Research Briefing

When Asked If CBO Scored Obama’s April Budget Speech, CBO Director Replied, “We Don’t Estimate Speeches.”

Congressional Budget Office Director Douglas Elmendorf: “We don’t estimate speeches.” (Philip Klein, “CBO Director On Obama Budget Framework: ‘We Don't Estimate Speeches’,” The [Washington] Examiner’s Beltway Confidential, 6/23/11)

Some Background On That Obama Speech About His “Budget”: 

“Obama Has No Plan To Balance The Budget — Ever.” (Robert Samuelson, Op-Ed, “Obama Abdicates On The Budget,” The Washington Post, 4/24/11)

 “We Aren’t Having This Debate, And President Obama Is Mainly To Blame. His Recent Budget Speech At George Washington University Was A Telling Model Of Evasion, Contradiction And Deception.” (Robert Samuelson, Op-Ed, “Obama Abdicates On The Budget,” The Washington Post, 4/24/11)

ABC’s Amy Walter: “While Politicians On Both Sides Of The Aisle Have Stressed The Need To “Put It All On The Table”, The President Made Clear That He Was Leaving A Lot On The Floor.” (Amy Walter, “Analysis: Obama's Debt Speech Sounded Like Campaign Fare,” ABC News’ “The Note” Blog, 4/13/11)

• Walter: “This Speech Wasn’t So Much About Coming Up With A Bi-Partisan Plan To Tackle The Deficit As It Was About Setting Up The Battle Lines For A 2012 Campaign.” (Amy Walter, “Analysis: Obama's Debt Speech Sounded Like Campaign Fare,” ABC News’ “The Note” Blog, 4/13/11)

Instead, Obama’s Supposed Budget Proposal Was Nothing More Than A “Reelection Speech.” “President Barack Obama gave a terrific reelection speech Wednesday. It wasn’t billed as that. It was supposed to be a number-packed speech about budgeting and spending and all manner of fiscal gobbledygook.”(Roger Simon, “Barack Obama To Soak Rich, Please Democrats,” Politico, 4/13/11)

• And Obama’s Budget Has Not Been Updated Since His “Speech” Calling For More Cuts. “Last month, Obama gave a speech calling for $4 trillion in deficit reduction over the next 12 years, but his budget was not updated to reflect the new numbers.” (Jay Newton-Small, “Obama & Ryan Budgets Fail In The Senate,” Time’s “Swampland”,  5/25/11)