Jodey Arrington was raised in Plainview, Texas, the son of a tractor salesman and a schoolteacher. Jodey graduated from Texas Tech and his passion of public service took him to Austin, Texas where he worked for Governor George W. Bush. He was then tapped by President Bush to join the White House as a senior advisor before being appointed as Chief of Staff to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. In 2007, he returned to West Texas where he was Vice Chancellor of the Texas Tech University System before taking the helm as President of a healthcare innovation company in Lubbock.
In Congress, I fight to ensure every American has the right to affordable and quality care. Unfortunately, one of our federal government’s most costly and disastrous laws has made that impossible. Obamacare has failed our middle and working class families who have seen an uncontrollable increase in deductibles and premiums. It has failed our providers, who spent years pursuing their passion for healing our sick, but now find themselves spending more time filling out paperwork than caring for their patients. It has failed our small businesses that create 64% of the jobs in this country. Although the pathway of Obamacare has been paved with good intentions, it has led to a series of disastrous unintended consequences. A seat on the Ways and Means Committee, which presides over revenue related aspects of Medicare and social services programs, ensures a voice for rural America will be heard.
Obamacare has left our nation sick, and when America is sick, rural America is in the ICU!
There are 29 rural counties in District 19 that consist of agriculture producers, oil and gas and renewable energy operators, community bankers, and community hospitals. Like many rural areas throughout the country, our district is feeding and clothing the American people, bolstering our economy and strengthening our national security. While large hospitals also suffer under Obamacare, community hospitals are simply unable to handle the crushing weight of Obamacare’s shrinking reimbursements, regulatory burden, and unfunded mandates. Since Obamacare was implemented, 80 rural hospitals have closed and 600 more are in danger of closing. Without access to quality healthcare, our hard-working families in middle America are left high and dry.
One of the great travesties of Obamacare is not just the damage done to our economy, but the destruction of a way of life for over 60 million Americans who call small town America their home. Whether it’s producing reliable and affordable energy, or a safe and abundant supply of food – people from all over the country rely on rural communities to make America great. We must repeal Obamacare, restore market forces, and return to patient-centered care.
As House Republicans work together to create a better plan for our healthcare, we will implement the following ideas: