Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 1549) to provide the Congressional Budget Office with necessary authorities to expedite the sharing of data from executive branch…
Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 1549) to provide the Congressional Budget Office with necessary authorities to expedite the sharing of data from executive branch agencies, and for other purposes.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, the Congressional Budget Office, or CBO, is the legislative branch agency responsible for helping Congress accurately analyze the budgetary impact of proposed legislation.
The Congressional Budget Act of 1974 authorized CBO to collect information and data directly from agencies. Timely access to agency data is necessary for CBO to produce accurate cost estimates for legislation and prepare other congressional reports. However, agencies often delay or restrict CBO's access to data. One of the most common reasons agencies restrict CBO's access to Federal agency data is because of perceived Privacy Act obstacles.
This bill, the Congressional Budget Office Data Access Act, solves this problem by granting CBO the same Privacy Act exemption afforded to the Government Accountability Office and Congress.
Under existing law, CBO must meet the confidentiality standards required of the agency that is providing the data, and this bill maintains that standard of confidentiality while expanding CBO's data access authority, such access that GAO and Congress already possess.
CBO access to agency data is critical for the legislative branch agency's ability to fulfill its mission.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my House Oversight Committee colleagues, Representative Grothman and Representative Mfume, for their work on the House companion of this legislation, H.R. 7184. I also thank House Budget Committee Chairman Arrington and Ranking Member Boyle and their staff for coordinating with the Oversight Committee on this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage my House colleagues to support this commonsense bill to support CBO in carrying out its mission, and I yield back the balance of my time.
