Posted on 11/25/2011 9:30:21 AM PST by SeekAndFind
All now know that the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction has failed to reach an agreement. While there will still be $1.2 trillion of spending cuts as guaranteed under the Budget Control Act, we regrettably missed a historic opportunity to lift the burden of debt and help spur economic growth and job creation. Americans deserve an explanation.
President Obama summed up our debt crisis best when he told Republican members of the House in January 2010 that "The major driver of our long-term liabilities . . . is Medicare and Medicaid and our health-care spending." A few months later, however, Mr. Obama and his party's leaders in Congress added trillions of dollars in new health-care spending to the government's balance sheet.
Democrats on the committee made it clear that the new spending called for in the president's health law was off the table. Still, committee Republicans offered to negotiate a plan on the other two health-care entitlements—Medicare and Medicaid—based upon the reforms included in the budget the House passed earlier this year.
The Medicare reforms would make no changes for those in or near retirement. Beginning in 2022, beneficiaries would be guaranteed a choice of Medicare-approved private health coverage options and guaranteed a premium-support payment to help pay for the plan they choose.
Democrats rejected this approach but assured us on numerous occasions they would offer a "structural" or "architectural" Medicare reform plan of their own. While I do not question their good faith effort to do so, they never did.
Republicans on the committee also offered to negotiate a plan based on the bipartisan "Protect Medicare Act" authored by Alice Rivlin, one of President Bill Clinton's budget directors, and Pete Domenici, a former Republican senator from New Mexico.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
it was set up to fail.....period.
BOTTOM LINE: Democrats were unwilling to agree to anything less than $1 trillion in tax hikes, but only if there are no corresponding reductions in spending. IOW’s a net gain in government revenues AND spending is their bottom line.
Dear Mister Hensarling.
It is so hard to believe that you were such a patsy, and as a result, this fine Country takes a sucker-punch (and Republicans will get blamed for it!)
The very instant I read that absent an agreement, the Super Committee charter specified 600 B in military spending cuts, I KNEW that the Dems would see to it (and so will Mister Obama see to it) that such an agreement is never reached.
As far as the Medicaid and such cuts? Those can be gotten around quite simply with a few decisions by Dem-friendly judges and just re-naming things. (It also sets up an artificial demand for ObamaCare, n'est ce pas, Mister Hensarling?).
There is a bright side, and I have seen it nowhere else, but someone must have considered it.
GOP candidates (Congressional and Executive) can now make it a campaign issue to maintain military funding, and claim that Mister Obama is intentionally fogging the issue to delay then dismantle the military, post election.
.
From the article: “Despite the president’s disappointing lack of leadership, I believe my co-chair, Sen. Patty Murray, and every Democrat acted with honor and integrity and negotiated in good faith to the end. It was, of course, difficult to negotiate with six Democrats who, as Democratic committee member Jim Clyburn said on Nov. 13, “never coalesced around a plan” themselves. But I believe this failure was not due to lack of effort or commitment.”
At once, this is the money paragraph and highlights what is wrong with Versailles on the Potomac. Money paragraph, because it shows who is really at fault - the RATs for NOT negotiating in good faith. What’s wrong, because GOP just can’t bring itself to criticize the RATs.
Anyone see the irony of John F’n Kerry, one of the richest members of the Senate, decrying the PUBs for wanting to protect the wealthy?
Exactly. When you place the most partisan Democrats from the Senate on the Committee you killed any chance for success.
It was never meant to work.
I need someone to explain to me at what plateau($) does a Non-wealthy individual become a Wealthy individual.
Secondly of the politicians gracing Congress and the White House which group does each fall into?
Without knowledge of their true worth why do I think most are in the latter group? Most seem to me to have bought themselves into a profit-making Cartel.
Which means that the article title is incorrect. The super committee actually succeeded. It did exactly what it was supposed to do...fail.
We saw them fold like a cheap camera last summer.
Only the Tea Party budget will save the country.
>>>it was set up to fail.....period.
Bingo. It was also set up for the ‘Rats to blame Repubs for the failure.
Voters cannot do the math.
Years of a failed public education system has brought us here by design, imho.
it was set up to fail.....period.
&&
Exactly.
You are correct.
When the members were announced, I knew nothing would get accomplished. Patty Murray alone could sink a good ship.
Aren't these 12 low grade morons advertised to be the best and brightest this country has to offer? (G*d help this country)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.