News from Washington and Across West Texas

Congressman Jodey Arrington Texas Insider Report: WASHINGTON D.C. As I continue my work in Congress a few of my most important policy priorities for our region include advocating for agriculture producers caring for our retired servicemembers and fighting for West Texas values. Last weeks meetings and events focused on those three priorities read below on how we continued to discuss the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 commonly known as the Farm Bill introduced legislation to better assist our servicemembers as they transition into civilian life and welcomed a veteran and long-time Lubbock resident as the Houses guest chaplain. Farm Bill Update As we await floor debate and a vote on the Farm Bill I feel the need to clear up some misconceptions and misinformation that has been mustered by the left about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Our proposed reforms to SNAP do not have anything to do with children the disabled or the elderly. Its simply about requiring people who are able-bodied to work volunteer or be trained to work if they receive government assistance. Thats all were asking. Far from being cruel" or unreasonable" our reforms are common sense compassionate and rooted in common decency. Work-capable adults should work to get assistance from the government  period. Its time we have responsible policies that pull people up and out of a cycle of dependency and poverty so they can fulfill their God-given potential. See here for my impassioned floor speech after hearing many of my colleagues stir the pot with fake news. ↓ President Franklin D. Roosevelts warnings about the maleffects of continued dependence on government relief have unfortunately come true – generational dependence on welfare has indeed created a spiritual and moral disintegration fundamentally destructive to the national fiber." Its time we reform welfare policies to enable those struggling to pull themselves up out of poverty and into prosperity. I joined Fox News to discuss a few of my thought on the legislation. See here for our conversation. Draining the Swamp If we learned anything from the American people in the last election it is that they are sick and tired of politics as usual and they are demanding we change the broken culture in Washington. Last week I met with President Trump and a bipartisan group of new House members at the White House to discuss our efforts to enact Congressional term limits. The President remarked that we are passionate about term limits its because we know this is a historic opportunity. It is the right time. We know how people feel on all points along the political spectrum. Our freshman class represents a new generation of policymakers in Washington who came here not just to move the furniture around but to really change the game fundamentally. We know that with this presidents support we can get it done. Honoring an American Hero Our government spends billions of dollars preparing citizens to be warriors on the battlefield but invests only a fraction of that in helping those same soldiers transition to back civilian life. If we do a better job equipping our servicemen and women on the front end of their transition we can reduce the number of veterans who struggle with unemployment homelessness and suicide. In this case especially an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of intervention. To strengthen the Transition Assistance Program I introduced the Navy SEAL Chief Petty Officer William Bill Mulder (Ret.) Transition Improvement Act of 2018 legislation named in memory of my dear friend a Plainview High School graduate and decorated Navy Seal. Bill was a true American hero who served our country with honor and distinction. Like many of our troops Bills greatest fight wasnt on the battlefield it was the struggle that often ensues from the mental emotional and physical wear and tear of military service. On top of that people who spend their entire careers pursuing excellence as a warrior often wrestle with life. The Transition Assistance Program can help prepare folks like Bill for the challenges and opportunities that come with transitioning to civilian life to create a new sense of purpose and to equip them with the tools to be successful in the marketplace. We owe it to Bill and all of our veterans to make this transition from active-duty to civilian life more seamless and successful which I believe this legislation does. For a few additional thoughts on this legislation see here. Texas Sized Job Creators The low tax low regulatory pro-growth economic environment in Texas should serve as a model for the entire nation. Fortunately for businesses across our country Congress has been successful in providing meaningful tax and regulatory relief to fuel similar economic growth. Great to meet with some of our Texas job-creators to discuss those efforts. Lets make America great again by making America more like Texas! Celebrating Our Small Businesses This week I have been traveling our District in Abilene Floydada and Brownfield celebrating the successes of our small businesses and job creators. With this week being National Small Business Week there is no better time to recognize the engines of economic growth and drivers of job creation. The almost 30 million small businesses across our country employ nearly half of Americans working in the private sector and two-thirds of all new jobs come from small businesses so their success is our success. I am glad that under our unified leadership we have an economic environment where our small business are open for business once again. Thank you West Texas Small Businesses for all that you do for our region and for our country!