Lubbock Times

House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-TX) delivered opening remarks at a hearing titled "Congress and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO): Examining Ways to Improve CBO" in Washington, D.C. on September 11, 2024.

In his statement, Chairman Arrington emphasized the importance of scrutinizing agency heads who manage government operations. He highlighted Dr. Phill Swagel's role in analyzing legislation and policy for financial and economic impacts, stating that accurate and timely information is crucial for effective governance.

"We have to know what the cost benefit is for these things because we don't have endless sources of money, although we act like it," Arrington remarked. He praised Dr. Swagel and his team for their analysis but stressed the need for continual improvement in managing tax dollars, governing, and lawmaking.

Arrington acknowledged procedural issues within Congress, citing both procedural failures and human error as contributing factors. He mentioned efforts to restructure incentives to improve legislative efficiency.

"We’re at a place where we haven't done all the appropriations bills. We passed a budget out of committee, but it never went to the floor," he noted. Arrington commended bipartisan efforts to address dysfunction in the congressional budget process, highlighting that 10 out of 11 reform bills were bipartisan.

He celebrated a historic unanimous passage of a bill in the Senate aimed at providing more complete federal data: "It is a small step for man, but it is a big step for mankind when it comes to the budget process."

Arrington called for organized reporting structures and timely information flow to ensure continuity in governance processes. He also advocated for regular oversight hearings: "I think we should all agree you ought to come at least two times a year for this important exercise."

He concluded by expressing hope for bipartisan support on these reforms: "I hope we can get bipartisan support for some of this, if not all of it."