WASHINGTON -- In order to shore up GOP support for a debt-ceiling deal, Senate Democrats are exploring ways of giving the proposed Super Congress even greater super powers, according to multiple news reports and congressional aides with knowledge of the plan. Under the new proposal, if the new legislative body composed of 12 members of both parties doesn't come up with a bill that cuts at least $1.8 trillion by Thanksgiving, entitlement programs will automatically be slashed.The Super Congress will be made up of six Democrats and six Republicans from both chambers. Under the reported framework, legislation the new congressional committee writes would be fast-tracked through the regular Congress and could not be filibustered or amended.
The parties are negotiating the outlines of the super panel's mandate, deciding roughly how much in cuts must come from defense spending, how much from seniors, how much from veterans, etc.
Last weekend, HuffPost reported on the extraordinary powers being delegated to the emerging Super Congress, but beltway media largely reacted by dismissing it as just another Washington commission. On Sunday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) sought to disabuse anyone listening of that notion.
"Let me emphasize the joint committee," McConnell said on CNN's State of the Union. "In the early stages of this discussion, the press was talking about another commission. This is not a commission. This is a powerful, joint committee with a equal number of Republicans and Senate -- equal number of Republicans and Democrats, and, to make a recommendation back to the Senate and House by Thanksgiving of this year for an up or down vote. Think of the base closing legislation that we passed a few years ago for an up or down vote in the Senate."
The sticking point, said McConnell, is that Republicans are insisting on "triggers" that would automatically fire at beneficiaries of Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare if the Super Congress doesn't act. "The trigger issue has been the one locked us in the extensive discussions. I thought we were very close to an agreement a week ago today, and then [we] went off to our separate corners and had volleys, and now we are back into the position where we will let you know when we agree to something," said McConnell.
Republicans rejected tax increases as a trigger incentive, and the White House has responded by proposing automatic defense cuts -- which should have the consequence of enlisting defense lobbyists to push for entitlement cuts to stave off their own reductions. If seniors didn't have enough to worry about, they could now be on the opposite side of Washington's most entrenched lobby.
A beefed-up Super Congress will be difficult for House Democrats to swallow, but they are used to being force fed legislation they hate. In the past, they have passed unpalatable legislation under pressure -- usually by the White House -- to prevent the latest professed calamity from happening.
That process has already begun. House Democrats met in a caucus meeting yesterday to be briefed on the negotiations. "Caucus yesterday was devoted to how we all really needed to vote for the sucky Reid plan," said one House Democrat. "Obviously a lot of House Dems, probably most House Dems, will oppose this, but I'm not sure how many of our votes they'll need."
UPDATE: 1:03 p.m.: The progressive advocacy group MoveOn.org released a statement on Saturday morning condemning the reported framework reached between the White House and congressional Republicans, including the proposed Super Congress and the triggers that would automatically slash funding to entitlement programs.
“The reason Republicans want a “Super Congress," especially one that triggers automatic cuts if it fails to reach agreement, is because it would let them slash Medicare and other vital services with no accountability," said Executive Director Justin Ruben. "It is extremely troubling that it now appears that some Democrats are willing to give in to Republican demands to make this already disastrous plan worse for working families.
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Source: Huffington
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