Near the beginning of his reign as speaker, Kevin McCarthy famously told colleagues he had “no confidence” in House Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington.
More than half a dozen people told The New York Times in April 2023 that McCarthy viewed Arrington as “incompetent.” And the bad blood festered between McCarthy and the Texas Republican for the entirety of McCarthy’s speakership.
Now, as Republicans place almost all of their hopes of a legislative agenda under Donald Trump on the budget reconciliation process — a process where Arrington will play an immediate and key role — more GOP sources are raising concerns about the budget committee chair.