House Budget Committee Chair Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) told us on Fly Out Day this week that a third Republican reconciliation package would be centered around sending more money to the Pentagon.
Arrington hopes to mark up a budget resolution in the coming weeks and pass the reconciliation package before the August recess. Arrington said he has no idea how much money the Pentagon needs, but he’s met with Defense Department officials several times over the last few weeks.
“We have six legislative weeks, we have about 25 legislative days left,” Arrington told us on Fly Out Day. Subscribe to our YouTube page here.
In addition to defense spending, Arrington said he wants to cut “fraud” and include provisions to make housing and health care more affordable.
Of course, fraud is in the eyes of the beholder. Democrats will say Republicans are looking to slash spending from social safety net programs. Arrington sees these cuts as an “80-20” issue in Republicans’ favor.
“I don’t know of anything that will motivate and energize voters more right now than the affordability paid for by the war on fraud,” Arrington said.
The West Texas Republican is retiring at the end of this Congress. But we asked Arrington two key political questions anyway.
First, Arrington said that he understood why President Donald Trump endorsed Ken Paxton over Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) in the Texas Senate GOP runoff.
“Obviously, John Cornyn is a friend and we [worked] well together over the years. Paxton, I think, has a lot of Trump, Trumpian style, and in that he’s broken conventional political norms,” Arrington replied. Paxton has been accused of various forms of corruption.
Also, Arrington said that he plans to run for office again.
“You know, God willing, I’ll get another shot at it,” Arrington said.
Arrington added: “I’m going to keep that door open … but to be very direct about it, not false humility, I pray God gives me another opportunity to come back in some form, not obviously in Congress.”
