'Super Congress': Debt Ceiling Negotiators Aim To Create New Legislative Body
 

Debt ceiling negotiators think they've hit on a solution to address the debt ceiling impasse and the public's unwillingness to let go of benefits such as Medicare and Social Security that have been earned over a lifetime of work: Create a new Congress. This "Super Congress," composed of members of both chambers and both parties, isn't mentioned anywhere in the Constitution, but would be granted extraordinary new powers. Under a plan put forth by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and his counterpart Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), legislation to lift the debt ceiling would be accompanied by the creation of a 12-member panel made up of 12 lawmakers -- six from each chamber and six from each party.



Legislation approved by the Super Congress -- which some on Capitol Hill are calling the "super committee" -- would then be fast-tracked through both chambers, where it couldn't be amended by simple, regular lawmakers, who'd have the ability only to cast an up or down vote. With the weight of both leaderships behind it, a product originated by the Super Congress would have a strong chance of moving through the little Congress and quickly becoming law. A Super Congress would be less accountable than the system that exists today, and would find it easier to strip the public of popular benefits. Negotiators are currently considering cutting the mortgage deduction and tax credits for retirement savings, for instance, extremely popular policies that would be difficult to slice up using the traditional legislative process.
Obama has shown himself to be a fan of the commission approach to cutting social programs and entitlements. Shortly after taking office, Obama held a major conference on deficit reduction and subsequently created, by executive order, The National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform. The White House made two telling appointments to chair the commission: The first was former Sen. Alan Simpson (R-Wy.), a well known and ill informed critic of Social Security who earned notoriety by suggesting, among other things, that the American government had become "a milk cow with 310 million tits!"

The commission needed 14 of 18 members to approve the plan in order for it to advance to Congress for a vote. The commission fell short, but did win a majority.
Proponents of slashing spending won't make the same mistake with a new Super Congress. Only a simple majority will be necessary.



SOURCE

Sounds like something out of the USSR.

Politbyro sub-committee in action propably. However if that is only way to get your Congress to really work... well then I would accept its existence.

:dead:

To the streets!

Wow, we need to throw these SOB's out quickly.They obviously think they are someone special to do such a thing that is not constitutional.Reading this just makes me :damn:

NO!!!!!! They do not have the power under the Constitution to just create a new congress because they can't get the votes they want for their crap plans. This should disturb everyone!!

I'm inclined to agree with you here.


EDIT: Although, we should find a use for them after ousting them. I'd bet there are plenty of little old ladies around the country who need some pro-bono yard work done for them. :D

I'd settle with a monkey flippin a coin than this.

Good God, is that all these people can think about. I would love to see them
freeze the (compound) interest on the on the debt to ZERO. Rip the power
from the fed by making the charging of (compound) interest a criminal act of usery.
And forcing the use of simple interest by loaning institutions and banksters with
a clear cap of 3% simple interest.
Compound intrust has been the best tool devised by these swindling traitors.
And has lead to the collapse and financial slavery of whole nations.

ZeeWolf

It's the best I could find in 10 seconds... :salute:

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6138/...5e2bb1b0_m.jpg

Good God, did you see the price of a can of peas. How can I eat my peas when I can't afford them, tell me that King Obama. To think, I thought King George and Darth Chenney were bad.

Now that's funny

So I guess the more debt you have the more government you need? Hm, sounds like a few more jobs for the boys lined up at the tax payers expense.

If I read article correctly this so called 'super congress' proposal comes from Dem. and Rep. Senate leaders - not from His Majesty.

Well we don't know that his Majesty, wasn't whispering in their ear, " you know what would be a better idea than the gang of six", sounds pretty sick to me, and yes, I like the monkey flippin a coin better, and yes I thought that idea up all on my own, and at no time was a crayon indangered:O:

I agree, but how is it not Constitutional?
There is nothing that regulates how they do it.

What makes me nervous is the "Six members from each Party" part. The parties are not part of government makeup and are not provided for in the Constitution. While they are part of our lives they are not part of the government. This should be non-partisan. On the other hand since the two parties in power are the ones at each others' throats perhaps this is the only way to organize it.

The word is "interest"

I had thought about pointing that out m'self, but I didn't want to steal yer thunder. :yep:

Also, it might have resulted in my eyebrows nitting themselves together. :smug:

Thanks SS, I fixed it. I've been working with code since early morning (c++ and jave) - all morning.

ZeeWolf