Image: Robert Kneschke/Shutterstock.com
The Congressional Budget Office has said that federal agencies generally are cooperative with its requests for data for its studies but that some of the most valuable information is subject to restrictions that trigger legal requirements that both sides must follow.
CBO noted in a white paper that it uses both public and non-public data held by agencies and that under law it has general authority to access “information, data, estimates, and statistics” from executive branch agencies. It further sometimes is given specific authority to access information normally more restricted, such as tax information it uses when preparing federal revenue estimates.
“CBO has good working relationships with most executive branch agencies and can often obtain information simply by asking for it. That is, CBO frequently relies on cooperation among the branches of government,” it said.
“CBO’s analysts regularly communicate with employees at other agencies about how a proposed policy might be implemented or to acquire additional information that might not be obvious from the data that are disseminated publicly. Several elements affect how responsive other agencies are to CBO, and in turn how responsive CBO can be to the Congress. Those include the relationships between analysts at CBO and the other agency, the interest of the other agency in responding to the Congress, and the other agency’s resource constraints,” it said.
It added that “Restricted data, and especially restricted data linked to other sources (known as commingled data), tend to offer more information and are useful for examining a broader set of issues of interest to the Congress. However, access to restricted data, and the release of analytical products based on those data, may be hindered because CBO must navigate multiple legal authorities and ensure that the data remain secure throughout the process,” it says.
Such situations typically involve memoranda of understanding and require input from analysts and attorneys from both agencies to ensure that specific data needs are met and that legal requirements are satisfied, it said.
The CBO added that it is obligated to protect data in the same way as other agencies and that they “can be assured that regardless of the authority used, CBO will protect the information it receives,” it said.
2.7 Percent Raise Called for in Key Budget Bill; End to FEHB Abortion Ban
Opposing Views Expressed at Hearing on Expanding Paid Leave
Additional Security Screening for Federal Jobs Planned Under Domestic Terrorism Strategy
MSPB Looks at Downsides of Extensive Telework, and Ways to Overcome
FERS and Social Security Take Some Stress Out of Planning to Spend Your TSP, IRAs