U.S. Representative Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) reintroduced a bill this week that would require the House Clerk to read the estimated cost of a bill after reading its title.
Burchett’s CBO Score Reading Rule is a one-page bill that would amend clause 2 of rule II of the Rules of the House of Representatives by inserting the following paragraph:
(l) After the reading of a bill title, the Clerk shall read the estimated cost, if any, of such bill as determined by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is required to produce a cost estimate for nearly every bill approved by a full committee of the House of Representatives or the Senate. CBO cost estimates focus on the budgetary consequences of proposed legislation.
This week I reintroduced the "CBO Score Reading Rule" that would require the House Clerk to read the estimated cost of any legislation after reading the title of the bill.https://t.co/xwR5F1z1Eb
— Rep. Tim Burchett (@RepTimBurchett) January 12, 2024
“Lots of people up here don’t know or care about how much a bill is going to cost the American taxpayer when they introduce it or vote on it. It’s time that changes,” Burchett, who describes himself as a “fiscally conservative Republican,” said in a statement.
“This is a straightforward bill that would open a lot of eyes to the garbage that’s passing through Congress under the taxpayers’ noses,” Burchett added.
The Tennessee congressman had previously introduced his bill in the 116th and 117th Congress. However, the legislation failed to make it out of the committee stage.
Burchett’s bill comes as the Senate is expected to advance a short-term measure to keep the government funded to avoid a government shutdown.
At the time of publication, the national debt was recorded at over $34.029 trillion, according to real-time data by the U.S. National Debt Clock. At the time of publication, the national debt per citizen was $101,288, while the national debt per taxpayer was $264,090.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Tim Burchett” by Congressman Tim Burchett.
Excellent Bill. When do appropriations Committees begin?
It’s time for Budget Appropriation Committees so we don’t get blindsided at the last minute before an election.
You have a very important & powerful duty to the People.
Thank you for your service..
Excellent idea but take it a step further. Not only read the cost of the proposed legislation but from where the funds will be taken. Further, is it a one-time expenditure or does this require funding every year. To say “General Fund” is inadequate, the budget is fully expended meaning the monies will be diverted from another program (education, law enforcement or infrastructure repair) or it will be obtained through tax increases. There is no other way to fund programs.
It’s a step in the right direction. The next bill should be no more legislation that identifies spending.