The Washington Post reports that amendments to the Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill contained in H.R. 3219 would gut the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). These amendments would make it impossible for CBO to continue to execute one of its core duties by eliminating CBO’s Budget Analysis Division and reduce the agency’s staff by at least one third.
- Congressional Budget Office is Freedom Caucus’s target in spending bill. Mike DeBonis, Washington Post (July 24, 2017).
Conservative hard-liners in the House are hoping to gut the Congressional Budget Office, the nonpartisan scorekeeper whose analysis has recently bedeviled Republican efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, by amending a massive spending bill set to be debated later this week.
R street (a think tank that promotes free markets and limited government) and Demand Progress (a grassroots group that fights for internet freedom and open government) have written a “dear representative” letter opposing to the cuts.
- letter [1 page, PDF]
Dear Representative:
We strongly oppose proposed legislation that would weaken the Congressional Budget Office (“CBO”). Congress created CBO in 1974 to bolster its ability to check an overreaching executive branch. It is a nonpartisan legislative branch agency with an apolitic al, expert staff that assists Congress with analyzing federal spending and developing annual budgets….
If you oppose these cuts, as we do, we urge you to contact your Representative.
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