Super congress the worst idea coming out of this

[erodriguez]

In order to shore up GOP support for a debt-ceiling deal, Senate Democrats are exploring ways of giving the proposed Super Congress even greater super powers, according to multiple news reports and congressional aides with knowledge of the plan. Under the new proposal, if the new legislative body composed of 12 members of both parties doesn't come up with a bill that cuts at least $1.8 trillion by Thanksgiving, entitlement programs will automatically be slashed.

The Super Congress will be made up of six Democrats and six Republicans from both chambers. Under the reported framework, legislation the new congressional committee writes would be fast-tracked through the regular Congress and could not be filibustered or amended.

The parties are negotiating the outlines of the super panel's mandate, deciding roughly how much in cuts must come from defense spending, how much from seniors, how much from veterans, etc.


What real Dem would push for this trash? Average people are about to get their asses handed to them. Shock Doctrine indeed!

[derby378]

1. If I had to choose between Super Congress and default...

...since Super Congress isn't elected by the American people, I think I'd choose default so that the Tea Party gets their ass handed to them.

[avaistheone1]

2. I would choose default as well.

[dbonds]

5. Me too.

And the 'super congress' is half dem and half repub? What happens when the green party (or another) takes a chunk of the congress?

[PSPS]

8. It's a false choice

First, the "super congress" is, in fact, elected. It is composed of elected members of congress and its dirty work has to be approved by both chambers.

Second, there was never really going to be a default. This is all theater to lead us to the elimination of the social safety net and the looting of the social security trust fund. It turned out that simply scuttling/looting now wasn't going very well, so they changed the story arc to include this "intermediate step" along the way -- the "super congress."

But the end result will be the same. By this time next year (election time,) I suspect the scuttling/looting will be proceeding apace with the full approval of the GOP and Obama.

[sendero]

35. All brought to you by a "Democratic".

... president - and there are still those want to sell you the nonsense that there is a substantial difference between the Dems and the Reps.

Only on social issues, when it comes to money it's Third Way all the way.

[PSPS]

36. I think there is a difference

I think there is a substantial difference between democrats and republicans. But too many people are thinking Obama is a democrat when he's nothing more than a smooth-talking ringer. In a way, he's the democratic Scott Walker -- campaign on one thing, turn around and do the opposite once ensconced in office.

We just need to "take back" the democratic party by rooting out the ringers.

[sendero]

37. As long as we let idiot states..

... like Iowa pick our candidates, we will have ringers.

[Fearless]

21. +1

[Warren Stupidity]

3. This appears to be Yet Another Defining Moment.

and I am suffering from Definition Disorder Syndrome.

[DCBob]

4. Harry Reid just said on the Senate floor this was his idea and he is very proud of it.

I am not sure entirely how I feel about it but I do like the idea of having a simple up or down vote on proposals.

[AlabamaLibrul]

10. The proposals coming out of this no-amendment Super Duper Congress

will be the worst possible legislation you can get. Watery Democratic-Republican coalition legislation is not what we want going through with no amendments and an up or down vote.

If anything, it's that kind of bullshit that needs to be filibustered.

[DCBob]

13. Relax.. if its the "wrost possible legislation" then the Senate Dems will defeat it.

simple. not a problem.

[Bluenorthwest]

19. And of course if they vote for it, it will by definition be 'not the worst

possible legislation'. Trusting Senate Democrats one has to remember election 2000 when not one Senator would stand up for the right thing. The Iraq War Resolution. The passage of DOMA. Meidcare D without cost controls and the right to negotiate price.
So how simple is it, really? In all of those cases, it most certainly was a problem.

[Warren Stupidity]

31. seriously? that is what you are hanging your hat on?

[jimlup]

6. This is the first I've heard of this part of the proposal so I'll have to let it settle in my mind

before I totally decide how I'd feel about this. How permanent is it? Is it likely to stay around for ever. Is it a way of entrenching the 50-50 split forever? I certainly wouldn't be for that.

[WinkyDink]

7. Sounds unConstitutional as all get-out.

[Bluenorthwest]

17. It reeks.

Are they allowed to vote that all bills will be written by one Member, and then voted on by the whole, with a passing threshold of one vote?
They should never be allowed to subvert the Constitution by making crazed rules of order.

[NC_Nurse]

26. That was what I thought. But the way the teanuts have abused the Constitution,

hardly surprising.

[truebrit71]

29. Agreed. I don't see anyway that this is Constitutional...

...but I wouldn't bank on the Supremes knocking it down if it gets challenged...

[green prol]

9. This Trojan Horse is an assault on Democracy itself!

This is what I just wrote to my senators and rep:
The Trojan Horse in the proposed budget agreement is the so called Super Congress. Any vote for thar proposal is a vote for taxation without representation. This proposal would give control over the budget to an elite group that is able to act without my elected representative or the representatives of the vast majority of Americans. This undercuts our very democracy. It is an outrage! To propose such an assault on democracy itself with only one day to debate it before the threatened default of the US is a cynical urseptation of power by those who are against majority rule.
Do not vote to destroy our democracy.

[October]

15. Excellent first post! Welcome to DU!

This idea of a "super" Congress make me ill. I'm completely appalled. Beyond the pale.

[green prol]

22. Thanks. This "Super Congress" is a giant leap for tyranny!

This is right up there with the cancelling of habeus corpus. Goodby liberty. Glad I got to know you for a moment!:argh:

[AzDar]

11. I agree. No possible good will come out of shit like this.

:puke:

[Skink]

12. There's a Superman and a Superbowl, why not a Supercongress

[B Calm]

14. So when the cons fail to come up with a bill, entitlement programs will automatically be slashed.

Wow what a nice compromising deal that is for the cons.

[saras]

24. Ah, yes. You seem to see how it's supposed to work.

Does anyone really expect six Dems and six Repubs to produce - EVER - legislation that deserves to be passed without thorough examination and debate?

[Countdown_3_2_1]

32. The pukes need do nothing, and entitlements gets slashed 1.8 TRILLION?

And this is a compromise...how?

[B Calm]

38. So when you're a non compromising no good republican, this is

a damn good deal.

[DirkGently]

16. Sounds like institutionalized oligarchy. The official takeover by corporate interests?

[green prol]

23. Bingo!

If you gagged on the Patriot Act, this one will kill you.:nuke:

[KittyWampus]

18. It's a Committee. This notion of a "Super Congress" for something that already exists is ludicrous.

It's called a Special/Select Committee and they've existed for 100 years or more.

Apparently DU'ers don't even know how Congress works.

[Bluenorthwest]

20. Name another that functioned on such basic and imporatnt

issues, with the voting parameters this one is given in the full chamber. Joint committee most famous to most Americans is the one which every four years handles the Inaugural events. Not vital issues basic to the lives of every American now and in future generations.
Name one you see as similar to this one in scope, power, and importance of their issue of focus. We will await your expert words.

[EC]

25. Let's just hope that who ever chooses the people

to be on the commission don't pick any tps - then it will result to be the same as this fiasco.

[DCBob]

27. Actually, GOPer conservatives are complaining about this "super congress"...

They think the commision will raise taxes.

[Odin2005]

28. The SuperCongress is too much like the Triumvirate of Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus.

We all know how THAT turned out

(for those who don't, Crassus was killed while invading Persia, then Caesar and Pompey fell out and then Caesar crushed Pompey.)

[sad sally]

30. Another outfit like the Federal Reserve?

http://www.zerohedge.com/contributed/will-super-congress-gut-constitution-just-federal-reserve?du

The Super Congress amounts to an institutionalization of the gang structure that exists informally in the Senate, where a small number of lawmakers write legislation behind closed doors and then announce it to the public? Legislation written by the Super Congress would be extremely difficult for individual members of Congress to stop.

[blkmusclmachine]

33. Absolute travesty. This cannot stand.

n/t

[Poll_Blind]

34. K&R for this thread and a big "Hell NO!" to the kinder, gentler Star Chamber

PB

[B Calm]

39. This has to be one of the best posts I've seen on the Super Congress.

[KamaAina]

40. For years, California's budget process was mediated through the "Big Five"

Govern(at)or plus majority and minority leaders from both Senate and Assembly. Same deal: they hammered out a budget in a (cigar) smoke-filled back room, then jammed it down the members' throats. Finally we passed a ballot proposition that defanged the Big Five by allowing a budget to pass with a simple majority rather than two-thirds.

Since it worked so well here in California, why wouldn't it work for the rest of the country, too? :sarcasm: