'The math is wrong!' GOP leader blows off CNN host's fact-check on debt ceiling bill
One of the GOP's "red line" demands to pass a deal to raise the debt ceiling was to impose new work requirements on public assistance programs — which Democrats fiercely resisted, as research has proven these kinds of regulations do not actually help people find work and simply punish people for being poor.
Eventually, the GOP dropped its demands for work requirements on Medicaid, but reached a compromise with Democrats — they would add new work requirements to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps, by raising the maximum age of the requirement from 50 to 54, while also exempting veterans and homeless people.
But it turns out the GOP may have actually compromised more than they meant to. According to a new Congressional Budget Office analysis, these reforms exempt more people from work requirements than they add, meaning the bill actually puts more people on SNAP and slightly increases federal spending.
Republicans supporting the bill, though, have a simple answer to this, as House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) explained in a CNN interview with anchor Erica Hill on Wednesday morning: just deny the CBO's conclusion altogether.
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"There is ... an estimate that changes to SNAP would increase spending by $2.1 billion," said Hill.
"The math is wrong," said Emmer, who previously served as head of the Republican House fundraising arm. "We need to see their homework on this."
"The math is wrong?" repeated Hill. "But you are okay with the other part of that equation, you just — but the SNAP part is wrong?"
"Actually, what came out last night, if you let me finish — there are inconsistencies with their calculations and what they are including and not including," said Emmer. "They are pricing in things that are already happening. So this is a little bit — we have had a problem every once in a while with the CBO. For instance, there was a motion, a vote to eliminate the Department of Education. You're eliminating a 4,000-person department, and they said that would cost the federal government money. We don't just accept what the CBO puts out. We do check their homework. I am comfortable with the other stuff. The one that came out last night, there are some suspect numbers in there."
'When do you think you will have those checked?" asked Hill.
"We'll be doing it this morning," said Emmer. "It just came out last night."
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