[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 73 (Monday, April 29, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H2679-H2683]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE DATA SHARING ACT

  Mr. YAKYM. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 7032) to amend the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control 
Act of 1974 to provide the Congressional Budget Office with necessary 
authorities to expedite the sharing of data from executive branch 
agencies, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 7032

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Congressional Budget Office 
     Data Sharing Act''.

     SEC. 2. REQUESTS BY CBO OF INFORMATION FROM EXECUTIVE 
                   AGENCIES.

       (a) In General.--Section 201(d) of the Congressional Budget 
     and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 601(d)) is 
     amended--
       (1) by striking ``The Director is authorized'' and 
     inserting ``(1) The Director is authorized'';
       (2) by striking ``(other than material the disclosure of 
     which would be a violation of law)'' and inserting ``(with or 
     without written agreement) provided that the Director 
     maintains the level of confidentiality required by law of the 
     department, agency, establishment, or regulatory agency or 
     commission from which it is obtained in accordance with 
     section 203(e)''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(2) No provision of law enacted after the date of the 
     enactment of the Congressional Budget Office Data Sharing Act 
     shall be construed to supersede, limit, or otherwise modify 
     the authority of the Director to obtain any material under 
     this subsection unless such provision specifically provides, 
     by specific reference to this paragraph, that such authority 
     is to be superseded, limited, or otherwise modified.''.
       (b) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, the Director of the Congressional 
     Budget Office shall submit, to the chairs of the Committees 
     on the Budget of the House of Representatives and the Senate, 
     a report listing any request for information pursuant to a 
     written agreement under section 201(d) of the Congressional 
     Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 601(d)), 
     as amended by subsection (a) of this Act, made to any 
     department, agency, or establishment of the executive branch 
     of Government or any regulatory agency or commission of the 
     Government and any challenges faced accessing information 
     under such section.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Indiana (Mr. Yakym) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Boyle) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Indiana.


                             General Leave

  Mr. YAKYM. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on H.R. 7032.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Indiana?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. YAKYM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Congressional Budget 
Office Data Sharing Act.
  First, I thank my colleague and friend, the ranking member of the 
Budget Committee, Mr. Boyle of Pennsylvania, for working with me on 
this commonsense, bipartisan reform. I also thank our Budget Committee 
chairman, Jodey Arrington, for his leadership and work on this effort, 
as well.
  As a Congress, there is one thing we can all agree on: The current 
budgetary process is not working for the American people.
  Congress has adopted a budget resolution by its statutorily required 
April 15 deadline only four times in the last four decades.
  We have to find ways to address this brokenness so we can serve and 
steward the American people's hard-earned tax dollars. A key part of 
this is process reform.
  To me, process is a set of incentives that drive behavior, and we 
must change the current behavior that is failing this country, 
especially our children and grandchildren.
  Right now, the CBO encounters ongoing challenges in obtaining 
necessary data from executive branch agencies in a timely manner 
without restrictions. CBO's recent interactions with the Social 
Security Administration reveal a systemic issue that extends beyond a 
single agency. The process of renewing

[[Page H2680]]

data agreements, which are vital for the CBO's analyses, has been met 
with significant delays.
  For example, a particular Social Security agreement with the Social 
Security Administration, critical for ongoing access to essential data, 
required over a year of negotiations before it was finalized and 
renewed. This consumed significant resources and time and deprived 
Congress of valuable information.
  It is clear that the current framework is broken. There are many 
interpretations of various legislative mandates that bring 
inefficiencies and obstacles to data access. These challenges impact 
how quickly CBO can provide vital information to Congress and hinder 
Members' ability to make fully informed decisions regarding the 
budgetary impact of proposed legislation.
  Our bill will put an end to this troubling dynamic.
  The Congressional Budget Office Data Sharing Act would ensure the CBO 
has the tools it needs to deliver for us, their customer, timely and 
accurate information. It assists CBO in providing Congress with cost 
estimates for legislation and other fiscal reports that are critical 
for bringing accountability and transparency.
  We streamline the CBO's ability to obtain necessary data, enabling 
timely completion of its work. We also strengthen and clarify the CBO's 
ability to request and receive data from executive branch agencies.
  This doesn't threaten the confidentiality of sensitive information. 
Rather, the CBO would be required to maintain confidentiality in a way 
similar to the executive branch agency that is providing it.
  This bill also ensures that future laws will not limit or modify this 
enhanced authority unless explicitly stated.
  Finally, the bill provides increased transparency by requiring the 
CBO to report to the House and Senate Budget Committees on the requests 
it makes to agencies and any challenges encountered in retrieving 
necessary information.
  I am proud to support this measure that will give CBO some of the 
tools it needs to provide timely, accurate, and complete information to 
Congress.
  This legislation is smart, bipartisan, and a step in the right 
direction to improving the way that we budget Americans' hard-earned 
tax dollars.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve 
the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1800

  Mr. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise today as the author of H.R. 7032, the 
Congressional Budget Office Data Sharing Act.
  Mr. Speaker, 50 years ago, almost to the day, Congress passed the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, which created the modern 
Congressional budget process as well as the Senate and House Budget 
Committees, and finally, the Congressional Budget Office.
  With 270 dedicated, nonpartisan staff led by Director Dr. Phillip 
Swagel, CBO is critical to our work on behalf of the American people.
  CBO issues hundreds of cost estimates on proposed legislation 
annually, provides technical assistance in crafting legislation, and 
keeps the public informed about the costs and impacts of legislation, 
as well as the overall fiscal health of our Nation.
  The Budget Committee has direct oversight of CBO, and as the ranking 
member, helping CBO to do a better job of serving our institution is 
one of my top priorities.
  Just a few months ago, the CBO director testified before our 
committee on the issues that CBO faces when requesting data from 
executive branch agencies.
  In many cases, even when agencies want to cooperate with the CBO, 
they sometimes have concerns about their legal authority to provide 
data that creates delays.
  In just one example that Dr. Swagel gave, CBO faced delays receiving 
data from FEMA regarding important analysis on flood insurance because 
FEMA was unsure of their legal authority to provide the data that was 
requested.
  In cases like this, CBO is often forced to rely on less detailed, 
publicly available information in order to complete their reports on 
time.
  My bill remedies this by clarifying CBO's authority to request data 
from executive agencies and grant CBO better and timely information so 
CBO can provide this analysis to Congress.
  It accomplishes that while maintaining that CBO protects data to the 
same standards as the Federal agency providing it.
  The security of sensitive data is important to agencies, CBO, and 
Congress, and this legislation ensures that CBO will continue to follow 
the procedures of the providing agency when it comes to protecting that 
data.
  Mr. Speaker, as you heard just a few moments ago, this bill is a 
commonsense solution to an issue that has plagued CBO both through 
Republican and Democratic administrations, and I am proud that it had 
unanimous bipartisan support in the Budget Committee.
  I thank the lead cosponsor of this legislation, Chairman Jodey 
Arrington, who has been a crucial partner in advancing this bill.
  I thank my friend as well from the South Bend, Indiana, area who has 
spoken so positively about this bipartisan legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, 50 years ago after the enactment of the Budget Act, 
Congress clearly still has work to do when it comes to improving our 
budget and appropriations process and ensuring we deliver for the 
American people on time. This bill is the first step to improving our 
budget process.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this bill, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. YAKYM. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Carter).
  Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 7032, the 
Congressional Budget Office Data Sharing Act, led by Ranking Member 
Boyle and Chairman Arrington.
  When we in Congress make decisions on legislation and programs, we 
often look to CBO, the Congressional Budget Office, for their estimates 
on how it will affect our economy and our Federal budget.
  With Federal debt reaching new heights every hour, it is of the 
utmost importance that the fine people at CBO have access to all the 
data they need when doing their analysis.
  All this bill does is to clarify and strengthen CBO's access to 
executive branch data, and that is extremely important.
  The vital data we need when making decisions regarding the future of 
our country is the data that we need in order to make these types of 
decisions, and that is why the CBO needs access to that data, and in 
turn, we get access to that data.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan piece of 
legislation.
  Mr. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I 
yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter from the Congressional 
Budget Office on how this bill would clarify and strengthen the 
agency's general authority for accessing data from executive branch 
agencies, as well as a letter from the Bipartisan Policy Center in 
support of this bill.


                                  Congressional Budget Office,

                                   Washington, DC, April 12, 2024.
     Hon. Jodey Arrington,
     Chairman, Committee on the Budget,
     House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
     Hon. Brendan F. Boyle,
     Ranking Member, Committee on the Budget,
     House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
     Re H.R. 7032, Congressional Budget Office Data Sharing Act
       Dear Chairman Arrington and Ranking Member Boyle: You have 
     asked how enacting H.R. 7032, the Congressional Budget Office 
     Data Sharing Act, would improve CBO's access to data. The 
     bill would amend the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to 
     clarify and strengthen the agency's general authority for 
     accessing data from executive branch agencies.
       The Congressional Budget Act provides CBO general authority 
     to access data from a variety of sources. CBO works 
     collaboratively with the executive branch to obtain data 
     through formal and informal means. CBO also accesses data by 
     using specific authority and by collaborating with other 
     agencies.
       CBO currently has more than 20 active data-use agreements 
     with federal agencies. However, the shifting legal and 
     regulatory frameworks at federal agencies can delay,

[[Page H2681]]

     weaken, or block access to information. The time necessary to 
     negotiate and renew agreements can be unpredictable and is 
     widely variable, taking from a couple of weeks to more than a 
     year.
       H.R. 7032 would amend section 201(d) of the Congressional 
     Budget Act, which governs CBO's access to executive branch 
     data, by striking a parenthetical statement in that section, 
     ``(other than material the disclosure of which would be a 
     violation of law).'' That condition is unnecessary when 
     another statute more specifically governs CBO's access to 
     certain data. It also can hamper access to data by requiring 
     CBO to enter into additional discussions with agencies, thus 
     impairing the timeliness of CBO's work.
       Enacting the bill would remove the caveat and, instead, 
     provide CBO access to executive branch data unless that 
     access is specifically disallowed by a future law. H.R. 7032 
     also includes a reference to section 203(e) of the 
     Congressional Budget Act to highlight CBO's obligation to 
     protect the restricted information it receives.
       Better and more timely access to data enhances the 
     precision of CBO's work, and it gives the Congress better--
     and more timely--information to make informed decisions about 
     policy. Such access also helps to ensure equal footing with 
     the executive branch.
       I hope this information is useful to you. Please contact me 
     if you have further questions.
           Sincerely,
                                                Phillip L. Swagel,
     Director.
                                  ____



                                      Bipartisan Policy Center

                                                   April 15, 2024.
     Hon. Jodey Arrington,
     Chairman, House Budget Committee,
     Washington, DC.
     Hon. Brendan Boyle,
     Ranking Member, House Budget Committee,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Arrington and Ranking Member Boyle: On behalf 
     of the Bipartisan Policy Center, I write to commend you and 
     your colleagues on the House Budget Committee for your work 
     in advancing H.R. 7032, the Congressional Budget Office Data 
     Sharing Act. This thoughtful, bipartisan legislation would 
     enhance the working relationships between the Congressional 
     Budget Office (CBO) and federal departments and agencies, and 
     would enable CBO to collect better data in the course of 
     serving lawmakers and their staff.
       As you know, CBO faces challenges in gaining access to 
     agency-level data, even with willing executive branch 
     partners. These challenges delay or even prevent CBO from 
     working hand in hand with departments and agencies, which in 
     turn hinders CBO's ability to respond to congressional 
     requests in a timely manner.
       Your legislation would address these challenges head on, 
     enhancing CBO's ability to work with federal agencies while 
     retaining confidentiality protections that are essential to 
     any entity making use of potentially sensitive government 
     data. We were glad to see widespread, bipartisan support for 
     H.R. 7032 in the House Budget Committee in February of this 
     year.
       With the 50th anniversary of the Congressional Budget and 
     Impoundment Control Act approaching, now is the perfect time 
     for lawmakers to be considering reforms large and small that 
     would improve upon this law and update it for the budgetary 
     challenges lawmakers face in the 21st century. BPC looks 
     forward to working with you and the members of the House 
     Budget Committee on this and other proposals to reform and 
     improve the congressional budget process.
       We thank you for your work on H.R. 7032 and for your 
     commitment to bipartisan, bicameral budget process reform.
           Sincerely,
                                              G. William Hoagland,
                                       Senior Vice President, BPC.

  Mr. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, this is a commonsense 
bipartisan bill that gives CBO the tools it needs to do its job to 
serve this institution better.
  This is really about strengthening the institution of Congress, in 
addition to ensuring CBO is better able to deliver a product.
  Helping CBO provide more timely and accurate information to Congress 
will help us as a body make better and more informed decisions on 
behalf of the people who sent us here.
  I urge all of my colleagues to support the CBO Data Sharing Act, and 
I once again thank Director Swagel and all the dedicated staff at CBO 
for their hard work.
  I, again, thank Chairman Arrington for his friendship and his 
support, as well as all of my colleagues on the Budget Committee, 
including the gentleman from Indiana, who unanimously supported this 
legislation.
  As always, a heartfelt thank you to the staff in my office, as well 
as both the Democratic and Republican staffs of the Budget Committee 
for their hard work to make this legislation possible.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. YAKYM. Mr. Speaker, I am ready to close, and I yield myself such 
time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask to include in the Record letters in statement of 
support from various organizations and individuals as part of H.R. 
7032.
  These include from the Congressional Budget Office, several former 
directors of the Congressional Budget Office, including: Dan Crippen, 
Doug Elmendorf, and Doug Holtz-Eakin; Sandy Davis who served as the 
Congressional Budget Office's Associate Director for Legislative 
Affairs from 2003-2015, and the Economic Policy Innovation Center.
  I will include in the Record the Bipartisan Policy Center, the Cato 
Institute, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, and the 
National Taxpayers Union Foundation.

                    Dan Crippen, Former CBO Director

       I applaud the House Budget Committee for its legislation 
     allowing CBO more access to data from federal agencies. I 
     urge the House to pass the bill in time for the Senate to act 
     expeditiously as well.
       Having once served as Director, I can report first-hand 
     that agencies collect data valuable to CBO analysis of 
     legislation and important issues to the Congress. 
     Unfortunately, many of those agencies are reluctant to share 
     the data for any number of reasons, including:
       privacy;
       enabling statutes; and,
       the inherent power of ``owning'' the data (often unspoken).
       The bill the House plans to consider will help clarify the 
     ability of agencies to overcome any legislative restrictions 
     that might impose concern about the legality of transfers. 
     Other concerns can be mitigated using an MOU.
       Privacy has often been the reason given for not sharing 
     data. Various deidentification techniques can protect 
     privacy. I was often told that I could identify Bill Gates 
     tax return without any identifying information . . . of 
     course, with more taxpayers at his level of income, it would 
     be more difficult now. Nonetheless, it is possible to 
     eliminate entirely a few cells that would be identifiable 
     without severe masking of all data, destroying the 
     statistical properties of the information.
       With the help of Chairman Moynihan, CBO gained access to 
     IRS data, but under all the same laws and rules of the IRS 
     itself . . . including go-to-jail provisions for leaking. 
     Some analysts at CBO were initially chagrined at the new 
     exposure, but subsequently understood the security measures 
     we needed to take to successfully comply. This legislation 
     would do the same for all agencies.
       The Census Bureau often claimed that its charter made any 
     census data available only to the Census Bureau . . . to help 
     improve its data collection. I once encouraged the House 
     Appropriations Committee to include CBO access to Census 
     Bureau data, which they did, only to have the Bureau launch a 
     large and successful campaign against it. The Bureau claimed 
     leaks by CBO would discourage people from returning the 
     census survey when, at least at that point, the only agency 
     to leak data was the Bureau itself. This bill would make it 
     clear that it is appropriate and legal for agencies to allow 
     CBO to use data collected by the government.
       No matter what the reason, nor how good the motives, 
     withholding data from CBO deprives the Congress of better 
     estimates and analysis. This legislation will make it more 
     straightforward and less ambiguous, without jeopardizing 
     existing privacy. The folks at CBO, along with other fine 
     qualities, are not a leaky lot . . . as shown by their 
     history.
                                  ____



                                      Harvard, Kennedy School,

                                    Cambridge, MA, April 12, 2024.
     Hon. Jodey Arrington,
     Chairman, Committee on the Budget,
     House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
     Hon. Brendan Boyle,
     Ranking Member, Committee on the Budget,
     House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Arrington and Ranking Member Boyle: As a 
     former director of the Congressional Budget Office--serving 
     from 2009 to 2015--I take considerable interest in CBO's 
     ability to obtain the information it needs to effectively 
     serve the Budget Committees and the Congress as a whole. From 
     that perspective, I strongly support H.R. 7032, the 
     Congressional Budget Office Data Sharing Act.
       Many officials around the U.S. Government understand the 
     value of CBO's analysis in the legislative process, the 
     importance of that analysis being based on comprehensive and 
     up-to-date data, and the care with which CBO handles the data 
     that it receives. At the same time, those officials are 
     understandably concerned about not violating confidentiality 
     protections that apply to the data they collect. The result 
     in some cases is that legal ambiguity about CBO's authority 
     to access confidential data hinders CBO's ability to gather 
     needed information in a timely and efficient manner, and 
     thereby constrains CBO's ability to serve the Congress 
     appropriately.
       H.R. 7032 would resolve such ambiguity, allowing CBO to 
     obtain data from executive branch agencies without obstacles 
     as long as CBO maintains the required degree of 
     confidentiality. This clarification of CBO's ability to 
     access agency data would streamline CBO's work process and 
     help CBO to deliver

[[Page H2682]]

     the timely, rigorous, fact-based analysis on which the 
     Congress depends.
           Sincerely,
                                             Douglas W. Elmendorf,
     Professor of Public Policy.
                                  ____



                                        American Action Forum,

                                                   April 15, 2024.
     Hon. Jodey Arrington,
     Chairman, Committee on the Budget,
     House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
     Hon. Brendan F. Boyle,
     Ranking Member, Committee on the Budget,
     House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Arrington and Ranking Member Boyle: I am 
     writing to support passage of H.R. 7032, the Congressional 
     Budget Office Data Sharing Act. I served as director of the 
     Congressional Budget Office (CBO) from 2003 through 2005. In 
     my opinion, H.R. 7032 would improve CBO's access, and 
     especially the timeliness of access, to executive agencies' 
     data essential to fulfilling its mission.
       At present, CBO receives data under the authority provided 
     by the Congressional Budget Act. These are largely 
     cooperative arrangements, at times augmented by formal 
     datasharing agreements. While this process has generally 
     worked well, it would be useful to clarify and strengthen 
     CBO's access to agencies' data.
       As noted in CBO's letter to you:
       H.R. 7032 would amend section 201(d) of the Congressional 
     Budget Act, which governs CBO's access to executive branch 
     data, by striking a parenthetical statement in that section, 
     ``(other than material the disclosure of which would be a 
     violation of law).'' That condition is unnecessary when 
     another statute more specifically governs CBO's access to 
     certain data. It also can hamper access to data by requiring 
     CBO to enter into additional discussions with agencies, thus 
     impairing the timeliness of CBO's work.
       Enacting the bill would remove the caveat and, instead, 
     provide CBO access to executive branch data unless that 
     access is specifically disallowed by a future law. H.R. 7032 
     also includes a reference to section 203(e) of the 
     Congressional Budget Act to highlight CBO's obligation to 
     protect the restricted information it receives.
       This relatively modest clarification of CBO's authority to 
     request and receive data will strengthen CBO's ability to 
     provide Congress with timely cost estimates, more detailed 
     reports, and other information supporting Congress' 
     deliberations.
       I congratulate you on the successful vote in the Budget 
     Committee and hope to see H.R. 7032 enacted into law.
           Sincerely,
                                              Douglas Holtz-Eakin,
     President.
                                  ____


    [From Sandy Davis, Associate Director for Legislative Affairs, 
        Congressional Budget Office (2003-2015), Apr. 12, 2024]

  Statement of Support for H.R. 7032--The Congressional Budget Office 
                            Data Sharing Act

       It is my pleasure to submit this statement supporting the 
     adoption of H.R. 7032, the Congressional Budget Office Data 
     Sharing Act. I worked at the Congressional Budget Office 
     (CBO) for nearly 20 years, the last dozen or so serving as 
     CBO's principal liaison to Congress. In that capacity, I 
     witnessed the periodic struggles CBO analysts faced in their 
     efforts to acquire timely data and information from Executive 
     Branch agencies to prepare cost estimates and other critical 
     budgetary analyses for Congress. H.R. 7032 would reaffirm 
     Congress' original directive under the Congressional Budget 
     Act of 1974 giving CBO access to Executive Branch data and 
     would clarify and enhance CBO's statutory authority to 
     acquire such data to carry out its duties under the Budget 
     Act in support of the Budget Committees and the broader 
     Congressional budget process.
       It is also important to note that the House Budget 
     Committee reported H.R. 7032 by a unanimous vote of 30-0. In 
     my view, that vote strongly suggests that the Committee views 
     this measure as a buttress for Congress institutional 
     capacity to protect its power of the purse under Article I of 
     the Constitution. That is reminiscent of the strong 
     bipartisanship that led to the enactment of the Congressional 
     Budget Act and other institutional reforms in the early 1970s 
     to reassert Congress' constitutional prerogatives. As we 
     approach the 50th anniversary of the enactment of that 
     landmark measure, H.R. 7032 represents an important 
     restatement of and enhancement to that critical law.
                                  ____

                                                   Economic Policy


                                            Innovation Center,

                                                   April 25, 2024.
     Hon. Jodey Arrington,
     Chairman, Committee on the Budget,
     House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
     Hon. Brendan Boyle,
     Ranking Member, Committee on the Budget,
     House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Chairman Arrington and Ranking Member Boyle: Congress 
     relies on the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to serve as 
     its non-partisan official scorekeeper. Accurate cost 
     estimates and budgetary and economic projections require 
     high-quality and up-to-date data inputs.
       The CBO was established to provide information to lawmakers 
     without being solely reliant on the Executive Branch's 
     analysis of legislation. However, the Executive Branch 
     agencies that administer the laws will often have access to 
     records and statistics which are vital to understanding the 
     fiscal and economic impacts of programs and policy proposals. 
     That is why the Congressional Budget Act authorized the 
     Director of the CBO to ``to secure information, data, 
     estimates, and statistics directly from the various 
     departments, agencies, and establishments of the executive 
     branch of Government and the regulatory agencies and 
     commissions of the Government.'' Indeed, the heart of the 
     Foundations for Evidence-Based Policy Making Act (2018) was 
     to require government-wide data sharing (subject to privacy 
     laws) with the goal of better policy evaluation and 
     formation.
       Unfortunately, the CBO has reported difficulty and delays 
     in accessing data from agencies. H.R. 7032, the Congressional 
     Budget Office Data Sharing Act, would improve CBO's ability 
     to access data from the Executive Branch while requiring CBO 
     to maintain ``the level of confidentiality required by law'' 
     to protect any sensitive information. The bill also includes 
     a new requirement for CBO to report to Congress on CBO's 
     requests for data from the Executive Branch.
       Access to accurate and timely information is important for 
     lawmakers to do their work for the American people, and we 
     applaud your bipartisan efforts in this regard.
           Sincerely,
     Brittany Madni,
       Executive Vice President, Economic Policy Innovation Center 
     (EPIC).
     William W. Beach, D. Phil.,
       Senior Fellow in Economics, Economic Policy Innovation 
     Center (EPIC).

  Mr. YAKYM. -Mr. Speaker, I also include in the Record letters and 
statements of support from various organizations and individuals as 
part of H.R. 7032. These include statements of support from the 
National Taxpayers Union, the CATO Institute, and the Committee for a 
Responsible Federal Budget.


                          Romina Boccia, CATO

       Strengthen budget data sharing. The Congressional Budget 
     Office (CBO) plays a critical role in informing Congress 
     about the fiscal state of the nation as well as in providing 
     forward-looking guidance for how policy changes will affect 
     the budgetary picture. At times, CBO has encountered 
     difficulties accessing necessary data from other government 
     agencies which complicates the production of objective, 
     impartial, and timely analyses of legislative proposals. The 
     Congressional Budget Office Data Sharing Act (H.R. 7032) 
     empowers CBO to get the data it needs to get the job done, 
     ensuring legislators can make informed budgetary decisions. 
     Improving fiscal reporting should be a nonpartisan priority 
     and it's encouraging to see that this is the case for H.R. 
     7032. which was reported out of the House Budget Committee 
     with unanimous support.


               Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget

       Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a 
     Responsible Federal Budget, said. ``The Congressional Budget 
     Office (CBO) needs timely access to government data to 
     provide information to lawmakers as they make decisions 
     affecting our country's fiscal path. The Congressional Budget 
     Office Data Sharing Act would streamline the process for CBO 
     to obtain such data and thus contribute to improved and more 
     timely information for lawmakers. Policymakers should pass 
     this bill.''


                  National Taxpayers Union Foundation

       The Congressional Budget Office Data Sharing Act introduced 
     by the House Budget Committee's Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-
     TX) and Ranking Member Brendan Boyle (D-PA) will help CBO to 
     respond to congressional requests for legislative analyses in 
     a timelier manner.
       Under current policies, CBO can encounter roadblocks in 
     getting information it needs from federal agencies that lead 
     to avoidable delays. The bill would add the CBO to the same 
     exemption to the Privacy Act of 1974 that is provided to the 
     Government Accountability Office and both chambers of 
     Congress. It is also important to note that CBO is obligated 
     to protect data in the same way as other federal agencies.
       The bipartisan CBO Data Sharing Act would help improve 
     CBO's important work by streamlining its access to needed 
     information. In turn, CBO can provide lawmakers and taxpayers 
     with more accurate and timely cost estimates of legislative 
     proposals.

                                                 Demian Brady,

                                       Vice President of Research,
                              National Taxpayers Union Foundation.
  Mr. YAKYM. Mr. Speaker, again, I express my sincere gratitude to the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Boyle), my friend and fellow Notre 
Dame graduate, and the ranking member of the Budget Committee for his 
bipartisan work and his partnership on the CBO Data Sharing Act.
  It is a testament to the spirit of bipartisanship that we have on the 
House Budget Committee. I, again, thank our budget chair, the gentleman 
from Texas (Mr. Arrington) for his work and his commitment on this 
bill.
  I also extend my deep appreciation to my fellow members of the Budget 
Committee for their work in support of this

[[Page H2683]]

legislation, as well as the Budget Committee staff, both on the 
Republican and Democratic side.
  It is critical that the Congressional Budget Office has access to the 
data needed to support the budget process and ensure that we are the 
best stewards of Americans' hard earned tax dollars.
  The CBO plays a meaningful role in the legislative process by 
determining the fiscal impact of important potential policy decisions 
that we undertake here in this House.
  Too often, the CBO struggles to obtain the necessary data from 
executive branch agencies in a timely manner. As was mentioned earlier, 
this has ripple effects on its ability to deliver prompt budgetary 
analysis to Congress.
  As we all know, this, in turn, delays the Congress in making fully 
informed decisions regarding the budgetary impact of legislation.
  H.R. 7032 removes this hurdle and helps streamline the budget 
process. This bipartisan legislation will grant the CBO the authority 
to request and receive key data from executive branch agencies, 
ensuring it is able to fulfill its mission as laid out in the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974.
  While expanding access, however, this bill also recognizes the 
importance of protecting data privacy and ensures that the CBO 
continues to be subject to congressional oversight.
  Given the critical nature of the CBO's work, we can't allow them to 
continue to operate in a broken budgetary system.
  This bipartisan legislation supports strengthening the CBO while 
allowing us as lawmakers to make the most informed and forward-thinking 
decisions possible.
  I am grateful to everyone who played a part in moving this bill, and 
I commend the bipartisan members of the Budget Committee who voted 
unanimously for this bill during committee markup.
  I am proud to express my strong support for the CBO Data Sharing Act. 
I look forward to voting in favor of this piece of legislation. I urge 
my colleagues to do the same.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Yakym) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 7032.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________