Mike Levin: “We do require such a calculation now. We have had something like 850 of those calculations, I think, in the last 12…”

“We do require such a calculation now. We have had something like 850 of those calculations, I think, in the last 12 years. There is a law, the Congressional Budget Act, which requires the Director of the Congressional Budget Office, to the extent practicable--very important words, to the extent practicable--to prepare for each bill or resolution an estimate of the cost, which would be everything incurred by State or local governments. We do currently require these estimates. Now, sometimes, those estimates cannot be made. We have gotten a report from the Congressional Budget Office that they cannot make the estimate at times. They just simply cannot estimate. They say it. When they cannot estimate it, they say they cannot estimate it. What this bill does, is say, ``You have to estimate.''”