Republicans are saying it was inappropriate for President Barack Obama to invite Congressional budget Office Director Doug Elmendorf to the White House on Tuesday.
Elmendorf has vexed Democrats in recent weeks by pronouncing their health care plans to be massively expensive and incapable of lowering future health care costs. Republicans said Obama may have used the visit to pressure Elmendorf to change his stance.
“The CBO is an independent, non-partisan budget analysis office for the legislative branch, not a body subject to White House supervision and intimidation,” Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., said.
The White House has said there was nothing wrong with the visit and that Elmendorf, like the president, is interested in lowering the costs of the various Democratic proposals.
Elmendorf wrote about the visit in his Director’s Blog. Elmendorf said Obama asked him and other participants in the meeting to suggest ways to achieve cost savings within the health care reform legislation.
“People have asked whether it was exciting to meet the President and be in the Oval Office,” Elmendorf said. “Yes, and my kids will be jealous when they get back from summer camp and hear about it. Of course, the setting of the conversation and the nature of the participants do not affect CBO’s analysis of health reform legislation.”
