CBO must disclose how baseline assumptions shape cost estimates
In committeeH.R. 8570Latest action
Sponsor: Ben Cline · Representative · VA
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Official title: To amend the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 to require the Congressional Budget Office to include the effects of using baseline assumptions when preparing estimates under such Act, and for other purposes.
119th Congress
Topics: Jobs & the economy
Introduced:
Read the official bill on Congress.govIn plain words
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would have to show Congress how its built-in assumptions change the price tag on proposed laws.
40-second read · 4 questions answered below
What does this do?
This bill would require the to add extra detail to its cost estimates. It must show how much its built-in assumptions change the numbers, name which assumptions caused any difference, and flag cases where those assumptions make a program look free when real spending may actually be expected.
Who does it affect?
The bill directly affects the and how it reports to Congress. Lawmakers, journalists, and citizens who use CBO estimates to understand a bill's financial impact would also be affected.
Why does it matter?
's baseline sometimes assumes certain programs or payment rates will continue unchanged, which can make a bill appear to cost less than it might otherwise. This bill would make those assumptions visible rather than leaving them in the background.
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Where does it stand?
- IntroducedApr 29, 2026
- House committeeYou are here · Apr 29, 2026
- House vote
- Senate
- The president's desk
Right now: a House committee is reviewing it. If the Senate changes it, it goes back to the House before reaching the president.
Latest action: — 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.