Supercommittee lobbying: 200 companies, 12 members

[get_involved]

Bribes.

Supercommittee lobbying: 200 companies, 12 members - Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman - POLITICO.com


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[waltky]

Get ready for `em to kick the can down the road - once again...

US Congress might delay tax decision
Wed, Nov 16, 2011 - PASSING THE BUCK?As a way to ‘meet’ its deadline next week, congressional supercommittee members may agree to wait till next year to reform the tax code

US lawmakers might opt to postpone tough tax decisions until next year as they struggle to forge a deficit-reduction deal over the coming week, congressional aides said on Monday. With time running short, the “supercommittee” of six Democrats and six Republicans could agree to some spending cuts and instruct their fellow lawmakers to raise more tax revenue by retooling the Byzantine tax code next year, aides said.

That could allow the panel to reach a deal by its deadline next Wednesday and temporarily resolve a budget battle that has dominated Washington for most of this year. However, it would push the tax question well into next year’s election season, when partisan tensions will be running even higher than usual. The idea has been talked about for months as a possibility and is being looked at more closely as little progress is evident as the deadline approaches.

US Representative Eric Cantor, the No. 2 Republican in the US House of Representatives, expressed optimism that a deal could be reached, but declined to comment on the possible details. “I believe they will reach agreement by the deadline,” Cantor told reporters. A senior House Republican aide told reporters that Republicans were waiting for Democrats to come forth with new ideas and Democratic supercommittee member Chris Van Hollen said: “conversations continue.”

Republican Representative Jeb Hensarling on Sunday talked about a possible “two-step approach” on a television news show. A senior Democratic aide said on Monday: “It is being discussed. That is clear.” Another option under discussion is a deal that would lead to more tax revenue now, the aide said. Specifics of that option were not available, but Democrats have been pushing to end some special interest tax breaks, such as one for the oil and gas industry and for corporate jets.

MORE

 

[waltky]

Republicans still listenin' to dem rich folks tellin' `em "Don't tax me, bro...

Supercommittee searches for a Plan B
11/17/11 - There has been increased chatter about the next steps to break the stalemate.

Lawmakers plodded through another day of wrenching negotiations on the deficit-cutting supercommittee, ratcheting up the partisan rhetoric and increasing their demands ahead of its mandated deadline, just a week away. As Democrats continued to demand more revenue increases and Republicans called for deeper cuts to health care programs, there was increased chatter about the next steps to break the stalemate and avoid the full mandated budget cuts if no agreement is reached before Thanksgiving. One plan would have the supercommittee vote on competing Republican and Democratic proposals, aimed at forcing the other side’s hand.

Republicans, meanwhile, have begun pondering potential fallback plans, including moving legislation that would most likely cut less than $1.2 trillion but softens the blow of the mandated cuts. There’s even talk of coupling a deficit-reduction package with must-pass measures like unemployment insurance to sweeten the deal for Democrats and President Barack Obama. Democratic negotiators said Wednesday they were open to some parts of the leading GOP proposal floated by Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey. And aides said Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) quietly proposed a counteroffer last Friday to meet the GOP dollar-for-dollar on $876 billion in spending reductions and $401 billion in revenue-raisers, down from Democrats’ initial call of $1 trillion in higher revenues.

Still, they were demanding several significant changes, including for the GOP to drop proposed benefit cuts to Social Security and Medicare and calls to permanently extend the Bush tax cuts. Republicans immediately dismissed the plan as a “step backward,” attacking Democrats for seeking $300 billion in spending on jobs measures and for opposing their plans to make the Bush tax cuts permanent. In sum, all the maneuvering seemed to paint a picture of confusion, panic and blame-passing as Congress, with approval ratings in the gutter, attempts to patch up yet another fiscal mess.

On a day when the national debt surpassed $15 trillion, the six Democrats and six Republicans on the supercommittee met separately in tense closed-door meetings and strategized with congressional leaders. In phone calls and personal meetings, Republicans discussed proposals old and new a half-dozen times — and each side struggled to coalesce around plans that could pass bipartisan muster, or be used to maximize political cover. “We’re trying to explore every avenue that’s got some potential,” said Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl, the Republican whip and a chief negotiator. It became a certainty on Wednesday that any final deal would need to be struck at the end of the weekend, as the Congressional Budget Office needs to analyze any last-ditch proposal on Monday. “I was here all last weekend — I plan to be here all this weekend,” said Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), another member of the panel.

Read more: Supercommittee searches for a Plan B - Jake Sherman and Manu Raju - POLITICO.com

 

[editec]

I guess I'll just keep saying the same thing over and over again.

NOW is NOT the time to reduce spending to get the national debt under control.

The FED Government's national debt problem was not the primary cause of the economic meltdown.

Reducing government spending now is going to exascerbate the recession.

What little progress we have made to get the economy back on track is going to be lost when the government cuts back on spending and as more and more people are let go to reduce spending.

I cannot BELIEVE they are doing this.

 

[Jackson]

I guess I'll just keep saying the same thing over and over again.

NOW is NOT the time to reduce spending to get the national debt under control.

The FED Government's national debt problem was not the primary cause of the economic meltdown.

Reducing government spending now is going to exascerbate the recession.

What little progress we have made to get the economy back on track is going to be lost when the government cuts back on spending and as more and more people are let go to reduce spending.

I cannot BELIEVE they are doing this.

Certainly you have been watching Europe. Do we have to be another Greece before we learn anything?

 

[Mad Scientist]

The Unconstitutional Super Committee is already doing us a service by limiting the corruption in D.C. to only 13 Members!

 

[paulitician]

It should be renamed the 'Stupor Committee.' Yea like $1.2 Trillion in cuts over ten years is really gonna matter. In ten years our Debt will be well over $20 Trillion. It's just so amzing how our Politicians and MSM have been able to dumb-down so many Americans. Many Americans actually believe this committee is going to fix things. Crazy stuff for sure.

 

[zzzz]

If there is a way they will find it to pass the buck again. A two step process. They do the popular part and do not follow through the unpopular part. What they need to do is just man up and do their job, all of them!

 

[paulitician]

I don't doubt they'll come up with some sorry deal just to get it out of the way before Election time. Lots of dishonest sellouts in both parties. But make no mistake about it,their deal will not solve any problems.

 

[Mr. H.]

This should be a sequestered committee but that's just not possible seeing how freakin' long this is taking.

 

[WatertheTree]

Bribes.

Supercommittee lobbying: 200 companies, 12 members - Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman - POLITICO.com


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wanna know why they cant balance the budget without raising taxes or cutting social programs??!!!
Cause the people are the one group that doesnt have any representation!!
Ron Paul knows how, and it starts with a fucking M!

 

[uscitizen]

This should be a sequestered committee but that's just not possible seeing how freakin' long this is taking.

Had they been sequestered it would have been pretty fast.
No lobbyist input for one thing.

 

[Trajan]

I guess I'll just keep saying the same thing over and over again.

NOW is NOT the time to reduce spending to get the national debt under control.

The FED Government's national debt problem was not the primary cause of the economic meltdown.

Reducing government spending now is going to exascerbate the recession.

What little progress we have made to get the economy back on track is going to be lost when the government cuts back on spending and as more and more people are let go to reduce spending.

I cannot BELIEVE they are doing this.

how about we just settle for reducing what we are BORROWING?