Truthout is a vital news source and a living history of political struggle. If you think our work is valuable, support us with a donation of any size.
Washington – House Democrats offered a sweeping package of recommendations to the “super committee” on deficit reduction, reinforcing the party's position that $1.5 trillion cannot be trimmed without new tax revenue.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., the minority leader, unveiled the inch-thick packet Thursday in advance of this week's deadline for submissions. The committee is trying to produce a proposal that would cut deficits over the next decade. The deadline for submissions is Friday.
“The House Democratic Caucus is firmly committed to a deficit reduction plan that is big, bold and balanced,” Pelosi wrote to the committee. “A fair mixture of growth, savings and revenues is needed, with everyone contributing their fair share.”
A spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner said Republicans would not be sending the committee a formal packet of suggestions. He said GOP lawmakers are in regular contact with super-committee members.
The Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction is a 12-member, bipartisan panel that has been meeting, mostly in secret, to devise a proposal to cut deficits by as much as $1.5 trillion over the decade. The committee was created from the summer debt ceiling deal, and has wide-ranging authority but a short window to accomplish its task.
By law, the committee has until Friday to accept suggestions from outside entities, and has received submissions from lawmakers, industry groups and advocacy organizations.
Pelosi tapped the top Democrat on each committee to submit recommendations.
Rep. Sander Levin, D-Mich., the ranking Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee, wrote that new revenues are needed. He said they could be applied immediately to deficit reduction or used as a down-payment on more comprehensive tax reform that both parties have sought. But he insisted that any change in tax policy should not result in neutral revenues.
“We cannot address our deficit and debt through spending cuts alone,” Levin wrote. “A revenue-neutral tax reform would not help.”
Many believe the super-committee will fail to come to agreement in the partisan atmosphere that dominates budget and economic debates in Washington. The committee has until Nov. 23 to vote on a proposal. If a committee majority passes the proposal, it would be presented to Congress for an up-or-down vote, with no amendments, by Dec. 23. By January, the committee, by law, disbands.
© 2011 McClatchy-Tribune Information Services
A terrifying moment. We appeal for your support.
In the last weeks, we have witnessed an authoritarian assault on communities in Minnesota and across the nation.
The need for truthful, grassroots reporting is urgent at this cataclysmic historical moment. Yet, Trump-aligned billionaires and other allies have taken over many legacy media outlets — the culmination of a decades-long campaign to place control of the narrative into the hands of the political right.
We refuse to let Trump’s blatant propaganda machine go unchecked. Untethered to corporate ownership or advertisers, Truthout remains fearless in our reporting and our determination to use journalism as a tool for justice.
But we need your help just to fund our basic expenses. Over 80 percent of Truthout’s funding comes from small individual donations from our community of readers, and over a third of our total budget is supported by recurring monthly donors.
Truthout has launched a fundraiser to add 379 new monthly donors in the next 6 days. Whether you can make a small monthly donation or a larger one-time gift, Truthout only works with your support.