Tag: cbo

Dynamic scoring takes another step forward in Congress.

Well, this is a promising first step: “House Republicans are moving to increase the use of dynamic scoring through a rules change that would require long-term estimates of the economic effects of major legislation. The macroeconomic estimates required under the rule would include the projected effects of legislation on economic output, employment and capital stock, resulting in an assessment of how a proposal would cause the economy to expand or contract.” Essentially, this rule would force the Democrats to stop using the CBO to pretend – in at least some cases – that changes to the tax code are a zero-sum game.  Once we can actually project future economic growth from tax reform and simplification, we can maybe get more of a grip on our horrendous spending problem without resorting to the ‘higher taxes’ duckspeaking so beloved of the Democratic leadership.  Which would be nice: and which is why this has been a goal of the GOP leadership for some time.  And now that we have both Houses of Congress, hey, time to do some reform.

And, if you’re wondering whether this is a good idea or not, wonder no more: “Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, the ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee, slammed the proposed rule.”  Van Hollen has gotten steadily more and more cranky* over the last decade, so it’s always instructive (also, entertaining) to see what will really set him off. He’s practically frothing over this particular idea, which is a Christmas gift right there.

Moe Lane (crosspost)

*Screaming about ‘trickle down economics.’  Man, I was, like, in my teens when that wheeze from the Democrats was new.  What’s next? Calling it grody to the max?

Today was the epitome of Reality Has Defeated Me. #obamacare #cbo

Like Hot Air, I am gobsmacked: if I had told you yesterday that the White House’s spin on today’s CBO report of DOOM would be that losing the equivalent of 2.3 million workers by 2021 was a good thing you’d have laughed at me as the partisan hack that I was.  And I would have laughed, too: because that would have been crazy. Downright loony, even.

Walp: Continue reading Today was the epitome of Reality Has Defeated Me. #obamacare #cbo

Democrats told to evade details of CBO scoring.

[UPDATE] Welcome, Instapundit readers.

Explicitly.  From a Thursday memo on the subject:

We cannot emphasize enough: do not allow yourself (or your boss) to get into a discussion of the details of CBO scores and textual narrative.  Instead, focus only on the deficit reductions and number of Americans covered.

Emphasis theirs, not mine.  Also:

The inclusion of a full SGR [‘sustainable growth rate’ – ML] repeal would undermine reform’s budget neutrality.  So, again, do not allow yourself (or your boss) to get into a discussion of the details of CBO scores and textual narrative.  Instead, focus only on the deficit reductions and number of Americans covered.

As most health staff knows, Leadership and the White House are working with the AMA to rally physicians support for a full SGR repeal later this spring.  However, both health and communications staff should understand we do not want that policy discussion discussed at this time…

I’d ask what they were so afraid of, but I already know the answer – and so do you.

Moe Lane

PS: Obviously, there’s no need to accommodate them in their desire to avoid this issue.

Crossposted to RedState.

CBO scores the GOP health plan.

Here’s the main takeaways from the CBO analysis:

  • The total cost to the taxpayer would be 61 billion (as Hot Air notes, this is opposed to the 1.2 trillion of taxpayer money that the Democrats want to spend).
  • The plan will essentially keep the total percentage of insured individuals at around the current percentage of 83% (The Democrat’s main selling point on their version is that it will insure 96% of the population – including illegal immigrants).
  • Premium rates would decrease across the board.
  • The plan assumes tort reform, no government-option health care, and the ability to buy insurance across state lines.

In other words, there is no way whatsoever that the Democratic party in Congress is going to support this plan: it clashes horribly with the current ruling party’s shrill insistence that we are in a dire crisis with regard to health care, which just happens to require a solution that will eventually result in no private insurance and a state-run health care system.  It also directly affects the economic well-being of trial lawyers, which will hurt that group’s ability to make political contributions, which will hurt the Democratic party.  So, expect to see much made of the fact that the GOP plan will not expand coverage, and a good deal of pounding the table and shouting about deficit reductions.  Expect to not see much made of the fact that this plan will mostly leave people – and their bank accounts – alone about their health care decisions…

Moe Lane

PS: Twelve hour online GOP health care forum starts at 1 PM.

PPS: You should be up to page 1,062 on the Democrats’ health care rationing bill by now.

Crossposted to RedState.

Health Care Rationing bill up to 1.2 trillion.

You do not have the right to be surprised.

That ‘mere’ 900 billion? Not happening.

WASHINGTON – The health care bill headed for a vote in the House this week costs $1.2 trillion or more over a decade, according to numerous Democratic officials and figures contained in an analysis by congressional budget experts, far higher than the $900 billion cited by President Barack Obama as a price tag for his reform plan.

Via Hot Air Headlines. What did happen was that the Democrats decided to increase various programs by a third because… well, because the bill was there, and they have a commanding majority in both houses of Congress, and Democrats like spending your money on both worthy and ‘worthy’ causes*. So, since they have no intention of paying for this thing anyway…

Hey, don’t look at me. I didn’t vote for any of these people. But how is that ‘teach the GOP a lesson’ thing working out for the rest of America?

Moe Lane

Continue reading Health Care Rationing bill up to 1.2 trillion.

CBO: Tort reform would save $164B over ten years.

54 billion in deficit reduction, 110 billion in reduced health care costs. Via the CBO’s blog, via Hot Air.

That’s a decent amount of savings, there: it’s a shame that the Democratic party would rather that trial lawyers got the money. After all, trial lawyers can be counted on to give the Democrats some of it.

Crossposted to RedState.

This sums up the Democratic Congressional strategy perfectly.

On Tuesday night, be given a health care bill the size of Delaware that nobody in your office had a chance to read (over 1,000 pages, in this case).

On Wednesday, watch it be jammed through various committees.

On Thursday, find out from that the nonpartisan oversight group that’s supposed to be regulating this sort of thing hasn’t been able to read it, either.

Note that none of this is considered sufficiently important enough by the Democratic leadership to be worth taking the extra time to read the bill, let alone assess it. Because you should never let a good crisis go to waste, hey?

Moe Lane

PS: If you’re wondering why Rep. Paul Ryan didn’t rip off CBO Director Douglas Elmendorf’s head in that video, it’s because this isn’t Elmendorf’s fault. In fact, Senate Democratic leaders spent some time mocking Elmendorf’s concerns on the bill, presumably because they could. Also: don’t expect the so-called ‘Blue Dogs’ to hang tough on this. They never do.

Crossposted to RedState.