Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) of the House Budget Committee has called for an independent audit of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) during his opening statement at an oversight hearing in Washington, D.C. on November 18, 2025.
In his remarks, Arrington highlighted the importance of the CBO’s role in providing Congress and the public with accurate and transparent fiscal analysis. He said, “Given our nation's unsustainable fiscal trajectory, it's never been more important for the CBO, the Congressional Budget Office, to achieve excellence in its mission to provide the most accurate, timely, and transparent information and analysis to Congress and the American people—in order to meet this critical mandate and avoid the CBO being reduced to a political piñata. Ever felt like that, Phil? Or being used as a scapegoat or excuse for both parties’ irresponsible fiscal decisions?”
Arrington stressed that independent scrutiny over CBO practices is necessary due to high stakes involved in federal budgeting. “We must have independent scrutiny over its practices, methods, and operations. The stakes are too high and the consequences too severe to fail in this important endeavor,” he said.
He described oversight as a fundamental duty of Congress: “It's not just our responsibility; it's our sacred trust. And that's why we are here today. And folks, I can't think of a more fundamental responsibility and sacred duty to the American people in our capacity on this Committee—other than resourcing the federal government.”
Arrington acknowledged recent work by Dr. Phillip Swagel, Director of the CBO, praising his integrity and responsiveness during major legislative efforts. He noted that while criticism of CBO is sometimes warranted or unwarranted due to political interests from both parties, ongoing improvement should be sought through nonpartisan evaluation.
“That’s why I'll end with this: I can't imagine any organization achieving that standard of excellence and having a culture of continuous improvement without an independent audit,” Arrington stated.
He proposed that either his ranking member or Dr. Swagel could select an outside auditor: “I'm not going to force you to do it. I'm not going to force my ranking member to embrace it. I just can't think of any reason. In fact, I’ll let my ranking member pick the group—the outside auditor. I'd let you pick it. I just want a competent, independent assessment so that we can then be able to make market improvements.”
Arrington referenced feedback from a former CBO director about recent improvements in transparency but argued that an independent audit would address remaining gaps in oversight.
“With that,” he concluded, “I yield to my ranking member for as much time as he may require.”
