Illustration: Tiffany Herring / Axios
Sen. Pete Ricketts is introducing a bill Thursday that would ramp up oversight of the way the Congressional Budget Office scores health legislation, the text of which was shared first with Axios.
Why it matters: Republicans have long complained that the CBO's estimates of how much legislation will cost are inaccurate and subject to partisan influence — a charge they repeated during consideration of the just-passed House reconciliation package.
- During this week's marathon House Rules reconciliation hearing, GOP lawmakers asserted that the CBO didn't have "all that reliable of a history" and had been known to be "wrong."
- They were particularly upset with Democratic-requested forecasts that about 14 million people would lose health insurance under the package.
What's inside: Ricketts' HEALTH Panel Act would overhaul the CBO's panel of health advisers — which is now selected by the agency — by giving the House and Senate Budget committees authority over making appointments.
- Chairs and ranking members of each chamber's Budget Committee would each make three appointments.
- The CBO director would also be able to make three appointments.
- The panel would comprise 15 members who serve staggered three-year terms. The group would have to meet annually and issue a yearly report to Congress.
What they're saying: Ricketts said in a statement that the bill was a "necessary step toward increasing congressional oversight over unelected bureaucrats" and that the panel needed to be brought "into the light."
- He also said the goal was to "develop the CBO scoring process so that it accurately represents the health care interests of all Americans when evaluating legislation."
- A fact sheet Ricketts' office shared noted that there's currently no statutory authority for the panel and that it lacks guidance on its duty or responsibilities.
A House version of the legislation passed the Budget Committee in the last session.
