Jodey Arrington

Mr. ARRINGTON

Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Speaker, I wonder how my colleagues justified the $800 billion tax break for multibillion dollar, multinational green energy corporations. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Moore), my friend and former speaker of the house from the Tar Heel State.

Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I am obsessed with the threat of a looming debt crisis and the irreparable harm it would do to our great economy, our national security, our leadership in the world, and our children's future. We have an opportunity. It is a historic generational opportunity to right this ship, but we have to grow the economy. We have to have progrowth policies in place that will unleash growth and prosperity, and we have to get serious about the first and most important job of the Federal Government, which is providing for the common defense. We did that in the House bill, but what we did in the House bill that the Senate fell far short in doing is to have a balanced budget resolution, to have a commitment to enforceable spending reduction targets that would bring the debt to GDP down and put our Nation on good fiscal footing and a sustainable path. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues today to demand that the House budget resolution and that our fiscal framework with our budget targets guide the final reconciliation bill. Mr. Speaker, again, this may be the last best opportunity to save our country from fiscal ruin. The formula is all there in the House budget resolution. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to demand that that is what drives the bill at the end of the day. God bless America, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ARRINGTON

Mr. ARRINGTON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and celebrate the life of a west Texas giant, a proud Texas Tech Red Raider, a loving husband and father, and my dear friend, John Billingsley. From humble beginnings in O'Donnell, Texas, John's entrepreneurial spirit and west Texas work ethic propelled him to a series of successful ventures, becoming one of the most accomplished business leaders in the entire country. A common man with uncommon character, endless vision, and a love for God and people as big as the west Texas horizon, John was the epitome of the American Dream. His life was proof that greatness is often found in the most obscure places and within the most unassuming people. John was a true gentleman whose uncanny business acumen was matched only by his humility, integrity, and authenticity. John's story reminds us that with big dreams, hard work, and determination, the opportunities in this great country of ours are endless. We grieve this great loss with his loving wife, Harriett, and the entire Billingsley family. We pray God's comfort for them, but we celebrate alongside them, as well. We celebrate John's amazing life and legacy and all the tremendous contributions he made to his friends, family, community, and our beloved country. God bless the Billingsley family, and go west Texas. Honoring Jonathan Nicholas Williams

Mr. ARRINGTON. Madam Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to honor the life of Jonathan Nicholas Williams, beloved husband, father, true west Texan, and dear friend of mine. When I first met Jon at a Farm Bureau meeting in Terry County, he was brutally honest, direct, and plainspoken, like a lot of ag producers. While the meeting was tension filled, we became fast friends. Jon was the epitome of a west Texas farmer, no doubt: hardworking, God-fearing, and humble, a man who was totally dedicated to his family, community, and friends. Anyone who knew Jon would tell you that his greatest source of joy was his family, his beautiful children, Paisley, Lexi, Owen, and Willow, whom he raised with the love and support of his wife, Melissa. A proud and committed father, he instilled in his children the values of personal responsibility, perseverance, and, of course, a love of the land. I know I speak for the entire community of west Texas when I say that the Williams family is in our prayers, and our entire community stands ready to care for them in the same way that Jon cared for us, his community, and his friends. May God comfort the Williams family, and may He give all of us the courage and character that Jon had to live up to his legacy of truth- telling, servant leadership, and fighting for all we believe is good and right in this world. May God bless my friend, Jon, and may he rest in peace. Blessings on his family. Go west Texas.

Mr. ARRINGTON

Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H. Con. Res. 14.

Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Chair, I yield an additional 15 seconds to the gentleman from Wisconsin.

Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chair, my good friend and ranking member made a comment about Mr. Ralph Norman from South Carolina. Listen closely to what he said. He would like to cut $5 trillion from the budget. Add my name to that list because the GAO says there is $5 trillion of fraud throughout the four corners of this Federal Government. That is the people's money. We ought to spend every waking hour together, across the aisle, and in a bipartisan way to go and root out that waste and fraud that is fleecing the taxpayers. Count me in the camp of Mr. Ralph Norman when the Government Accountability Office says that there is $5 trillion of defrauding the people's government and the people's money. We will not hear anybody on the other side of the aisle, and there are some good and well-intended people. In this debate we will not hear them talking about illegals being on welfare rolls or the fact their President, President Joe Biden, with the stroke of a pen, welcomed illegals onto welfare and healthcare rolls. We can't even afford Social Security benefits because the fund will be insolvent within the next 10 years. Instead, we are bringing people who aren't even citizens onto the social safety nets that are paid for by taxpayers. We are not spending that money, that precious treasure of taxpayers, to shore up Medicare and Social Security. It makes no sense to me. Do you know what? It made no sense to the American people. That is why they gave this President a mandate and gave this country unified Republican leadership. They are apparently still in denial. They are disconnected from the reality of the last 4 years. They may have had all the best intentions, but the pain and the suffering that the American people endured because of the reckless, record trillions of dollars in spending and the failed economic policies of the last administration is real. They didn't forget it. They voted with that acid test and that fundamental question: Is my life better today? I don't think there has ever been in American history a clearer contrast between the two parties back to back with Republican total control in '17 and '18, Democrat unified leadership on the heels of that, and the philosophies, the values, the worldviews, the policies, and the consequences borne by the American people. Mr. Chair, they have chosen a very different path, and they have asked us to reverse course and to reverse the curse that looms not only over this country but our children's future. I am surprised that I haven't heard one sentence about the waste, fraud, and abuse in the Federal Government at $5 trillion. I am surprised that I haven't heard any criticisms of the millions of people who have come to this country illegally and drained Medicaid, according to CBO, by billions of dollars. That was a letter in response to an inquiry that we sent. How much of the tax dollars and Medicaid are being siphoned off for people who are here illegally? I can't believe there is not more indignation on account of the fact that $9,000 is what we are spending on people who broke the law, violated our sovereignty, and are here in this country illegally. Taxpayers are spending $9,000 per illegal immigrant for social services that were intended for the United States citizens. That $9,000 represents more money than we spend on our own vulnerable American citizens on Medicaid, but we won't hear any of that today. The American people know better. They have always had better judgment, and they made the right call. We aim to deliver for them. Mr. Chair, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining.

Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chair, today, the majority will unlock the policies for making America safe and prosperous again by advancing the FY 2025 budget resolution. Mr. Chairman, this fiscal framework will guide the process for restoring the fiscal health of our Nation by reining in reckless spending and reigniting economic growth. In addition, it provides critical resources to our Commander in Chief to secure our border, strengthen our military, and provide for the common defense. For the next 2 hours, Mr. Chairman, my Democratic colleagues are going to reach way back to the only plays they know how to run: making false claims and fear-mongering. Why? Because they are still, even after the recent election, disconnected from the people's reality because they are more concerned with protecting unionized government bureaucrats and woke and wasteful government programs than they are about protecting taxpayers and their sacred treasure. Why? Because their commitment isn't to we the people in this fateful moment. It is to we the government and to derailing the mandate from the people for commonsense policies and President Trump's America First agenda. I am going to take some time to set the record straight, Mr. Chairman, so that every time the American people hear these false claims to mislead them into thinking that the tax cuts somehow benefited the billionaires and corporations and that Republicans are cutting benefits for seniors and the poorest among us, I want the American people to know the truth. Here is the truth: The Trump tax cuts lower tax rates for every American household at every income level while increasing the amount of taxes paid by the top 1 percent. According to The Washington Post--which, by the way, gave Democrats not one, not two, not three, but four Pinocchios every time they made these misleading claims--$3 of every $4 in the Trump tax cuts didn't go to corporations but to individuals, cutting taxes for the lowest income individuals by 10 percent while cutting taxes for the top 1 percent of income earners by less than one-half of 1 percent. In addition, we saw a record 25-year wage increase for median household incomes. Real wages in the bottom 10 percent rose two times faster than the top 10 percent. Real wealth at the bottom half of households rose three times faster than that of the top half of our country. A record 6 million people were lifted out of poverty. Black, Hispanic, and Asian-American citizens experienced historic high incomes and all-time low unemployment. Here is the reality, Mr. Chairman: Our Democratic colleagues opposed the American people's tax cuts back in 2017, and they oppose their tax cuts today. If they were successful in this endeavor, here is what would happen. We would have a 22 percent tax hike on every American citizen, on average, when they just suffered through a 21 percent tax hike from the inflation tax over the last 4 years and the worst cost-of-living crisis in modern history. Median-income families would lose $1,700. Twenty-six million small businesses would pay at the highest marginal rate and lose the 20 percent deduction, putting them on a comparable level to corporate tax rates. Forty million families would have the child tax credits for their children cut in half. Ninety-one percent of the American people who get the standard deduction would have that cut in half. Those are the results of the Democrats standing in the way of what would be, if they were successful, the highest tax hike in American history. Here is the other false claim. To pay for these tax cuts, the Democrats are going to say that Republicans are cutting benefits for seniors and for, again, our poorest and most vulnerable among us. Here is the truth, Mr. Chairman: Republicans are fighting to rightsize a woke, weaponized, and bloated bureaucracy; to root out the trillions of dollars in waste, fraud, and abuse; and to rein in the reckless spending of the Biden administration and our Democratic colleagues from over the last 4 years. Prior to 2019, before President Biden took office and he and the Democrats jammed $2 trillion through in the so-called COVID relief, even though maybe 10, 20 percent of that money actually went for the purposes of COVID relief, our budget back then was $4.5 trillion. Today, it is $7 trillion. With the so-called Inflation Reduction Act, they gave away $700 billion in tax credits to green energy corporations. They expanded ObamaCare subsidies to people making more than half a million dollars, many of whom already had employer-sponsored healthcare. They expanded the IRS to 80,000 new IRS agents tasked with shaking down mostly middle-class people and small businesses. With the stroke of a pen, President Biden wasted $2 trillion unilaterally of taxpayer money by opening up our taxpayer-funded welfare services to people in this country illegally; waived work requirements for means-tested welfare programs, from SNAP to Medicaid and beyond, trapping people in poverty and dependence on the Federal Government; mandated expensive and unreliable electric vehicles for all Americans; and a whole lot more. In fact, we are spending $9,000 per illegal immigrant in this country for the millions of people who violated our sovereignty and came to this country in violation of our immigration laws. Mr. Chairman, $9,000 is what taxpayers pay for people who are here illegally for taxpayer- funded social services. That is more than we spend on the most vulnerable Americans for Medicaid. That is more than we spend collectively for our veterans' military retirement. President Biden weakened government program integrity, allowing people who aren't eligible for Medicaid and other programs to receive benefits. Case in point, we used to review the Medicaid rolls twice a year to make sure people who were on the rolls were those who were most vulnerable and those who qualified according to the law. That was revoked by the Biden administration. They only did it once a year. If we changed it back, we would eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse and save $160 billion of taxpayer money. President Biden implemented unconstitutional and regressive student loan bailouts, forcing working Americans to subsidize the upper-middle class, law students, and medical students. These are folks who deferred their education. These are hardworking people who didn't think they could afford college. We have an unprecedented opportunity, Mr. Chairman. My fellow Republicans and I have a sacred obligation at this moment to meet this moment with the urgency it demands. Now more than ever is the time for Republicans in Congress to demonstrate the courage of their convictions and take bold action in this historic moment. Let's save this country, save our children's future, and save us from wrecking the greatest economy in the world and jeopardizing our national security and our leadership in the world. The world is counting on a safe, strong, and free America, and I believe that this bill encapsulates the policies that are going to restore America's greatness. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support it, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. What you won't hear from my Democratic colleagues is any mention of the half a trillion dollars in waste, fraud, and abuse in the Medicaid program that jeopardizes that program for the most vulnerable Americans and does a disservice to every taxpayer in this great country of ours. By the way, when I hear the words ``betrayal of the middle class,'' what comes to mind is the unbridled spending and the failed economic policies that gave us the worst cost-of-living crisis in modern history. A whole lot of people suffered under that 21 percent inflation tax, and a whole lot more people would suffer under a 22 percent tax increase if they were successful in killing the American people's tax cuts. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Smucker), my friend, the vice chair of the Budget Committee, and a key architect, I would say, of this budget blueprint.

Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Chair, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman from Pennsylvania.

Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Moore), former speaker of the house of the Tar Heel State and a Budget Committee member.

Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Estes), another Budget Committee member who had a hand in developing this fiscal framework.

Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Hern), my good friend and our Conference Policy Committee chair.

Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Cline), my good friend and a member of the Budget Committee.

Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Clyde), my friend and another Budget Committee member.

Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Speaker, I wonder when my Democrat colleagues will direct their indignation and outrage to the fact that DOGE and our friend, Elon Musk, has exposed tremendous, outrageous, and utterly offensive waste like transgender operas in Colombia, DEI musicals in Ireland, transgender comic books, and $20 million on ``Sesame Street.'' I would only have to assume my Democrat colleagues think that is the way to find peace in the Middle East. It is insane, and it is offensive to the taxpayers. You will never hear a single word about that in this debate today. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Bergman).

Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gill), my friend and also a member of the Budget Committee.