Rep. Ryan angry that Dems 'abused confidentiality' of CBO

House Democrats "abus[ed] the confidentiality" of the Congressional Budget Office by releasing a preview of their cost estimate of the healthcare bill, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said.

Several Democratic leaders said Thursday that the CBO found that the bill will reduce the deficit by $130 billion in its first ten years and will cost $940 billion, but the figures were officially issued by the nonpartisan budget office.

Ryan. the ranking member of the House Budget Committee, said that in the absence of an official score, Democrats tried to use leaked figures to spin the healthcare debate in their favor. 

“The Congressional Budget Office has confirmed that there is currently no official cost estimate. Yet House Democrats are touting to the press – and spinning for partisan gain – numbers that have not been released and are impossible to confirm," he said in a statement. "This is the latest outrageous exploitation by the Majority – in this case abusing the confidentiality of the [CBO] – to pass their massive health care overhaul at any cost."

Republicans unleashed a litany of criticism of the CBO figures after Democratic lawmakers put them out. GOP leaders hit at the large, $940 billion cost figure, which is higher than estimates of the House and Senate heathcare bills. 

One Senate Republican aide told The Hill that members on their side are "pissed" they were not given the CBO numbers before Democratic leaders released the topline figures.

Democrats have touted the budget reduction figures, which are larger than the House and Senate bills' estimates released last year, but the bill will cost more than both of those pieces of legislation.

Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) predicted that the official numbers would be published around noon but leaked copies have been circulating around Capitol Hill.