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Burgess tweets: CBO says health spending will not fall

House Republicans continue to use comments by Congressional Budget Office Director Douglas Elmendorf to slam healthcare reform legislation proposed by Democrats.

Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Tex.), whosits on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, tweeted on Thursday:

Douglas Elmendorf, the Director of the Congressional Budget Office, on the Democrats health bill: “…

“…In the legislation that has been reported, we do not see the sort of fundamental changes that would be necessary to reduce the trajectory

…of health spending by a significant amount”

House Republicans are now focusing on the CBO’s claim that the bill being consdiered in their chamber will not reduce healthcare spending. The Obama administration has said that healthcare reform will eventually reduce the amount spent on care from the get-go.

Earlier today, two Republican members of the House Ways and Means Committee tweeted that Elmendorf said that the CBO did not have enough time to conduct a full study on the cost of the program.

Burgess, who is a physician, also sits on the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee.

While Republicans touted Elmendorf’s remarks, Democrats received a piece of good news this afternoon; the American Medical Association endorsed the House healthcare reform package.

In addition to Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means, the House Education and Labor Committee is also marking up the bill today.