Super Congress?? WTF is this country coming to...

[Sug]

They are all so fucking corrupt, I am thinking it is time for another depression.

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.

House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has made a Super Congress a central part of his last-minute proposal, multiple news reports and people familiar with his plan say.

Link to article

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

I think I agree with you.

 

[Natebishop3]

And that would be the straw that broke the camels back for me. The framers didn't intend for any super congress. They wanted three branches with enough power to check each other. I'm seriously disappointed in the people running this country and it's sad to watch a once great nation continue to spiral further and further away from what was originally intended. Pretty soon we'll be left with three options.... take it.... fight.... or leave. Since I have a feeling that most of this country is too fat and lazy to fight, I think I will probably just leave.

 

[Sug]

And that would be the straw that broke the camels back for me. The framers didn't intend for any super congress. They wanted three branches with enough power to check each other. I'm seriously disappointed in the people running this country and it's sad to watch a once great nation continue to spiral further and further away from what was originally intended. Pretty soon we'll be left with three options.... take it.... fight.... or leave. Since I have a feeling that most of this country is too fat and lazy to fight, I think I will probably just leave.

Well you are probably here because at some point your ancestors were fed up with there former country. The U.S. will truly have fallen if this occurs.

 

[Natebishop3]

Well you are probably here because at some point your ancestors were fed up with there former country. The U.S. will truly have fallen if this occurs.

I mean, I know that Washington is corrupt and worthless, but this just fast tracks all the bullshit that they want to shove down our throats. Why even vote?

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

 

[Sug]

Uh no, he was trying to have everyone work together. As much as some of you hate Obama, this is a power move by the congress and senate to take more power.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Yes, Obama is the great unifier.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

seriously, all that guy does it talk shit, take credit for everything and push bullshit to the people. he's a fucking scam artist.

 

[Sug]

seriously, all that guy does it talk shit, take credit for everything and push bullshit to the people. he's a fucking scam artist.

As are most presidents, how is he different than the Bush boys, Clinton, Ronald, etc...?

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

we talking about who's in office. he sucks.

congress is fucked too.

Like I've said, violent revolution is the only way to salvation. The american culture must be broken.

 

[Sug]

we talking about who's in office. he sucks.

congress is fucked too.

Like I've said, violent revolution is the only way to salvation. The american culture must be broken.

No thanks, I would rather walk away from the sinking ship.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

http://ni4d.us/

 

[Sug]

http://ni4d.us/

That has worked so well at the state level right? I mean it is never simply hijacked by large companies and special interest groups. If anything that would be even worse because big money would just set up shop creating their own legislation, which is what they already do I guess. Again the system is so corrupt already.

 

[MrJayremmie]

Did you read the article? This proposal had little to do with Obama.

The Republicans are at it again. Promising one thing and delivering another. Same shit different day. I think everybody should be pissed right now.

The right shouldn't compromise on a big cut in gov't spending along the line of 3-4T dollars. The Left should cut on higher taxes also. Politics is the art of compromise. Act like adults and get this shit done. The polarization of our politics is getting old, fast.

 

[PapaG]

They are all so fucking corrupt, I am thinking it is time for another depression.



Link to article

So that's the WH spin on the McConnell plan?

LOL

Obama is toast, and even his own party is abandoning him over his stance on spending.

 

[PapaG]

Even the comment section at the HuffPo is ridiculing this "article".

Nice job, Sug. I hope you're enjoying your free summer, because you're spreading bullshit all over this board.

 

[barfo]

http://ni4d.us/

I think what this would actually do is create a much more powerful executive branch.
Initiative writers would be inclined to make relatively simple measures, because the public would be suspicious of ballot measures that run hundreds of pages.
Thus a lot of the details of implementation that Congress now likes to specify would be left to rule-making by the affected federal agencies (and the courts, of course).
Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing I'm not sure. The relevant agencies may be better equipped than congressional staffers to decide how to implement laws.

The other thing it would do is produce a lot of bad, bad laws. The people aint so bright sometimes. Of course you can say that about Congress too.

I think if all we did was revise the rules of the Senate a bit, it would make things work a lot better. Individual senators have too much power, and they abuse it.

barfo

 

[barfo]

They are all so fucking corrupt, I am thinking it is time for another depression.

This proposal is basically McConnell and Reid admitting that Congress doesn't work as it is currently structured. And they should certainly know.

I think some sort of restructuring is in order. I'm not sure this is the most well-thought-out idea, however.

barfo

 

[Sug]

This proposal is basically McConnell and Reid admitting that Congress doesn't work as it is currently structured. And they should certainly know.

I think some sort of restructuring is in order. I'm not sure this is the most well-thought-out idea, however.

barfo

They don't need to restructure, then need to govern. That means listening to the people in their district/state, and working with all members to better serve the nation. As it stands now they all pretty much work for the power lobbies and play politics.

 

[barfo]

They don't need to restructure, then need to govern. That means listening to the people in their district/state, and working with all members to better serve the nation. As it stands now they all pretty much work for the power lobbies and play politics.

Because the nation is so polarized, there's not much hope of working with each other. The tea party branch of the Republican party believes it has a mandate to not compromise on spending. They are obviously wrong given the polling data, but since they ran as extremists, and were elected as extremists, there isn't much hope they'll decide that extremism isn't a virtue until after a large number of them are voted out in the next election. Those that remain in 2013 can be expected to be much more reasonable.

barfo

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

http://ni4d.us/

The problem with this is that we have all-too-often seen in various states (like OR & CA) these initiatives get passed and then find out they had huge unintended (or intended) consequences and were subject to too much interpretation. It often creates more of a mess than we had before.

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

Because the nation is so polarized, there's not much hope of working with each other. The tea party branch of the Republican party believes it has a mandate to not compromise on spending. They are obviously wrong given the polling data, but since they ran as extremists, and were elected as extremists, there isn't much hope they'll decide that extremism isn't a virtue until after a large number of them are voted out in the next election. Those that remain in 2013 can be expected to be much more reasonable.

barfo

A couple of your points are well taken, but they were also elected as people have had their fill of out of control spending and a lack of accountability in federal politics. You may not like them (I'm leery of them), but they did come in on a mandate.

 

[STOMP]

They don't need to restructure, then need to govern. That means listening to the people in their district/state, and working with all members to better serve the nation. As it stands now they all pretty much work for the power lobbies and play politics.

yup. Both parties largely work for the same big money donors/lobbyists (not the people), playing good cop bad cop to accomplish the goals of their bosses.

the way things are set up now it takes millions of dollars to run for a seat in Washington. The politician has to afford TV commercials to stay competitive in the minds of our TV nation of voters, so they whore themselves out to those with the money. Those with the money aren't generally that concerned in whats best for the long term interests of the country, they're interested in how they can benefit today.

Our election system didn't come to be by accident and those who benefit from it sure don't want to see the money rooted out of the process... hell, look at the Citizens United decision and the big money behind that. The mess we find ourselves in today is by design.

STOMP

 

[maxiep]

I'm not going to get too worked up about this idea as characterized by some guy in the Huffington Post.

We're simply going to have to face the fact that we can't afford the entitlement system we've created, no matter how high the tax rates become (see Hauser's Law). The choice isn't keeping our current system. The choice is creating a system with fewer benefits or not having a system at all.

Some in Congress floated this option so hard decisions can be made with minimal electoral damage. Clearly, it's bullshit. Congress gave out free candy. Now it's going to have to take it back. Logic says that some of the people taking away the candy are going to get voted out of office. Tough shit. It's better than the alternative, which is to become Greece.

 

[Denny Crane]

Did you read the article? This proposal had little to do with Obama.

The Republicans are at it again. Promising one thing and delivering another. Same shit different day. I think everybody should be pissed right now.

The right shouldn't compromise on a big cut in gov't spending along the line of 3-4T dollars. The Left should cut on higher taxes also. Politics is the art of compromise. Act like adults and get this shit done. The polarization of our politics is getting old, fast.

Harry Reid's a republican?

 

[Denny Crane]

This proposal is basically McConnell and Reid admitting that Congress doesn't work as it is currently structured. And they should certainly know.

I think some sort of restructuring is in order. I'm not sure this is the most well-thought-out idea, however.

barfo

How about less money to spend, less power to abuse.

 

[Minstrel]

How about less money to spend

Campaign finance reform would indeed be a good idea.

 

[Sug]

For the doubters this was always the central mission of the bought and sold members of our government.

WASHINGTON -- 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.

Imagine the type of commission you get paid, err I mean the donation you get if you are on that committee.

"Let me emphasize the joint committee," McConnell said on CNN's State of the Union. "In the early stages of this discussion, the press was talking about another commission. This is not a commission. This is a powerful, joint committee with a equal number of Republicans and Senate -- equal number of Republicans and Democrats, and, to make a recommendation back to the Senate and House by Thanksgiving of this year for an up or down vote. Think of the base closing legislation that we passed a few years ago for an up or down vote in the Senate."

The sticking point, said McConnell, is that Republicans are insisting on "triggers" that would automatically fire at beneficiaries of Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare if the Super Congress doesn't act. "The trigger issue has been the one locked us in the extensive discussions. I thought we were very close to an agreement a week ago today, and then [we] went off to our separate corners and had volleys, and now we are back into the position where we will let you know when we agree to something," said McConnell.

Republicans rejected tax increases as a trigger incentive, and the White House has responded by proposing automatic defense cuts -- which should have the consequence of enlisting defense lobbyists to push for entitlement cuts to stave off their own reductions. If seniors didn't have enough to worry about, they could now be on the opposite side of Washington's most entrenched lobby.

Link

 

[Denny Crane]

Looks like this is in the deal.