Jodey Arrington | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2017 | |
| Chair of theHouse Budget Committee | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | John Yarmuth |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromTexas's19th district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Randy Neugebauer |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Jodey Cook Arrington (1972-03-09)March 9, 1972 (age 53) Plainview, Texas, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Texas Tech University (BA,MPA) |
| Website | House website Campaign website |
Jodey Cook Arrington (/ˈɛər.riŋ.tən/AIR-ring-tən; born March 9, 1972) is an American politician serving as theU.S. representative forTexas's 19th congressional district since 2017. The district includes a large slice ofWest Texas, centered aroundLubbock andAbilene. He is a member of theRepublican Party.
Arrington was a member ofGeorge W. Bush'sgubernatorial andpresidential administrations.[1] He was named appointments manager for Governor Bush in 1996. In 2000, he was appointed Special Assistant to the President and Associate Director of Presidential Personnel.[2] In December 2001,Donald E. Powell, the 18th chairman of theFederal Deposit Insurance Corporation, hired Arrington as the agency's chief of staff.[3]
Arrington later served as deputy federal coordinator for theOffice of the Federal Coordinator for Gulf Coast Rebuilding. In 2006, he left the coastal rebuilding office to return to his alma mater,Texas Tech University, as its system chief of staff and later vice chancellor for research and commercialization. Until his election to Congress, Arrington was the president of Scott Laboratories in Lubbock.
As a member of Congress, Arrington sponsored theOne Big Beautiful Bill Act[4] during the119th Congress, which he introduced May 20, 2025, and was signed into law July 4, 2025.
On November 11, 2025, Arrington announced that he would not seek re-election in2026.[5]
Arrington, the son of Gene and Betty Arrington, was reared inPlainview. His father playedbasketball at Texas Tech,[6][7] having lettered in 1958, 1959, and 1960[8] under coachPolk Robison. In high school, Arrington was a multi-sport athlete and a state-ranked tennis player.[9]
After graduating fromPlainview High School, Arrington attended Texas Tech, where he was a member of thePhi Delta Theta men'sfraternity. He also "walked on to" thefootball team underSpike Dykes. He graduated in 1994 with aBachelor of Arts inpolitical science but remained at Texas Tech to pursue aMaster of Public Administration degree, which he completed in 1997.[10] In 2004, he earned a Certificate of International Business Management from theMcDonough School of Business atGeorgetown University.
After Bush was elected president in 2000, Arrington joined theWhite House as Special Assistant to the President and Associate Director of Presidential Personnel,[11] where he served underClay Johnson III. For the next year, Arrington briefed and made recommendations to the President,Vice PresidentDick Cheney, and Chief of StaffAndy Card. During his time in the Office of Presidential Personnel, he managed an executive search team that helped the office fill more than 5,000 executive-level, board, and commission positions.[citation needed] He specialized in energy, the environment, and natural resources appointments.[12]
In late December 2001, at age 28, Arrington became one of the youngest chiefs of staff in the history of the FDIC,[13][14] where he served under the 18th chair,Donald E. Powell.[15] As Powell's chief of staff, he managed and oversaw the offices of the Chairman, Policy Development, and Public Affairs, all of which he reorganized to increase efficiency. In 2002, Arrington began chairing the FDIC Board Appeals Committee[15] and served in Powell's place on the Audit Committee.[citation needed]
In 2005, in the wake of FEMA's response toHurricane Katrina, President Bush established byexecutive order the Office of the Federal Coordinator for Gulf Coast Rebuilding.[16] Bush appointed Don Powell as Federal Coordinator, who, in turn, appointed Arrington as Deputy Federal Coordinator and Chief Operating Officer. In this role, Arrington worked with the governors of the affected states, as well as military officials, local authorities and charitable organizations.[1][3][17] Powell and Arrington were responsible for developing and executing the federal government's recovery efforts, as well as coordinating with local, state and federal officials. By the end of Arrington's first year in the Gulf Coast, he had aided Powell in the procurement and implementation of much of the $120 billion spent on infrastructure and assistance relief.[1]
After a year in the Gulf Coast position, Arrington returned to Texas Tech to serve as its system chief of staff.[18] The Tech System includesTexas Tech University,Texas Tech Health Sciences Center,Midwestern State University (which did not join the Tech System until after Arrington's tenure there[19]), andAngelo State University. He also served as the primary liaison to the vice-chancellors throughout the system.[citation needed]
In 2011, Arrington was named Vice Chancellor for Research and Commercialization at Texas Tech University System. During his seven-year tenure with the Texas Tech University System, Arrington chaired the Task Force for Enrollment Growth and was the chief architect of "Leading the Way", the strategic plan for the universities within the TTU System.[20]
Arrington worked to secure the naming rights to the Laura W. Bush Institute for Women's Health for the university health sciences center.[21] Since securing the naming rights in 2007, the institute has been responsible for raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for women's health care issues.[22]
In 2014, Arrington became president of Scott Laboratories in Lubbock. As president of a healthcare innovation holding company, which includes a comprehensive health system, Arrington's primary role was to launch and grow new ventures and support new revenue opportunities at the health system.
Until his election to Congress, Arrington focused on developing a telehealth startup, launching an innovative insurance product, and establishing a digital marketing platform for the health system.[23]
Arrington ran unsuccessfully in 2014 in aspecial election for theTexas State SenateDistrict 28. He lost to fellow RepublicanCharles Perry, who still holds the seat.[24]
With RepresentativeRandy Neugebauer ofTexas's 19th congressional district retiring in 2016, Arrington ran for his seat. Former Lubbock mayorGlen Robertson led a nine-candidate field in the March 1primary election with 27,791 votes (26.7%), followed by Arrington's 26,980 (26%). In third place wasMichael Bob Starr, the former commander ofDyess Air Force Base, who led handily inAbilene and received 22,256 votes (21.4%). Laredo surgeon Donald R. May finished fourth with 9,592 votes (9.2%).[25][26]
In the May 24runoff election, Arrington defeated Robertson, 25,214 votes (53.7%) to 21,769 (46.3%).[27][28]
In the November 8general election, Arrington polled 176,314 votes (86.7%);Libertarian Troy Bonar trailed with 17,376 (8.5%), and theGreen candidate, Mark Lawson, polled 9,785 (4.8%).[29] NoDemocrat had filed to run in the heavily Republican district.
Arrington supported PresidentDonald Trump's 2017executive order curtailingMiddle Easternimmigration, saying: "It is important that our commander in chief puts the safety of Americans first. Given concerns about the inadequate vetting of refugees and problems with our immigration system, this temporary pause is intended to ensure the safety of our citizens."[30]
In defending a proposal to cut access to the SNAP program (food stamps), Arrington cited the biblical passage Thessalonians 3:10, saying: "He says even when we were with you we give you this rule, 'If a man will not work he shall not eat.' And he goes on to say, 'We heard that some of you are idle.' I think that every American, Republican or Democrat wants to help the needy among us. And I think it's a reasonable expectation that we have work requirements. I think that gives more credibility, frankly, to SNAP."[31]
In December 2020, Arrington was one of 126 Republican members of theHouse of Representatives to sign anamicus brief in support ofTexas v. Pennsylvania, a lawsuit filed at theUnited States Supreme Court contesting the results of the2020 presidential election, in whichJoe Biden defeated[32] Trump. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case on the basis that Texas lackedstanding underArticle III of the Constitution to challenge the results of an election held by another state.[33][34][35]
Arrington voted against the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020, which authorizes DHS to nearly double the available H-2B visas for the remainder of FY 2020.[36][37]
Arrington voted against the Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 1158),[38] which effectively prohibitsImmigration and Customs Enforcement from cooperating with theDepartment of Health and Human Services to detain or removeillegal alien sponsors ofUnaccompanied Alien Children.[citation needed]
Arrington voted to provide Israel with support following2023 Hamas attack on Israel.[39][40]
Arrington opposed certifying the electoral vote count in the2020 presidential election,[41] citing "millions of American voters" who felt that the election "was not conducted in an equitable or accurate manner." He later condemned theattack on the United States Capitol that occurred on January 6, 2021.[42] In the weeks that followed, Arrington voted against thesecond impeachment of President Trump.
In 2022, Arrington was one of 39 Republicans to vote for the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act of 2022, an antitrust package that would crack down on corporations for anti-competitive behavior.[43][44]
As of July, 2025, Arrington has received an "F" rating from theNational Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) based on public statements and voting records.[45]
On 7 May 2025, Arrington asHouse Budget Committee Chairman delivered opening remarks at the hearingThe Fiscal State of the Nation. He said: "The fiscal state of the nation is in a dire state and condition and is rapidly in decline. I think the question is, ‘how much longer do we have to allow this unsustainable fiscal trajectory to persist without some intervention?’" "Both parties [...] — as I’m fond of saying actually over the years as Budget chairman — both parties have contributed to this. [...] what we’re lacking in Washington all around—maybe among others likecommon sense and common decency—is courage. Courage to do what is necessary. Courage to do what every generation of American leaders have done when facing such an epic crisis that could in fact leave America irreparably damaged."[46]
Arrington received the 2003 Distinguished Public Service Award as part of the 22nd annual Center for Public Service Symposium in Lubbock.[49]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromTexas's 19th congressional district 2017–present | Incumbent |
| Preceded by | Chair of theHouse Budget Committee 2023–present | |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded by | United States representatives by seniority 158th | Succeeded by |
