Global Courant 2023-05-31 08:18:29
House Republican leaders reject the latest projection from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) that says the debt limit agreement struck by President Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., will increase the number of people eligible for would actually increase federal benefits.
Tightening access to SNAP and other benefit programs is touted as one key victory touted by Republican negotiators, is part of their general demand to cut spending in exchange for an increase in the federal borrowing limit.
The bill would raise the upper limit of single U.S. adults who must meet work requirements to get SNAP from 49 to 54, while granting exemptions for the homeless, veterans and young people who age out of the foster care system.
MCCARTHY-BIDEN DEBT CEILING DEAL OVERRIDES MAJOR PROCEDURAL HARMONY IN HOUSE
U.S. Representative Patrick McHenry (center) speaks after a meeting on the Fiscal Responsibility Act at the House Visitors Center Studio at the Capitol in Washington, DC on May 30, 2023. (Photo by Mandel NGAN/AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Late Tuesday, the CBO released an updated score of the bill, The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, which said the proposed changes would increase net eligibility for SNAP by about 78,000 people — or about 0.2%.
“The simple answer is that the CBO was wrong,” House Financial Services chairman Patrick McHenry, RN.C., said at a late night news conference. “These populations are already included. And most states, below the 12% limit that they currently have, which says that even if they have all of these currently excluded populations, which are not required to work or look for work, they can exempted up to 12% of their population. We’ve reduced that number to eight.”
Agriculture committee chairman Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., likewise criticized the projection as “wrong” and claimed that the CBO had not tallied the numbers correctly.
GOP Drafts MCCARTHY-BIDEN DEAL AS ‘CONSERVATIVE’ VICTORY AS SOME REPUBLICANS RAISED
U.S. Representative Glenn Thompson (center) speaks after a meeting on the Fiscal Responsibility Act at the Capitol’s House Visitors Center Studio in Washington, DC on May 30, 2023. (Photo by Mandel NGAN/AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
“They double-counted the individuals that were there — new categories that were created, especially veterans, the homeless, 18-year-olds who lived in foster care,” Thompson said. “I hope you all are aware of the tragic situation that often occurs there, when a young person becomes a parent, they put their belongings in a garbage bag and because it all fits there, they start looking for a place in the world. And honestly, those people, most of those people are already counted as eligible.”
“So CBO basically scored this as a $2 billion expense, which is completely false,” he added.
DEBT CEILING AGREEMENT IN PRINCIPLE BETWEEN DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS
But the update left some GOP members, especially those who already opposed the bill, even more disillusioned.
Fox News Digital asked Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., for her response to the CBO update when the congresswoman left a conference meeting behind closed doors. She replied sarcastically, “Yay guilt.”
Rep. Lauren Boebert told Fox News Digital in response to the new CBO estimate, “Yay, debt.” (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
When asked a follow-up question about how the House GOP leadership handled dissenters’ concerns, Boebert described it as, “Sit down, little girl, we got this.”
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Rep. Dan Bishop, RN.C., one of the first House Republicans to voice dissent, wrote on Twitter, “Biden-McCarthy deal increases prosperity. Heckuva negotiations, guys.”
“Another example of this bill doing one thing, when its proponents falsely claim it does the exact opposite,” said Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, indicating that he opposes the bill in its current form.
Elizabeth Elkind is a political reporter for Fox News Digital.
