Political positions
Arrington supported President Donald Trump's 2017 executive order curtailing immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries, saying: "It is important that our commander in chief puts the safety of Americans first. Given concerns about the inadequate vetting of refugees and problems with our immigration system, this temporary pause is intended to ensure the safety of our citizens."
In defending a proposal to cut access to the SNAP program (food stamps), Arrington cited the biblical passage Thessalonians 3:10, saying: "He says even when we were with you we give you this rule, 'If a man will not work he shall not eat.' And he goes on to say, 'We heard that some of you are idle.' I think that every American, Republican or Democrat wants to help the needy among us. And I think it's a reasonable expectation that we have work requirements. I think that gives more credibility, frankly, to SNAP."
In December 2020, Arrington was one of 126 Republican members of the House of Representatives to sign an amicus brief in support of Texas v. Pennsylvania, a lawsuit filed at the United States Supreme Court contesting the results of the 2020 presidential election, in which Joe Biden defeated Trump. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case on the basis that Texas lacked standing under Article III of the Constitution to challenge the results of an election held by another state.
Arrington voted against the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020, which authorizes DHS to nearly double the available H-2B visas for the remainder of FY 2020.
Arrington voted against the Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 1158), which effectively prohibits Immigration and Customs Enforcement from cooperating with the Department of Health and Human Services to detain or remove illegal alien sponsors of Unaccompanied Alien Children.
Arrington voted to provide Israel with support following 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.
Arrington opposed certifying the electoral vote count in the 2020 presidential election, citing "millions of American voters" who felt that the election "was not conducted in an equitable or accurate manner." He later condemned the attack on the United States Capitol that occurred on January 6, 2021. In the weeks that followed, Arrington voted against the second impeachment of President Trump.
In 2022, Arrington was one of 39 Republicans to vote for the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act of 2022, an antitrust package that would crack down on corporations for anti-competitive behavior.
As of July, 2025, Arrington has received an "F" rating from the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) based on public statements and voting records.
On 7 May 2025, Arrington as House Budget Committee Chairman delivered opening remarks at the hearing The Fiscal State of the Nation.
He said: "The fiscal state of the nation is in a dire state and condition and is rapidly in decline. I think the question is, ‘how much longer do we have to allow this unsustainable fiscal trajectory to persist without some intervention?’" "Both parties [...] — as I’m fond of saying actually over the years as Budget chairman — both parties have contributed to this. [...] what we’re lacking in Washington all around—maybe among others like common sense and common decency—is courage. Courage to do what is necessary. Courage to do what every generation of American leaders have done when facing such an epic crisis that could in fact leave America irreparably damaged."
