WASHINGTON — Rep. Jodey Arrington faces what he describes as his “greatest leadership challenge” ever as the House Republican in charge of shepherding his party’s proposal tying a must-pass debt ceiling increase to significant spending cuts and a slew of other conservative wish list items.

The Lubbock Republican, chair of the House Budget Committee since January, expressed confidence Monday that Republicans will unite behind the proposal, which is expected to come up for votes this week.

They have little margin for error with a razor-thin advantage over Democrats and not everyone is sold on the plan. A few far-right Republican members would like to go even further, while some moderate members harbor reservations about the impact of the spending cuts or other specific provisions, such as changes to federal support for ethanol.

Arrington chalked up intra-party tensions to the difficult nature of any budget-related measure.

A default would be so catastrophic both sides feel they have leverage in the negotiations. Biden has stuck with his demand for a debt ceiling increase free of conditions, and called the Republican proposals “wacko.”

Critics say the Republicans’ proposed cuts are likely to cost many of the most vulnerable Americans access to affordable housing, health care, nutrition assistance and other aid.

The Republican proposal would save about $3 trillion over 10 years, Arrington said, by capping spending at fiscal 2022 levels and allowing it to grow at just 1% annually.

It also would reclaim unspent COVID funds, roll back Biden’s student debt forgiveness plans and repeal tax policies aimed at incentivizing the use of renewable energy.

Arrington defended the plan as a straightforward effort to right-size a federal bureaucracy bloated by years of heavy COVID-related spending.

“There’s more than enough unnecessary spending and wasteful spending in there that has nothing to do with our core responsibilities as a federal government,” Arrington said.

Some Texas Republicans have been quick to support the proposal, including Reps. Kay Granger of Fort Worth and Keith Self of McKinney.

Many others have yet to weigh in, with some saying they want time to examine the proposal.

Arrington’s task of bringing his fellow Republicans together represents a culmination of his career. A Texas Panhandle native, he served under George W. Bush both when he was governor and president.

In his late 20s, Arrington became one of the youngest chiefs of staff ever at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the agency responsible for protecting bank customers and backstopping their accounts when financial institutions fail.

Arrington touted significant cuts he helped make to the agency’s budget.

“That is where I cut my teeth on fiscal responsibility and actually implementing these things and not just talking about them,” Arrington said. “I’ve been trying to chip away at this for a long time.”

After being elected in 2016, he advocated changes to the food stamp program intended both to reduce spending and curtail dependency on federal assistance.

McCarthy initially sidelined Arrington as he crafted his budget plan, leaving some House conservatives steamed. The New York Times reported McCarthy had little confidence in the Texan, with tensions going back to his bruising speakership fight in January.

Arrington pooh-poohed such “palace intrigue” stories and said he and McCarthy are on the same page.

Real-world impacts

A month ago, the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, released letters from most cabinet departments indicating that McCarthy’s approach – capping spending at 2022 levels – would result in cuts of at least 22% in essential programs.

That would deny important services to many Americans, including hundreds of thousands of families who would lose access to rental assistance and more than 1 million seniors who would see cuts to nutrition services such as Meals on Wheels, DeLauro said at the time.

“Those proposals are unrealistic, unsustainable, and unconscionable,” DeLauro said.

Republicans emphasize the proposal they plan to vote on this week does not spell out how the spending cap would be met, brushing off Democrats’ complaints as speculation.

Arrington said Democrats are deploying “apocalypse now” rhetoric to scare voters, but highlighted that the 2022 spending levels were in effect just six months ago.

“And now the sky is falling on account of returning to those levels of spending?” he said.

Arrington said the proposal will save taxpayer money, cool inflation and boost the economy by beefing up work requirements for food stamps and Medicaid.

Critics say those new work requirements could further hurt vulnerable individuals.

Arrington said they would not apply to the elderly, disabled, pregnant women or adults with children. As evidence of public backing for such requirements, he pointed to a recent vote in Wisconsin where they garnered about 80% support.

Arrington said COVID-era moves to waive work requirements and pay people more in unemployment benefits than they made at their jobs encouraged people to drop out of the workforce, contributing to a labor shortage that’s been driving up wages and fueling inflation.

“We’re really just returning to the Bill Clinton-era, welfare-to-work baseline,” he said.