The relationship between Congress and the independent Congressional Budget Office has always been tense at times, but it has really been coming to a boil over health care reform.
The latest CBO analysis of the Democratic plan to overhaul health care is really causing the Democrats problems. According to the CBO Director Doug Elmendorf, the two versions winding through the House and Senate would actually cost money, not save it, after full implementation as Democrats have touted. His theory comes at a time when Democrats are struggling to get enough of their own members behind a plan that can pass both the House and Senate by August.
Reid, when asked about Elmendorf’s latest analysis, said “What he should do is maybe run for Congress.”
Congress writes bills and the CBO tells them they cost too much or don’t save enough money. Congress has even toyed with the idea of doing their own cost analysis as a way to get around the pesky CBO “scores’ as they are called, but the rules of the House and Senate prohibit such a move.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., pointed out that Elmendorf did not deduct from the cost the savings the bill might realize from prevention and lower pharmaceutical costs, but said she actually agreed with Elmendorf’s assessment and added, “I think we can bend the curve more,” in terms of cutting costs from the bill.
