Sen. Chuck Grassley isn’t putting too much stock in the Congressional Budget Office's report on the Senate’s bill to repeal parts of the Affordable Care Act.
The CBO says the legislation would result in 22 million more Americans uninsured by 2026. It would also decrease the number of Medicaid enrollees by 15 million.
Grassley points out CBO scores have been incorrect in the past, such as when it underestimated the number of people who would be insured through Obamacare exchanges.
"That's why Congress has to apply the principle that CBO predictions aren't always right," he says.
The CBO is a nonpartisan agency. Its accuracy compares well to other economic forecasters.
Grassley cautions that no one can predict the future. And he says changes from the Republican health care plan won't be immediate, so any unintended consequences can be fixed down the road.
Before the legislation is fully implemented, Grassley says, "We're going to have three, four, five, six, seven years that future Congresses can look at it."
Iowa's senior senator adds that the Senate bill will probably be changed several times before it's officially presented to the entire Senate for consideration. Due to a lack of GOP support, a vote has been delayed until after the July 4 recess.
