Chairman Arrington: ‘GDP report reflects the consequences of Democrats’ political games’
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) released the following statement in response to the Bureau of Economic Analysis’s report on gross domestic product (GDP) in the fourth quarter of 2025:
"The verdict is in: Democrats’ failed six-week government shutdown, the longest in history—during which they demanded health care for illegals and the extension of a fraud-ridden, COVID-era subsidy—hurt not only our vulnerable Americans with loss of services and threatened our troops’ paychecks, but it affected every American by slowing economic growth by 1.5 percent, or more than $28 billion in the fourth quarter, according to the CBO.
"Even so, key economic metrics hold strong. The private sector grew at a steady pace. Core GDP, a better measure of growth, grew at a 2.4 percent rate, showing the underlying economy is healthier than the topline number suggests. Furthermore, consumer spending remained solid in 2025 while business investment surged. Without the Democrats’ shutdown, growth would have been much higher and on track to meet—even exceed—the 2.6 percent growth target in the One Big Beautiful Bill.
"Democrats’ political brinkmanship adversely impacted economic growth, which in turn stifles wages and job creation. Senate Minority Leader Schumer famously said that Democrats were winning the shutdown, but the data proves with certainty every American lost as a result of the Democrat shutdown."
