Oversight of the Congressional Budget Office | 11-18-25

The House Budget Committee GOP held a hearing on November 18, 2025, to oversee the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and discuss its role in providing accurate, timely, and transparent budgetary and economic analyses critical for lawmaking. Director Phil Swaggel testified on the CBO's work, including cost estimates for the 2025 reconciliation bill, healthcare coverage impacts, tariffs, and the national debt outlook. Committee members expressed concerns about rising deficits, healthcare coverage losses due to policy changes, and the accuracy and transparency of CBO's scoring methods. There was bipartisan support for improving CBO's processes, including calls for independent audits and more frequent baseline updates to enhance accountability and reliability. The discussion also covered the economic effects of tariffs, healthcare subsidies, and the importance of nonpartisan, data-driven analysis to inform Congress's fiscal decisions. The committee emphasized the need for continuous improvement in CBO's methodologies to better serve Congress and the American public.