Posted on 10/14/2011 9:58:59 AM PDT by Sub-Driver
Rep. Waters: Scrap the supercommittee By Mario Trujillo - 10/14/11 12:12 PM ET
Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) wants to kill off the new deficit-cutting supercommittee, which she called secretive and a threat to the democratic process.
Waters introduced a bill Thursday night that would amend the debt-ceiling deal approved in early August by eliminating the bipartisan committee created under the deal to find more deficit cuts.
Under the debt deal, the 12-member panel must find at least $1.2 trillion in deficit cuts by Nov. 21. If it fails, automatic cuts will be triggered in defense and domestic spending programs.
Waters’s legislation would kill the committee and eliminate the automatic triggers, but would not undo the debt-limit increase.
“[A]re you comfortable with 12 people making over a trillion [dollars] in cuts with no input behind [closed doors]?” Waters tweeted Friday about her legislation.
Waters introduced her measure on the eve of the deadline for congressional committees to recommend cost-cutting measures to the super-panel.
In a statement released by her office Friday, Waters criticized Republicans for seeking steep spending cuts without negotiating on tax reforms.
“The Tea Party has so rigged the law that regardless of whether the supercommittee fails or succeeds to meet its goal, it is likely that the end result will be draconian spending cuts to critical programs,” Water’s office said in a statement.
Waters was a vocal critic of the deal even before it was passed. She lamented deal to raise the deferal debt limit as the worst piece of legislation to come out of Congress, and questioned the supercommittee’s constitutionality in a floor statement before the legislation was voted on.
“I am very concerned with the precedent set by this 'supercommittee,' whose establishment threatens our democratic process with its unconstitutional structure,” Waters said on Aug. 1.
Opposition to the committee has come from both sides of the aisle. Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), the most vocal opponent of the committee among presidential hopefuls, said the committee was doomed to fail, and criticized its secret nature at a debate in August.
“What they ought to do is scrap the committee right now [and] recognize it is a dumb idea,” Gingrich said at the Fox News/Washington Examiner debate. “Go back to regular legislative business and give every subcommittee the task of finding savings. Do it out in the open through regular legislative order, and get rid of this secret phony business.”
I’d strongly agree with the proposal, except it was proposed by Maxine Waters.
If Maxine Waters is against it I’m for it.
Can she get rid of the EPA that fast?
For the first time in her life, Ms Waters has a good idea. Congress needs to man up and face the debt.
I agree. What scares me about this, she had a lucid moment!
I actually agree with Maxine on this one. I am not sure what her motives are, but the process of a supercommitee is certainly flawed. Obama Care was more or less done by a supercommitee. I sure don’t remember any normal commitee debates or hearings.
I agree, the Super Committee is going nowhere, we’ll just have stalemate on a smaller scale.
I actually agree with Maxine on this one. I am not sure what her motives are, but the process of a supercommitee is certainly flawed. Obama Care was more or less done by a supercommitee. I sure don’t remember any normal commitee debates or hearings.
I actually agree with Maxine on this one. I am not sure what her motives are, but the process of a supercommitee is certainly flawed. Obama Care was more or less done by a supercommitee. I sure don’t remember any normal commitee debates or hearings.
It may go nowhere, but the entire exercise was an abdication by Congress of its Constitutional duty. Repeal would make it likely this would never be tried again.
Of course, all that bothers Waters is that some of her constituents might get a little less free stuff.
She has also been an outspoken in critic of obama's lack of aid to the black community.
What's going to happen if O's sheep begin to grumble?
I agree with Maxine. What a weird icky feeling.
Waters tweeted Friday about her legislation.
I seriously doubt if this woman can type. The taxpayers pay for a “tweeter” to follow her around to do her “tweeting” for her.
If we get rid of the Super Committee, who will Cain call on to implement his 999 plan?
“I am not sure what her motives are,”
The guys who are on the committee are able to make big money deals either in the proposed cost reductions or by telling contributors that they’ll protect a particular ox from being gored. There is huge money to be made here and she wants to get her turn at the trough.
I agree with Maxine Waters on this
I have to go be sick now.
I suspect Mad Maxine was simply the chosen messenger for this reverse-psychology ploy. She's just not smart enough to piece something like this together.
I agree with Maxine Waters on this
I have to go be sick now.
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