Protect Democracy Files Suit Against OMB to Release Discussions on Undermining CBO

Today Protect Democracy filed suit to compel the Office of Management and Budget to respond to our FOIA requests on any discussion of undermining or abolishing the Congressional Budget Office.  Read the complaint here.  Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, Ranking Member on the Senate Finance Committee, also weighed in on the importance of the CBO and Protect Democracy’s work, you can read his posting here.

Allison Murphy, Counsel for Protect Democracy, said, “Our democracy requires independent sources of information in order for lawmakers to act in an informed manner and the public to understand the actions of government, not just “alternative facts” designed to mislead the public.  The CBO was established in response to President Nixon’s abuses of power, to ensure that the public and our lawmakers had a neutral way to become accurately informed.  As the Trump Administration makes moves to supplant CBO with dubious, partisan analysis, and openly questions its continued existence, the public has a right to know exactly what the Administration’s plans are for undermining this important source of information.”

In his Medium posting, Senator Wyden said, “CBO continues to be a beacon of truth and facts in Capitol Hill’s often-partisan spin zone. The men and women who work at CBO take complicated bills, analyze them and provide detailed information that leads to real-world outcomes. Bills they analyze or “score” demonstrate how policy impacts Americans. They can predict whether you and your family will have access to health care. Whether Social Security or Medicare will be solvent. What legislation for families’ pocketbooks. Good government watchdog Protect Democracy has been monitoring the many ways the White House is attempting to influence and discredit the CBO. Today they filed a suit against the Trump Administration for their failure to turn over communications regarding the state of CBO. These communications could expose how the White House intends to discredit and defund the office.”

Read More at The Washington Post.

 

Responses from the Office of Management and Budget