This Gang of Six Thing is Actually Quite a Way Off.

[MineralMan]

There is no bill. There's no language. There's really nothing about it that has been finalized. It's a bare skeleton of something. The only way this is going to happen is if there's a separate measure passed to raise the debt ceiling. Then, you can expect at least six months to a year of Congressional maneuvering to create something that may, or may not, actually resemble a bill.

During that process, all this stuff will get changed, deleted, re-inserted, qualified, altered, and generally manipulated by Congress until it scarcely resembles what we're talking about here right now. Everyone will want to add their pet project, exceptions to each part of the bill, a bit of tasty pork to suck in their local voters, and more.

We're talking about something that doesn't actually exist in any form that can become law. It's a long, long way from that stage. so, if they create and pass a debt ceiling increase, the actual language of what might pass down the road will be determined. We simply don't know what will end up in such a bill, not be in the bill, or be changed so much that it will be unrecognizable.

There's nothing right now they can pass. The only thing that seems possible before the deadline is a naked debt ceiling increase bill. That one's easy.

So, we can afford to make our protests on this once that's done. It's a long way from becoming law.

[EFerrari]

1. Wrong as can be. Our protests now become part of the context. n/t

[jtown1123]

3. +1000. Gang of Six sprung from Catfood Commission. One can imagine this will live on and on

[dionysus]

4. there is no bill. even if this imaginary bill existed, the CBO couldn't score it in time for the

deadline.

[EFerrari]

8. It doesn't matter if there is a bill or not, there is a process unless

you're still claiming the Washington Post made it all up. Are you?

[Ikonoklast]

20. Processes don't get passed into law.

I've never seen the House vote to send a process for the president to sign into law.

[EFerrari]

21. Whooooooooosh.

[jtown1123]

11. Conrad just said they have the legislative language all ready to go and CBO could score quick

[EFerrari]

14. Unless Obama told you that in person, it can't be true.

lol

[jtown1123]

26. He was quoted in this Huffington Post piece saying that, didn't make it up

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/20/reid-debt-gang-of-six_n_904736.html?1311187743

[EFerrari]

32. (J/K)

[dionysus]

25. durbin said the opposite yesterday

:shrug:

[jtown1123]

27. Here's what Conrad Said

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/20/reid-debt-gang-of-six_n_904736.html?1311187743

Indeed, in the halls of Congress on Wednesday, senators from both parties were cautiously optimistic that an 11th hour compromise could end up salvaging months of tedious negotiations. Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) was insistent that there was enough time to write and score the legislative language even before the Aug. 2 deadline was reached.

"We have a draft of the legislative language already. It has to be updated with the most recent decisions because we didn't fully conclude until this week," said Conrad. "The scoring, since most of this bill is process, wouldn't take that long. The elements of the down payment could be pretty readily scored, so I don't think that's the great hurdle here."

[dionysus]

28. well, i hope 1) he's wrong 2) it won't pass even if it does exist

[jtown1123]

29. I hope so too. I think it could pass...

[MineralMan]

13. Of course. I've sent my opinion to everyone who matters.

I'm sure I'll be doing it again and again. I'm just saying that nothing is set in stone yet.

[EFerrari]

15. No, you said people should wait to protest. That is irresponsible. n/t

[MineralMan]

17. I said people "could afford" to wait.

There's a difference. Much of what is being said to Congress and the White House is uninformed, incorrect, and will simply be discarded.

That said, I've sent my emails already. There will be many more, as details are available.

This will not be finalized for some time.

[EFerrari]

22. And what are your credentials for telling people to wait to act

on their behalf? I mean, aside from all the practice you get here?

[MineralMan]

24. Why do you ask? It's my opinion, you see.

I can post my opinion on DU, thanks to Skinner and the rest. You're welcome to disagree with that opinion. Everyone is free to email their legislators and President Obama any time they choose. What are your credentials? I just don't see a lot of people around here posting their credentials, you know. You disagree with me. OK.

[FSogol]

Stop being so reasonable. Viva the Outrage!111!!

:woohoo: :hi:

[EFerrari]

12. It's irresponsible, not reasonable, to tell people to stop working on their own behalf.

With all these "bend over" threads, maybe we can get a new forum, GD:Bend Over.

[proud2BlibKansan]

16. LOL!!

[rurallib]

2. the whole 'gang of six' sounds so fucking juvenile.

[damntexdem]

5. Yeah, shut up until the rapist is finished, then complain and ask that the rape be undone.

Excellent strategy.

Hey, you don't need a fire department until your house burns down -- then you can support starting one.

nuff said

[jtown1123]

6. Not really...did you read this Politico piece? Obama wants a few days extension to pass this plan

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0711/59486.html

[CleanGreenFuture]

7. I'd wager whatever gets passed has already been written. We're just not allowed to see it.

Just like the Patriot Act.

[jtown1123]

9. Yes. This is what Conrad said

Sam Stein
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Reid Opposes Short-Term Debt Limit Deal To Pass Gang Of Six Plan
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First Posted: 7/20/11 02:49 PM ET Updated: 7/20/11 03:14 PM ET
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Harry Reid , John Boehner , Ron Wyden , Budget Cuts , Federal Budget Deficit , Obama Administration , Debt Ceiling , Politics News , Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid , Budget , Carney Short Term Extension , Debt , Debt Ceiling Debate , Gang Of 6 , Gang Of Six , Gang Of Six Debt , Obama Debt Ceiling , Reid Gang Of Six , Reid Short Term Extension , White House Gang Of Six , White House Short Term Extension , Politics News
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With Reporting By Jen Bendery

WASHINGTON -- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said on Wednesday that he opposed pursuing a one-month extension of the nation's debt ceiling so that Congress could hammer out legislative language and agreement on the so-called Gang of Six deficit reduction compromise.

In a lunch with a handful of reporters, Reid cautioned that the process of actually writing the legislation and getting it scored by the Congressional Budget Office could last beyond the month of August. Even if those tasks were completed within a month's extension of the Aug. 2 debt ceiling deadline, he added, the prospects of finding the necessary votes to pass the Gang of Six package wouldn't necessarily improve. In fact, they might get even more daunting.

The comments -- which were made off the record but approved for use by a Reid aide -- come at exactly the same time that the White House is signaling it would be open to a short-term extension on the federal debt ceiling as long as an agreement on a significant deficit reduction plan was reached in time.

"We believe a short-term extension, absent an agreement to a larger deal, is unacceptable," said White House Press
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/20/reid-debt-gang-of-six_n_904736.html?1311187743

Secretary Jay Carney at Wednesday's briefing. "Obviously if both sides agree to something significant, we would support the measures needed to finalize the details."

After the briefing, Carney issued a clarifying statement: “The President does not support a short-term extension of the debt limit, period. The only exception to that is in the event that both sides reach a deal on a long-term extension of the debt limit plus significant deficit reduction, and we needed a very short-term extension (like a few days) to allow a bit of extra time for a bill to work its way through the legislative process."

The administration had, up to that point, threatened to veto legislation that didn't extend the debt ceiling until passed the 2012 elections. But the prospects of passing something along the lines of the Gang of Six agreement, which would reduce the deficit by $3.7 trillion over ten years, primarily through sharp spending cuts and benefit-reducing entitlement reforms (with revenue-neutral corporate tax reform), have seemingly reopened negotiations over timing.
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Indeed, in the halls of Congress on Wednesday, senators from both parties were cautiously optimistic that an 11th hour compromise could end up salvaging months of tedious negotiations. Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) was insistent that there was enough time to write and score the legislative language even before the Aug. 2 deadline was reached.

"We have a draft of the legislative language already. It has to be updated with the most recent decisions because we didn't fully conclude until this week," said Conrad. "The scoring, since most of this bill is process, wouldn't take that long. The elements of the down payment could be pretty readily scored, so I don't think that's the great hurdle here."

[CleanGreenFuture]

33. We're being played like Yo Yo plays the cello. And America sleeps. Sigh.

[Ignis]

34. That's the sad reality. Welcome to DU, btw.

:hi:

[Brickbat]

10. What you are describing happens because people, corporations, activists, organizations, advocacy

groups and others start protesting, complaining, praising, writing, calling and lobbying as hard as they can when these "bare skeletons" come out of the closet.

[Forkboy]

18. I wish some would put a fraction of the effort into the things they say they care about...

...as they do telling others to slow down.

[TheKentuckian]

19. Nip it in the bud. There is no advantage to keeping the powder dry.

[LLStarks]

23. Why can't the CBO just drop everything, dedicate full resources, and quickly score it?

We're in a crisis.

[Ship of Fools]

30. OK here's what I think:

If this is a ruse by Obama, then he will have achieved the highest chess-master rating in the universe and I'll add more trinkets to my Obama alter. However, since he seemed sincere (which I think is more likely) when he spoke at a presser about losing his base and possibly losing the re-election, then I'll vote NOT Republican, if you know what I mean.

[Doctor_J]

31. Acording to our "leader", it's consistent with what the WH wants

So if they're floating it as a solution, why would you bother to post that there is nothing to it yet?