Super Congress

[mrsleeve]

Wow this shit is getting very very scary. I never in my wildest dreams would I have ever thought I would see this in the USA. Do any of you kiddies see anything wrong with this shit. Its not a R/D thing its a all of them TOTAL GOVT THING

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/31/super-congress-debt-ceiling-deficit-deal_n_914272.html

WASHINGTON -- In order to shore up GOP support for a deal to raise the debt ceiling, Senate Democrats are exploring ways of giving the proposed "super Congress" even greater super powers, according to multiple news reports and congressional aides with knowledge of the plan.

Under the new proposal, if the new legislative body, made up of six Democrats and six Republicans from both chambers, doesn't come up with a bill that cuts at least $1.5 trillion by Thanksgiving, entitlement programs will automatically be slashed.

Under the reported framework, legislation the new congressional committee writes would be fast-tracked through Congress and could not be filibustered or amended.

The parties have been negotiating the particulars of cuts that would be enacted if budget-cutting legislation coming out of the super Congress could not get passed, deciding roughly how much in cuts would come from different parts of the federal budget, including defense spending and entitlement programs like Medicare.

According to sources and a number of reports, the parties were settled on an equal split between cuts to the defense budget and trims to Medicare providers, which in theory would spare Medicare beneficiaries.

Last weekend, HuffPost reported on the extraordinary powers being delegated to the emerging super Congress, but most beltway media has largely dismissing the group as just another Washington commission.

On Sunday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and his counterpart, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) sought to disabuse everyone of that notion.

"The joint committee -- there are no constraints," Reid said on the Senate floor. "They can look at any program we have in government, any program. ... It has the ability to look at everything."

"Let me emphasize the joint committee," McConnell said Sunday morning on CNN's "State of the Union." "In the early stages of this discussion, the press was talking about another commission. This is not a commission. This is a powerful, joint committee with a equal number of Republicans and Senate -- equal number of Republicans and Democrats, and, to make recommendation back to the Senate and House by Thanksgiving of this year for an up or down vote. Think of the base closing legislation that we passed a few years ago for an up or down vote in the Senate."

The sticking point, said McConnell and sources, was that Republicans were insisting on "triggers" that would automatically fire at beneficiaries of Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare if the super Congress doesn't act.

The 50-50 compromise appears to have resolved the impasse, but rank-and-file House and Senate members still had to sign on. And the defense cuts -- brokered the White House -- should have the consequence of enlisting defense lobbyists to push for entitlement cuts to stave off their own reductions.

If seniors didn't have enough to worry about, they could now be on the opposite side of Washington's most entrenched lobby.

A beefed-up super Congress will be difficult for House Democrats to swallow, but they are used to being force fed legislation they hate. In the past, they have passed unpalatable legislation under pressure -- usually by the White House -- to prevent the latest professed calamity from happening. Last winter they traded away the expiration of the Bush tax cuts for the rich to get extended unemployment insurance.

That same process has already begun to unfold in this debate. House Democrats met in a caucus meeting yesterday to be briefed on the negotiations. "Caucus yesterday was devoted to how we all really needed to vote for the sucky Reid plan," said one House Democrat. "Obviously a lot of House Dems, probably most House Dems, will oppose this, but I'm not sure how many of our votes they'll need."

"There were a number of vehement warnings that votes in favor of the Reid bill should not be interpreted as blank checks for the next round of talks," said another Democrat.

"There is nothing good about being in the minority and having to work with these guys whose number one goal is to take down the President and the economy -- not come to a solution," said another House Democrat.

The progressive advocacy group MoveOn.org also fired out a statement condemning the reported framework reached between the White House and congressional Republicans, including the proposed super Congress and its triggers.

“The reason Republicans want a “Super Congress," especially one that triggers automatic cuts if it fails to reach agreement, is because it would let them slash Medicare and other vital services with no accountability," said MoveOn.org Executive Director Justin Ruben. "It is extremely troubling that it now appears that some Democrats are willing to give in to Republican demands to make this already disastrous plan worse for working families.

If both chambers of Congress swallow the scheme, the next vital component will be which legislators are picked to be the all-powerful members of the budget board.

"It will be essential to choose members with minds willing to consider every option, even when the options are tough pills to swallow for both parties," Reid warned. "Cooperation is the only way forward. Compromise is the only way forward."

The joint committee -- there are no constraints," Reid said on the Senate floor. "They can look at any program we have in government, any program. ... It has the ability to look at everything."- Harry Reid

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/31/super-congress-debt-ceiling-deficit-deal_n_914272.html

Really all you govt is good types dont see the writing on the walls yet do you???

I will say this one last time, FOOD, WATER (and ways to make it drinkable) AMMO, and Trade goods.......................... STOCK UP NOW while you can!!!!! Food will be getting much more expensive in 18 months, mark my words on this, the increases you have seen in the last year will pale, compared to whats coming if the Administration has its way along with the drought in the south.

Lets all pray the SCOTUS will step in and shut all this power grabbing down.

[Dozyproductions]

yeah, even in jest when stewart or colbert was talking about it seemed scary. The very idea is un american; there's simply barely any checks and balances for the idea. -1 for our democracy :(

[mrsleeve]

^

There is far more shit thats been being "regulated and Decreed" in the midst of this debt debate "quietly and under the radar". While we are all distracted and fighting over that, the other hand has been very very busy. Thisthread topic is just a little bit of it.

Ol Edward Bernays would be proud, his work is still going strong and 99% of people now swallow the shit outta his play book that in his days. They have been using his models all over the world for a 100 years, and it sill works so well.

[Dozyproductions]

I totally agree. Interesting enough we learned about him in High School AP U.S. History. Makes you way cynical at a young age.

[herbivor]

So basically their saying "this democracy thing isn't working to well, let's reduce the amount of arguing by limiting the number of people that can argue and give them all the power." whats the point of having 400+ legislators if only 12 of them plan on legislating?

[joshh]

So basically their saying "this democracy thing isn't working to well, let's reduce the amount of arguing by limiting the number of people that can argue and give them all the power." whats the point of having 400+ legislators if only 12 of them plan on legislating?

They all still have you and I paying them?

[herbivor]

They all still have you and I paying them?

Hmm. I think I know where they should start making cuts and I bet the people would unanimously support it.

[Lodsin]

I feel that govt positions such as senate/house, governors,mayors, and definitely the president should get the bare minimum and it should be more honorable and unwanted of a position. But one can only wish!

[Farbin Kaiber]

[Dozyproductions]

I feel that govt positions such as senate/house, governors,mayors, and definitely the president should get the bare minimum and it should be more honorable and unwanted of a position. But one can only wish!

Then that would guarantee that only the most rich and most out of touch people would run for office.

[mrsleeve]

I totally agree. Interesting enough we learned about him in High School AP U.S. History. Makes you way cynical at a young age.

WOW Holy shit thats amazing in high school no less. 99.99999% of people have no idea who he is or what the significance of his work has done to the world. Yeah and you wonder why I am the way I am.

As to only the rich running if govt twas a poorly compensated position. Well that is kinda how the founders envisioned it. You go forth and make something outta your self, or at the very least become well respected with in your community. The you go to Washington a few weeks to maybe 2 months a year to legislate and tend to the countries business and then go home. It was never envisioned to be a FULL TIME job, and the compensation was supposed to be meager. The idea was to have citizen/gentleman legislators who understood how the world worked and had made their place in life by living and working in it that would up hold those principals. Not life long bureaucrats and social engineers

Herbi:the point is that this whole thing is UNCONSTITUTIONAL, you cant subvert the legislative process laid out in the ground work of the Constitution by writing such legislation, thats not how it works. The arguing, bitching and bickering, is one way in which the govt is restrained.


Oh if the founders could see what we have done to our selves and their legacy :(

[Dozyproductions]

WOW Holy shit thats amazing in high school no less. 99.99999% of people have no idea who he is or what the significance of his work has done to the world. Yeah and you wonder why I am the way I am.

As to only the rich running if govt twas a poorly compensated position. Well that is kinda how the founders envisioned it. You go forth and make something outta your self, or at the very least become well respected with in your community. The you go to Washington a few weeks to maybe 2 months a year to legislate and tend to the countries business and then go home. It was never envisioned to be a FULL TIME job, and the compensation was supposed to be meager. The idea was to have citizen/gentleman legislators who understood how the world worked and had made their place in life by living and working in it that would up hold those principals. Not life long bureaucrats and social engineers

Oh if the founders could see what we have done to our selves and their legacy :(

That way of life has died quite some time ago.

[mrsleeve]

yeah I know. I know

[Wiglaf]

Then that would guarantee that only the most rich and most out of touch people would run for office.

and this is any different?

[Ryan Stewart]

You guys know they still have to vote on this shit, right? The president still has veto powers and the court still has the ability to kill it.

Its basically a smoking gun for election time. The "experts" come up with something and you have to either vote for it or against it, not twist the fuck out of it or just drag it on. So when elections come along they can campaign on you voting against it.

Its kind of needed because we had a super group before that Obama tasked, they came up with some unpopular, but effective suggestions, and everyone acted like they didnt exist. This restriction hopefully eliminates that. You have to give a yea or nay on their suggestions, no worming out of it.