The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) claims objectivity and neutrality, but a closer look reveals a troubling pattern of left-wing activism hiding behind its “nonpartisan” label. Since its creation, Congress has relied on CBO’s fiscal analyses to shape legislation and policy. But recent revelations expose the agency’s shocking partisan leanings and unreliable forecasting, calling into question its very credibility when it matters most.
Democrats, desperate to derail President Trump’s America First agenda—including historic tax cuts, border security, and protecting American taxpayers from funding healthcare for illegal aliens—have weaponized CBO reports to undermine conservative policy initiatives. According to the American Accountability Foundation, the media amplified the CBO’s supposed neutrality by attaching “nonpartisan” to its name in over 1,300 articles last year alone. But the facts paint a starkly different picture.
The numbers speak volumes about bias. Federal Election Commission records reveal that CBO employees donated nearly $17,000 to political campaigns since 1986—and shockingly, only a minuscule $250 went to Republicans. That’s right: a single donation to George W. Bush in 2000. This glaring imbalance exposes an institutional culture steeped in left-wing ideology rather than objective analysis.
But it’s not just political donations that raise alarms—it’s their consistent track record of errors that lean suspiciously leftward. Consider their wildly off-base predictions surrounding Democrat policy initiatives. For example, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), better known as Obamacare, was sold to the American people on the promise that 25 million would enroll on exchanges. In reality, less than half that number did, and even those policies often replaced coverage Americans had lost thanks to ACA mandates.
In a recent report from the Economic Policy Innovation Center, experts uncovered statutory biases in CBO’s baseline budget assumptions that consistently favor higher spending and taxes. Hayden Dublois of the Foundation for Government Accountability testified in February 2025 to the House Ways and Means Committee about CBO’s egregious miscalculations. For instance, CBO initially claimed Joe Biden’s so-called “Inflation Reduction Act” would decrease the deficit by $58 billion over ten years. But updated analysis revealed the law would actually balloon the deficit by $300 billion—another massive miscalculation conveniently benefiting Democrat narratives at the time.
Even worse, CBO’s forecasts on Medicaid expansion under Obamacare missed the mark by tens of billions. They initially projected Medicaid expansion would cost taxpayers $42 billion in 2015; the actual cost soared to $68 billion—a staggering 60 percent higher than predicted. Similarly, CBO underestimated food stamp spending in Obama’s stimulus package by more than double, initially pegging the cost at $20 billion, only to later admit it ballooned to $43 billion.
Yet perhaps most concerning is the political allegiance among CBO’s healthcare analysis staff. A May 2025 report by the American Accountability Foundation found that an astounding 84 percent of these analysts are either registered Democrats or have donated to Democrat campaigns. This includes the Director, Deputy Director, and every unit chief. Even CBO’s Chief Economist, Mark Doms, is a registered Democrat who has contributed more than $1,000 to Democrat candidates and committees.
Such openly partisan affiliations, combined with persistent forecasting errors favorable to Democrat policies, devastate CBO’s claim of impartiality. The stakes could not be higher. Legislators depend heavily on CBO estimates to make vital policy decisions impacting America’s economy, national security, and everyday lives. With historic reforms currently under consideration—including President Trump’s ambitious plans to revitalize American manufacturing, secure our borders, and end costly foreign entanglements—it’s critical that Congress and voters alike recognize the compromised nature of CBO’s analysis.
The CBO’s entrenched left-wing activism isn’t just a scandal—it’s a threat to good government. Congress should reassess its reliance on this agency’s projections, and voters should demand genuine transparency. America deserves leaders who base decisions on reality, not partisan fiction masquerading as impartial analysis. The time to expose and reform the partisan machinery within the Congressional Budget Office is now.
