Posted on 04/12/2011 7:30:56 AM PDT by Qbert
Gang of Six negotiators are close to striking a deal on a deficit-reduction package, according to Senate sources.
White House officials and Democrats are pressing for the six negotiators to wrap up their talks by the Easter recess beginning on April 16.
There is no deal yet, however, and Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) has made clear that he will not be held to an arbitrary timeline. Coburn has also insisted that a broad deficit reduction package include Social Security reform, something that Democratic negotiators such as Sens. Kent Conrad (N.D.) and Dick Durbin (Ill.) argue should be handled separately.
The six principals, who also include Sens. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.), held marathon talks last week and came very close to finishing a deal, according to Senate sources.
Speaking at a Rotary Club of Atlanta lunch on Monday, Warner and Chambliss said the Gang of Six should be able to reach an agreement within the next 30 days as the “window closes” on the opportunity to influence the debate, The Wall Street Journal reported.
There is concern about unveiling a deficit-reduction package this week, when other major budget events will suck up much of the media’s attention.
In a speech Wednesday, President Obama is scheduled to lay out a broad plan for balancing the budget through tax increases and entitlement reforms.
The House is expected on Thursday to consider a budget sponsored by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) proposing to cut $5.8 trillion over the next decade. Much of the savings would come from turning Medicaid into a block-grant program.
The House and Senate will also vote this week on a budget deal struck late Friday that would cut nearly $40 billion from the 2011 budget.
By waiting until lawmakers return to Washington during the first week of May, the Gang of Six’s package, which is based largely on the recommendations of Obama’s fiscal commission, might command more attention.
One Senate aide close to the talks downplayed the likelihood of a deal by week’s end.
“We won’t be dropping anything this week,” said the source.
One of the thorniest disputes with the Gang of Six is over Social Security. Obama could give Democratic negotiators a push toward including Social Security reforms in the package if he calls for it on Wednesday.
Liberal advocates have been assured by Democrats that a Senate deficit-reduction package will not cut deeply into social programs for low- and middle-income families.
“I am hearing that it might be this week; they were very close last week,” said Nancy Zirkin, executive vice president of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, which helped organize a recent rally on Social Security at the Capitol.
“What I heard last week is that they’re going to protect low- and moderate-income folks,” Zirkin said. “Cuts aren’t going to be made unless revenues are raised also. There is a sensible way of doing this.”
Obama could give the Gang of Six negotiators some guidance by outlining what reforms he could ultimately accept. Senate sources familiar with the talks say the president and his advisers have had a minimal role in the talks so far.
Some Democrats would like to have a centrist Gang of Six deal this week to serve as a contrast with the Ryan budget plan, which would cut corporate tax rates and not touch defense spending beyond what Defense Secretary Robert Gates has proposed.
Democrats and liberal advocacy groups say Obama has an opportunity to draw a sharp contrast with Ryan’s budget plan. Some of them question whether he is willing to take a hard-line stand after the recent debate over House-passed spending cuts that nearly shut down the government.
“His speech is an opportunity to set up that contrast. It would be a very terrible thing if he missed that opportunity and instead laid out a plan to cut Medicare and Social Security,” said Justin Ruben, executive director of MoveOn.org.
Ruben and other progressives don’t think Obama spoke out forcefully enough against H.R. 1, the House-passed spending plan for the rest of 2011.
“Do I think the president needed to be much clearer about what the Republicans were doing and the fact that Republicans were proposing deep cuts to middle-class and poor folks and willing to shut down the government over it? Absolutely,” he said.
Democrats were hampered in their negotiations with House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) by the lack of a Senate-passed appropriations bill for the rest of the fiscal year.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) evened the playing field somewhat by putting H.R. 1 to a vote to show that it could not pass the upper chamber. But even to the end, Boehner stressed that Senate Democrats had failed to produce a credible alternative spending plan.
The Gang of Six could give the Senate a credible long-term deficit-reduction plan, although it would likely offend the chamber’s liberals and strongest conservatives.
Chambliss on Monday called Ryan’s plan unworkable because it cuts spending drastically but does not raise taxes, something Democrats say must be part of any long-term deficit reduction package, according to Bloomberg News.
Until the Gang of Six plan comes out, liberal groups have decided to focus their firepower on Ryan’s plan.
MoveOn.org is planning to hold rallies outside corporate headquarters around the nation to highlight the GOP plan to lower the corporate rate when social programs for the needy are on the chopping block. The group will hold other events in congressional districts over the April recess.
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights plans to mobilize thousands of constituents to call Congress on Wednesday and Thursday to protest Ryan’s budget plan.
“This will be a major mobilization,” said Robert Borosage, of the Campaign for America’s Future. “Ryan ends Medicare and Medicaid as we know it and does further damage to education programs.”
It shouldn’t surprise anybody though. He has pulled this same stunt before. Somebody needs to discipline him. I was really upset when, after the ‘08 election, Palin went to GA to campaign for him in his runoff election. I hope she’s watching this.
Now think back to the Christmas Grand Compromise with Obama over the taxes. RINO Mitch McConnel was crowing about how his brilliant plan took tax hikes off the table this year. What a joke the RINOS are.
More gags. Great. And Chambliss has turned out to be nothing more than a first class RINO.
I doubt Chambliss will get her support after this.
I believe she said that Paul Ryan’s plan is a good start, but in fact needs to go even further.
Where in the article does Chambliss say the words you attribute to him in your modified headline?
“Now think back to the Christmas Grand Compromise with Obama over the taxes. RINO Mitch McConnel was crowing about how his brilliant plan took tax hikes off the table this year. What a joke the RINOS are.”
Exactly.
And you know if Chambliss and his crew are in support of this, there are a lot more RINOs out there ready to back it.
“I believe she said that Paul Ryan’s plan is a good start, but in fact needs to go even further.”
With lack of vision like this, Palin is fading fast. Bachmann is the new lead philly.
They should be hyping Rand Paul’s plan. Ryan is just another establishment bench warmer. We need outsiders, willing to be bold, brash and once and for all stand up for the American Taxpayer instead of themselves. Which is one reason why in the end Trump ain’t all that bad. if it comes down to it
"Republicans may have made a strategic error by digging in their heels for so little. A hint for future reference: When your opponent resorts to taunting and mockery, you're winning"
“Where in the article does Chambliss say the words you attribute to him in your modified headline?”
Here (I had to condense it for space):
“Chambliss on Monday called Ryan’s plan unworkable because it cuts spending drastically but does not raise taxes, something Democrats say must be part of any long-term deficit reduction package, according to Bloomberg News.”
Tax increases are also a fundamental part of the Gang of Six plan (unlike Ryan’s plan). Heritage, I believe, has a great side-by-side comparison of the two plans showing this.
If Saxby Chambliss is involved in this plan you can count on it being a loser. He could not find his azz with both hands. He and Isakson are the twin RINO’s of GA. Its like a prison sentence. We cannot get rid of them. Chambliss championed and voted for the Food Safety Act. Thats all you need to know about this azz clown. He was all on board the ammnesty train until everyone started screaming and yelling at him. He has not got the sense God gave a goose. Have you ever heard him speak? He sounds like he has alzheimer’s. There is no Democrat sponsored piece of legislation he doesn’t like.
With lack of vision like this, Palin is fading fast... Which is one reason why in the end Trump ain’t all that bad. if it comes down to it”
Well, what’s Trump’s plan then?
ahhh, Spring, and the predictable return of the Swallow, Baseball, and the GOP Tax Raiser...
What's Trump's plan then? Well, when I saw the posting stating that Trump would consider running as an independent if he did not win the GOP ticket my Poopie Detector started pinging. So, I am wondering that the best way to ensure an Obama win? Pull some of the votes away from the GOP ticket, that's how. So, maybe the Born Again Birther and Born Again Right to Life'r has another conspiracy going.... LOL !
I am also waiting on Trump’s plan. If it’s a namby-pamby cluster like Ryan’s then he is off my list.
I say use Rand Paul’s plan and shut down the government until it is accepted.
There will be riots but oh well.
Where the hell is the growth? Why aren’t the Republicans out there screaming from the roof tops that the way to increase government revenues (as if it really needed more but I digress) is through growing the economy. We need pro-growth policies like cutting the corporate tax rates. Sure, close some loop holes to justify it. Indeed this is an opportunity for Republicans to distinguish themselves from the democrats.
As for Mr. Chambliss, if he comes out with a plan calling for tax increases, he just ended his career. Tax increases in this economy, with the government printing money like they are (inflation, the cruelest tax of all). What a dope this guy is. Does anyone have the number for his office?
Exactly. What my Senator has yet to figure out is this is not a battle about how the government pays its bills. It's about what the role and scope of government should be. If Saxby doesn't get that, he doesn't deserve re-election. From his comments, he doesn't get it.
“Where the hell is the growth? Why aren’t the Republicans out there screaming from the roof tops that the way to increase government revenues (as if it really needed more but I digress) is through growing the economy.”
You’re absoutely right, of course. But they’re not listening. They have their highly-paid insiders (Karl Rove, Trent Lott-types) advising them and I’m afraid they simply don’t care what Conservatives say. The advisers rig their internal polls and tell the leadership to play small ball, and figure they can take Conservatives for granted.
The Tea Party is going to have to highjack the Republican party.
Grassely and the corn liquor crowd would sell their grandma and grandchildren for 50cents more a bushel.
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