our region’s agriculture interests and the needs of rural America so well. Thanks for all you do for West Texas!

Wreck ‘Em Tech!
The Red Raiders football team started the 2019 season off strong by storming past Montana State, 45-10, marking Matt Wells’ first win as Head Coach. This week, Tech will be back on the gridiron taking on University of Texas-El Paso for the annual Agriculture Game, which celebrates all things ag, from cotton to beef and other crops on the South Plains, as well as everything that makes Texas Tech a leader in the agriculture industry.
 
Fall is a great time to enjoy football with family, friends, and good food, and I look forward to watching the Red Raiders successful campaign this season with my Guns Up!

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