Making laws
CBO score
The Congressional Budget Office's nonpartisan estimate of what a bill would cost or save over ten years, and how many people it would affect.
In full
Before major legislation moves, CBO produces a cost estimate measured against a projected baseline. Scores drive procedure as much as debate: budget rules and the Byrd rule turn on them, and a bad score can stall a bill without a single vote against it. CBO estimates are projections with real uncertainty, and the agency publishes its assumptions so they can be argued with.
Also written as: cost estimate
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A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.