Congressman Ben Cline announced on Apr. 29 the introduction of two bills, the Cost Estimate Clarity Act and the No Bias in the Baseline Act, aimed at changing how the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) handles baseline projections and cost estimates.
The proposed legislation is intended to give Congress more accurate tools for financial decision-making by addressing what Cline describes as biases in current budget processes that favor higher spending. The Cost Estimate Clarity Act would require the CBO to disclose any distortions in its cost estimates, while the No Bias in the Baseline Act seeks to revise fiscal assumptions embedded in CBO’s baseline projections.
“Members of Congress should be equipped with all the necessary resources to make informed financial decisions,” said Rep. Ben Cline. “As faithful stewards of American’s tax dollars, the federal government should be supporting policies that ensure excessive spending isn’t left on autopilot. This legislation is critical to ensuring Congress has the ability and transparency needed to make budget deliberations with a commitment to prioritizing the needs of the American people.”
If enacted, these bills would require that assumptions currently baked into law—such as automatic increases in discretionary spending or renewals of expiring programs—be removed from baseline calculations so future negotiations start from actual current law rather than inflated projections. According to information provided by Congressman Ben Cline’s office, about a quarter of current spending reflected in these baselines comes from such assumptions: $19 trillion for discretionary appropriations not yet enacted; $1.8 trillion for trust fund programs projected beyond their funding; $2.7 trillion for mandatory programs set to expire; $546 billion for revenues from expiring taxes; and $4 trillion in resulting interest costs.
Cline has represented Virginia’s 6th district since 2019 after replacing Bob Goodlatte according to congressional records. He previously served as a member of Virginia’s House of Delegates between 2002 and 2018 as reported by official sources. Born in Stillwater, Oklahoma in 1972, he currently lives in Fincastle according to his official biography. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Bates College (1994) and a Juris Doctor degree from University of Richmond (2007) as noted by Bates College.
The Economic Policy Innovation Center provided technical support during drafting of these bills. Looking ahead, supporters say passage could change how Congress approaches budgeting debates.
