, Columnist
When It Comes to the CBO, Hypocrisy Is Bipartisan
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office gets criticism from whichever party holds the White House.
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The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office is typically less popular with the party in power. During various Republican presidencies, Republicans would propose tax cuts and make exaggerated claims about the revenue and extra economic activity that would result. The sober CBO was always there to inject a dose of reality, and was usually closer to being right than Republicans were.
In Republican administrations, unsurprisingly, Democrats are full of praise for the CBO. It represents the kind of technocratic thinking and numbers orientation that has a longstanding tradition in the party.