Republicans on Wednesday defended voting in committee on a bill to repeal Obamacare without a score from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, a key attack from Democrats.
“The CBO score is a red herring,” said Rep. Larry Buschon, R-Ind., during the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s markup of its portion of the American Health Care Act, a bill that repeals Obamacare and partially replaces it. “It is important to note that the figures don’t represent a complete cost estimate for the legislation.”
The bill was released late Monday without a CBO score on the impact on insurance coverage and federal spending over the next decade. Lawmakers expect a score to be released early next week.
However, Republicans plan to advance the bill without a score. The Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means committees are holding markups of their respective portions.
During the Energy and Commerce markup, lawmakers sparred over the need for a CBO score and whether one was used when committees voted in 2009 for the Affordable Care Act.
Republicans said a committee report from 2009 noted that it didn’t need to have the score.
“It’s true that the rules didn’t require the CBO score until later in the process,” responded Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo. “Before this committee marked up the Affordable Care Act we had a CBO score in hand.”
Republicans also downplayed the need for a CBO score.
“This is the same CBO that when Obamacare did come to the floor they made all these great promises about how it would lower premiums,” said Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La. “CBO and the president talked about how it was going to reduce the deficit. Remember that promise that was broken?”
DeGette said a CBO score is vitally needed.
“We need to know how this bill is going to affect every one of our constituents,” she said.
