“Preliminary” CBO Health Care Estimate Leaves Over $100 Billion in Discretionary Spending Uncounted

 

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) today released a “preliminary” estimate of the Democrats’ health care legislation totaling nearly one trillion dollars. However, the CBO document cautioned that its estimate was not yet complete, and included assumptions such as future tax increases and cuts to federal programs to be voted on and approved in future years – an unlikely political scenario.

 

The CBO also did not count discretionary spending, saying, “CBO has not completed an estimate of the potential impact of the legislation on discretionary spending, which would be subject to future appropriation action.” The House and Senate Budget Committees and the House Appropriations Committee estimate that this discretionary funding will exceed $100 billion, and could potentially reach into the hundreds of billions of dollars.

 

House Appropriations Ranking Republican Jerry Lewis blasted the Democrat leadership in the House for trying to forcing the approval of this health care legislation without a complete estimate of the total costs.

 

“No one – not any Member of Congress, Senator, or staffer – has a complete estimate or thoroughly understands what this massive bill is going to cost the American people. Yet, Pelosi and Democrat leaders are expecting their members to blindly approve this flawed piece of legislation that will place a massive – and still unknown – burden of debt upon generations of American families,” Lewis said.

 

“Most reasonable people agree that is wise to look at the price tag before making a purchase. The American people expect no less of this Congress – especially with a bill that could cost more than one-sixth of the entire U.S. economy,” Lewis continued.