Would it really kill the CBO to show its work?

The Congressional Budget Office is a pretty darn good research institution. That doesn’t mean that it couldn’t stand some improvement.

The “CBO Show Your Work” Act, introduced by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, would improve the nonpartisan budget watchdog by forcing it to show its math and methodology in detail when it analyzes legislation. Having the CBO “open their books” would lead to a better debate over how best to model the world, and most importantly, give taxpayers a realistic glimpse into how much politicians’ promises would actually cost.