REPEAL CBO Requirements Act

Bill Number

H.R. 2524

Origin Chamber

House

Congress

119th Congress, Session 1

Policy Area

Economics and Public Finance

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2025-03-31: Referred to the Committee on Rules, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Last Updated

2025-05-14T15:10:44Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose of the Legislation

This bill, titled the "Replacing Exploitative Partisan Estimates with Alternatives by Liquidating Congressional Budget Office Requirements Act" (or "REPEAL CBO Requirements Act"), aims to give congressional committees an option to use cost estimates from private accounting firms instead of relying solely on the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The goal is to provide alternatives for budget enforcement, potentially broadening the sources of fiscal analysis in Congress.

Key Provisions

• Alternative Estimates Allowed: Chairs of House or Senate committees (excluding Appropriations committees) can request a budget estimate for any reported bill or resolution from a "private reputable accounting firm" instead of the CBO.
• Use in Budget Enforcement: These private firm estimates replace CBO estimates for key budget processes, including:
• Enforcement under the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974.
• The Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (which sets spending caps).
• The Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 (PAYGO, which requires offsetting new spending or tax cuts).
• Concurrent budget resolutions.
• House Rules and Senate Standing Rules, including reconciliation (a process to fast-track certain budget-related bills).
• No CBO Requirement: If a private estimate is obtained, the CBO is not required to prepare its own estimate for that bill or resolution.
• Definition of Private Reputable Accounting Firm: Refers to any of the top 10 public accounting firms (by net revenue from the previous year) registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), a regulatory body that oversees audits of public companies.
• Conforming Change: Budget committees can use these private estimates when performing their duties under existing law.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Amends CBO Monopoly: Under current law (Section 402 of the 1974 Act), the CBO Director must provide official budget estimates. This bill adds a new subsection allowing private alternatives, effectively reducing the CBO's exclusive role in initial scoring for enforcement.
• Expands Options for Committees: Previously, committees relied almost entirely on CBO for impartial estimates. Now, non-Appropriations committees gain flexibility to choose private firms, with those choices binding for enforcement purposes.
• No Changes to Appropriations: Appropriations committees (which handle funding bills) are explicitly excluded from this option, preserving CBO's role there.

Potential Impacts

• On Government Agencies: The CBO could see reduced workload and influence, as committees might bypass it more often, potentially straining its resources or altering its advisory role in fiscal policy.
• On Citizens: Indirect effects on federal budgeting and spending; private estimates might lead to different fiscal outcomes (e.g., higher or lower projected costs for programs), influencing taxes, benefits, and national debt without direct citizen input.
• On International Relations: Minimal direct impact, though changes in U.S. budget projections could indirectly affect global perceptions of U.S. fiscal stability and commitments to international agreements involving U.S. funding.
• Broader Fiscal Process: Could speed up legislative scoring but risks inconsistencies if private firms provide varying estimates compared to CBO's standardized methods.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• Congressional Committees: Chairs gain new authority to select estimators, potentially streamlining their work but introducing choices that could affect bill passage.
• Congressional Budget Office (CBO): Faces diminished mandatory role, which might reduce its centrality in debates over spending and revenue.
• Private Accounting Firms: Top 10 PCAOB-registered firms (e.g., major auditors like Deloitte or PwC) could gain new business opportunities in providing congressional estimates.
• Taxpayers and Policymakers: Affected through potential shifts in how budget rules enforce fiscal discipline, impacting government spending priorities.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Legal: Introduces a mechanism to challenge the traditional reliance on a single nonpartisan agency (CBO), but maintains enforcement ties to existing statutes like PAYGO. Could lead to court challenges if private estimates are seen as less reliable or biased, though the bill's language deems them equivalent.
• Constitutional: Aligns with Congress's Article I powers over spending and budgeting, but raises questions about impartiality in legislative processes—private firms might be viewed as profit-driven, contrasting with CBO's independence as a government entity.
• Political: May politicize budget scoring by allowing committees to select estimators, potentially favoring outcomes aligned with majority views. Critics could argue it undermines CBO's nonpartisan status (established to prevent executive influence), while supporters see it as reducing perceived "partisan" biases in CBO analyses. No direct changes to constitutional balances, but it could influence partisan debates on fiscal responsibility.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. Tenney, Claudia [R-NY-24]

Cosponsors (1)

Rep. Collins, Mike [R-GA-10]

Recent Actions

• 2025-03-31: Referred to the Committee on Rules, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
• 2025-03-31: Referred to the Committee on Rules, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
• 2025-03-31: Introduced in House
• 2025-03-31: Introduced in House

Bill Versions

• Replacing Exploitative Partisan Estimates with Alternatives by Liquidating Congressional Budget Office Requirements — issued 2025-03-31 — PDF (4 pages)