Rep. Arrington joins California colleague in Lubbock as part of bi-partisan effort

U.S. Rep. Jodey Arrington invited a colleague from the opposite side of the aisle to visit West Texas this weekend for a chance to visit, meet with Lubbock-area experts and catch a Texas Tech basketball game while they were at it.

U.S. Rep. Scott Peters, a California Democrat from San Diego, has been working with Arrington, R-Lubbock, in recent months to help lead a bi-partisan group of 60 Republicans and Democrats aimed at finding common ground and reconciliation on issues including budget reform.

Back in December, Roll Call reported that Arrington and Peters were resurrecting a proposal they first wrote the year before that would allow for expedited suspension of the statutory debt limit if accompanied by a plan to shrink what the government owes to creditors.

The Bipartisan Policy Center, which has been offering periodic estimates of when the Treasury will run out of money, endorsed the Peters-Arrington measure, according to the Roll Call article.

Peters arrived in Lubbock Friday and planned to be in the Hub City through the weekend, visiting with researchers at Texas Tech and others as part of his visit.

They also took some time to enjoy the No. 18 Red Raiders take on the West Virginia Mountaineers. Tech would win the game 78-65.

Before attending Saturday's men's basketball game at the United Supermarkets Arena, the pair shared some of their goals in a brief Q&A for the Avalanche-Journal.

Rep. Arrington

Why did you invite Rep. Peters to West Texas?

Arrington: Rep. Peters and I co-chair a bipartisan group that is focused on ways to fix the broken Congressional budgeting process and reduce our national debt. This is a great opportunity to spend time on how we can tackle these problems and, at the same time, strengthen our friendship with more West Texas hospitality and less DC hostility. I also want to impress upon Rep. Peters, who serves on the House Energy & Commerce Committee, the importance of rural regions like West Texas and our contributions to America’s economic competitiveness, food security, and energy independence. And, last but not least, I want to show a die-hard Duke fan what a championship basketball program looks like.

How did you identify your shared interest in the budget?

Arrington: We served together on the VA Committee and – while we had our differences of opinion – I always thought of him as a reasonable and conscientious person. When I learned Scott shared my passion for addressing the looming debt crisis, I asked if he would be willing to work with me on building a bipartisan coalition to reform our budget process. I was looking for three things in a Democrat partner — someone I could trust, someone willing to make tough decisions, and someone who had earned the respect of their peers and an ability to influence other members of Congress. Scott hit all of the above.

Do you two serve together on any committees?

Arrington: In addition to serving together on the VA Committee, we were both appointed by the leaders of our respective parties to serve on the bipartisan, bicameral Joint Economic Committee. While Rep. Peters and I have different views on the role of government and even vastly differing policy preferences, he believes in capitalism and cares deeply about our unsustainable debt – at least two things we had in common.

How were you able to recruit 30 Republicans and 30 Democrats to join your Caucus?

Arrington: Amazingly, we have Democrats and Republicans from across the entire political spectrum who have joined our group. A couple of things were key to creating a platform for productive, bipartisan action on addressing our nation’s ballooning debt. First, we agreed that both parties have played a role in creating this disastrous fiscal situation. No one gets a pass! Secondly, we agreed that the broken budget process – which has resulted in costly “continuing resolutions” and ever-growing deficits – is unacceptable and harmful for our country as a whole, regardless of political affiliation. The goal is simple: put the right incentives in place to force Congress to budget responsibly and live within our means like every American family, small business, and local government.

How have you two navigated the inevitable tensions that arise between parties? How have you navigated some of the events of the past year?

Arrington: It starts with setting the right tone to cultivate a constructive conversation, and Rep. Peters does that as well as anyone I know. While Rep. Peters and I can vehemently disagree on many policies, we don’t question each other’s motives and we know the value of finding common ground. You will never find common ground if you don’t have good relationships, and you can’t have good relationships if you’re constantly attacking people.

Arrington: West Texans have strongly held convictions and unwavering core values, but we are also renowned for our friendliness and hospitality – the two are not at odds. I committed from the outset of my time in Congress to fight hard for West Texas and my conservative principles without tearing down people with whom I disagreed. I’m proud of my record of working across the aisle to improve our nation’s trade deals, rural healthcare, veteran services, and agriculture economy – ensuring a stronger West Texas and a more prosperous nation.

What do you hope to accomplish working together in the next year or in the future?

Arrington: I hope we can change the culture in Washington so people can disagree on policy and debate vigorously without making it so personal that you can’t find common ground necessary to solve big problems. I hope we can rein in the reckless deficit spending that is bankrupting our country and jeopardizing our children’s future. I hope my colleagues and I can put politics aside and work together to address the national debt before it robs us of our future economic prosperity and diminishes America’s leadership in the world.

Rep. Peters

What brought you to Lubbock?

Peters: As a senior member of the House Energy Subcommittee, I know I can’t truly understand the US energy industry without visiting Texas. I’ll be touring the Oilfield Technology Center at Texas Tech to learn more about the latest tools used for petroleum production. I look forward to speaking with one of the world’s most prominent climate scientists, Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, as well as Dr. Marshall Watson who chairs the Department of Petroleum Engineering at Texas Tech. This is also a great opportunity to have some fun--we’re going to see a Red Raiders basketball game. Jodey Arrington is a colleague I’ve worked closely with and he’s become a good personal friend. It will be nice to spend some time together and to get to know more about the community he represents in Congress.

How did you identify your shared interest in the budget?

Peters: Over the last few years, I spoke with various members and organizations in Washington about the need to reform our budget process and address the national debt. Rep. Arrington and I just happened to find a lot of common ground on this specific issue, and we decided to combine efforts after working closely with the Bipartisan Policy Center and the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.

Do you two serve together on any committees?

Peters: We both served on the Veterans’ Affairs committee in 2017 and 2018. And now we serve together on the Joint Economic Committee, a bicameral Congressional Committee that reviews economic conditions and recommends improvements to economic policy.

How were you able to recruit 30 Republicans and 30 Democrats to join your Caucus?

Peters: When Rep. Arrington and I originally put together the group, there was some broad agreement that there are times to spend during emergencies like the COVID-19 crisis, but then there must also be times we recalibrate to tackle medium- and long-term deficit reduction. Believe it or not, addressing our national debt and improving Congress’ approach to budgeting are issues Americans across the political spectrum care about. I know constituents tell me personally or call my office about government spending, and I know other members – Democrats and Republicans alike – receive those calls as well.

How have you two navigated the inevitable tensions that arise between parties and how have you navigated some of the events of the past year?

Peters: Rep. Arrington and I don’t agree on everything – in fact, we probably don’t agree on most policies. But in a world that has become so deeply divided along party lines, I’ve found it gratifying and essential to find areas where Republicans and Democrats can come together to achieve a common goal. I think we agree it’s important to demonstrate that it’s both possible and worthwhile to team up and create feasible solutions to our nation’s greatest problems.

What do you hope to accomplish working together in the next year or in the future?

Peters: I think there’s real momentum for our priorities this Congress. The House passed the bipartisan Fiscal State of the Nation resolution to require the Government Accountability Office to present an annual report to Congress and the country detailing the fiscal health of the nation. We’re also pushing Congress to consider the Time to Rescue United States Trusts (TRUST) Act to create special bipartisan, bicameral rescue committees to save trust funds for Social Security, Disability Insurance, Medicare Hospital Insurance, and Highway programs that currently face insolvency. Finally, we will advocate for our own Responsible Budgeting Act, which will reduce debt-limit brinkmanship as long as the budget remains on a responsible path. There’s Senate interest in a number of these ideas, and I sense there will be a real push to get something done.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Rep. Arrington joins California colleague in Lubbock as part of bi-partisan effort