Congresswoman Claudia Tenney Demands Non-Partisan CBO Assessment of Build Back Better Act

Washington, DC – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-22) joined nearly three dozen of her House Republican colleagues in sending a letter to Phillip Swagel, Director of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) seeking a non-partisan assessment of the Build Back Better Act. CBO is the agency tasked with reporting on budgetary and economic impacts of proposed legislation in Congress. 

“Full text of the 2,000+ page Build Back Better Act was released yesterday. We still do not know how much the bill will cost, who it will hurt most, and how much further it will plunge our nation into debt. It is irresponsible for Speaker Pelosi to even consider bringing this bill up for consideration without a full CBO assessment. CBO is not always right and while I have had concerns with their assessments in the past, it is vitally important for Congress to have all the information before considering far-reaching legislation like this. Democrats would be gravely misguided if they rammed this bill through Congress without a non-partisan CBO score.”

In part, the lawmakers wrote: “While text of the Build Back Better Act is not yet finalized, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi indicated she is ready to schedule the bill for a vote in the House of Representatives. This bill is long, expensive, will fundamentally alter social programs and tax structures in our country. It is essential that each member of Congress have a complete and full understanding of such an expansive piece of legislation prior to voting on it. Members need to make informed decisions on behalf of their constituents.”

Full text of the letter can be found here or below. 

Dear Director Swagel,

Thank you for your nonpartisan work to produce budgetary and economic analyses of proposed legislation. Especially now, as bills often exceed a thousand pages, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) ensures hidden and costly provisions are properly noticed. I write today to request information on the financial impacts of the Build Back Better Act.

While text of the Build Back Better Act is not yet finalized, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi indicated she is ready to schedule the bill for a vote in the House of Representatives. This bill is long, expensive, and will fundamentally alter social programs and tax structures in our country. It is essential that each member of Congress have a complete and full understanding of such an expansive piece of legislation prior to voting on it. Members need to make informed decisions on behalf of their constituents.

I respectfully request CBO answer the following questions after analyzing the ten-year impact of the Build Back Better Act:

1. What is the total cost of new and expanded federal programs?
2. How much federal government revenue will be raised through this legislation?
3. How much will the implementation of this bill increase the national deficit?
4. What is the net impact on the national deficit, excluding projected economic growth attributed to new and expanded programs?
5. To what extent will revenue-raising measures within the bill impact American households earning less than $400,000 and small businesses?

I appreciate your attention to these important questions as the Build Back Better Act awaits final consideration by the U.S. House of Representatives. Thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you.

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