The Super Committee Racked Up More Debt

The Street ^ | 11/21/11 | Eric Rosenbaum

[Qbert]

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- The Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, otherwise known as the super committee, accomplished one thing: It wasted government money.

[Snip]

... It doesn't provide any numbers but with Monday's failure, whatever expenses were incurred are now just another waste of taxpayer money.

The Budget Control Act legislation stated the super committee was authorized to incur whatever expenses it needed in order to do its job. The co-chairs of the committee were also authorized to appoint and "fix" the compensation of staff "as they deem necessary," though subject to Senate rules on employment.

Funding came from "applicable accounts" of the House of Representatives and a contingent fund" of the Senate included in an appropriations account called "Miscellaneous Items.'' There's nothing "miscellaneous" about the super committee funding item, though: It kept the debt engine known as the federal government chugging along in its failed attempt to switch us off the debt track.

In the end, there's something fittingly ironic about this panel having nothing to show for its efforts but a little more wasted government money.

[NoLibZone]

The purpose of each and every congressional committee is to buy votes while kicking the can further down the road.

All members both parties should be taken to GITMO and used as water boarding training dumiies.