Super Committee Fails: RI’s Delegation Weighs In
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
The Congressional Super Committee’s failure to reach an agreement on $1.2 trillion in cuts has three of Rhode Island’s four-member Congressional Delegation concerned about the next steps in the country’s quest to reduce its debt, which now includes automatic cuts set to begin in 2013.
Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressman David Cicilline all told GoLocalProv Monday they are committed to protecting vital programs for Rhode Islanders such as Social Security and Medicare while expressing frustration with the Super Committee’s inability to reach a fair compromise.
Only Congressman James Langevin’s office did not reply to request for comment.
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Stocks plunged on Wall Street following the Committee’s failure to reach a deal on the deficit, which surpassed $15 trillion last week. The group was created in August following a last minute deal in Congress to avoid a debt default.
But after some initial success, talks quickly broke down and reached a head last week when House Democrats refused to support a measure that would have resulted in massive cuts without significant tax increases.
Senator Reed pointed his finger at the Republicans, noting that that GOP continues to seek tax breaks for the wealthy.
"This summer I voted for a law to reduce the budget deficit by $2.2 trillion,” Reed said. “The difficulty in achieving even more savings was the Republican insistence on extending the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. Allowing them to expire for those families making over $250,000 saves roughly $800 billion. The Super Committee process failed because there was no compromise to be had on that issue and so the law requires automatic cuts beginning in 2013. That is tough medicine, but if someone wants to change that law they need to come to the table with replacement savings."
Whitehouse: I’m Disappointed
The result of the Committee’s failure to agree on $1.2 trillion cuts will be across-the-board cuts, which President Obama has said he supports. Social Security and Medicare will not be included in those automatic cuts, which will occur over the course of a decade beginning in 2013.
Senator Whitehouse said he is disappointed the group failed to compromise, but that he will continue to fight to make sure the wealthiest individuals and corporations pay more in taxes.
“I’m disappointed that it appears my colleagues on the Super Committee were unable to reach a deal, but very significant deficit reduction is scheduled now to take place automatically,” Whitehouse said. “As the process moves forward, I’ll continue fighting to protect Social Security, Medicare benefits, and Pell Grants from harmful cuts, and to seek a balanced approach to deficit reduction – one that asks billionaires and giant corporations to pay their fair share.”
RIC Professor: Not Surprised
Rhode Island College Political Science Professor Kay Israel said he wasn’t surprised by the Committee’s failure to reach a deal. Israel noted that the composition of the committee wasn't any less bipartisan than both branches of Congress and said neither side was willing to cede much territory to find the middle ground.
“The result was an effort that seems symptomatic of Congress and politics today,” Israel said. “If legislation warrants strong enough public interest compromise and collegiality fall by the wayside. Between the need to be reelected, seeking funding, reassuring voting constituencies, and being pressured by lobbyists lawmakers find little room to maneuver or seek an acceptable answer.”
Israel said the lack of supermajorities and more moderate members of Congress have handicapped the House and Senate when it comes to enacting legislation that is palatable to the other.
“The rise of the Tea Party, the decline of the gang of six and other moderate groups, the limited power of the Democratic leadership to unite its liberals with the Blue Dogs, the effort of the Republican leadership to erode support for President Obama, and other similar trends have created a situation that virtually dooms any chance of enacting major legislation or having a Super Committee succeed,” Israel said.
Cicilline: People Need to Work Together
Still, Congressman Cicilline said everything should come down to working together to make the right decisions for the American people. He said he is disappointed in the Committee’s inability to reach a compromise.
“It is really disappointing that this group was not able to work together to find a solution that cuts spending and supports job creation and economic growth,” Cicilline said. “People in Washington have got to learn to work together.”
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