Ryan: CBO score uses double-counting, funds “15,000 IRS agents”

posted at 2:40 pm on March 19, 2010 by Ed Morrissey

The Right Scoop catches Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) explaining some of the deficiencies of the CBO analysis of the House reconciliation package on Fox & Friends this morning. Not only does the CBO play along with the double-counting of Medicare cuts — which argues that the money will go both to shoring up Medicare while also funding the expansion of Medicaid — it fails to include the “doctor fix” that Democrats plan to pursue after ObamaCare passes:

We’ve heard the double-counting argument (and it’s a good one), but the IRS expansion makes for a better, more immediate argument. Do we need the IRS checking on us every month to enforce the health-insurance mandate? Do Americans think hiring an additional 15,000 IRS agents to get even more involved in our lives is a great idea for reform?

Maybe this is what Nancy Pelosi meant when she called ObamaCare a “jobs bill” … it’s just another round of Democratic stimulus!

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Gee, build tractors or build up the Gestapo — what a tough choice. Yet that is the starkness of the choice being made by our esteemed ‘leaders’ in DC right now.

May they all lie uneasily in their beds each night for the rest of their lives.

GnuBreed on March 19, 2010 at 3:25 PM

Wrong, its a carreer enhancer. They’ll just be hired with a raise in pay into one of the 119 new bueacracies created by the bill. This, is the negotiations taking place behind closed doors.

Archimedes on March 19, 2010 at 2:52 PM

They would have to get by Coburn in the Senate first, and he said basically yesterday, he was going to make them his new hobby, and out every mother’s son and daughter of them.

Dr Evil on March 19, 2010 at 3:26 PM

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.

- exerpt from the Declaration of Independence.

It’s de javu all over again.

Over30 on March 19, 2010 at 3:30 PM

NY Times and Wash Post Say CBO Numbers Don’t Pass Smell Test

The Washington Post says:

“Budget experts generally have high praise for the work of CBO analysts, the non-ideological technocrats who crunch the numbers to estimate the fiscal impact of legislation. But their work is often more art than science, and although the forecasts that accompany legislation are always filled with uncertainty, this one contains more than most. . .”

The New York Times says:

“. . . the overall numbers were never going to miss the mark. Whenever the budget office judged that some element or elements of the bill would cause a problem meeting the cost and deficit-reduction targets, Democrats just adjusted the underlying legislation to make sure it would hit their goal.”

Emperor Norton on March 19, 2010 at 3:30 PM

NY Times and Wash Post Say CBO Numbers Don’t Pass Smell Test

Emperor Norton on March 19, 2010 at 3:30 PM

This has no relevance to the followers of the Church of Statism.

WashJeff on March 19, 2010 at 3:33 PM

Why are all of the women reporters and contributors on Fox blondes? I’m just wondering.

Old Fritz on March 19, 2010 at 2:54 PM

I report, you decide.

http://www.foxnewsgirls.com/

BuckeyeSam on March 19, 2010 at 3:36 PM

Dana, Dana, Dana. Sigh. Oh yeah, Paul Ryan was awesome as usual.

smellthecoffee on March 19, 2010 at 3:39 PM

NY Times and Wash Post Say CBO Numbers Don’t Pass Smell Test

Emperor Norton on March 19, 2010 at 3:30 PM

“These are not the numbers you are looking for…

Let them pass”.

Romeo13 on March 19, 2010 at 3:41 PM

NY Times and Wash Post Say CBO Numbers Don’t Pass Smell Test

Emperor Norton on March 19, 2010 at 3:30 PM

Really? I wonder if the NYT and WaPo also smell fresh steamy dog piles to see if they stink….

Maybe I’m a bit higher on the ladder of evolution, but somehow I just know dog sh*t stinks. I don’t need to sniff it.

BobMbx on March 19, 2010 at 3:50 PM

Can’t Ryan take up his points with the CBO? Or is the CBO forced to use whatever dishonest accounting practices the ruling party dictates?

ROCnPhilly on March 19, 2010 at 3:51 PM

Why are all of the women reporters and contributors on Fox blondes? I’m just wondering.

Old Fritz on March 19, 2010 at 2:54 PM

A poorly conceived plan to increase ratings?

Wait a minute…they have really high ratings….must be some other reason.

BobMbx on March 19, 2010 at 3:51 PM

NY Times and Wash Post Say CBO Numbers Don’t Pass Smell Test

Emperor Norton on March 19, 2010 at 3:30 PM

And about 18 months from now the NY Times will write an editorial saying ObamaCare will cost 10X more than was expected, but it’s such a gosh darn popular program that nobody but a racist Republican could possibly oppose it.

angryed on March 19, 2010 at 3:51 PM

And about 18 months from now the NY Times will write an editorial saying ObamaCare will cost 10X more than was expected, but it’s such a gosh darn popular program that nobody but a racist Republican could possibly oppose it.

angryed on March 19, 2010 at 3:51 PM

And that it’s George Bush’s fault.

ROCnPhilly on March 19, 2010 at 3:53 PM

If this becomes law, unless you are self-employed/independent contractor, fees will be taken directly out of your paycheck? Is that how this will work? So if thats the case, the ones these irs goons will be coming after is the selfemployed?

fullogas on March 19, 2010 at 3:54 PM

Please let me know what’s up with that “Doc Fix”! What it is, why it’s overlooked on purpose and how it affects doctors and/or doctor-patient relationships, and does this have any relation whatsoever with HIPAA?

ProudPalinFan on March 19, 2010 at 4:06 PM

I forgot to add that I admire Paul Ryan, insanely smart, but he needs to slow down a bit for those of us that are not number-friendly like him! ;)

ProudPalinFan on March 19, 2010 at 4:07 PM

Why are all of the women reporters and contributors on Fox blondes? I’m just wondering.

Old Fritz on March 19, 2010 at 2:54 PM

Not Kimberly Guilfoyle, ex-Victoria’s Secret model.

ProudPalinFan on March 19, 2010 at 4:12 PM

I’d like to poll the comment pages contributors: Are you going to DC for the surge tomorrow? Conversely, if not, why not: Are you fatigued by the whole thing?

I’m caring for my father right now who is a week post-op for repair of his heart valve. Hope that reason doesn’t disappoint you.

He says he is damn glad he had this surgery before Obamacare screws up everyone. Also, he can’t wait to vote the weasels out of Congress in November, which is a nice motivator for his recovery.

Not everyone can go to the rallies for reasons that come from reality of daily life – kids in school, unemployed and strapped for the finances to go, job commitments, etc.

We will call Congress. We will write Congress. We donate to support conservatives, and we vote.

ace tomato on March 19, 2010 at 2:59 PM

I wish your dad a speedy recovery; take it from PPF, who’s husband works at an heart center OR. Rarely it gets to him, but there was this one case we’ve been going back and forth all weekend. It is not easy being on either end.

Like I was told at the hospital: GET WELL SOON, AND I HOPE YOU’LL NEVER COME BACK! :D

ProudPalinFan on March 19, 2010 at 4:18 PM

Please let me know what’s up with that “Doc Fix”! What it is, why it’s overlooked on purpose and how it affects doctors and/or doctor-patient relationships, and does this have any relation whatsoever with HIPAA?

ProudPalinFan on March 19, 2010 at 4:06 PM

By current law, Medicare reimbursments to Doctors get cut every year by a percentage.

However, every year Congress does not let those cuts go into effect.

So, the new package counts those cuts as going into effect (as it is current law), even though everyone knows Congress will over ride those cuts. Thus the package looks like it costs less than it actualy will.

As the package reflects these cuts EVERY year, the CBO numbers are WAY off… but the CBO is forced, by law, to ONLY count what is either current law, or in the legislation… not any “expected” changes to the law (even though pretty inevitable).

Romeo13 on March 19, 2010 at 4:27 PM

Just think what would happen if Congress authorized the hiring of 15,000 additional Department of Labor officials or ICE officials to verify that employers are hiring US workers rather than illegal aliens; maybe the immigration system wouldn’t be “broken.”

Conservative in NOVA on March 19, 2010 at 4:46 PM

I love Rep. Paul Ryan and his principled beliefs.

OmahaConservative on March 19, 2010 at 2:42 PM

The more I hear of the guy the more I wish he’d run for POTUS but I’m not sure if he’s even interested. I’d be happy if he just became Speaker of the House.

Yakko77 on March 20, 2010 at 5:59 PM

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