CNN Anchor Calls Out GOP Congressman for Hypocrisy on CBO Analysis of Israel Aid Bill
In a fiery exchange on Friday, CNN anchor Kate Bolduan confronted Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) over his dismissal of the Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) analysis of the House GOP’s Israel aid bill. Norman had argued that he had “very little confidence in the CBO” because it has an agenda to support the Biden administration’s views. However, Bolduan pointed out that Norman had previously praised the CBO when its findings aligned with his political agenda.
The Israel aid bill, which narrowly passed the House on Tuesday, set off a partisan fight and is expected to delay emergency military aid to Israel. The bill provides $14.3 billion in aid to Israel but offsets this cost by cutting an equal amount from funds to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Contradicting House Republicans’ goal of not adding to the national debt, the nonpartisan CBO found that the legislation would increase the deficit by $26.8 billion over the next ten years. The IRS, citing reduced capacity to audit wealthy corporations and enforce collections, estimated that the cuts would cost the government $90 billion over the next decade.
Democrats were angered by these trade-offs, and as a result, the bill is expected to be dead on arrival in the Senate and White House.
During an appearance on CNN News Central, Norman pushed back against Democratic criticism that the GOP is “conditioning aid to Israel” and accused Democrats of prioritizing the IRS over support for Israel. However, Bolduan pointed out that the CBO’s analysis showed that the bill would add more to the deficit than simply sending aid to Israel unconditionally.
Norman expressed his lack of confidence in the CBO, claiming the office has an agenda to support the current administration. He argued that there is funding set aside for 80,000 IRS agents and criticized Democrats for not proposing a “pay-for” when it comes to providing additional aid.
Bolduan seized the opportunity to call out Norman’s hypocrisy, citing a press release from Norman’s office in February that praised the CBO’s report on out-of-control spending and national debt. She asked, “So what changed?” Norman attempted to shift the focus to complaints about “wokeness” and the White House’s unwillingness to propose spending cuts.
The exchange highlighted the ongoing partisan divide on fiscal issues and the use of CBO analysis to support or dismiss policy proposals. With the Israel aid bill likely to face significant opposition in the Senate and the White House, the controversy over its potential impact on the national debt is expected to continue.