Wichita Standard

Rep. Ron Estes (R-Kansas) has introduced the Executive Action Cost Transparency Act, a bill aimed at enhancing the transparency of administrative actions by requiring the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to compile and centralize a comprehensive list of final administrative actions. The goal is to streamline information flow and provide lawmakers with detailed spending information.

The proposed legislation would include details on proposed rules, final rules, executive orders, memorandums, and judicial actions since the last baseline. It would also mandate that CBO provide updated estimates for scores meeting a threshold of $50 billion over 10 years.

Rep. Estes highlighted the urgency of this measure in light of the national debt, stating: “Our nation is now more than $35 trillion in debt, and we need to do everything we can to change course on this growing crisis. In just the last three and a half years alone, the Biden-Harris administration has issued more than 130 executive actions that have cost taxpayers more than $2 trillion – not to mention additional judicial and administration actions in that time – demonstrating just how costly non-legislative actions can be. Improving the information that CBO provides to Congress and the public is one crucial step that will help ensure we know the true cost of D.C. spending.”

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974, which established the CBO. Congress has a responsibility to ensure that CBO continues to provide accurate and timely information and analysis on legislation and economic matters. Rep. Estes’ bill is part of a broader package of CBO reform bills scheduled for consideration by the Budget Committee this week.