WASHINGTON (AP) – The Congressional Budget Office is a scorekeeper suddenly in the spotlight.
The obscure but respected agency, established under the 1974 budget act, provides cost estimates of legislation, baseline projections of the federal budget and its components, and independent economic and deficit statistics for lawmakers.
It’s counterweight to the Office of Management and Budget, which is part of a Democratic or Republican White House.
Trump administration officials and some congressional Republicans preemptively criticized CBO ahead of its assessment of the cost and coverage in the Republican replacement to the Affordable Care Act.
What you need to know about the CBO: