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Subscribe to RSSHouse Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) laid out a grim forecast for his expectations of the deficit supercommittee on Wednesday, telling reporters that he is "hopeful" they will strike a deal, but that his personal "expectations for the success of the committee are low".
While Hoyer has faith that "all 12 members are desirous of getting an agreement," he argued that both sides will have to make concessions that they might not like. "All of these decisions are tough, there are going to be a lot of unhappy people," Hoyer said.
The comments come a day after an open supercommittee hearing saw testimony criticizing both Republican and Democratic members of the committee for clinging to sacred cows in the budget and tax code.
The four witnesses, which included the leaders of two previous deficit reduction groups, stressed the need for a large, balanced approached that included both entitlement reforms and revenue increases.
"I have great respect for each of you individually, but collectively, I'm worried you're going to fail -- fail the country," Erskine Bowles, the former White House chief of staff to Bill Clinton, told supercommittee members at the hearing.
According to one Democratic aide, Republicans on the supercommittee are "not engaged" on talks to increase revenue, saying, "It's frustrating to see one side reaching out and the other side beholden to Grover Norquist," referring to the influential tax activist and Americans for Tax Reform president.
Hoyer echoed the calls for a balanced approach, saying it would "send a message to the American people."
"Everything needs to be on the table," he said, "We need to come at this with an honest view of making sure that our budget and our entitlement programs, because they are so important to people, are fiscally sustainable."
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What a surprise!
Mark my words - they are going to kick the can down the road with another deadline, rather then let the defense spending cuts kick in...
The only OATH these clowns are beholden to is their OATH of office!
Period!
Well - at least Obama did everything he could do to push for, advocate and get the Debt Commission's plan implemented, right Feisty?
That he basically piched the whole thing in a ditch was not frustrating at all.
Leadership.
Feisty -
Well put!
The rigid right ideologues thought that the November, 2010, results would finally let them get away with their long-cherished dreams of rolling back the New Deal, the Square Deal, the Kennedy-Johnson years, and all the other ahcievements this country fought so hard to reach.
Now they realize that isn't going to happen.
So they'd rather create yet another phony fiscal "crisis," as they did months ago, and come out, flags fluttering, in hopes of fooling the public.
Well, the Occupy Wall Street movement is more than some proto-anarchist rising. It's the nation showing that it won't be fooled by Grover Norquist's minions any more.
I hope President Obama speaks out yet more forcefully in the days ahead about the choices the rigid right presents the nation. I'd love to hear him simply dust off FDR's famous speech of the 1936 election, update the names and roar it out!
Chickens I tell ya! : ) Afraid to do a little work for a living. Afraid to do what's right for the good of the Country. Norquist is wielding his power over the Super Committee.....who gave him the power????
It was Republican policies that broke the economy and put so many people out of work. Now Republicans block every attempt to fix the economy.
They are willing to take down America just to take down President Obama.
That's the sad truth of American politics today.
But if just spent another half trillion dollars we don't have, everything would be alright. At least according to Obama. Not even his Senate majority agrees with that notion.
Obama has become one of the most disengaged from the political process president there ever has been. Budgets mean nothing to him. He has shown no interest in cutting spending, in fact ,he wants to increase spending. Obama has shown no interest in his own Debt Commission, or in the so-called "Super Committee" (There is nothing super about this crew), Obama's budget for FY2012 was voted down 97-0 in his parties Senate, and he just gave up on producing something else and went campaigning and fund raising instead.
Hoyer has his moments when he speaks the truth. Why would we expect that this committee would agree on anything, and have the next step of the House and Senate agree with them? When the Super Committee fails, Obama will pop out do his usual blaming of the Republicans. The days of him shouting "Pass this bill" for his "jobs" bill have wound down, just more political theater from Obama, now it's on to something else for him.
Solving the countries problems begins with leadership. We won't get that from Obama.
Kicking the can down the road is borrowing money for today that we can't pay tomorrow. It's spending hundreds of billions of dollars to "create" temporary jobs so that the numbers look better today. It's financing today's costs with imaginary cuts in 10 years.
Sound familiar? That's the standard operations for this president and the democrats in congress.
The supercommittee is a joke and shouldn't have ever been considered a viable option. Something this important should not be left to 12 elite members of congress....if that's what we're going to do, why not get rid of the other 523 members?
On top of that...if this "supercommittee" fails, it triggers $1.2 trillion in cuts. Not quite enough in the cutting department but a good start.
You're absolutely right. Democrats are going at this all wrong.
Republicans, on the other hand -- like Mitt Romney, for example -- would run it just like a business.
They would CUT the jobs so that the bottom line looked better today.
Don't assume liberals are for it. I was against it from the start.
Exactly. Or at least get rid of their salaries.
Because re-pledging "In God We Trust" does not a lifetime pension earn.
Really? Name one.
Was it that republican president that signed NAFTA and the Pacific Rim WTO free trade agreements in the early-mid 90s and sent our jobs overseas?
Could it have been those nasty republicans that demanded that the lending rules be relaxed so people that shouldn't have gotten mortgages got them, with no money down?
Maybe it was those republicans that refused to listen to the warnings of the democratic administration in 2002-2004 about Fannie and Freddie?
Or maybe you know of another reason the economy crashed.
The United States of Norquist? The "Norquistas"? "Norquistorists"?
How about this for a title Grover's next book? "How to Destroy the World's Strongest Economy in 10 Easy Steps".
Democrats?
How is it the the debt has risen during every president's term? And every congress?
How about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? Unpaid for.
Medicare Part D? Unpaid for.
George Bush Senior? passed the earned income credit bill - unpaid for.
Name one politician that has brought our debt under control in the last forty years? Republicans talk a good game, but when it comes to their sacred cows, it just hot air.
I pledge allegiance to Grover Norquist.
One of the biggest sleezebags in America
and screw the Republic for it's a sham:
One nation, Under Gop, Undeniable
With liberty, and justice for the top 1%
According to a recently released report by the Treasury Department, since the origins of the U.S. Presidency, the National debt has risen largest on a percentage basis under 2 REPUBLICAN Presidents, Reagan and Bush 2.
The Republicans are between a rock and a hard place, Feisty---defense cuts or tax increases. The defense cuts run counter to their beliefs and the tax increases open them up to the wrath of Grover Norquist. They are stuck.
Aren't there six Democrats on the committee also? But yet again the Republicans get all the blame here. We can't place any blame for this on the left. Remember it takes both sides to consider it a compromise. NEITHER side is budging.
Not one single thing this "super-committee" does matters. Nothing they do will begin to take effect until 2013, at which time there will be a new Congress which has the right to, and will, ignore everthing this Congress has done.
In the words of Vice President Dick Cheney, "Deficits Don't Matter"! Just not on his watch I guess.
Feisty...
Only 2 questions:
1) Have you ever posted anything constructive? I've been reading for a couple years now, and I have to say... Your posts are always pathetically negative.
2) Has there ever been a First Read post that you weren't the first to post on? I wonder why that is? I smell a paid hack. Say it ain't so, Fiesty.
Govt_Issue - at least the Democrats are more willing to sacrifice Seniors by cutting Medicare and Social Security benefits than the Republicans are to require their wealthy donors to contribute to saving their country's economy. And we call ourselves a great country. Who was it that said a government is judged by how it treats its most vulnerable citizens?
Heartlight...
Are you unaware of the facts or blindly ignoring them? The FACTS are that the SC is charged with coming up with a debt reduction plan by Nov 22nd or there are 600 billion in cuts to medicare/medicaid & 600 billion in cuts to defense. Period.
In regard to the downing of America's greatness based on your obviously FACTless spew... If we cut medicare/medicaid...we expose the poor. If we cut defense...we expose everyone. It isn't in the interest of either party, or any American, to do either. The FACT of the matter is that we can't afford it.
Spewing partisan ignorance like that is not only wrong, but it gets other uninformed people to believe your FACTless statements thus making things even worse. Good job...ignorance prevails, right?
So are you agreeing with Cheney??? Your defense of Obama's obscene spending is that Cheney said it's ok?
Wow...
Good catch, Joe. It is the standard sand box "he started it" defense. I'm sure that will hold up in the court of public opinion. LOL!!!
The modern Republican Party is the epitome of fiscal irresponsibility.
This ain't your Grandpa's GOP!
commonsense,
The other side of the coin is the modern Democratic party is the epitome of hypocrisy.
So what does Obama REALLY want to do?
Well, he wanted the $447 Billion 'jobs bill' passed, but couldn't even get it through the Senate which is controlled by the Democrats. Would it have reduced the Deficit? No - it was just a request for more money to spend, thus INCREASING the Deficit.
And the Democrat's latest plan is to 'tax the millionaires'. Was it to reduce the Deficit - No - it was just to get more revenues again to spend, thus INCREASING the Deficit once more.
How about increasing revenues and USE THE MONEY TO REDUCE THE DEFICIT, not just give them more money to spend.
The supposed purpose of the 'Supercommittee' was to find ways to reduce the Deficit, but the Democrats apparently just want to increase the spending.
THis super committee was a joke to begin with. Congress.org has some interesting info on politicans..This super committee has taken millions from lobbyist since 2007....just who do you think any of these people are going to side with..as with the rest of our "honest" elected..they are all bought and paid for by the lobbyist. All members of congress were elected to do a job..so far..not one has shown that is possible..thier own benefits are in the way of honest government for the majority.
Spanky,
Your post #1.1 is an outright LIE! You and any educated person knows that is a FACT! And please don't waste your time or anyone elses with a "rag" citation. Have a GREAT but more truthful day!
Wrong again. But thanks for coming.
If Obama was at all interested in controlling the deficit and balancing the budget he would have done something the first two years of his presidency OR acted on his own bi-partisan commission report LAST YEAR, December 2010, which clearly outlines REFORMS that the president does NOT agree with (but most of the country does).
But he is more interested in dragging his opponents (and this country) through the mud.
http://www.fiscalcommission.gov/sites/fiscalcommission.gov/files/documents/TheMomentofTruth12_1_2010.pdf
Why wouldn't it be low when the other side are Grover Norquist zombies? Even Alan Simpson recognizes this.
The other side of what PEN?
Why don't you articulate the 'two sides?'
Norquist against all?
Say, can you define the group or set of people that support our current path to Greece? You know the ones - they see no issue with borrowing $.40 of every dollar.
So come on Pen, advise us of this 'other side' you speak.
Oh, and Pen, which side are you on? You good with adding $4 trillion to the debt in just 3 years? You equally fine with an annual deficit of $1.6 Trillion?
Are you a debt 'zombie' pen. So PEN - is spending a problem at all, or is this just an issue of not taxing enough?
Maybe you can toss out some new tax rates? You know that would make up the $1.6 trillion yearly deficit.
SPANKY
What do you call GOP congress pledge to Norquist? Which is more important, Norquist OATH or their OATH of office? Again, Alan Simpson recognizes these zombies on the other side of the aisle. GOP economics of "tax cuts" has never made any sense and it will never. Purge yourself of that ideologue economics and think anew......who knows, you might see what ST Reagan saw while raising taxes 11 times.
Spanky
"So come on Pen, advise us of this 'other side' you speak"
I can't advise you on this other side (GOP/TP) since I don't speak the zombie language.
The stalemate in DC is disgusting. I'd like to see ALL of them voted out of office for their pigheadedness!
National debt is $14.9 trillion. We're running out of road down which we can kick the can.
The probable reality here is there is no way out, in a business-as-usual sense of the phrase. I think intentional devaluation of the currency will be seen as the least painful path to follow. That makes sense from the perspective of people managing debt - national public or otherwise. Unfortunately for anyone with savings, a fair amount of pain to come.
Unfortunately, it will cost us responsible people much, much more if we don't help other people out.
When will people realize that we can't just close our doors and windows to other people's problems and hope they go away?
When will we realize that the only way to get the corporations' and the rich's money out of our political system is by working together?
What will it take for Congress to do its job - maybe a 1% approval rating?
The Republicans only have the 1% right now. Unfortunately, that 1% has all the money!
What will it take for Congress to do its job - maybe a 1% approval rating?
Term limits.
There are term limits. They are called elections. In fact, there is one coming up in November of next year.
Th Republicans are never going to let the rich be taxed. They are the party of Grover Norquist, nothing to do with the American people for them. Shame on them all. Vote all Republicans out of office maybe they will then get the message we are tired of these tactics.
The basic fault with all this lies with us ..... The voters who send these braying, blathering, ideological asses to congress time after time.
Amen. If there is one thing you can count on friend, it's the apathy of the average american voter.
The voters sent an unprecidented number of new republicans to the House because they pledged fiscal responsibility. Or "PAYGO" No new expenditures without a means to pay for it. The Dems seem to think that taxing the "rich" is the way to pay for the spending. This is un-american! The "rich" earned thier money and already the top 3% PAY 85% of the revenue the US takes in. Sure they have loopholes, etc. but the actual money received is still 85% of the TOTAL PAID. Is this fair?
A bunch of INCOMPETENT FOOLS meeting to try and "fix" the problem that they created. Why should we have any expectations other than COMPLETE FAILURE? It's past time for these Gluttonous Cretins to GO!
No hopes for “supercommittee!
Their reply: “Just shut up and pay us, before we have to leave on recess again!
This is really a hoot, everyone likes capitalism as an economic engine, fine. What will happen is we are going to be taxed to such a degree that in order to survive the government - who will have ALL our money - will have to dole out food clothing and shelter to us (with no money) so I think that is called - dare I say it?-Communism ? It will either be that or "social unrest" write large!
Our tax rates are the LOWEST they have been in recent history,so cut it with the "taxed to such a degree" crap. Deal in what is real.
Dear Mad, my combined tax rate inclusive of local, state, federal income tax + fees and sales tax for last year was well over 55% so respectfully I will not "cut the crap" until there is a fair and equal dstribution of the tax load among ALL U.S. Citizens. When I - as a % of income - can pay what GE paid in taxes (or rather did not pay in taxes) last year I will be glad to STFU! That is MY reality. When the 47% of Americans, via their loopholes and just plain tax cheating are FORCED to pay at least a minimum tax that will be a start. We had the equal rights ammendment forced down our throats - lets have equality in all things including sharing the burden
Dear fed up boomer, step away from the keyboard and turn off faux news please. In reality world, there is no ERA - it failed. Last I checked, the 47% you disparage pay fees and sales taxes at the same rate you do. Your ilk contribute to the unfortunate stereotype of boomers - self absorbed, ill informed and generally clueless.
I have never felt overtaxed by the Federal government. But my private health insurance? I get raped by health insurance premiums every month. And every year now it goes up by 15% like clockwork. My retirement accounts are decimated by the stock market, and the Republicans want to abolish Social Security and Medicare? After I've paid in for 37 years so far, and still counting? To hear Republicans, "entitlements" are denigraded as handouts to freeloaders. I'm no freeloader. I've worked my entire life, and paid taxes every year since I bagan working. Entitilements? Of course I'm entitled!
That is because the attorneys in congress will never pass tort reform. The reason healthcare outpaces inflation is directly correlated to the increase in malpractice insurance increases. Want to stop paying so much for healtcare? Then let your candidate know by only voting for those that believe in limits for malpractice litigation. Mad - I don't know where you are getting your number from but they don't add up. I pay roughly the same percentage now as I did 10 years ago (Clinton). I am one independent that doesn't always believe what the news feeds me. Show me a survey that was conducted by an organization that has no policital beliefs and I'll trust the numbers. I'm all for paying more in taxes if it is necessary, but not for entitlements. I don't believe that raising taxes is the answer until all the fat has been trimmed. If the size of government was drastically reduced, and we still needed more money, then tax us. Until that is done, I feel that my tax dollars are being wasted.
Baby Boomers are a rancid cohort of self-absorbed individuals. If only they had half the grit of their parents, imagine where this country could be. Instead they are focused on nothing but maintaining there own rates of consumption. The faster these hoarders get old and get out of the way, the better off we will all be.
I'm thinking that if this committee is made up of our best, we are in deep doo-doo. Not everyone is going to walk out with all they want, so they better be prepared for a 50/50 compromise.
Joe, your disilluisioned. His proposed jobs bill is in response to the publics cry for job creation by the President. How can he do that? The only possible way is to directly spend money on jobs. So people want jobs from the President, but dont want him to spend money? How does that work? The answer is it doesnt. I have never seen a man so hated for no apparent reason. People saying he lies, he is a muslim, wasnt born here, blah blah blah. The problem remains that the Dems, although they have their own agenda, have reached out of their comfort zone and offered spending curbs, so long as revenue increase is a part of it. Grover Norquist has the Repubs by the B@ll$. Turn off Fox News and turn on your mind. How on Earth can you expect a President to succeed when it is in the interest of so many that he fails? I would not hire you to paint my house and not buy the paint for you to use. FYI tax cuts are still in place, and FYI they havent worked. Served.
"Everyone in Washington needs to go!" I keep hearing that over and over. Here's the thing... that's exactly what needs to happen but everyone needs to STOP voting for the same people every election! It's one thing to say "Everyone needs to go" but when you step into that voting booth, you need to follow through and stop automatically voting for that same man/woman who has been in office most of their life!
The problem is that the "everyone in washington needs to go" mantra usually doesn't apply to a persons OWN representative. Usually it's "my guy is alright, but the rest of them gotta go!!", which inevitably considering voting rules leads to the same douchebaggery election after election.
This supercommitee group are a domestic terrorist group that were formed for the offshore bankers agaisnt the American people and our liberty! The debt is not the peoples debt.
false.
This thing was doomed before it started. One side came in already committed to not putting everything on the table. And the same dummies think that they win by doing nothing. Everyone is counting the votes that won't be cast for amnother year. The OWS have set the playing field. The R's need the 1% plus a ton of the wannabees in the 99%. They'll get the wannabees who don't understand that just because you stand along side or even kiss the ass of a 1%er, it don't make you one of them.
Well, you have one group that only wishes to raise taxes in order to spend more, and another that refuses to raise taxes under any circumstance, and wants to cut spending.
Hmmm......
Doesn't sound like much of an opportunity for compromise.
I don't see how you can keep in stating that one side wants to raise taxes in order to spend more and the other doesn't. The GOP wants to spend, it just wants to spend on different stuff. Both sides want to cut, they just want to cut different stuff. The GOP wants to cut anything that helps the poor and middle class, and the Dems want to cut corporate welfare and military excess. The GOP wants to spend on oil subsidies, defense, border fences, and tax cuts for millionaires and the Dems want to spend on infrastructure, education and green energy. The whole system is unsustainable.
Nodrama is showing wear, infrastructure will be shot down, LOL. Keep saying NO Reps. America is behind you. Those numbers he keeps spewing are so false just like his whole Administration. Desperation is setting in. I LOVE IT.
Richard, nobody is desperate. America is behind who? Where are you getting that impression? Nodrama will be reelected because your party is so hopelessly devoid of a leader that they can't field a serious candidate. Your party controls the house and we control the senate and both are struggling with lowest approval rating in the history of approval ratings!!! And american is behind them?????????????? Really? Blatant asshattery.
Desperation is setting in alright but it's from the GOTP side. If the super committee doesn't come up with a workable plan their precious defense budget gets hit big time. Now they're sweating! The Dems have already offered significant cuts in Medicare/medicaid so there was going to be a hit there anyway.
Our problem as voting citizens is not that we vote the wrong people into office, but that we mindlessly believe we are limited to the selection of "paid-for politicians" put before us as our options. As a whole, voters WANT different candidates, we just don't know how to get there. Step up independents!! Let us see you! I for one am SICK TO DEATH of both parties, scratch that, political parties in general.
The only way the super committee will accomplish anything is if the Democrats give in, lower taxes for the rich and enslave the middle class further. I pray they won't. Let the automatic cuts happen and then deal with the budget for real when the GOP is voted out in 2012.
Amen Ed! Let the auto-cuts kick in! It will hurt on the medicare/medicaid front but at least the golden calf defense budget will get a good trim as well.
The sooner we kick granny off her well heeled unearned benefits the faster we can fix the budget mess...yes its true...
The vast majoirty of spending in this country goes to the 30% who are seniors, not only the wealthiest generation in the history of the planet, but also the ones getting the best deal from SS and medicare and all the other senior bennies...
I'll get screwed on my return on contributions but it is todays retirees (yes I'm talking to you teabaggers too) who paid the least in and will get the most out...
Now who's the socialist?
Seriously? The vast amount of spending in this country goes to what? I guess you mean of the actual human citizens...aparently you've turned a blind eye to the corporate citizens who walk away winners of the taxpayer sponsered "lottery" every freakin year.
Only 13% of the population is over 65. I don't know where you got 30%. I also don't know where you got your assertion that granny is living off "well heeled unearned benefits". Do you really think that $14,124 annually is "well heeled"? Have you tried living on that? Actually, that is the average, so half receive even less than that.
nothing will be done, our government is no longer functional.
SOMETHING will be! They're backed into a corner this time. They allowed the auto-cuts to be put in so if they don't agree then it's an automatic hit.
Top 5 executives at Freddie Mac received $6.46 million in bonuses last year after receiving $170 BILLION in Obama bailout money. Thank you President Obama.
You'll be hard pressed to find a democrat that will disagree with you. Weak point but i applaud your effort.
But if just spent another half trillion dollars we don't have, everything would be alright. At least according to Obama. Not even his Senate majority agrees with that notion.
JoanAnnSmith1
We have more than that amount of money to spend, if only the 1% percenters will cough up and match the percentage their secretaries pay as taxes, in fact as the President said a balanced approch, the problem of deficit and balanced budget will be achieved. Remember business said they are hoarding all this trillions of dollars accross the world, let them repertriate it back, pay the taxes and invest it in America. After all they made all that money because of the goodwill of the franchise called America. The initial investment emanated from either American wall street or American banks and the unseen power proctecting them is the might of uncle sam and no one messes with us or American citizens anywhere, not to talk about American business.
"all 12 members are desirous of getting an agreement," ... I doubt this very much. For the Republicans at least, "agreement" is defined as "democrats surrender and we get everything exactly the way we want."
Really? I see all the posters on both sides that don't have the ability to think for themselves have been at it hard today. If you vote straight party lines, please keep your opinions to yourself. We already know what your opinion is because we know who gave it to you. There was no thought or study on your part except what you get from the news channel you believe in, whether it's Faux news or MSNBC. Independents are by nature skeptical of what we see/hear/read no matter what the source.
So, only an independent possesses the appropriate "nature" then to make a rational, informed decision? Am I to infer from your insight into the nature of independents, that you and other independents possess some sense of innate sketicism that allows you to transcend political ideology? Or is it that you people are so afraid to be wrong, or even make a decision that you are completely ineffective? I'd gamble on the latter for the majority, and for certain in your case. You grossly over estimate your own sweetness factor pal.