House Republicans are trying to defend their demand to “offset” aid to Israel with a cut to Internal Revenue Service funding, which would actually increase the deficit by reducing the amount the IRS could collect from wealthy tax cheats. That means Republicans have to find ways to dismiss the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office report on their plan. House Speaker Mike Johnson blew it off completely, but Rep. Ralph Norman had to work a little harder to spin it because CNN’s Kate Bolduan came prepared.
Bolduan: I will say, there are different analyses especially when you’re looking 10 years out when it comes to bills like this, but in saying that you have no confidence in the CBO and that they have the agenda, they just push the agenda of the administration in power, I’ve seen you, though, tout the CBO in supporting some of your efforts in the past. I was looking this morning, your office put out a press release from February of this year, leaning on the CBO to make your point, calling it a jaw-dropping report coming out from the CBO reaffirming what you have said about out-of-control spending and national debt for a long time. So what has changed?
Well played. How would Norman respond? If you had “by halfway admitting that he picks and chooses which CBO reports he pays attention to and then changing the subject,” you are a winner.
