Obama endorses deficit reduction task force | "power to force Congress to vote"

[FrankRep]

Obama endorses deficit commission plan


Politico
Jan 23, 2010


Trying to win the votes of fiscal moderates, President Barack Obama formally endorsed legislation Saturday creating an independent commission with the power to force Congress to vote on major deficit reduction steps this year, after the November elections.

Obama’s statement gives new momentum to efforts in the Senate now to attach such legislation this coming week to a pending debt ceiling bill. But the endorsement comes so late that it risks being seen as just a ploy to win over swing Democratic senators whose votes the White House needs to lift the federal debt ceiling.

“The President is demonstrating exactly the kind of leadership we need to tackle our nation’s long-term fiscal challenges,” said Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), a lead sponsor of the legislation to create an independent deficit commission. “His support shows that he is determined to do what is necessary to put us back on a sound long-term course.”

But support in the Senate has so eroded in the past month that one Republican senator told POLITICO Saturday that “the horse is already out of the barn,” and getting the 60 votes needed for passage will be next to impossible.
...


SOURCE:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0110/31899.html

[HOLLYWOOD]

Betcha $1 Bagillion... this Propaganda piece is in Wednesday's State of Union speech.

Yeah the typical talking parrot points; we did this, we saved this, we cut this... trivial $#@! for American ignorance to accept.

[Austrian Econ Disciple]

I like how it takes a "special commission" to "figure out how to reduce deficits" when the only answer is reduce spending. What a buffoon.

Anyways, look at how this is worded. They specifically point out reducing the deficit, but not the debt. They can say, look we reduced the deficit by 600 Billion, yet, that would still be more than a tripling of the deficit than what Bush did. It's all $#@!ing stupid non-sense.

[ItsTime]

Is that the job of Congress?

[FrankRep]

This part sounds scary..

independent commission with the power to force Congress to vote on major

Force Congress?

[tmosley]

The commission will force congress to vote the way Obama wants them to vote, or they'll be shot.

Change you can believe in.

[ItsTime]

Does it mean force them to vote the way the want or just force them to vote? Not saying one is better than the other just asking.

[TheBlackPeterSchiff]

haha, this country if freaking stupid!!

[TheBlackPeterSchiff]

who will be on this "commision?"

[Live_Free_Or_Die]

Spending money to figure out how not to spend money is an American tradition.

[FrankRep]

Using Bigger government to fix the problems big government created. Yeah, this should work.

[Zippyjuan]

You can't "force" Congress to do anything they don't want to. The committee can only suggest things which may be cut to try to reduce the deficit (just not continuing TARP "saves" some $600 billion off the top). The President too can only propose any spending increases or cuts- it is only Congress who under the Constitution that can write spending legislation. Another key point is that this will not happen until

after the November elections.

This avoids putting anybody into a position of cutting a popuar program or raising any taxes which might jepardize their chances of getting re-elected.

[hugolp]

This part sounds scary..

independent commission with the power to force Congress to vote on major

Force Congress?

Exactly what I though.

[ItsTime]

You can't "force" Congress to do anything they don't want to.

Then why was that language used?

[Tabby]

Trying to win the votes of fiscal moderates, President Barack Obama formally endorsed legislation Saturday creating an independent commission with the power to force Congress to vote on major deficit reduction steps this year, after the November elections.

Does anyone know a way I could read the wording of proposed legislation? It feels like endorsing legislation able to just end a filibuster, especially this shortly after the health care debacle, would be politically unacceptable. Also, how would the 'independent' board determine which bills reduce the deficit?