Published: Sunday, Nov. 20, 2011 – 12:00 am | Page 3E
http://www.sacbee.com/terms-of-service
The following is a partial transcript of a recent closed-door “working lunch” session of the U.S. Congress Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, a.k.a, the super committee, a.k.a. “the Dopey Dozen.” It was recorded by a microphone hidden under a lobster shell on one of the lunch trays.
Sen.Patty Murray, D-Wash.: “I want to thank the folks from CBO (Congressional Budget Office) for their presentation and for crunching all these numbers. Do the members have any questions?”
Rep.Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas: “Yeah, Patty. Are you going to finish your sundae?”
Murray:“No, go ahead. I should have saved room, but the foie gras was to die for. Any other questions?”
Sen.John Kerry, D-Mass.: “Not a question, but I’d like to sum up our side’s position on this deficit thing, if I may. That stopgap compromise thingy we passed in August requires us to come up with $1.2 trillion in debt reduction by Wednesday, and then Congress has to pass it, and then the president has to sign it, and if not, there will be $1.2 trillion in automatic, across-the-board cuts. That means everything from the money we give farmers not to grow things, to the money we spend to regulate Wall Street bankers so they don’t rip us off. You know, money well spent. Right?”
Rep.Fred Upton, R-Mich.: “Right. In other words, if we don’t come up with an agreed-upon formula to reduce the federal government’s deficit by $1.2trillion, the federal government’s deficit will automatically be reduced by$1.2 trillion.”
Kerry:“OK. We obviously can’t let that happen because, well, because it would look like we didn’t really know what we’re doing. So we Dems say cover half their reduction by raising taxes on rich people and the other half through spending cuts that will not affect our voter bases, like poor people and union members. That sounds reasonable, and keeps the math simple. Would you pass the Grey Poupon, Fred?”
Sen.John Kyl, R-Ariz.: “Baloney and I don’t mean that stuff on the cold cuts tray over there. You guys are going to spend us into the poor house. We might go as far as $300 billion in new tax revenues and the rest in cuts, but you have to promise the tax hikes don’t actually affect anyone with a lot of money, and the cuts, uh, reforms, will be in programs like Medicare and Social Security.”
Rep.Jim Clyburn, D-S.C.: "No chance, pal. You might as well ask us to agree not to overhaul the income tax system, extend the Social Security payroll tax cut and unemployment benefits.
Kyl:" … slice regulatory red tape, ease environmental restrictions on oil and natural gas drilling, reduce the bureaucracy and … "
Clyburn:" … if pigs had wings, we’d all wear helmets. OK, I get your point. Ain’t anything substantive likely to happen. So, any ideas on what we can do to make this manure smell like roses? You know, style over substance."
Rep. Xavier Becerra, D-Los Angeles: “We could take the copper out of pennies. I read somewhere that it costs us two cents to make every penny. If we took the copper out, we could save a bundle. Heck, if we paid off the deficit in copper-free pennies, we’d cut it in half right there!”
Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa.: “Ha! Good one, X. Except the mining industry would never go for it … unless … Hey! How about we cut the copper, but let them put lead back in gasoline. That would make the miners happy, and heck, the air has to be clean enough by now.”
Murray: “Now we’re getting somewhere.”
Hensarling: “I hate to be the piranha in the punchbowl, guys, but if we don’t come up with something better than that, we could be triggering a real crisis. Our failure to act decisively could result in some nasty cuts to vital government services and programs, drive up interest rates and unemployment, drive down the financial markets and the strength of the dollar, and steer us straight back into recession.”
Rep.Chris Van Hollen, D-Md.: “But could it keep us from being re-elected next year?”
Several members, laughing: “No way, the voters are the dopes who put us here, remember?”
Rep.Dave Camp, R-Mich.: “In that case, I suggest we do what we do best.”
I would hope the conversation became more serious but don’t hold out much hope. I think the two sides simply knew from the start that the whole super committee idea was unworkable. It should never have been formed.
The tone did become more serious and the Republicans did offer two good faith proposals, both rejected because they did not include tax increases. Here is what Mitch McConnell had to say:“In the end, an agreement proved impossible not because Republicans were unwilling to compromise, but because Democrats would not accept any proposal that did not expand the size and scope of government or punish job creators. This fact was underscored in the final hours of negotiations by their refusal to accept even a basic package of spending cuts and revenue that they had already agreed to during previous debt-limit negotiations—unless they were accompanied by a tax hike on the very people Americans are counting on to create the jobs we desperately need. Not even a proposal to get rid of a tax deduction for corporate jet owners, something Democrats had previously eyed as a major prize, was enough to move them off their puzzling insistence on taxing job creators in the middle of a jobs crisis.
Sharuniboy.Wow, you certainly seem to have expanded on the point of the quote I had included in the post. Anyway, in response, the job creators are out there but they don’t want to make a move because business is slow for many of them, the government is creating a massive number of new regulations and because Obamacare is going to increase employment costs. Incidentally, the Republican house had passed quite a few job assisting bills but Harry Reid refuses to bring them to the Senate floor.
leweclectic over 12 years ago
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By Steve WiegandSpecial to The Bee
Published: Sunday, Nov. 20, 2011 – 12:00 am | Page 3E
http://www.sacbee.com/terms-of-service
The following is a partial transcript of a recent closed-door “working lunch” session of the U.S. Congress Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, a.k.a, the super committee, a.k.a. “the Dopey Dozen.” It was recorded by a microphone hidden under a lobster shell on one of the lunch trays.
Sen.Patty Murray, D-Wash.: “I want to thank the folks from CBO (Congressional Budget Office) for their presentation and for crunching all these numbers. Do the members have any questions?”
Rep.Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas: “Yeah, Patty. Are you going to finish your sundae?”
Murray:“No, go ahead. I should have saved room, but the foie gras was to die for. Any other questions?”
Sen.John Kerry, D-Mass.: “Not a question, but I’d like to sum up our side’s position on this deficit thing, if I may. That stopgap compromise thingy we passed in August requires us to come up with $1.2 trillion in debt reduction by Wednesday, and then Congress has to pass it, and then the president has to sign it, and if not, there will be $1.2 trillion in automatic, across-the-board cuts. That means everything from the money we give farmers not to grow things, to the money we spend to regulate Wall Street bankers so they don’t rip us off. You know, money well spent. Right?”
Rep.Fred Upton, R-Mich.: “Right. In other words, if we don’t come up with an agreed-upon formula to reduce the federal government’s deficit by $1.2trillion, the federal government’s deficit will automatically be reduced by$1.2 trillion.”
Kerry:“OK. We obviously can’t let that happen because, well, because it would look like we didn’t really know what we’re doing. So we Dems say cover half their reduction by raising taxes on rich people and the other half through spending cuts that will not affect our voter bases, like poor people and union members. That sounds reasonable, and keeps the math simple. Would you pass the Grey Poupon, Fred?”
Sen.John Kyl, R-Ariz.: “Baloney and I don’t mean that stuff on the cold cuts tray over there. You guys are going to spend us into the poor house. We might go as far as $300 billion in new tax revenues and the rest in cuts, but you have to promise the tax hikes don’t actually affect anyone with a lot of money, and the cuts, uh, reforms, will be in programs like Medicare and Social Security.”
Rep.Jim Clyburn, D-S.C.: "No chance, pal. You might as well ask us to agree not to overhaul the income tax system, extend the Social Security payroll tax cut and unemployment benefits.
Kyl:" … slice regulatory red tape, ease environmental restrictions on oil and natural gas drilling, reduce the bureaucracy and … "
Clyburn:" … if pigs had wings, we’d all wear helmets. OK, I get your point. Ain’t anything substantive likely to happen. So, any ideas on what we can do to make this manure smell like roses? You know, style over substance."
Rep. Xavier Becerra, D-Los Angeles: “We could take the copper out of pennies. I read somewhere that it costs us two cents to make every penny. If we took the copper out, we could save a bundle. Heck, if we paid off the deficit in copper-free pennies, we’d cut it in half right there!”
Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa.: “Ha! Good one, X. Except the mining industry would never go for it … unless … Hey! How about we cut the copper, but let them put lead back in gasoline. That would make the miners happy, and heck, the air has to be clean enough by now.”
Murray: “Now we’re getting somewhere.”
Hensarling: “I hate to be the piranha in the punchbowl, guys, but if we don’t come up with something better than that, we could be triggering a real crisis. Our failure to act decisively could result in some nasty cuts to vital government services and programs, drive up interest rates and unemployment, drive down the financial markets and the strength of the dollar, and steer us straight back into recession.”
Rep.Chris Van Hollen, D-Md.: “But could it keep us from being re-elected next year?”
Several members, laughing: “No way, the voters are the dopes who put us here, remember?”
Rep.Dave Camp, R-Mich.: “In that case, I suggest we do what we do best.”
Sen.Max Baucus, D-Mont.: “Which is?”
Camp:“Finish this free lunch.”
Brockie over 12 years ago
A shameful embarrassment and they really don’t get it, not at all.
SpicyNacho Premium Member over 12 years ago
We’re doomed. Most of the people who run this country are crooked and most don’t have the ability to run a lemonade stand.
Jason Allen over 12 years ago
^ There’s not enough space left from all the Republican hands already there.
Hurst5809 over 12 years ago
I would hope the conversation became more serious but don’t hold out much hope. I think the two sides simply knew from the start that the whole super committee idea was unworkable. It should never have been formed.
Hurst5809 over 12 years ago
The tone did become more serious and the Republicans did offer two good faith proposals, both rejected because they did not include tax increases. Here is what Mitch McConnell had to say:“In the end, an agreement proved impossible not because Republicans were unwilling to compromise, but because Democrats would not accept any proposal that did not expand the size and scope of government or punish job creators. This fact was underscored in the final hours of negotiations by their refusal to accept even a basic package of spending cuts and revenue that they had already agreed to during previous debt-limit negotiations—unless they were accompanied by a tax hike on the very people Americans are counting on to create the jobs we desperately need. Not even a proposal to get rid of a tax deduction for corporate jet owners, something Democrats had previously eyed as a major prize, was enough to move them off their puzzling insistence on taxing job creators in the middle of a jobs crisis.
agate1 over 12 years ago
Soon, the tenth of Thermidor!
agate1 over 12 years ago
Rove’s politics destroying the country.
filmsgraded over 12 years ago
There are 17 turkeys and only 12 supercommittee members. Just sayin’
Hurst5809 over 12 years ago
Sharuniboy.Wow, you certainly seem to have expanded on the point of the quote I had included in the post. Anyway, in response, the job creators are out there but they don’t want to make a move because business is slow for many of them, the government is creating a massive number of new regulations and because Obamacare is going to increase employment costs. Incidentally, the Republican house had passed quite a few job assisting bills but Harry Reid refuses to bring them to the Senate floor.
agate1 over 12 years ago
Yes,correct!
MaeRiot over 12 years ago
All any of them (Especially Grover) is Thankful for is their own personal paychecks and those free meals for themselves.
lindz.coop Premium Member over 12 years ago
If only…