“Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to this or any amendment to defund or undermine the Congressional Budget Office.
“The CBO plays a vital role in the legislative process. Members and staff on both sides of the aisle rely on CBO’s hardworking and non-partisan analysts to provide fair, impartial, and fact-based analysis. Without that analysis, Congress could not do its work. What we are doing is the equivalent to beating up the referee in a soccer game. That is unacceptable.
“Regardless of political party, we all love the House of Representatives and want to keep it strong. Chairman Brady stood with me to stress that we need to maintain a strong, independent Congressional Budget Office. I encourage my colleagues to do the same.
“I yield back the balance of my time."
