Final answer:
The cost estimate for a proposal before a congressional vote is typically provided by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), a nonpartisan agency that calculates the budget impact of proposed legislation.
Step-by-step explanation:
Before putting a bill before Congress for a vote, party leadership requests a cost estimate typically from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The CBO is an independent, nonpartisan agency that assesses the spending or revenue impact of all proposed legislation to estimate its net effect on the federal budget. This work is crucial for lawmakers to make informed decisions on the financial implications of the bills they consider.
The CBO serves as an essential tool in the legislative process, providing guidance on balancing the budget and tracking federal debt. It's tasked with producing budget estimates for the proposals put forth by Congress, thus playing a key role in federal fiscal policy.