Congressional Budget Office Data Access Act

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, the CBO Data Access Act is a commonsense, good government bill. I commend Senator Gary Peters and Senator Susan Collins for introducing it on the Senate side, as well as Congressman LaTurner, the gentleman from Kansas, and Chairman Grothman and Ranking Member Mfume for sponsoring the House companion.

The bill would accelerate the speed and improve the accuracy with which the CBO analyzes the budgetary consequences of proposed legislation by providing CBO with an exemption to the Privacy Act.

H.R. 7032, which has passed both the House and Senate, requires CBO to treat any information it receives with the same level of confidentiality as the agency from which it is received. That is a wise safeguard that will work well in tandem with this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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