Budget Analysis Division

"Where the action is" in federal budgeting

How much are we spending each month on war in Iraq? What are the cost implications of major immigration reform? How much would it cost to provide federally backed health insurance to all children of low-income families? What investments are states making to prepare for future elections?

The Congress considers hundreds of legislative proposals every year, encompassing major issues such as those highlighted above, as well as many others. By law, each such proposal must receive a price tag before being voted on; CBO's Budget Analysis Division is responsible for providing that price tag. The Congress relies on the division's cost estimates and budget projections to prepare its annual budget plan, evaluate the President's budgetary proposals, and keep track of approximately $3 trillion in yearly federal spending. As a result, the estimates produced by the Budget Analysis Division play a critical role in Congressional actions that affect the nation and the world.

The Budget Analysis Division is CBO's largest, with approximately 75 staff members. Because the division has a high ratio of analysts to managers, those analysts enjoy an unusual amount of individual responsibility, challenge, and visibility. They work closely with Congressional and Administration staff, acting as key links in the legislative and budget processes.

The division contains five units that estimate the cost of legislation in a wide range of subject areas. Four of those units focus on costs to the federal government, and one estimates costs to state, local, and tribal governments. Other units in the division coordinate and report on budget projections, compile estimates for annual appropriation bills, track other key budget figures, and support its computer systems.

Work in the Budget Analysis Division is sometimes hectic, and the pace is closely tied to the ebb and flow of legislative activity on Capitol Hill. Priorities are generally driven by committee actions, but analysts frequently provide budget information to individual Members' offices as well. In keeping with CBO's nonpartisan role, staff of the Budget Analysis Division are responsive and accessible to both the majority and minority parties.

The division seeks people who are adept at digging out information and conducting the analysis necessary to provide critical support to the Congress. Division analysts also must have strong communications skills and be able to juggle a variety of tasks. Most analysts in the division have master's degrees in public policy, public administration, public health, or economics. Some have Ph.D.s in economics or related fields. Analysts come to the Budget Analysis Division with varying levels of experience--from the nation's top-ranked graduate schools, from other federal agencies and state governments, and from private-sector firms.