Require a Score Before the Floor Resolution

Mr. Speaker, yesterday Congressman Brian Higgins and I introduced H. Res. 441, legislation that would require a Congressional Budget Office score before a floor vote. This resolution clearly enshrines in House rules a fundamental and very simple principle of good governance: namely, we should know the budgetary and practical impact of legislation before we vote on it.

Frankly, Mr. Speaker, it should not be necessary for us to introduce this legislation. For years, the CBO has been an important nonpartisan player in crafting legislation and giving an independent assessment of what a bill costs and whom it will benefit or whom it will hurt.

Unfortunately, we have seen House leadership rush major legislation to the floor without a CBO score, preventing Members from knowing the impact on their constituents and the budget before voting.

The most egregious example, of course, was the May 4 vote on the TrumpCare bill that barely passed this Chamber and would strip 23 million Americans of healthcare. That bill was rushed to the House floor before it had a CBO score, and Members voted blindly on it without knowing the impact on their constituents.

Our resolution simply says transparency, accountability, and know what is in the bill. No score, no floor; it's that simple.

Mr. Speaker, the Republican House bill is a disaster for the American people. The process by which the bill was voted on, Members had very little time to review the text. As a result, we were forced to vote on legislation without the benefit of facts, on a bill that affects a $3 trillion annual industry.

That is why I have joined Congresswoman Jayapal in introducing H. Res. 441, to require a review by the Congressional Budget Office before a bill comes to the floor.

Members of Congress should have as much information as possible to make a smart decision on major legislation affecting 18 percent of the American economy. This resolution would simply affirm the time-honored principle that facts do matter and that a fair, honest, and transparent policymaking process is essential to a healthy and thriving democracy.