[Pages H2679-H2683]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE DATA SHARING ACT

Mr. YAKYM. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 7032) to amend the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control
Act of 1974 to provide the Congressional Budget Office with necessary
authorities to expedite the sharing of data from executive branch
agencies, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:

H.R. 7032

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Congressional Budget Office
Data Sharing Act''.

SEC. 2. REQUESTS BY CBO OF INFORMATION FROM EXECUTIVE
AGENCIES.

(a) In General.--Section 201(d) of the Congressional Budget
and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 601(d)) is
amended--
(1) by striking ``The Director is authorized'' and
inserting ``(1) The Director is authorized'';
(2) by striking ``(other than material the disclosure of
which would be a violation of law)'' and inserting ``(with or
without written agreement) provided that the Director
maintains the level of confidentiality required by law of the
department, agency, establishment, or regulatory agency or
commission from which it is obtained in accordance with
section 203(e)''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(2) No provision of law enacted after the date of the
enactment of the Congressional Budget Office Data Sharing Act
shall be construed to supersede, limit, or otherwise modify
the authority of the Director to obtain any material under
this subsection unless such provision specifically provides,
by specific reference to this paragraph, that such authority
is to be superseded, limited, or otherwise modified.''.
(b) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Director of the Congressional
Budget Office shall submit, to the chairs of the Committees
on the Budget of the House of Representatives and the Senate,
a report listing any request for information pursuant to a
written agreement under section 201(d) of the Congressional
Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 601(d)),
as amended by subsection (a) of this Act, made to any
department, agency, or establishment of the executive branch
of Government or any regulatory agency or commission of the
Government and any challenges faced accessing information
under such section.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Indiana (Mr. Yakym) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Boyle)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Indiana.

General Leave

Mr. YAKYM. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on H.R. 7032.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Indiana?
There was no objection.
Mr. YAKYM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Congressional Budget
Office Data Sharing Act.
First, I thank my colleague and friend, the ranking member of the
Budget Committee, Mr. Boyle of Pennsylvania, for working with me on
this commonsense, bipartisan reform. I also thank our Budget Committee
chairman, Jodey Arrington, for his leadership and work on this effort,
as well.
As a Congress, there is one thing we can all agree on: The current
budgetary process is not working for the American people.
Congress has adopted a budget resolution by its statutorily required
April 15 deadline only four times in the last four decades.
We have to find ways to address this brokenness so we can serve and
steward the American people's hard-earned tax dollars. A key part of
this is process reform.
To me, process is a set of incentives that drive behavior, and we
must change the current behavior that is failing this country,
especially our children and grandchildren.
Right now, the CBO encounters ongoing challenges in obtaining
necessary data from executive branch agencies in a timely manner
without restrictions. CBO's recent interactions with the Social
Security Administration reveal a systemic issue that extends beyond a
single agency. The process of renewing

[[Page H2680]]

data agreements, which are vital for the CBO's analyses, has been met
with significant delays.
For example, a particular Social Security agreement with the Social
Security Administration, critical for ongoing access to essential data,
required over a year of negotiations before it was finalized and
renewed. This consumed significant resources and time and deprived
Congress of valuable information.
It is clear that the current framework is broken. There are many
interpretations of various legislative mandates that bring
inefficiencies and obstacles to data access. These challenges impact
how quickly CBO can provide vital information to Congress and hinder
Members' ability to make fully informed decisions regarding the
budgetary impact of proposed legislation.
Our bill will put an end to this troubling dynamic.
The Congressional Budget Office Data Sharing Act would ensure the CBO
has the tools it needs to deliver for us, their customer, timely and
accurate information. It assists CBO in providing Congress with cost
estimates for legislation and other fiscal reports that are critical
for bringing accountability and transparency.
We streamline the CBO's ability to obtain necessary data, enabling
timely completion of its work. We also strengthen and clarify the CBO's
ability to request and receive data from executive branch agencies.
This doesn't threaten the confidentiality of sensitive information.
Rather, the CBO would be required to maintain confidentiality in a way
similar to the executive branch agency that is providing it.
This bill also ensures that future laws will not limit or modify this
enhanced authority unless explicitly stated.
Finally, the bill provides increased transparency by requiring the
CBO to report to the House and Senate Budget Committees on the requests
it makes to agencies and any challenges encountered in retrieving
necessary information.
I am proud to support this measure that will give CBO some of the
tools it needs to provide timely, accurate, and complete information to
Congress.
This legislation is smart, bipartisan, and a step in the right
direction to improving the way that we budget Americans' hard-earned
tax dollars.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve
the balance of my time.

{time} 1800

Mr. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise today as the author of H.R. 7032, the
Congressional Budget Office Data Sharing Act.
Mr. Speaker, 50 years ago, almost to the day, Congress passed the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, which created the modern
Congressional budget process as well as the Senate and House Budget
Committees, and finally, the Congressional Budget Office.
With 270 dedicated, nonpartisan staff led by Director Dr. Phillip
Swagel, CBO is critical to our work on behalf of the American people.
CBO issues hundreds of cost estimates on proposed legislation
annually, provides technical assistance in crafting legislation, and
keeps the public informed about the costs and impacts of legislation,
as well as the overall fiscal health of our Nation.
The Budget Committee has direct oversight of CBO, and as the ranking
member, helping CBO to do a better job of serving our institution is
one of my top priorities.
Just a few months ago, the CBO director testified before our
committee on the issues that CBO faces when requesting data from
executive branch agencies.
In many cases, even when agencies want to cooperate with the CBO,
they sometimes have concerns about their legal authority to provide
data that creates delays.
In just one example that Dr. Swagel gave, CBO faced delays receiving
data from FEMA regarding important analysis on flood insurance because
FEMA was unsure of their legal authority to provide the data that was
requested.
In cases like this, CBO is often forced to rely on less detailed,
publicly available information in order to complete their reports on
time.
My bill remedies this by clarifying CBO's authority to request data
from executive agencies and grant CBO better and timely information so
CBO can provide this analysis to Congress.
It accomplishes that while maintaining that CBO protects data to the
same standards as the Federal agency providing it.
The security of sensitive data is important to agencies, CBO, and
Congress, and this legislation ensures that CBO will continue to follow
the procedures of the providing agency when it comes to protecting that
data.
Mr. Speaker, as you heard just a few moments ago, this bill is a
commonsense solution to an issue that has plagued CBO both through
Republican and Democratic administrations, and I am proud that it had
unanimous bipartisan support in the Budget Committee.
I thank the lead cosponsor of this legislation, Chairman Jodey
Arrington, who has been a crucial partner in advancing this bill.
I thank my friend as well from the South Bend, Indiana, area who has
spoken so positively about this bipartisan legislation.
Mr. Speaker, 50 years ago after the enactment of the Budget Act,
Congress clearly still has work to do when it comes to improving our
budget and appropriations process and ensuring we deliver for the
American people on time. This bill is the first step to improving our
budget process.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this bill, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. YAKYM. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
Georgia (Mr. Carter).
Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for
yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 7032, the
Congressional Budget Office Data Sharing Act, led by Ranking Member
Boyle and Chairman Arrington.
When we in Congress make decisions on legislation and programs, we
often look to CBO, the Congressional Budget Office, for their estimates
on how it will affect our economy and our Federal budget.
With Federal debt reaching new heights every hour, it is of the
utmost importance that the fine people at CBO have access to all the
data they need when doing their analysis.
All this bill does is to clarify and strengthen CBO's access to
executive branch data, and that is extremely important.
The vital data we need when making decisions regarding the future of
our country is the data that we need in order to make these types of
decisions, and that is why the CBO needs access to that data, and in
turn, we get access to that data.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan piece of
legislation.
Mr. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I
yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter from the Congressional
Budget Office on how this bill would clarify and strengthen the
agency's general authority for accessing data from executive branch
agencies, as well as a letter from the Bipartisan Policy Center in
support of this bill.

Congressional Budget Office,

Washington, DC, April 12, 2024.
Hon. Jodey Arrington,
Chairman, Committee on the Budget,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Hon. Brendan F. Boyle,
Ranking Member, Committee on the Budget,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Re H.R. 7032, Congressional Budget Office Data Sharing Act
Dear Chairman Arrington and Ranking Member Boyle: You have
asked how enacting H.R. 7032, the Congressional Budget Office
Data Sharing Act, would improve CBO's access to data. The
bill would amend the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to
clarify and strengthen the agency's general authority for
accessing data from executive branch agencies.
The Congressional Budget Act provides CBO general authority
to access data from a variety of sources. CBO works
collaboratively with the executive branch to obtain data
through formal and informal means. CBO also accesses data by
using specific authority and by collaborating with other
agencies.
CBO currently has more than 20 active data-use agreements
with federal agencies. However, the shifting legal and
regulatory frameworks at federal agencies can delay,

[[Page H2681]]

weaken, or block access to information. The time necessary to
negotiate and renew agreements can be unpredictable and is
widely variable, taking from a couple of weeks to more than a
year.
H.R. 7032 would amend section 201(d) of the Congressional
Budget Act, which governs CBO's access to executive branch
data, by striking a parenthetical statement in that section,
``(other than material the disclosure of which would be a
violation of law).'' That condition is unnecessary when
another statute more specifically governs CBO's access to
certain data. It also can hamper access to data by requiring
CBO to enter into additional discussions with agencies, thus
impairing the timeliness of CBO's work.
Enacting the bill would remove the caveat and, instead,
provide CBO access to executive branch data unless that
access is specifically disallowed by a future law. H.R. 7032
also includes a reference to section 203(e) of the
Congressional Budget Act to highlight CBO's obligation to
protect the restricted information it receives.
Better and more timely access to data enhances the
precision of CBO's work, and it gives the Congress better--
and more timely--information to make informed decisions about
policy. Such access also helps to ensure equal footing with
the executive branch.
I hope this information is useful to you. Please contact me
if you have further questions.
Sincerely,
Phillip L. Swagel,
Director.
____

Bipartisan Policy Center

April 15, 2024.
Hon. Jodey Arrington,
Chairman, House Budget Committee,
Washington, DC.
Hon. Brendan Boyle,
Ranking Member, House Budget Committee,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Arrington and Ranking Member Boyle: On behalf
of the Bipartisan Policy Center, I write to commend you and
your colleagues on the House Budget Committee for your work
in advancing H.R. 7032, the Congressional Budget Office Data
Sharing Act. This thoughtful, bipartisan legislation would
enhance the working relationships between the Congressional
Budget Office (CBO) and federal departments and agencies, and
would enable CBO to collect better data in the course of
serving lawmakers and their staff.
As you know, CBO faces challenges in gaining access to
agency-level data, even with willing executive branch
partners. These challenges delay or even prevent CBO from
working hand in hand with departments and agencies, which in
turn hinders CBO's ability to respond to congressional
requests in a timely manner.
Your legislation would address these challenges head on,
enhancing CBO's ability to work with federal agencies while
retaining confidentiality protections that are essential to
any entity making use of potentially sensitive government
data. We were glad to see widespread, bipartisan support for
H.R. 7032 in the House Budget Committee in February of this
year.
With the 50th anniversary of the Congressional Budget and
Impoundment Control Act approaching, now is the perfect time
for lawmakers to be considering reforms large and small that
would improve upon this law and update it for the budgetary
challenges lawmakers face in the 21st century. BPC looks
forward to working with you and the members of the House
Budget Committee on this and other proposals to reform and
improve the congressional budget process.
We thank you for your work on H.R. 7032 and for your
commitment to bipartisan, bicameral budget process reform.
Sincerely,
G. William Hoagland,
Senior Vice President, BPC.

Mr. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, this is a commonsense
bipartisan bill that gives CBO the tools it needs to do its job to
serve this institution better.
This is really about strengthening the institution of Congress, in
addition to ensuring CBO is better able to deliver a product.
Helping CBO provide more timely and accurate information to Congress
will help us as a body make better and more informed decisions on
behalf of the people who sent us here.
I urge all of my colleagues to support the CBO Data Sharing Act, and
I once again thank Director Swagel and all the dedicated staff at CBO
for their hard work.
I, again, thank Chairman Arrington for his friendship and his
support, as well as all of my colleagues on the Budget Committee,
including the gentleman from Indiana, who unanimously supported this
legislation.
As always, a heartfelt thank you to the staff in my office, as well
as both the Democratic and Republican staffs of the Budget Committee
for their hard work to make this legislation possible.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. YAKYM. Mr. Speaker, I am ready to close, and I yield myself such
time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I ask to include in the Record letters in statement of
support from various organizations and individuals as part of H.R.
7032.
These include from the Congressional Budget Office, several former
directors of the Congressional Budget Office, including: Dan Crippen,
Doug Elmendorf, and Doug Holtz-Eakin; Sandy Davis who served as the
Congressional Budget Office's Associate Director for Legislative
Affairs from 2003-2015, and the Economic Policy Innovation Center.
I will include in the Record the Bipartisan Policy Center, the Cato
Institute, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, and the
National Taxpayers Union Foundation.

Dan Crippen, Former CBO Director

I applaud the House Budget Committee for its legislation
allowing CBO more access to data from federal agencies. I
urge the House to pass the bill in time for the Senate to act
expeditiously as well.
Having once served as Director, I can report first-hand
that agencies collect data valuable to CBO analysis of
legislation and important issues to the Congress.
Unfortunately, many of those agencies are reluctant to share
the data for any number of reasons, including:
privacy;
enabling statutes; and,
the inherent power of ``owning'' the data (often unspoken).
The bill the House plans to consider will help clarify the
ability of agencies to overcome any legislative restrictions
that might impose concern about the legality of transfers.
Other concerns can be mitigated using an MOU.
Privacy has often been the reason given for not sharing
data. Various deidentification techniques can protect
privacy. I was often told that I could identify Bill Gates
tax return without any identifying information . . . of
course, with more taxpayers at his level of income, it would
be more difficult now. Nonetheless, it is possible to
eliminate entirely a few cells that would be identifiable
without severe masking of all data, destroying the
statistical properties of the information.
With the help of Chairman Moynihan, CBO gained access to
IRS data, but under all the same laws and rules of the IRS
itself . . . including go-to-jail provisions for leaking.
Some analysts at CBO were initially chagrined at the new
exposure, but subsequently understood the security measures
we needed to take to successfully comply. This legislation
would do the same for all agencies.
The Census Bureau often claimed that its charter made any
census data available only to the Census Bureau . . . to help
improve its data collection. I once encouraged the House
Appropriations Committee to include CBO access to Census
Bureau data, which they did, only to have the Bureau launch a
large and successful campaign against it. The Bureau claimed
leaks by CBO would discourage people from returning the
census survey when, at least at that point, the only agency
to leak data was the Bureau itself. This bill would make it
clear that it is appropriate and legal for agencies to allow
CBO to use data collected by the government.
No matter what the reason, nor how good the motives,
withholding data from CBO deprives the Congress of better
estimates and analysis. This legislation will make it more
straightforward and less ambiguous, without jeopardizing
existing privacy. The folks at CBO, along with other fine
qualities, are not a leaky lot . . . as shown by their
history.
____

Harvard, Kennedy School,

Cambridge, MA, April 12, 2024.
Hon. Jodey Arrington,
Chairman, Committee on the Budget,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Hon. Brendan Boyle,
Ranking Member, Committee on the Budget,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Arrington and Ranking Member Boyle: As a
former director of the Congressional Budget Office--serving
from 2009 to 2015--I take considerable interest in CBO's
ability to obtain the information it needs to effectively
serve the Budget Committees and the Congress as a whole. From
that perspective, I strongly support H.R. 7032, the
Congressional Budget Office Data Sharing Act.
Many officials around the U.S. Government understand the
value of CBO's analysis in the legislative process, the
importance of that analysis being based on comprehensive and
up-to-date data, and the care with which CBO handles the data
that it receives. At the same time, those officials are
understandably concerned about not violating confidentiality
protections that apply to the data they collect. The result
in some cases is that legal ambiguity about CBO's authority
to access confidential data hinders CBO's ability to gather
needed information in a timely and efficient manner, and
thereby constrains CBO's ability to serve the Congress
appropriately.
H.R. 7032 would resolve such ambiguity, allowing CBO to
obtain data from executive branch agencies without obstacles
as long as CBO maintains the required degree of
confidentiality. This clarification of CBO's ability to
access agency data would streamline CBO's work process and
help CBO to deliver

[[Page H2682]]

the timely, rigorous, fact-based analysis on which the
Congress depends.
Sincerely,
Douglas W. Elmendorf,
Professor of Public Policy.
____

American Action Forum,

April 15, 2024.
Hon. Jodey Arrington,
Chairman, Committee on the Budget,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Hon. Brendan F. Boyle,
Ranking Member, Committee on the Budget,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Arrington and Ranking Member Boyle: I am
writing to support passage of H.R. 7032, the Congressional
Budget Office Data Sharing Act. I served as director of the
Congressional Budget Office (CBO) from 2003 through 2005. In
my opinion, H.R. 7032 would improve CBO's access, and
especially the timeliness of access, to executive agencies'
data essential to fulfilling its mission.
At present, CBO receives data under the authority provided
by the Congressional Budget Act. These are largely
cooperative arrangements, at times augmented by formal
datasharing agreements. While this process has generally
worked well, it would be useful to clarify and strengthen
CBO's access to agencies' data.
As noted in CBO's letter to you:
H.R. 7032 would amend section 201(d) of the Congressional
Budget Act, which governs CBO's access to executive branch
data, by striking a parenthetical statement in that section,
``(other than material the disclosure of which would be a
violation of law).'' That condition is unnecessary when
another statute more specifically governs CBO's access to
certain data. It also can hamper access to data by requiring
CBO to enter into additional discussions with agencies, thus
impairing the timeliness of CBO's work.
Enacting the bill would remove the caveat and, instead,
provide CBO access to executive branch data unless that
access is specifically disallowed by a future law. H.R. 7032
also includes a reference to section 203(e) of the
Congressional Budget Act to highlight CBO's obligation to
protect the restricted information it receives.
This relatively modest clarification of CBO's authority to
request and receive data will strengthen CBO's ability to
provide Congress with timely cost estimates, more detailed
reports, and other information supporting Congress'
deliberations.
I congratulate you on the successful vote in the Budget
Committee and hope to see H.R. 7032 enacted into law.
Sincerely,
Douglas Holtz-Eakin,
President.
____

[From Sandy Davis, Associate Director for Legislative Affairs,
Congressional Budget Office (2003-2015), Apr. 12, 2024]

Statement of Support for H.R. 7032--The Congressional Budget Office
Data Sharing Act

It is my pleasure to submit this statement supporting the
adoption of H.R. 7032, the Congressional Budget Office Data
Sharing Act. I worked at the Congressional Budget Office
(CBO) for nearly 20 years, the last dozen or so serving as
CBO's principal liaison to Congress. In that capacity, I
witnessed the periodic struggles CBO analysts faced in their
efforts to acquire timely data and information from Executive
Branch agencies to prepare cost estimates and other critical
budgetary analyses for Congress. H.R. 7032 would reaffirm
Congress' original directive under the Congressional Budget
Act of 1974 giving CBO access to Executive Branch data and
would clarify and enhance CBO's statutory authority to
acquire such data to carry out its duties under the Budget
Act in support of the Budget Committees and the broader
Congressional budget process.
It is also important to note that the House Budget
Committee reported H.R. 7032 by a unanimous vote of 30-0. In
my view, that vote strongly suggests that the Committee views
this measure as a buttress for Congress institutional
capacity to protect its power of the purse under Article I of
the Constitution. That is reminiscent of the strong
bipartisanship that led to the enactment of the Congressional
Budget Act and other institutional reforms in the early 1970s
to reassert Congress' constitutional prerogatives. As we
approach the 50th anniversary of the enactment of that
landmark measure, H.R. 7032 represents an important
restatement of and enhancement to that critical law.
____

Economic Policy

Innovation Center,

April 25, 2024.
Hon. Jodey Arrington,
Chairman, Committee on the Budget,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Hon. Brendan Boyle,
Ranking Member, Committee on the Budget,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Chairman Arrington and Ranking Member Boyle: Congress
relies on the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to serve as
its non-partisan official scorekeeper. Accurate cost
estimates and budgetary and economic projections require
high-quality and up-to-date data inputs.
The CBO was established to provide information to lawmakers
without being solely reliant on the Executive Branch's
analysis of legislation. However, the Executive Branch
agencies that administer the laws will often have access to
records and statistics which are vital to understanding the
fiscal and economic impacts of programs and policy proposals.
That is why the Congressional Budget Act authorized the
Director of the CBO to ``to secure information, data,
estimates, and statistics directly from the various
departments, agencies, and establishments of the executive
branch of Government and the regulatory agencies and
commissions of the Government.'' Indeed, the heart of the
Foundations for Evidence-Based Policy Making Act (2018) was
to require government-wide data sharing (subject to privacy
laws) with the goal of better policy evaluation and
formation.
Unfortunately, the CBO has reported difficulty and delays
in accessing data from agencies. H.R. 7032, the Congressional
Budget Office Data Sharing Act, would improve CBO's ability
to access data from the Executive Branch while requiring CBO
to maintain ``the level of confidentiality required by law''
to protect any sensitive information. The bill also includes
a new requirement for CBO to report to Congress on CBO's
requests for data from the Executive Branch.
Access to accurate and timely information is important for
lawmakers to do their work for the American people, and we
applaud your bipartisan efforts in this regard.
Sincerely,
Brittany Madni,
Executive Vice President, Economic Policy Innovation Center
(EPIC).
William W. Beach, D. Phil.,
Senior Fellow in Economics, Economic Policy Innovation
Center (EPIC).

Mr. YAKYM. -Mr. Speaker, I also include in the Record letters and
statements of support from various organizations and individuals as
part of H.R. 7032. These include statements of support from the
National Taxpayers Union, the CATO Institute, and the Committee for a
Responsible Federal Budget.

Romina Boccia, CATO

Strengthen budget data sharing. The Congressional Budget
Office (CBO) plays a critical role in informing Congress
about the fiscal state of the nation as well as in providing
forward-looking guidance for how policy changes will affect
the budgetary picture. At times, CBO has encountered
difficulties accessing necessary data from other government
agencies which complicates the production of objective,
impartial, and timely analyses of legislative proposals. The
Congressional Budget Office Data Sharing Act (H.R. 7032)
empowers CBO to get the data it needs to get the job done,
ensuring legislators can make informed budgetary decisions.
Improving fiscal reporting should be a nonpartisan priority
and it's encouraging to see that this is the case for H.R.
7032. which was reported out of the House Budget Committee
with unanimous support.

Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget

Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a
Responsible Federal Budget, said. ``The Congressional Budget
Office (CBO) needs timely access to government data to
provide information to lawmakers as they make decisions
affecting our country's fiscal path. The Congressional Budget
Office Data Sharing Act would streamline the process for CBO
to obtain such data and thus contribute to improved and more
timely information for lawmakers. Policymakers should pass
this bill.''

National Taxpayers Union Foundation

The Congressional Budget Office Data Sharing Act introduced
by the House Budget Committee's Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-
TX) and Ranking Member Brendan Boyle (D-PA) will help CBO to
respond to congressional requests for legislative analyses in
a timelier manner.
Under current policies, CBO can encounter roadblocks in
getting information it needs from federal agencies that lead
to avoidable delays. The bill would add the CBO to the same
exemption to the Privacy Act of 1974 that is provided to the
Government Accountability Office and both chambers of
Congress. It is also important to note that CBO is obligated
to protect data in the same way as other federal agencies.
The bipartisan CBO Data Sharing Act would help improve
CBO's important work by streamlining its access to needed
information. In turn, CBO can provide lawmakers and taxpayers
with more accurate and timely cost estimates of legislative
proposals.

Demian Brady,

Vice President of Research,
National Taxpayers Union Foundation.
Mr. YAKYM. Mr. Speaker, again, I express my sincere gratitude to the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Boyle), my friend and fellow Notre
Dame graduate, and the ranking member of the Budget Committee for his
bipartisan work and his partnership on the CBO Data Sharing Act.
It is a testament to the spirit of bipartisanship that we have on the
House Budget Committee. I, again, thank our budget chair, the gentleman
from Texas (Mr. Arrington) for his work and his commitment on this
bill.
I also extend my deep appreciation to my fellow members of the Budget
Committee for their work in support of this

[[Page H2683]]

legislation, as well as the Budget Committee staff, both on the
Republican and Democratic side.
It is critical that the Congressional Budget Office has access to the
data needed to support the budget process and ensure that we are the
best stewards of Americans' hard earned tax dollars.
The CBO plays a meaningful role in the legislative process by
determining the fiscal impact of important potential policy decisions
that we undertake here in this House.
Too often, the CBO struggles to obtain the necessary data from
executive branch agencies in a timely manner. As was mentioned earlier,
this has ripple effects on its ability to deliver prompt budgetary
analysis to Congress.
As we all know, this, in turn, delays the Congress in making fully
informed decisions regarding the budgetary impact of legislation.
H.R. 7032 removes this hurdle and helps streamline the budget
process. This bipartisan legislation will grant the CBO the authority
to request and receive key data from executive branch agencies,
ensuring it is able to fulfill its mission as laid out in the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974.
While expanding access, however, this bill also recognizes the
importance of protecting data privacy and ensures that the CBO
continues to be subject to congressional oversight.
Given the critical nature of the CBO's work, we can't allow them to
continue to operate in a broken budgetary system.
This bipartisan legislation supports strengthening the CBO while
allowing us as lawmakers to make the most informed and forward-thinking
decisions possible.
I am grateful to everyone who played a part in moving this bill, and
I commend the bipartisan members of the Budget Committee who voted
unanimously for this bill during committee markup.
I am proud to express my strong support for the CBO Data Sharing Act.
I look forward to voting in favor of this piece of legislation. I urge
my colleagues to do the same.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Yakym) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 7032.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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