WASHINGTON — As Republicans worked to pass their landmark tax and spending bill, much of the spotlight fell on President Donald Trump and the GOP holdouts imperiling the measure.
But behind the scenes, U.S. Rep. Jodey Arrington of Lubbock — whose name was affixed to the bill as its lead author — played a key role in wrangling the fractious GOP conference behind their party leader’s signature legislation. In the end, Arrington and other senior House Republicans reined in the would-be GOP rebels — including some fellow Texans — and sent the megabill to Trump’s desk by his self-imposed and seemingly improbable July 4 deadline.
