Breaking: Nancy Pelosi’s “Super Committee” Picks Announced
Posted: August 11, 2011 Filed under: Democratic Politics, Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, U.S. Economy, U.S. Politics | Tags: Chris Van Hollen, gridlock, James Clyburn, Nancy Pelosi, Super Committee, Xavier Becerra 18 Comments
Could this be good news? Nancy Pelosi has picked Reps. James Clyburn (South Carolina), Xavier Becerra (California), and Chris Van Hollen (Maryland), according to Politico, all of whom she expects to fight against cuts in Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, as well as promoting revenue increases.
This is just from an e-mail so far. I’ll post links as soon as I have them.
Nancy Pelosi’s statement on her appointments:
“The Joint Select Committee has a golden opportunity to take its discussions to the higher ground of America’s greatness and its values. It must meet the aspirations of the American people for success and keep America number one.
“The thrust of the committee must be to grow an American prosperity enjoyed by all Americans. It must:
– Focus on economic growth and job creation that reduces the deficit;– Make decisions regarding investments, cuts and revenues and their timing to stimulate growth while reducing the deficit; and
– Increase demand by offering recommendations that ensure that wages grow with productivity and reduce America’s families’ dependence on credit.“The work of the Congress must go beyond the deliberations of the committee. Without waiting for the committee to complete its work, we should pass legislation for sustainable job creation. Congress should send to the President the long delayed highway and FAA bills, which generate hundreds of thousands of American jobs; and Congress should approve a national Infrastructure Bank to create jobs and improve our competitiveness.
“We must achieve a ‘grand bargain’ that reduces the deficit by addressing our entire budget, while strengthening Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. Our entire Caucus will work closely with these three appointees toward this goal, which is the goal of the American people.
“Because the work of this committee will affect all Americans, I called last week for its deliberations to be transparent; the committee should conduct its proceedings in the open.”
Some background on the three picks from the National Journal:
Van Hollen is the ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee. Clyburn – the highest ranking African-American member of the House — is the assistant Democratic leader. Both men served as Pelosi’s choices for spots on the bipartisan budget working group this year headed by Vice President Joe Biden.
Becerra is the highest ranking Latino lawmaker in the House. He is also the Democratic Caucus’ vice chairman and a member of the Ways and Means Committee. He served on the special White House deficit-reduction commission co-chaired by former Sen. Alan Simpson, R-Wyo., and former White House chief of staff Erskine Bowles, eventually voting against its recommendations.
Van Hollen voted for the debt deal, and Becerra voted against it. Clyburn didn’t like the debt deal, but said it could have been worse. Sounds like he voted with Obama.
As a member of the bipartisan deficit discussion group, convened by Vice President Joe Biden, that laid the groundwork for the debt limit deal, Clyburn — the third ranking Democrat in the House — publicly backed certain entitlement benefit cuts. Specifically, he said negotiators should at least consider further means-testing of Social Security or reduce benefits across the board by reducing Cost of Living Adjustments.
[….]
Van Hollen is the Dems’ top budget guy in the House. He’s one of the party’s chief antagonists of the GOP budget, which calls for phasing out Medicare, and was also a member of the Biden working group. Publicly, he’s been an advocate of approaches to deficit reduction that pair about one dollar of tax increases with about three dollars of spending cuts. He recently cited the Bowles-Simpson framework as a counterpoint to the Republican plan.
Beutler says Beccera “will likely be progressives’ main ally on the Super Committee.”
According to the National Journal article,
If the panel finds itself deadlocked along partisan lines, then across-the-board spending cuts would be triggered of about $1.2 trillion with half of those cuts coming from defense, and the rest from discretionary spending. Entitlements would remain largely untouched if the cuts are triggered by inaction.
Interesting. I didn’t know that. So maybe the goal for Reid and Pelosi is to make sure there is gridlock.
I’ll put any further updates in the comments. Let us know what you think.
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Don’t trust them. Don’t trust her. It seems that the committee is stacked with ideologues on both sides destined to reach an impasse and trigger the automatic reductions. Or the democrats will cave (as usual) to the cuts offered by the Republicans. Either way, we are so f&*%d….
Hillary 2012
I didn’t say I trusted her. BTW, I’m hearing that the automatic cuts could end up in an impasse also. That’s probably what most of these people are hoping, except for the far right Tea party types–and Obama.
Never thought that you did. You are a poster on this website. You are to smart to trust her. I saw something about the trigger impasse as well, but I can’t remember where. I was looking for the selection criteria that Nancy used. Are any of them policy wonks? Have any of them worked on economic policy? Do they have common sense? Will they be tough in the negotiating room (based solely on past negotiations)?
Hillary 2012
I think Nancy appointed people she knew would be loyal to her. I added some background on each to the post.
Her picks seem better than the Max Baucus types from the senate
Keep America successful and number one? WTF, people are living in tent cities while the rich succeed. The chosen 12 are going to sit with their thumbs up their asses and wait for the kick from the trigger.
I hear Rock…………she couldn’t find a woman? Fugg her.
Only one woman on the committee, which is disgusting. Only one black person too.
This should be interesting. I think this just about guarantees gridlock.
I think that was the plan from the very beginning.
Yes, very interesting. I expect there will be gridlock.
Instinct tells me that nothing good is going to emanate from this committee. Nothing.
We seem to be marching backwards and some of these people are waving the baton.
All that awaits is Obama to sign on to any proposals that won’t require intervention. Maybe this time they will threaten to hold babies hostage for him to cave in before the committee adjourns.
Seniors beware. Women take cover.
This has nothing to do with the stupor committee:
Mitt Romney: Corporations Are People! – Updated | Crooks and Liars
Oy vey.
Clyburn is Obama’s man 100% and already wants to means-test Social Security. He called me a racist once upon a time too, because I didn’t back the incompetent, unseasoned jerk who was beholden to Wall St.
Van Hollen is a company man, meaning whatever the Dems decide on, he’ll go along.
I don’t know about Becerra, but, even if he is a staunch liberal, he’ll be too little, too late. As planned.
I envision 5 out of the 6 Dem appointees going along with massive cuts in Social Security (that is, reneging on the government’s IOUs TO US – because, after all, isn’t that what all this crap is really about?) and no new taxes and no cuts in the military. That’s the deal. And, IMO, it’s already done. No one Nancy or Harry appointed or could appoint would change that hard fact.
I’m going sunbathing while there’s still some sun out this way.
Let me reiterate how much I loathe every single one of these lying sacks.
Sorry, that’s how I see it too. Completely agree. If the plan were to keep Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid intact, they would have backed Hillary instead of Obama.
These schmucks are all in cahoots. The deal is done, the cuts are in.
mjames says: August 11, 2011 at 1:26 pm
Excellent comment…indeed, it’s all loud grandstanding kabuki …what they do best
Why Rob Portman may be the critical vote on Super Committee
http://www.manarewescrewed.com/?p=3298
thanks for that info!!!