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Budget Referee May Call Foul on Obamacare Repeal Politico by Rachana Pradhan— The fate of Obamacare may lie in the hands of a number-crunching Republican appointee whose bottom line might single-handedly blow up the GOP quest to repeal and replace it. Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Director Keith Hall was handpicked two years ago by top Republicans in Congress—including now Health and Human Service Secretary Tom Price— to lead a nonpartisan office that will soon release its estimate of how many Americans the Republican health care bill will cover and whether it shrinks or balloons the federal deficit. With the House repeal bill under attack by Republican moderates worrying about coverage and conservatives fuming about entitlements and spending, the CBO assessment will matter. It's widely expected early next week.