Former GOP House Speaker Newt Gingrich said his party should get rid of the Congressional Budget Office following its report Monday the party’s healthcare plan would kick 24 million people off health insurance.
The CBO « is corrupt, it is dishonest, it was totally wrong on Obamacare by huge, huge margins, » he said. « I don’t trust a single word they have published. I don’t believe them. »
McCallum noted CBO Director Keith Hall was installed by Republicans and the office is « nonpartisan, » simply giving unbiased projections of the effects of legislation.
« I helped balance the budget four straight times; we fought the Congressional Budget Office every time, » Gingrich said.
« When Obamacare came out, they used the architect of Obamacare as their adviser on how to score Obamacare, and their scoring, you go back and look at it, it is a totally dishonest, disgustingly wrong, and that whole thing should be abolished, » he added.
Instead, Gingrich suggested, three to five professional firms should provide scores since no one can give a perfect score.
He noted Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price said the CBO’s score ignored the fact two more bills are yet in the offing to complete Republicans’ plans to repeal and replace Obamacare.
« I am disappointed that the Republicans are not abolishing the Congressional Budget Office, » Gingrich said, « because it is so profoundly dishonest. «
