LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – Rep. Jodey Arrington said Democrats are to blame for the current government funding stalemate, arguing they should accept a “clean” continuing resolution before engaging in broader policy discussions.
The Lubbock representative said he suspects Democrats are holding up negotiations “for personal political reasons” rather than acting in the best interest of the American people.
Arrington said Democrats have rejected a nonpartisan continuing resolution that would maintain government funding at last year’s levels.
“This is just to keep the lights on and keep the government funded at the last year level of funding that Chuck Schumer and Democrats voted on multiple times,” Arrington said. “We didn’t put any poison pills in there. We put no policy riders.”
The stalemate centers partly on Affordable Care Act tax credits that Democrats want to extend before open enrollment begins in November, though the credits don’t expire until December.
Arrington said those subsidies would extend COVID-era benefits that expand what he calls an already “failed” Obamacare program.
“Even with the original Obamacare subsidies, when these COVID-era subsidies expire, taxpayers will have funded 90% of the premiums for everybody in Obamacare, 98% for those at 100-130 percent poverty,” Arrington said. “People need to pay something to get the gracious and generous support of taxpayers because they need to take some responsibility for their healthcare.”
He said Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s counter-offer would add $1.5 trillion in new spending to protect undocumented immigrants’ taxpayer-funded health care and repeal work requirements for able-bodied adults in Medicaid.
“First and foremost, we can have those discussions with the government back on, with a clean CR, and then we can debate those, and we can present them to the American people,” Arrington said. “Those new Obamacare subsidies were created by Democrats, not a single Republican voted for it.”
Arrington said the shutdown affects all West Texans, including farmers waiting on critical relief, rural hospitals waiting on new support, and mothers needing WIC benefits.
When asked about supporting legislation to pay troops during a shutdown, Arrington said he would support such a measure but noted Republicans have already passed funding for military members.
“We passed the bill to fund the troops. We passed a CR that funds the troops,” Arrington said. “What makes the troops and their families any more or less valuable than Border Patrol agents and ICE agents and DEA agents? I mean, we’ve got a number of people and families who are supporting the common defense and public safety.”
Representative Gabe Vasquez of Hobbs has led efforts to keep military members paid during the potential shutdown.
While Democrats say House members need to return to Capitol Hill to negotiate, Arrington said those Democrats should spend more time in their communities listening to the people they serve.
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