Super Congress

[Salt Jones]

Debt ceiling negotiators think they've hit on a solution to address the debt ceiling impasse and the public's unwillingness to let go of benefits such as Medicare and Social Security that have been earned over a lifetime of work: Create a new Congress.

This "Super Congress," composed of members of both chambers and both parties, isn't mentioned anywhere in the Constitution, but would be granted extraordinary new powers. Under a plan put forth by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and his counterpart Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), legislation to lift the debt ceiling would be accompanied by the creation of a 12-member panel made up of 12 lawmakers -- six from each chamber and six from each party.

Legislation approved by the Super Congress -- which some on Capitol Hill are calling the "super committee" -- would then be fast-tracked through both chambers, where it couldn't be amended by simple, regular lawmakers, who'd have the ability only to cast an up or down vote....House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has made a Super Congress a central part of his last-minute proposal, multiple news reports and people familiar with his plan say.

'Super Congress': Debt Ceiling Negotiators Aim To Create New Legislative Body

I don't like this. What say you?

 

[Trajan]

Wasn't this part of what McConnell surfaced 2 weeks ago?

and as far as issues, the bodies would still have an up or down vote, I don't see any issue there.

I have to think on it further and see more detail...

 

[Salt Jones]

Wasn't this part of what McConnell surfaced 2 weeks ago?

I don't know, but I didn't read everything he proposed. I don't think it will fly. Each side always whines when the party in charge asks for "Clean" bills.

 

[Marissa]

Creating a third legislative body, with even less accountability to the people will lay the foundation for severe corruption. It may be convenient now, but it stands highly prone to abuse in the future.

 

[BDBoop]

What the FUCK?? Is this even legal??

A Super Congress would be less accountable than the system that exists today, and would find it easier to strip the public of popular benefits. Negotiators are currently considering cutting the mortgage deduction and tax credits for retirement savings, for instance, extremely popular policies that would be difficult to slice up using the traditional legislative process.

 

[Annie]

Seems like an elitist answer to give further cover to incumbents not to have to make choices that may hurt them at election time. I can see the 'super group' being those that are unlikely to lose their seats due to their popularity at 'home.' Same as Congress has more or less pushed off declarations of war and forcing budgets to be passed.

Hell, get rid of all of them.

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

What the FUCK?? Is this even legal??

In theory, yes. The Constitution authorizes Congress to establish its own rules and procedures; as long as each member is allowed a vote, the proposal is perfectly legal. Whether it’s appropriate or not is another matter altogether, however.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

What the FUCK?? Is this even legal??

In theory, yes. The Constitution authorizes Congress to establish its own rules and procedures; as long as each member is allowed a vote, the proposal is perfectly legal. Whether it’s appropriate or not is another matter altogether, however.

The Constitution does not give Congress the power to establish its own rules. What it does do is give each chamber the ability to make up the rules governing that session of Congress, but they cannot make up rules for the other chamber. Any bills that affect revenue have to originate in the House. They cannot originate in the Senate, the White House, or even in a super committee of Congress that is supposed to take over the job of Congress. Only a complete idiot would think this was Constitutional.

 

[OohPooPahDoo]

What the FUCK?? Is this even legal??

Article I Section 5

Each House shall be the judge of the elections, returns and qualifications of its own members, and a majority of each shall constitute a quorum to do business; but a smaller number may adjourn from day to day, and may be authorized to compel the attendance of absent members, in such manner, and under such penalties as each House may provide.

Each House may determine the rules of its proceedings, punish its members for disorderly behavior, and, with the concurrence of two thirds, expel a member.

Each House shall keep a journal of its proceedings, and from time to time publish the same, excepting such parts as may in their judgment require secrecy; and the yeas and nays of the members of either House on any question shall, at the desire of one fifth of those present, be entered on the journal.

Neither House, during the session of Congress, shall, without the consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other place than that in which the two Houses shall be sitting.

 

[editec]

Debt ceiling negotiators think they've hit on a solution to address the debt ceiling impasse and the public's unwillingness to let go of benefits such as Medicare and Social Security that have been earned over a lifetime of work: Create a new Congress.

This "Super Congress," composed of members of both chambers and both parties, isn't mentioned anywhere in the Constitution, but would be granted extraordinary new powers. Under a plan put forth by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and his counterpart Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), legislation to lift the debt ceiling would be accompanied by the creation of a 12-member panel made up of 12 lawmakers -- six from each chamber and six from each party.

Legislation approved by the Super Congress -- which some on Capitol Hill are calling the "super committee" -- would then be fast-tracked through both chambers, where it couldn't be amended by simple, regular lawmakers, who'd have the ability only to cast an up or down vote....House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has made a Super Congress a central part of his last-minute proposal, multiple news reports and people familiar with his plan say.

'Super Congress': Debt Ceiling Negotiators Aim To Create New Legislative Body

I don't like this. What say you?

I presume that thy'd get around any constitiutional objections by making convincing the rest of Congress to go along with their compromise.

That means, after they arrive at a compromise, the larger Congress will still have to vote it into law.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

What the FUCK?? Is this even legal??

Article I Section 5

Each House shall be the judge of the elections, returns and qualifications of its own members, and a majority of each shall constitute a quorum to do business; but a smaller number may adjourn from day to day, and may be authorized to compel the attendance of absent members, in such manner, and under such penalties as each House may provide.

Each House may determine the rules of its proceedings, punish its members for disorderly behavior, and, with the concurrence of two thirds, expel a member.

Each House shall keep a journal of its proceedings, and from time to time publish the same, excepting such parts as may in their judgment require secrecy; and the yeas and nays of the members of either House on any question shall, at the desire of one fifth of those present, be entered on the journal.

Neither House, during the session of Congress, shall, without the consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other place than that in which the two Houses shall be sitting.

Do you understand that that means no?

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Debt ceiling negotiators think they've hit on a solution to address the debt ceiling impasse and the public's unwillingness to let go of benefits such as Medicare and Social Security that have been earned over a lifetime of work: Create a new Congress.

This "Super Congress," composed of members of both chambers and both parties, isn't mentioned anywhere in the Constitution, but would be granted extraordinary new powers. Under a plan put forth by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and his counterpart Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), legislation to lift the debt ceiling would be accompanied by the creation of a 12-member panel made up of 12 lawmakers -- six from each chamber and six from each party.

Legislation approved by the Super Congress -- which some on Capitol Hill are calling the "super committee" -- would then be fast-tracked through both chambers, where it couldn't be amended by simple, regular lawmakers, who'd have the ability only to cast an up or down vote....House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has made a Super Congress a central part of his last-minute proposal, multiple news reports and people familiar with his plan say.

'Super Congress': Debt Ceiling Negotiators Aim To Create New Legislative Body

I don't like this. What say you?

I presume that thy'd get around any constitiutional objections by making convincing the rest of Congress to go along with their compromise.

That means, after they arrive at a compromise, the larger Congress will still have to vote it into law.

Which means that, even if they did manage to shove a new government that was not voted on by the people down our throats it would not accomplish anything because people would still get mad at the people who voted for raising their taxes and cutting their benefits.

 

[BDBoop]

I wish they'd man up. Just fucking man up. Strap on a pair, if yours haven't dropped yet. God. People.

/fuming

 

[auditor0007]

Debt ceiling negotiators think they've hit on a solution to address the debt ceiling impasse and the public's unwillingness to let go of benefits such as Medicare and Social Security that have been earned over a lifetime of work: Create a new Congress.

This "Super Congress," composed of members of both chambers and both parties, isn't mentioned anywhere in the Constitution, but would be granted extraordinary new powers. Under a plan put forth by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and his counterpart Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), legislation to lift the debt ceiling would be accompanied by the creation of a 12-member panel made up of 12 lawmakers -- six from each chamber and six from each party.

Legislation approved by the Super Congress -- which some on Capitol Hill are calling the "super committee" -- would then be fast-tracked through both chambers, where it couldn't be amended by simple, regular lawmakers, who'd have the ability only to cast an up or down vote....House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has made a Super Congress a central part of his last-minute proposal, multiple news reports and people familiar with his plan say.

'Super Congress': Debt Ceiling Negotiators Aim To Create New Legislative Body

I don't like this. What say you?

Basically, it's a bunch of BS, probably illegal, and it just goes to show that those whom we have elected are incapable of doing the jobs they were elected to do. Since they can't get the job done themselves through normal bargaining and compromise, they want to try to pass the buck on. If they can't get it done as a whole and want to leave it up to a select twelve, then maybe we should just reduce the size of Congress to twelve. Something tells me we'd get a lot more accomplished.

 

[auditor0007]

I wish they'd man up. Just fucking man up. Strap on a pair, if yours haven't dropped yet. God. People.

/fuming

It's pretty simple; if they can't figure it out on their own, then they need to be replaced. All of them have been elected to represent their constituencies, but also to resolve issues in a responsible manner. Apparently, they aren't up to the task. So bye bye come next election.

 

[BDBoop]

I wish they'd man up. Just fucking man up. Strap on a pair, if yours haven't dropped yet. God. People.

/fuming

It's pretty simple; if they can't figure it out on their own, then they need to be replaced. All of them have been elected to represent their constituencies, but also to resolve issues in a responsible manner. Apparently, they aren't up to the task. So bye bye come next election.

Oh, definitely. They seem to have forgotten about the independent voters. Not everybody is red or blue, but everybody does have eyeballs, and will remember the summer of 2011, when we were held hostage by ... I don't even know what to call them.