WASHINGTON, D.C. — House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) appeared on Fox News’ The Faulkner Focus with Harris Faulkner to highlight recent economic gains and advocate for structural changes in health care financing. He emphasized that current policies are delivering tangible benefits, contrasting them with previous legislative efforts. Economic indicators such as job growth, rising wages, and declining mortgage costs reflect improved conditions for American households. On average, monthly mortgage payments have decreased by approximately $200, offering relief to working families. Short- and long-term interest rates are trending downward, inflation has stabilized, and unemployment remains near historic lows. Notably, wage growth is exceeding inflation, increasing real disposable income—a shift not seen in the prior four years. Additional financial relief is expected in the coming year, including $350 billion in tax refunds and reduced tax withholdings, further boosting take-home pay.
Regarding health care, Arrington criticized the continuation of pandemic-era subsidy programs, calling them inefficient and prone to misuse. He cited a Government Accountability Office report revealing widespread fraud, including the use of deceased individuals’ Social Security numbers to claim benefits. According to the Congressional Budget Office, over 6 million people enrolled in these programs are ineligible. He also pointed out that the current structure allows subsidies for high-income earners, including those with annual incomes exceeding $500,000, which he argued misallocates public funds. Arrington stressed the need to eliminate wasteful spending, referencing estimates of up to $500 billion in annual fraud within federal health programs. He credited Republican efforts with cutting a trillion dollars in waste, fraud, and abuse, while criticizing Democratic opposition to such measures. He dismissed proposals to expand existing health care programs as fiscally unsound and ineffective in reducing costs for consumers. Instead, he called for reforms focused on affordability, accountability, and long-term sustainability.
— news from House Budget Committee (.gov)
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Chairman Arrington Highlights Strong Economic Momentum and Calls for Health Care Cost Reform on The Faulkner Focus
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) joined Harris Faulkner on Fox News’ The Faulkner Focus to discuss the nation’s economic progress and the urgent need for health care cost reform. n nWatch the full interview here n nOn Republicans delivering affordability for Americans: n nWe’re not just promoting affordability, like the Unaffordable Care Act or promoting reducing inflation, like the quote “Inflation Reduction Act.” We’re actually doing something about it. We said if past was prologue, we would see the economy growing, we’d see wages go up, we’d see business investments, and we’re seeing all of the above. n nMortgage rates are down now, on average, about $200 in the mortgage payment for our hardworking families. Interest rates in the long term and in the short term are coming down; inflation is stable; historically low unemployment. But the big ticket here is that wages are outpacing inflation, so people are putting more money in their pocket. That didn’t happen for the last four years. n nSo, there’s greater confidence, greater hope. And wait until next year — $350 billion in refund checks on account of the tax cuts, and you’ll have less withholdings in the next tax year, so people will again have more take-home income. n nOn health care cost reform: n nLet me start with: stop throwing taxpayer — hard-earned taxpayer — good money after bad by extending a layer of COVID-era, fraud-ridden subsidies that have not worked, wasted a bunch of money — by the way, the GAO — Government Accountability Office — in their recent bombshell report said tens of thousands of Social Security numbers of dead people have been used to draw down these subsidies that are not going to the people — not dead people or alive people. They’re going to insurance companies. n nYou’ve got, according to CBO, nonpartisan, 6 million-plus people who are ineligible on that program. Not to mention, the way it was structured by Democrats is it’s paying taxpayer subsidies for people making half a million dollars or more. That program should die a very unnatural death. n nOn rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse: n nLook at what’s happening with Tim Walz in Minnesota. Soaking the system, and building these terrible mouse traps that made health care unaffordable for every American, while it’s leaking like a sieve with waste and fraud. And that was the federal government, by the way — upwards of $500 billion a year in fraud. n nWhat did Republicans do? Root out waste, fraud, and abuse by a trillion dollars. The Democrats fought us every step of the way in the Big Beautiful Bill, and now they’re proposing that this thing — this Obamacare expansion — is somehow going to save money and make health care affordable. Baloney. Baloney. n nLet’s do the things that we know will actually make life better and make health care more affordable.