Trump Administration Pushes Back On CBO Estimate and More in Politics Today

It’s difficult to stay up-to-date on what’s happening in this country and to break through the clutter, so we’re here to make it easier. Here’s what we at Countable are reading today:

1. "Trump official slams CBO score: It’s ‘just not believable’"

The Trump administration on Monday slammed a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimate that millions of people would become uninsured under the Republicans' plan to repeal and replace ObamaCare.

"We disagree strenuously with the report that was put out," Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price told reporters at the White House.

Price said the analysis released Monday afternoon does not take into account the entirety of the GOP plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, which he said would cover more people while lowering costs.

Read more at The Hill.

You can read more about the CBO’s report at Countable.

2. "House cancels votes ahead of expected winter storm"

The House has canceled votes Tuesday as a nor’easter is expected to bring snow and sleet to the Washington, D.C., metro area.

The office of House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) said Monday afternoon that due to flight cancellations across the country, the chamber will reconvene on Wednesday afternoon to debate suspension bills, with the first votes of the week expected at 6:30 p.m. According to FlightAware, more than 4,000 flights have already been canceled for Tuesday. The National Weather Service predicts between 2 to 10 inches of snow.

Read more at Morning Consult.

3. "Seema Verma confirmed as Trump’s CMS director"

The Senate on Monday confirmed President Donald Trump’s nominee to run Medicare and Medicaid, Indiana health care consultant Seema Verma.

Verma was confirmed 55-43 in the Senate Monday evening.

Verma will head the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, an agency that oversees health insurance programs covering more than 130 million Americans. Known as CMS, it’s also responsible for administering the Obama-era health care law that Trump has vowed to repeal and replace.

Read more at CBS News.

Read more about Seema Verma at Countable.

4. "Justice department asks for more time to collect evidence on Trump wiretap claims"

The Department of Justice asked the chairman and vice chairman of the House Intelligence Committee for "additional time" to collect evidence to support President Donald Trump's accusation that the Obama administration wiretapped his phones at Trump Tower during the campaign.

The House Intelligence Committee had set a Monday deadline for the agency to provide the evidence, a source familiar with the matter has told CNN, and has sent letters throughout the intelligence community this week to obtain records related to Russia.

Read more at CNN.

5. "Trump budget will reportedly call for deep cuts to federal workforce"

More rumblings of the president’s anticipated budget cast a cloud of uncertainty for federal employees on March 13, as rumors of stark workforce cuts began to swirl.

A story from The Washington Post claims that the budget — which will be unveiled on March 16 — calls for "a historic contraction of the federal workforce," in the form of steep cuts in discretionary spending.

"This would be the first time the government has executed cuts of this magnitude — and all at once — since the drawdown following World War II," the story said.

Read more at Federal Times.

— Eric Revell

(Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr / Creative Commons)