Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2026

Floor Speech

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Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1224, I call up the concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 33) setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2026 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2027 through 2035, and ask for its immediate consideration.

The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.

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Mr. ARRINGTON. Con. Res 33 currently under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, we are here because my Democrat colleagues have shut the United States Government down, the Department of Homeland Security, for now 74 days. They have held the American people hostage and have imperiled the safety of every citizen of this country for their ridiculous and even dangerous demands.

They are not serious. We had a four-corners agreement between Republicans and Democrats in the House and the Senate. They reneged. If it weren't for President Trump's intervention, we would have the hardworking public servants at the Department of Homeland Security going 100 days without pay.

Ask me, Mr. Speaker, how many days my Democrat colleagues have gone without pay or how long they would tolerate going without pay.

Mr. Speaker, this isn't just about the inconvenience of long lines at airports. This is an unprecedented national security and public safety crisis.

This is the moment we take the keys from the kids, we say no more of this nonsense, we open up the people's government, and we restore the safety and the security of the American people.

Now, you will hear my colleagues, no doubt, say: If we could just agree on some commonsense reforms, we would have opened up the Department of Homeland Security. We would have been glad to work with you.

But let's think about these commonsense reforms. To require this administration to get a judicial warrant to expel criminal aliens from our country, there is not a Democrat or Republican former Commander in Chief who would ever find that acceptable.

In fact, these criminal aliens have had their day in immigration court, and they have their orders to be expelled because they are not here with cause. They are here with threat to my family and to my community and to my great State of Texas and to this beloved country of ours. It is unacceptable.

They would effectively stop all deportations. But we had an election after 4 years of lawlessness and chaos at the southern border, crime, criminals, and all kinds of criminal elements and drugs that killed more people than the entire Vietnam war in 1 year.

This President was elected to restore law and order. Rule of law in this great civil society of ours has been an embarrassment for those 4 years. He has done it, and that is what the people sent us here to do. That is the mandate they gave us, along with unified Republican leadership.

There has been one wall of obstruction after another for this President and this administration. That is one example of their ridiculous, absurd, and unserious demands.

The other one is--I heard this at the Rules Committee, and I couldn't believe my ears. They called our law enforcement agents, who risk their lives to keep us safe--their families pray and wait for their mom or dad to come home, wondering if something goes wrong and the bad guys win that day, and they never see their family member again. Yet, my Democrat colleague repeatedly referred to our honorable ICE and CBP agents as masked thugs.

When evil is called good, and good is called evil--do you remember that quote? Do you remember that admonition? These are the days.

Mr. Speaker, we have given 16 chances and all opportunities to vote to turn this government of the people back on and support our ICE and CBP agents, to protect our ports by funding our guardsmen, to protect the CISA agents to protect our critical infrastructure while cyberattacks are on the rise, and to resource our FEMA agency to be ready to respond to our citizens in a natural disaster. They said no 16 times. No. Here we are, demasking our agents and calling them masked thugs.

There is an 8,000-percent increase, Mr. Speaker, in death threats to these gentlemen and gentlewomen who wear the badge, who wear the uniform, and who protect the thin blue line, a 1,300-percent increase in assaults, and a 3,200-percent increase in vehicular assaults.

We know who they are. We have made great efforts to identify each agent so they would be held accountable if they did anything illegal or inappropriate.

We have cartel members who have bounties of tens of thousands of dollars on their heads. We have masked, leftist, radical, violent folks who are assaulting them in the streets while they are trying to do their dangerous jobs.

You want to know why we are here, Mr. Speaker? Do you want to know why we are here, American people? That is why we are here. We say enough is enough.

Today, we put forward this budget resolution with reconciliation instructions to fund the people's homeland security, to protect our citizens, and to do right by these hard-working, God-fearing public servants who go to work every day not knowing if they are going to come home.

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Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Speaker, unfortunately and conveniently, some of my Democrat friends have had a bad case of amnesia. I am going to remind the American people that when Joe Biden and the Democrats had control of this town, this Chamber, Congress, and the White House, they took inflation from 1.4 percent all the way past 9 percent.

We had a 22-percent increase cumulative of prices of everyday goods that Americans depend on.

It was Joe Biden and the Democrats who lit the fuse on the inflationary firestorm that the American people, especially working Americans, suffered. The average inflation rate during the Joe Biden- Kamala Harris era was 5 percent.

Inflation is down. The average inflation under this President, President Trump, is 2.7 percent. Wages are up. Business investment is up, growth and GDP are up, and there is money in people's pockets, because had we relied on the Democrats, then we would have seen a $1,700-a-month tax hike on the American people. However, we said no tax on tips, no more tax on working people with respect to overtime or seniors on a fixed income.

I am very proud of what we did as one strategy to provide much-needed relief after the cost-of-living crisis that was caused by the unbridled spending and failed economic policies of my Democratic colleagues.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to introduce the American people to a great man and patriot. Lloyd Smucker is a dear friend and the vice chairman of the Budget Committee.

Mr. Speaker, instead of the absurd demands of asking for judicial warrants after immigration judges have ruled that these criminal aliens are not with cause, for heaven's sakes, in our country, we included body cameras, millions of dollars. The President reviewed protocols included and strengthened training programs.

Here is the root cause of what people saw on their TV sets at night when they saw the mayhem and they saw the chaos: It was lawless sanctuary cities, rogue leaders who incited violence against our law enforcement officers while they were doing a dangerous job to rid our country of criminal aliens.

Mr. Speaker, how in the world do we expect them to do this job when we have State and local leaders who refuse to cooperate, who thumb their noses at the rule of law, and who make things not only more difficult but more dangerous for the men and women in uniform who courageously protect us every day?

Mr. Speaker, let's play back the tape: 4 years, wide-open border flooding the zone, and by the zone I mean the entire country, crime, criminals, drugs, record number of people on the terrorist watch list, record number of people from countries of interest, record number of illegal immigrants dying in the desert, record number of humans trafficked to this country; record, record, record, open border, disaster.

Now, after this mess, when we have to get the brave men and women to go clean up the streets from the criminals that roam in the great cities of this country and threaten our citizens, they want to call them what I heard in Rules Committee, masked thugs. That is what they are calling our law enforcement officers.

I guess we shouldn't be too surprised because that is the party that wanted to defund the police. That is the party with the battle cry, ``Defund ICE.'' That is the party which, at the top of their ticket in the last Presidential election, had a Presidential nominee who compared ICE to the KKK, and her Vice President compared them to the gestapo.

No, no, sir, Mr. Speaker, I am not surprised, not surprised that now that they created this self-inflicted disaster and mess, and our brave ICE officers are trying to clean it up, that they would want to impede them and insult them, but they only insult law-abiding American citizens, I assure you that.

Mr. Speaker, just a note on cost: When the Democrats controlled Congress and the White House, they spent a record $12 trillion. Now, $5 trillion of that is because of the record interest rate hikes that were associated with an almost half-century high inflation. Combined, we are talking about, again, almost $12 trillion.

Mr. Speaker, what did we get for that? What did the American people, the shareholders, get for that? What return did our citizens get for that ``investment''? They got green energy subsidies to corporations, which were a disaster for our energy economy. It made the prices of gas and electricity for our consumers skyrocket.

The American people got tens of thousands of IRS agents. They expanded the IRS by $80 billion because that is what they thought the American people needed after a 22-percent increase in prices. They bailed out student loan programs, schools that wouldn't open, and the union pension fund. It was one bailout after another. It is hard to keep up with it.

If you go back and look at the executive order from President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris at the time, they actually provided healthcare at the cost of taxpayers to people in this country illegally, and we wonder why we had record numbers of illegal immigrants pouring into this country.

Mr. VAN EPPS. Mr. Speaker, congressional Democrats have kept the Department of Homeland Security shut down for more than 70 days. During this time, the critical services that DHS provides to the American people are, at best, disrupted and, at worst, paused entirely.

This comes as we prepare for the busiest travel season ever, celebrating our founding and welcoming visitors from around the world. It also comes during a threat environment unlike any other.

The previous administration welcomed unvetted migrants across our border for 4 years. There have been three assassination attempts against this sitting President, and cyber threats targeting our critical infrastructure are accelerating.

The threats are persistent, and they are here within our borders.

Mr. Speaker, it is high time we empower these agencies to accomplish their crucial mission, and I urge my colleagues to support this budget resolution.

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Mr. ARRINGTON.

Mr. Speaker, just, again, setting the record straight for the American people, the only moneys we are spending are moneys that the Democrats in the House and Senate agreed with us to spend to operate the Department of Homeland Security, including ICE and CBP. Then, they reneged on it. They went back on their word, and they shut the Department of Homeland Security down for over 70 days.

All we are doing is using reconciliation, a budgetary tool, to fund ICE and CBP because they want to defund ICE and CBP.

I mean, you hear it in their rhetoric. I mentioned the masked thugs and the comparison to the KKK. They are talking about protecting the illegal immigrant, but you haven't heard a word about Laken Riley and her family. You haven't heard anything about Jocelyn Nungaray and her family or the thousands upon thousands of American citizens whose lives are forever changed because of the harm that was perpetrated upon them from an illegal, criminal alien who was allowed into this country with impunity because our President at the time was derelict in his duty to uphold the laws of the land because he refused to provide for the common defense. When Texas and other States tried to protect their citizens, they were harassed and obstructed at every turn.

What choice do we have: go back to the open border and a sanctuary Nation for criminal aliens? That is not acceptable to Republicans, and that is not acceptable to the people in the popular vote, in the electoral vote, or in every swing State. They sent us here to put America first and the American people first and to restore law and order.

Mr. Speaker, again, I remind my colleagues and friend that the average gas price under Joe Biden and the Democratic leadership was over $5 per gallon. Under President Trump, it is just a little over $3 per gallon.

He talks about cost, but if you look at the CBO, which is a nonpartisan scorekeeper, they would tell you that in the first 6 months of this fiscal year, compared to the last 6 months of the last fiscal year, the deficit has actually gone down for the first time in almost a decade by $138 billion.

That is not me telling you that. That is not conjecture on the part of either party. It is the watchdog, scorekeeper, nonpartisan, telling you that when we held the line to control spending on the discretionary side for the last 4 years, we have saved almost $500 billion. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act is big and beautiful because we protected tax dollars, and we preserved the safety nets for American citizens who need them and depend on them.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter from the CBO about the Medicaid coverage impacts of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Congressional Budget Office, U.S. Congress Washington, DC, June 24, 2025. Re Information Concerning Medicaid-Related Provisions in Title IV of H.R. 1. Hon. Jodey Arrington, Chairman, Committee on the Budget, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Hon. Brett Guthrie, Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of Representatives, Washington, DC

Dear Chairman Arrington and Chairman Guthrie: You have asked the Congressional Budget Office for information concerning changes to insurance coverage that would occur under H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, as passed by the House of Representatives on May 22, 2025. You asked specifically about changes related to Medicaid under title IV, Energy and Commerce.

CBO estimates that enacting the Medicaid provisions in title IV would increase the number of people without health insurance by 7.8 million in 2034 relative to baseline projections under current law. Of that number:

About 4.8 million would be able-bodied adults between the ages of 19 and 64 who have no dependents and who do not meet the community engagement requirement in section 44141 for participating in work-related activities at least 80 hours a month.

About 1.4 million would be people who do not meet citizenship and immigration status requirements for Medicaid enrollment but who would be covered under current law in programs funded by the states.

About 2.2 million would become uninsured because of other provisions in H.R. 1. including provisions increasing the frequency of verification of eligibility to enroll in Medicaid or those that would lead states to change their Medicaid enrollment requirements in response to federal policy changes.

CBO estimates that the interactions among the policies would, on net, reduce the number of people without health insurance by 600,000 in 2034 relative to the sum of the estimated effects of the individual policies because some people would become uninsured under more than one policy.

You asked several questions about the number of people who would be enrolled in Medicaid under the legislation and about the number of people who would not have health insurance under H.R. 1. You also asked about the effects on state Medicaid spending under H.R. 1.

For the number of individuals estimated to be without health insurance in 2034 as a result of the Medicaid policies in H.R. 1, what share would be eligible for other health insurance subsidies but would be estimated to not participate?

CBO estimates that of the projected increase of 7.8 million people without health insurance in 2034, 1.6 million would have access to, but would not take up, other forms of subsidized coverage, such as premium tax credits for insurance purchased through the marketplaces established by the Affordable Care Act or employment-based coverage; that number also includes people who would remain eligible for Medicaid but would not enroll.

For which provisions in H.R. 1 does CBO estimate that there would be an increase in the number of people without health insurance resulting from state discretion in the management of enrollment within their own Medicaid programs? What does CBO estimate would be the effect on the number of people without health insurance under those policies?

CBO estimates that enacting several sections would reduce resources available to states to fund their Medicaid programs or state-funded insurance programs:

Section 44107 would eliminate the authority of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to waive penalties for payment errors and would reduce federal funding to states for errors in eligibility determinations.

Section 44111 would reduce the federal matching rate for people enrolled in Medicaid under the expansion of the program provided in the Affordable Care Act from 90 percent to 80 percent for any state that uses its own funds to provide coverage to certain immigrants through state programs.

Section 44132 would prevent states from increasing current tax rates on providers and bar them from creating new tax arrangements for providers.

Section 44134 would make additional changes to what constitutes a permissible provider tax and would effectively limit collections of those taxes in certain states.

CBO expects that in response to those provisions, states would modify their Medicaid or state-funded insurance programs to curtail their spending by reducing provider payment rates, reducing the scope or amount of optional services, and reducing Medicaid enrollment.

CBO estimates that state responses to those provisions would increase the number of people without health insurance by a total of 2.0 million in 2034.

Does CBO estimate that the Medicaid provisions in H.R. 1 would result in a net decrease in state spending on the Medicaid program, before accounting for how states respond to the federal policy changes, and if so by how much?

CBO estimates that, if combined, enacting all of the Medicaid provisions in H.R. 1 would reduce the states' total share of spending on Medicaid by $13.1 billion, on net. over the 2025-2034 period. Some provisions would reduce state spending, and some would increase it. CBO estimates that over the 2025-2034 period, provisions that make changes to program eligibility and enrollment processes, as well as some payment changes, would cause states' spending to decline by $214.4 billion. Reductions in federal or other resources available to state programs would cause states' spending to rise by $201.3 billion.

What is the number of individuals whose citizenship, nationality, or satisfactory immigration status is not verifIed, but would be covered under current law in programs funded by states?

CBO estimates that enacting section 44111 would increase the number of people without health insurance by 1.4 million in 2034 because, in order to maintain the 90 percent federal matching rate, most states would stop using state-only funds to provide health insurance coverage to people who do not meet citizenship and immigration status requirements for Medicaid enrollment.

What are the changes in the number of uninsured people that would be associated with provisions aimed at verifying eligibility for the Medicaid program, specifically sections 44102 and 44108 of H.R. 1?

Section 44102 would prevent one part of what is termed the Eligibility and Enrollment final rule from being implemented, administered, or enforced through the end of 2034. That part of the rule changes the way that states process applications and renewals for coverage under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program. For example, the rule specifies that states can only conduct eligibility determinations for people who are aged, blind, and disabled once a year--less frequently than under some states' prior practices. The rule also specifies that states cannot require in-person interviews during eligibility redeterminations for that group of enrollees. CBO expects that enacting section 44102 of H.R. 1 would reduce enrollment as states returned to earlier administrative practices.

CBO estimates that enacting section 44102 would increase the number of people without health insurance by 600,000 in 2034.

Section 44108 would require states to redetermine Medicaid eligibility every six months, instead of once a year, for some enrollees. CBO expects that enacting the section would result in some people being removed from the program sooner than would occur under current law.

CBO estimates that enacting section 44108 would increase the number of people without health insurance by 700,000 in 2034.

In CBO's baseline, how many individuals are enrolled in Medicaid in 2025 and how many are enrolled in 2034? How many would be enrolled in 2034 under H.R. 1?

In CBO's January 2025 baseline projections, 85.0 million people will be enrolled in Medicaid this year, rising to 90.0 million in 2034. CBO estimates that under H.R. 1, 79.5 million people would be enrolled in Medicaid in 2034--10.5 million fewer than under current-law projections.

In CBO's baseline, what is total federal Medicaid spending in 2025 and in 2034? What would total federal Medicaid spending be in each of those years accounting for the effects of H.R. 1?

In CBO's January 2025 baseline, the agency estimates $655.9 billion in Medicaid spending in 2025, increasing to $985.7 billion by 2034. CBO estimates that enacting the Medicaid provisions of H.R. 1 would reduce Medicaid spending by $125.2 billion in 2034, to total $860.5 billion that year.

I hope this information is useful to you. Please contact me if you have further questions. Sincerely, Phillip L. Swagel, Director.

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Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Speaker, do you know what the letter says? Let me summarize. The millions of people who are no longer on Medicaid or SNAP are people who don't qualify to be on there. They are people who are in this country illegally, and they were people who refused to work even though they are able to work. Hardworking taxpayers are willing to support their fellow Americans, but it is a social compact, and there is a responsibility. That is what we did as Republicans.

Mr. Speaker, that is what the American people sent us here to do.

We can talk about the cost. Deficits are coming down. There is more money in people's pockets. Safety nets are being restored, protected, and preserved for the American citizens who depend on them. We are protecting tax dollars, and we are looking out for our kids and future vulnerable Americans who need these programs that are unsustainable because my Democratic colleagues haven't lifted a finger to help us root out waste and fraud.

Unleash chaos. Think about that. Ask the American people what they believe about unleashed chaos, millions upon millions of people flooding our country. The Biden administration released 5-plus million people into our streets and into our neighborhoods, record number of criminals, record number of terrorists.

Mr. Speaker, I think the chaos that was unleashed was from the Biden administration and the Democrats opening up our border and throwing complete caution, rule of law, and the security of the American people to the wind, and we have suffered greatly as a country.

We are trying to fix it. We are trying to be the adults. We are trying to fund the government. We are trying to support our ICE agents and all those at the Department of Homeland Security that are protecting our ports and our critical infrastructure. They are doing their job for the country they love, and we are preventing them from getting a paycheck.

I heard from my Democratic friend about rising to support the vulnerable in this country who need healthcare. Well, let's just face the harsh facts. I know it is difficult for my Democratic colleagues because they created this monster, but ObamaCare since its inception has doubled premiums, doubled deductibles. It has made healthcare anything but affordable.

And then Joe Biden writes an executive order to allow illegal immigrants to avail themselves of social services, namely, healthcare, when American people are standing and waiting in line getting sicker at hospitals and other healthcare providers.

I think it is unacceptable.

This is the most generous country in the world when it comes to immigrants, Mr. Speaker. We are going to fund the Department of Homeland Security. We are going to protect the American people.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.
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