United States Congress Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction
Encyclopedia
The Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, colloquially referred to as the Supercommittee, is a joint
select committee of the United States Congress
, created by the Budget Control Act of 2011
on August 2, 2011. The act was intended to prevent the rapid process of sovereign default
that would have resulted from the 2011 United States debt-ceiling crisis
, and has been interpreted as a reaction to frustration over prolonged partisan political disputes during an uncertain economy struggling to recover from the late-2000s recession. On November 21, the committee concluded its work, issuing a statement that began with the following: "After months of hard work and intense deliberations, we have come to the conclusion today that it will not be possible to make any bipartisan agreement available to the public before the committee’s deadline."
process. Senate historian
Donald Ritchie found inexact parallels between the Joint Select Committee and various joint committees, and with the exception of the 1946–1977 Joint Committee on Atomic Energy
, he noted that what makes this committee different is its ability to write and report out legislation.
and six from the Senate
, with each delegation evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans. Three members each were appointed by the Speaker
and Minority Leader
of the House and the Majority and Minority Leaders
of the Senate. Two of the members are designated as co-chairs, one each by the Senate Majority Leader and by the House Speaker. The law does not require that either chair be from a specific house or a specific party. The Los Angeles Times
predicted before the committee was constituted that the "most important players" in the process would be the four leaders selecting the twelve committee members.
, the Senate Majority Leader, announced the Senate's Democratic members of the committee. Speaker John Boehner
and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell
announced the Republican appointments to the committee from both houses on August 10, 2011. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi
announced her choices the following day.
Murray is the Senate Democratic Conference Secretary, the chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
, and the chair of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs
; Hensarling is vice-chair of the House Committee on Financial Services
, chairman emeritus of the Republican Study Committee
, and House Republican Conference Chair
.
Kerry and Baucus are both chairs of standing Senate committees (Foreign Relations and Finance, respectively), members of the Senate Finance Committee
and among the ten most senior members of the U.S. Senate. Kyl is Senate Minority Whip
. Toomey is a member of the Joint Economic Committee
. Portman is a former Director of the Office of Management and Budget and a former U.S. Trade Representative
.
Camp is the Chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means
and the Joint Committee on Taxation
. Upton is the Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce
. Clyburn is the third-ranking House Democrat. Becerra is the ranking member of the Ways and Means Social Security Subcomittee
and is Vice-Chair of the House Democratic Caucus. Van Hollen is the former chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
, and the ranking member of the House Budget Committee.
Two of the Republican members and two Democrats served on the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform
, with all four voting against the Simpson-Bowles plan.
that assume that the current laws will stay the same, including the expiration of the Bush tax cuts
from 2001 and 2003 that were extended for two years in 2010. Under the plan, government revenues are projected to rise after 2012.
, Medicaid
, and Social Security
. According to White House economics adviser Gene Sperling
, "everything is on the table."
s, thus guaranteeing a pure majority vote in both chambers. Commentators note that a single instance of one member deviating from their party's economic program would lead to a seven-member majority, and cause the plan to advance. If the committee fails to agree on a package or the full Congress fails to pass it, a so-called "trigger mechanism" would enact $1.2 trillion in automatic spending cuts to serve as the second installment of deficit reduction measures. These cuts would be split between the national security and domestic arenas, but the biggest entitlement programs would be excluded from these automatic cuts. One report suggests that the prospect of these across-the-board cuts would "give leverage to any faction that cares more about cutting spending than about increasing revenues or protecting the defense budget."
A second debt ceiling increase of $500 billion is slated to go into effect regardless of whether Congress passes the joint committee's proposal, but subject to a congressional resolution of disapproval if the proposal is not passed. Together, the two increases in the debt ceiling allow borrowing to continue at projected levels until January 2013, beyond the 2012 presidential election
.
, which takes 48 hours. On Monday, November 21, 2011, as several members met for a last minute meeting, a media frenzy proferred speculation on whether the committee could agree to terms by midnight. After the financial markets closed, the committee issued a statement which said it had failed to come to an agreement. Republican leaders in Congress, Mitch McConnell
and John Boehner
, blame President Obama for the impasse. President Obama likewise blamed Republicans, and he issued a veto threat regarding any attempt by Congress to cancel the $1.2 trillion trigger mechanism.
of New Jersey supports the idea as a way to "avoid a default" although he expressed concerns that it would take too long for lawmakers to learn the "nuances of Medicare and Medicaid" with respect to intricate reimbursement formulas. Supporters believe that the prospect of imminent across–the–board spending cuts if the committee's measures were not adopted would be sufficiently "distasteful to lawmakers" to prompt them to act and to impart a "strong incentive for bipartisan agreement." Representative Robert E. Andrews, Democrat of New Jersey, supports the overall deal as a way to avoid a default on federal debt obligations. But Mr. Andrews said: “I am very uneasy about the joint committee for a number of reasons. It takes people decades to learn the nuances of Medicare and Medicaid.” (New York Times)
suggested that members of Congress might be under "tremendous pressure" to vote for whatever emerges from the committee regardless of worthiness. The unprecedented secrecy of the Committee was also criticized by many liberal bloggers like TheScreamingHead. Huffington Post critic R. W. Sanders said that it was an unelected committee with power to "effectively run our country" and possibly issue budget cuts which will "basically go unchallenged." Conn Carroll suggested the committee will not lead to any "meaningful entitlement reform". Senator Menendez predicted that the committee would become deadlocked since the most likely appointments would be a "stacked deck" of members opposed to new revenues or program cuts. An analysis in the New York Times suggested the committee was similar to other "blue-ribbon panels" during the past seventy years as a way to "give political cover to policy makers to make unpopular changes" but noted that in most cases, Congress ignored the proposals or procrastinated. And there is the prospect that a future Congress could override any decisions made since one Congress cannot "bind another." A variety of watchdog groups, including Public Campaign
and MoveOn.org, are concerned that lobbyists will influence what happens, and asked that lawmakers disclose meetings with lobbyists and refrain from political fundraising during the selection process. The Standard & Poor's
rating agency is pessimistic about any chance for serious fiscal reform; that agency downgraded the nation's credit rating from AAA to AA+, and wrote:
Analyst Fareed Zakaria
predicted the committee would deadlock without a majority favoring a specific plan, and wrote:
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich
said in the August 11, 2011 Republican presidential debate:
Joint committee
A Joint Committee is a term in politics that is used to refer to a committee made up of members of both chambers of a bicameral legislature. In other contexts, it refers to a committee with members from more than one organization.-Republic of Ireland:...
select committee of the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
, created by the Budget Control Act of 2011
Budget Control Act of 2011
The Budget Control Act of 2011 was passed by the 112th United States Congress signed into law by President Barack Obama. It brought conclusion to the 2011 United States debt ceiling crisis, which had threatened to lead the United States into sovereign default on or about August 3, 2011.The law...
on August 2, 2011. The act was intended to prevent the rapid process of sovereign default
Sovereign default
A sovereign default is the failure or refusal of the government of a sovereign state to pay back its debt in full. It may be accompanied by a formal declaration of a government not to pay or only partially pay its debts , or the de facto cessation of due payments...
that would have resulted from the 2011 United States debt-ceiling crisis
United States debt-ceiling crisis
The United States debt-ceiling crisis was a financial crisis in 2011 that started as a debate in the United States Congress about increasing the debt ceiling. The immediate crisis ended when a complex deal was reached that raised the debt ceiling and reduced future government spending...
, and has been interpreted as a reaction to frustration over prolonged partisan political disputes during an uncertain economy struggling to recover from the late-2000s recession. On November 21, the committee concluded its work, issuing a statement that began with the following: "After months of hard work and intense deliberations, we have come to the conclusion today that it will not be possible to make any bipartisan agreement available to the public before the committee’s deadline."
Historical precedents
The committee is an unusual construct in the American federal legislative system, created after weeks of difficult negotiations, although it has a partial precedent in the Base Realignment and ClosureBase Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure is a process of the United States federal government directed at the administration and operation of the Armed Forces, used by the United States Department of Defense and Congress to close excess military installations and realign the total asset inventory to reduce...
process. Senate historian
Historian of the United States Senate
The Historian of the United States Senate heads the United States Senate Historical Office, which was created in 1975 to record and preserve historical information about the United States Senate. The current Historian of the Senate is Donald A...
Donald Ritchie found inexact parallels between the Joint Select Committee and various joint committees, and with the exception of the 1946–1977 Joint Committee on Atomic Energy
United States Congress Joint Committee on Atomic Energy
The Joint Committee on Atomic Energy was a United States congressional committee that was tasked with exclusive jurisdiction over "all bills, resolutions, and other matters" related to civilian and military aspects of nuclear power from 1946 through 1977...
, he noted that what makes this committee different is its ability to write and report out legislation.
Structure and membership
The committee comprises twelve members of Congress, six from the House of RepresentativesUnited States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
and six from the Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
, with each delegation evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans. Three members each were appointed by the Speaker
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, or Speaker of the House, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives...
and Minority Leader
Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives
Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives are elected by their respective parties in a closed-door caucus by secret ballot and are also known as floor leaders. The U.S. House of Representatives does not officially use the term "Minority Leader", although the media frequently does...
of the House and the Majority and Minority Leaders
Party leaders of the United States Senate
The Senate Majority and Minority Leaders are two United States Senators who are elected by the party conferences that hold the majority and the minority respectively. These leaders serve as the chief Senate spokespeople for their parties and manage and schedule the legislative and executive...
of the Senate. Two of the members are designated as co-chairs, one each by the Senate Majority Leader and by the House Speaker. The law does not require that either chair be from a specific house or a specific party. The Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
predicted before the committee was constituted that the "most important players" in the process would be the four leaders selecting the twelve committee members.
Members
On August 9, Harry ReidHarry Reid
Harry Mason Reid is the senior United States Senator from Nevada, serving since 1987. A member of the Democratic Party, he has been the Senate Majority Leader since January 2007, having previously served as Minority Leader and Minority and Majority Whip.Previously, Reid was a member of the U.S...
, the Senate Majority Leader, announced the Senate's Democratic members of the committee. Speaker John Boehner
John Boehner
John Andrew Boehner is the 61st and current Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. A member of the Republican Party, he is the U.S. Representative from , serving since 1991...
and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell
Mitch McConnell
Addison Mitchell "Mitch" McConnell, Jr. is the senior United States Senator from Kentucky and the Republican Minority Leader.- Early life, education, and military service :...
announced the Republican appointments to the committee from both houses on August 10, 2011. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi is the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives and served as the 60th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011...
announced her choices the following day.
| Democrats | Republicans | |
|---|---|---|
| Senate members |
|
Jon Kyl Jon Llewellyn Kyl is the junior U.S. Senator from Arizona and the Senate Minority Whip, the second-highest position in the Republican Senate leadership. In 2010 he was recognized by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world for his persuasive role in the Senate.The son... , Arizona Rob Portman Robert Jones "Rob" Portman is the junior United States Senator from Ohio. He is a member of the Republican Party. He succeeded retiring Senator George Voinovich.... , Ohio Pat Toomey Patrick Joseph "Pat" Toomey, Sr. is the junior United States Senator for Pennsylvania and a member of the Republican Party. Previously, Toomey served as a U.S. Representative for three terms, but did not seek a fourth in compliance with a pledge he had made while running for office in 1998... , Pennsylvania |
| House members |
Xavier Becerra Xavier Becerra is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district is based in Los Angeles.-Early life, education and career:... , California Jim Clyburn James Enos "Jim" Clyburn is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993, and the Assistant Democratic Leader since 2011. He was previously House Majority Whip, serving in that post from 2007 to 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party... , South Carolina Chris Van Hollen Christopher "Chris" Van Hollen, Jr. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Democratic Party... , Maryland |
Jeb Hensarling Jeb Hensarling has been the Republican congressman representing Texas' 5th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives since 2003.-Early life:... , Texas, Co-Chair Fred Upton Frederick Stephen Upton is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1987. He is a member of the Republican Party and Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. The district, based in Kalamazoo, stretches along the Michigan-Indiana border in the southwestern part of the state.-Early life,... , Michigan |
Murray is the Senate Democratic Conference Secretary, the chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is the Democratic Hill committee for the United States Senate. It is the only organization solely dedicated to electing Democrats to the United States Senate. The DSCC's current chair is Sen. Patty Murray, who succeeded Sen. Robert Menendez following...
, and the chair of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs
United States Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs
The United States Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs deals with oversight of United States veterans issues.-Members, 112th Congress:The Committee is chaired by Democrat Patty Murray of Washington, and the Ranking Member is Republican Richard Burr of North Carolina.Source: -Chairmen of the Senate...
; Hensarling is vice-chair of the House Committee on Financial Services
United States House Committee on Financial Services
The United States House Committee on Financial Services is the committee of the United States House of Representatives that oversees the entire financial services industry, including the securities, insurance, banking, and housing industries...
, chairman emeritus of the Republican Study Committee
Republican Study Committee
The Republican Study Committee [RSC] is a caucus of over 170 conservative members of the Republican Party in the United States House of Representatives...
, and House Republican Conference Chair
Republican Conference Chairman of the United States House of Representatives
This is a list of Republican Conference Chairmen of the United States House of Representatives.-References:...
.
Kerry and Baucus are both chairs of standing Senate committees (Foreign Relations and Finance, respectively), members of the Senate Finance Committee
United States Senate Committee on Finance
The U.S. Senate Committee on Finance is a standing committee of the United States Senate. The Committee concerns itself with matters relating to taxation and other revenue measures generally, and those relating to the insular possessions; bonded debt of the United States; customs, collection...
and among the ten most senior members of the U.S. Senate. Kyl is Senate Minority Whip
Assistant party leaders of the United States Senate
The Assistant Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate are the second-ranking members of the party leadership of the United States Senate....
. Toomey is a member of the Joint Economic Committee
United States Congress Joint Economic Committee
The Joint Economic Committee is one of four standing joint committees of the U.S. Congress. The committee was established as a part of the Employment Act of 1946, which deemed the committee responsible for reporting the current economic condition of the United States and for making suggestions...
. Portman is a former Director of the Office of Management and Budget and a former U.S. Trade Representative
Office of the United States Trade Representative
The Office of the United States Trade Representative is the United States government agency responsible for developing and recommending United States trade policy to the president of the United States, conducting trade negotiations at bilateral and multilateral levels, and coordinating trade...
.
Camp is the Chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means
United States House Committee on Ways and Means
The Committee of Ways and Means is the chief tax-writing committee of the United States House of Representatives. Members of the Ways and Means Committee are not allowed to serve on any other House Committees unless they apply for a waiver from their party's congressional leadership...
and the Joint Committee on Taxation
United States Congress Joint Committee on Taxation
The Joint Committee on Taxation is a Committee of the U.S. Congress established under the Internal Revenue Code at .-Structure:The Joint Committee is composed of ten Members: five from the Senate Finance Committee and five from the House Ways and Means Committee.The Joint Committee is chaired on a...
. Upton is the Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce
United States House Committee on Energy and Commerce
The Committee on Energy and Commerce is one of the oldest standing committees of the United States House of Representatives. Established in 1795, it has operated continuously—with various name changes and jurisdictional changes—for more than 200 years...
. Clyburn is the third-ranking House Democrat. Becerra is the ranking member of the Ways and Means Social Security Subcomittee
United States House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security
The Subcommittee on Social Security is a subcommittee of the Committee on Ways and Means in the United States House of Representatives.-Jurisdiction:From the House rules...
and is Vice-Chair of the House Democratic Caucus. Van Hollen is the former chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is the Democratic Hill committee for the United States House of Representatives, working to elect Democrats to that body. They play a critical role in recruiting candidates, raising funds, and organizing races in districts that are expected to yield...
, and the ranking member of the House Budget Committee.
Two of the Republican members and two Democrats served on the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform
National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform
The National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform is a Presidential Commission created in 2010 by President Barack Obama to identify "…policies to improve the fiscal situation in the medium term and to achieve fiscal sustainability over the long run."...
, with all four voting against the Simpson-Bowles plan.
Operation
The Budget Control Act increased the debt ceiling by $400 billion in August 2011. Concurrently, it requires the federal government to make $917 billion in spending cuts over a ten-year period as a first installment, in keeping with estimates from the Congressional Budget OfficeCongressional Budget Office
The Congressional Budget Office is a federal agency within the legislative branch of the United States government that provides economic data to Congress....
that assume that the current laws will stay the same, including the expiration of the Bush tax cuts
Bush tax cuts
The Bush tax cuts refers to changes to the United States tax code passed during the presidency of George W. Bush and extended during the presidency of Barack Obama that generally lowered tax rates and revised the code specifying taxation in the United States...
from 2001 and 2003 that were extended for two years in 2010. Under the plan, government revenues are projected to rise after 2012.
Recommendation
The committee is charged with issuing a recommendation by November 23, 2011 for at least $1.5 trillion in additional deficit reduction steps to be undertaken over a ten‐year period. This would be the second installment of deficit reduction measures. Possible areas to be examined by the committee include: revenue increases, including raising taxes; tax reforms, such as simplifying the tax code and eliminating some tax breaks and loopholes; military spending cuts; and measures to reform and slow the growth of entitlement programs, including MedicareMedicare (United States)
Medicare is a social insurance program administered by the United States government, providing health insurance coverage to people who are aged 65 and over; to those who are under 65 and are permanently physically disabled or who have a congenital physical disability; or to those who meet other...
, Medicaid
Medicaid
Medicaid is the United States health program for certain people and families with low incomes and resources. It is a means-tested program that is jointly funded by the state and federal governments, and is managed by the states. People served by Medicaid are U.S. citizens or legal permanent...
, and Social Security
Social Security (United States)
In the United States, Social Security refers to the federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program.The original Social Security Act and the current version of the Act, as amended encompass several social welfare and social insurance programs...
. According to White House economics adviser Gene Sperling
Gene Sperling
Gene B. Sperling is an American lawyer and political figure, currently serving as a Counselor to Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner. He is also on the staff of the Council on Foreign Relations, where he serves as Senior Fellow for Economic Policy and Director of the Center on Universal Education. He...
, "everything is on the table."
Congressional vote
The committee's recommendations would then be put to a simple up or down vote by Congress by December 23, 2011. This vote is not subject to amendments, House "majority of the majority" blocks, or Senate filibusterFilibuster
A filibuster is a type of parliamentary procedure. Specifically, it is the right of an individual to extend debate, allowing a lone member to delay or entirely prevent a vote on a given proposal...
s, thus guaranteeing a pure majority vote in both chambers. Commentators note that a single instance of one member deviating from their party's economic program would lead to a seven-member majority, and cause the plan to advance. If the committee fails to agree on a package or the full Congress fails to pass it, a so-called "trigger mechanism" would enact $1.2 trillion in automatic spending cuts to serve as the second installment of deficit reduction measures. These cuts would be split between the national security and domestic arenas, but the biggest entitlement programs would be excluded from these automatic cuts. One report suggests that the prospect of these across-the-board cuts would "give leverage to any faction that cares more about cutting spending than about increasing revenues or protecting the defense budget."
A second debt ceiling increase of $500 billion is slated to go into effect regardless of whether Congress passes the joint committee's proposal, but subject to a congressional resolution of disapproval if the proposal is not passed. Together, the two increases in the debt ceiling allow borrowing to continue at projected levels until January 2013, beyond the 2012 presidential election
United States presidential election, 2012
The United States presidential election of 2012 is the next United States presidential election, to be held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012. It will be the 57th quadrennial presidential election in which presidential electors, who will actually elect the President and the Vice President of the United...
.
Impasse and failure
In order for the committee to meet its deadline, the legislation would first have to be "scored" by the non-partisan Congressional Budget OfficeCongressional Budget Office
The Congressional Budget Office is a federal agency within the legislative branch of the United States government that provides economic data to Congress....
, which takes 48 hours. On Monday, November 21, 2011, as several members met for a last minute meeting, a media frenzy proferred speculation on whether the committee could agree to terms by midnight. After the financial markets closed, the committee issued a statement which said it had failed to come to an agreement. Republican leaders in Congress, Mitch McConnell
Mitch McConnell
Addison Mitchell "Mitch" McConnell, Jr. is the senior United States Senator from Kentucky and the Republican Minority Leader.- Early life, education, and military service :...
and John Boehner
John Boehner
John Andrew Boehner is the 61st and current Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. A member of the Republican Party, he is the U.S. Representative from , serving since 1991...
, blame President Obama for the impasse. President Obama likewise blamed Republicans, and he issued a veto threat regarding any attempt by Congress to cancel the $1.2 trillion trigger mechanism.
Support
Representative Rob AndrewsRob Andrews
Robert Ernest "Rob" Andrews is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1990. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes most of Camden County and parts of Burlington County and Gloucester County....
of New Jersey supports the idea as a way to "avoid a default" although he expressed concerns that it would take too long for lawmakers to learn the "nuances of Medicare and Medicaid" with respect to intricate reimbursement formulas. Supporters believe that the prospect of imminent across–the–board spending cuts if the committee's measures were not adopted would be sufficiently "distasteful to lawmakers" to prompt them to act and to impart a "strong incentive for bipartisan agreement." Representative Robert E. Andrews, Democrat of New Jersey, supports the overall deal as a way to avoid a default on federal debt obligations. But Mr. Andrews said: “I am very uneasy about the joint committee for a number of reasons. It takes people decades to learn the nuances of Medicare and Medicaid.” (New York Times)
Criticism
Criticism of the committee arrangement includes comments from lawmakers concerned by how rapidly the Budget Control Act legislation was put together; they objected to having little time to review the rules by which the committee would operate, and to the lack of input on the mechanism from public hearings or debate. Legislators from both parties expressed concern that the arrangement will "usurp their authority to write and revise legislation." Presidential candidate Representative Ron PaulRon Paul
Ronald Ernest "Ron" Paul is an American physician, author and United States Congressman who is seeking to be the Republican Party candidate in the 2012 presidential election. Paul represents Texas's 14th congressional district, which covers an area south and southwest of Houston that includes...
suggested that members of Congress might be under "tremendous pressure" to vote for whatever emerges from the committee regardless of worthiness. The unprecedented secrecy of the Committee was also criticized by many liberal bloggers like TheScreamingHead. Huffington Post critic R. W. Sanders said that it was an unelected committee with power to "effectively run our country" and possibly issue budget cuts which will "basically go unchallenged." Conn Carroll suggested the committee will not lead to any "meaningful entitlement reform". Senator Menendez predicted that the committee would become deadlocked since the most likely appointments would be a "stacked deck" of members opposed to new revenues or program cuts. An analysis in the New York Times suggested the committee was similar to other "blue-ribbon panels" during the past seventy years as a way to "give political cover to policy makers to make unpopular changes" but noted that in most cases, Congress ignored the proposals or procrastinated. And there is the prospect that a future Congress could override any decisions made since one Congress cannot "bind another." A variety of watchdog groups, including Public Campaign
Public Campaign
Public Campaign is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to sweeping reform that aims to dramatically reduce the role of big special interest money in American politics. Public Campaign works to bring Clean Elections, or publicly financed elections to local, state, and federal elections...
and MoveOn.org, are concerned that lobbyists will influence what happens, and asked that lawmakers disclose meetings with lobbyists and refrain from political fundraising during the selection process. The Standard & Poor's
Standard & Poor's
Standard & Poor's is a United States-based financial services company. It is a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies that publishes financial research and analysis on stocks and bonds. It is well known for its stock-market indices, the US-based S&P 500, the Australian S&P/ASX 200, the Canadian...
rating agency is pessimistic about any chance for serious fiscal reform; that agency downgraded the nation's credit rating from AAA to AA+, and wrote:
Analyst Fareed Zakaria
Fareed Zakaria
Fareed Rafiq Zakaria is an Indian-American journalist and author. From 2000 to 2010, he was a columnist for Newsweek and editor of Newsweek International. In 2010 he became Editor-At-Large of Time magazine...
predicted the committee would deadlock without a majority favoring a specific plan, and wrote:
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich
Newt Gingrich
Newton Leroy "Newt" Gingrich is a U.S. Republican Party politician who served as the House Minority Whip from 1989 to 1995 and as the 58th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999....
said in the August 11, 2011 Republican presidential debate:
External links
- Official website
- Joint committee topics from The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
- Factbox on joint committee from ReutersReutersReuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
- Summary of similar past efforts from Brookings Institute