Congressman Tim Ryan (D-OH), Chair of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee, delivered the following remarks at the Subcommittee's hearing on the fiscal year 2023 budget request for the Congressional Budget Office:
Dr. Swagel. Nice to see you again. Thank you for joining us this afternoon to discuss the fiscal year 2023 budget request for the Congressional Budget Office, affectionately known simply as CBO.
CBO is a nonpartisan office that plays a key role in this institution. CBO helps Congress effectively exercise the “power of the purse" assigned to us by the Constitution. With CBO, Congress has its own independent economic analysis and cost estimate of proposed legislation, and therefore, we do not have to rely solely on the Office of Management and Budget within the Executive Branch.
CBO is vital for both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, as we are the source of some of CBO’s heaviest workload. We employ CBO’s help in making sure our bills add up to what they’re supposed to, and we need CBO cost estimates at each stage of legislative action. As you noted in your April letter to Senator Braun, CBO has not yet published updated economic and budgetary projections this calendar year. The current absence of information leaves this Committee even more dependent on CBO’s forthcoming baseline projections.
As Chair of the Subcommittee, I am acutely aware of the certainty and precision that the appropriations process demands of CBO, so I want to underscore how critical it is that your public commitment to provide us with the information necessary to discharge our duties on a schedule that supports those responsibilities holds firm. Again, we appreciate all the support you provide to us so we can make significant investments in American jobs and economic growth.
For fiscal year 2023, CBO is requesting a total of $64.6 million, a $3.7 million (or 6 percent) increase over the fiscal year 2022 enacted totals. According to the request, this will mainly be used to support salaries and benefits for personnel.
Dr. Swagel, I look forward to your testimony today. But first, I would like to yield to my friend and colleague from Washington state, Ranking Member, Jaime Herrera Beutler for any opening comments she would like to make.
Source: U.S. Department of HCA
