Thread: Harry Reid's Super Committee Picks: Patty Murray, Max Baucus

Harry Reid's Super Committee Picks: Patty Murray, Max Baucus, John Kerry



WASHINGTON -- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) will appoint Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and John Kerry (D-Mass.) to the congressional debt-reduction "super committee" tasked with finding roughly $1.5 trillion in savings over the next decade. Murray will serve as one of the committee's two co-chairs, alongside a House Republican.

Reid's office announced the choices, which were first reported by Politico and the National Journal. Reid will make a formal announcement on Wednesday.

In making his picks, the Nevada Democrat becomes the first congressional leader to offer his three appointments to the super committee, who will be granted strong procedural powers to see their recommendations come to a vote. House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) still must choose three members each, in advance of an Aug. 16 deadline.

Reid's picks suggest that he favored committee chairs and senior members of the party over some of the younger, more progressive-minded senators. Murray chairs the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and will undoubtedly keep electoral implications in mind as she weighs various policy suggestions. Kerry, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is a top foreign policy voice in the party and will likely play a central role in carving out the cuts made to defense appropriations. Baucus, who chairs the Senate Finance Committee, is a leading figure on tax policy, another legislative component that falls within the committee's purview. None of the three were part of the so-called Gang of Six -– the informal bipartisan group of senators who worked to craft a debt reduction plan of their own.

The choices are not particularly trusted in liberal circles either, in part because of concerns that moneyed interests may come in to play when it comes time to negotiate. In FY 2009, for instance, companies in Murray's home state of Washington received $5.2 billion in defense contracts. Boeing Inc. is the fourth biggest contributor to Murray over the course of her career, according to data gathered by the Center for Responsive Politics.

More broadly, good government advocates were concerned that her post atop the DSCC, which comes with significant fundraising responsibilities, would influence her approach to the committee.

“Sen. Patty Murray may be a fine Senator, but putting Senate Democrats’ leading fundraiser in charge of a committee that will see a lobbying push like never before sends the wrong message to the American people,â€

Lord, Please help us.

Republicans Appoint Their Six to Super Debt Committee

Published August 10, 2011

| FoxNews.com

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/08 ... z1UdvhOPGX


Republican leaders in Congress announced Wednesday their six appointments to the 12-member super debt committee that is charged with cutting more than $1 trillion from the federal deficit.

House Speaker John Boehner chose House Republican Conference Chairman Jeb Hensarling of Texas, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp of Michigan and House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (the guy who is 1/2 responsible for the lightbulb fiasco) of Michigan.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell chose Sens. Jon Kyl of Arizona, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania and Rob Portman of Ohio.

The announcement comes one day after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid appointed Sens. John Kerry of Massachusetts, Max Baucus of Montana and Patty Murray of Washington to the committee.

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi has until Aug. 16 to make her three picks that will fill out the committee.

Speculation had been swirling around which lawmakers would get chosen for the committee that has until the end of the year to come up with a plan for $1.5 trillion in federal deficit reduction. If the committee cannot reach an agreement on what to cut, that will trigger across-the-board cuts to federal spending.

There are concerns that both sides will stalemate over Democrats insisting on tax increases as part of the plan, which Republicans refuse to consider.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/08 ... z1UdvYyQje

2 socialist and a not sure yep off to a good start.