Champions of Rural America: Rep. Jodey Arrington discusses issues impacting west Texas producers

“There is no free trade without fair trade!”

This week in Champions of Rural America, Texas Congressman Jodey Arrington discusses how his roots shape his decision-making and the issues facing producers in his state.

He serves Texas’s 19th congressional district which includes a large slab of the western portion of the state. While he does not sit on the House Ag Committee, he is a member of the Congressional Western Caucus.

As a member of the House Budget Committee and Ways and Means, Arrington says that the budget reconciliation process will advance President Trump’s “America first” policies. He said that includes restoring lawlessness at the border, military readiness, and turning the economy around.

Related Stories
Border closures tied to the threat of New World Screwworm continue to stall Mexican fed cattle imports, tightening U.S. feeder cattle supplies over time — triggering feedlot closures that hinder herd rebuilding efforts, threaten the beef supply chain, and shrink production while consumer prices stay elevated.
Brooks York of AgriSompo discusses projected prices and how farmers are adapting their crop insurance strategies as the price discovery period comes to a close.
Ranger Road Fire has burned 283,000 acres across Kansas and the Oklahoma Panhandle and is nearing containment, as ranchers begin assessing cattle and infrastructure losses as they look toward recovery.
Agriculture avoided major disruptions, but trade uncertainty remains elevated.
The debate now matters as much as the policy — market rules and regulatory clarity depend on whether Congress can finish the bill this year.