Importance of a Congressional Scorekeeper
Just like every sport needs an impartial scorekeeper, Congress needs an impartial body to determine the affect policymaking has on the American people. The experts at the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) do just that.
CBO was established to give Congress a coequal partner after the White House nearly violated the constitution. The president refused to spend money despite being required by law to do so.
And no, that wasn’t this administration. That was President Nixon.
We’re living in a world where facts and truth are questioned. Where any one person, including the president, can claim something as fake, absent of any evidence and proceed to make policy decisions based on their own manufactured claims. That is why we must rally together to ensure Congress’ scorekeeper remains independent, supported and fair.
CBO continues to be a beacon of truth and facts in Capitol Hill’s often-partisan spin zone. The men and women who work at CBO take complicated bills, analyze them and provide detailed information that leads to real-world outcomes. Bills they analyze or “score” demonstrate how policy impacts Americans. They can predict whether you and your family will have access to health care. Whether Social Security or Medicare will be solvent. What legislation for families’ pocketbooks.
Good government watchdog Protect Democracy has been monitoring the many ways the White House is attempting to influence and discredit the CBO. Today they filed a suit against the Trump Administration for their failure to turn over communications regarding the state of CBO. These communications could expose how the White House intends to discredit and defund the office.
“At some point, you’ve got to ask yourself, has the day of the CBO come and gone? Certainly there is value in having that information, especially if they could return to their nonpartisan roots. But at the same time you can function, you can have a government, without a Congressional Budget Office.” – Mick Mulvaney, Director, Office of Management and Budget 5/31/17
When Congress’ scorekeeper is undermined so are its policies.
If CBO ceases to exist, lawmakers will be free to make-up whatever outcomes suit their agendas. To pass a tax bill to give breaks to the rich, they could say it will help small businesses even if it doesn’t. To give away tax dollars to wealthy investors, Republicans could claim their infrastructure plan invests in communities, when investment is cut off.
When you undercut the scorekeeper you discredit the game. That leaves families across the country with nothing but false promises and increased expenses.
What can we do? CBO may be in Washington, but it is on all of us to stand up for our institutions and holding them accountable. I will continue to publicly support and fight for the preservation of the CBO. And I encourage each and every one of you to do the same. It’s our civic duty to keep the White House from undermining an institution whose independence makes it possible for lawmakers to craft policy based not on alternative facts, but on truth and expert analysis.
