Rep. Gill Bill Reforms the Congressional Budget Office

Washington, D.C. — Congressman Brandon Gill (TX-26) today introduced the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Scheduling Reform Act, a bill to reform the CBO’s reporting process and increase transparency by amending the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974. 

“Members of Congress deserve transparency from the Congressional Budget Office. They work for us, and we work at the behest of the American people to represent their needs with excellence,” said Rep. Gill. “It’s time for reform and accountability in every entity that serves the American people.”

This legislation would require the CBO to publish a formalized schedule of major recurring reports on its website by December 31 of the current calendar year. Reports would include baseline and subsequent updates, biennial reports on options to reduce the deficit, the annual report on fiscal year accuracy, and the report on unauthorized appropriations.

The Congressional Budget Office has not traditionally provided Congress or the public with a comprehensive schedule of its intended releases and reports. Rather, staff are oftentimes notified on the week the report is set to be released. This legislation can help to increase transparency and accountability at the Congressional Budget Office.

Rep. Gill’s legislation improves the process for lawmakers and the public to receive information regarding the debt, deficit, and yearly federal spending. The legislation would help ensure members of Congress have more timely access to CBO information, improving their ability to craft legislation that impacts the nation’s fiscal trajectory.

“The Congressional Budget Office is an important resource for its bosses in the House and Senate. The Congressional Budget Office Scheduling Reform Act, introduced by Rep. Brandon Gill, is a commonsense measure that would require the CBO to simply tell Congress when to expect important reports, such as the official baseline. This would help lawmakers plan better and hold the CBO accountable,” said Matthew Dickerson, Director of Budget Policy, Economic Policy Innovation Center.

“National Taxpayers Union commends Rep. Gill for leading efforts to increase transparency at the Congressional Budget Office. Requiring CBO to finally adhere to a publication calendar is a small but important change to make it easier for legislators, policymakers, and the public to know when to expect key budgetary reports. We look forward to working with Rep. Gill to ensure this commonsense bill reaches the president’s desk,” said Thomas Aiello, Senior Director of Government Affairs at National Taxpayers Union.

Co-sponsors (5): Reps. Chuck Edwards, Glenn Grothman, Addison McDowell, Ron Estes, Marlin Stutzman 

Supporting Groups: National Taxpayers Union 

###