“the failure to approve the supercommittee recommendations will trigger a broad based sequester of defense and non-defense funds”
Those broad-based cuts were already approved by both houses of Congress in the bill that was signed into law this week. The commission merely will make a recommendation to Congress that will replace the apprved across-the-board cuts with other cuts, which will be subject to an up-or-down vote in both houses.
True, but it is a 6 of one 1/2 dozen of another situation. This is the IED to try and force committee consensus and is an integral part of the super committee mechanism.