Jim Costa: “I thank the gentleman for yielding. As one of the three co-chairs of the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of Democrats…”

“I thank the gentleman for yielding. As one of the three co-chairs of the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of Democrats committed to bringing our Nation's deficit and debt under control, I rise in opposition to this amendment. This amendment would, in fact, eliminate the division in the CBO area. Frankly, it serves, as we all know, a valuable role as a nonpartisan adviser to Congress on the costs and tradeoffs on legislation and the budget of the United States. Although you don't see these folks on TV every day, the CBO staff consists of professionals who put facts and transparency first. Forecasting the economic impacts of legislation is complicated, and no estimate will ever be perfect, let's face that. The CBO, though, is transparent about that. That said, estimates provided by the CBO are objective and are based on facts and transparent calculations. The staff who make these estimates up aren't swayed by the political rhetoric on either side of the spectrum on the House floor, and that is what lawmakers need in order to govern responsibly. Without the CBO, lawmakers in Washington would be flying blind, developing major legislation without knowing what the real consequences are. Just like you wouldn't drive a car while blindfolded, you shouldn't be voting on legislation without knowing the real costs, intended or unintended. After all, these are taxpayer dollars. This amendment is dangerous for our Nation, and there is no other way to describe it.…”