The Biden Commission: A whole new gang of six for budget talks

[cal04]

http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/budget/157473-the-biden-commission-a-whole-new-gang-of-six

The deficit negotiators being brought together by Vice President Joe Biden on May 5 have strong opposing views on how to deal with the national debt and have each hurled a lot of rhetoric on the issue. This has lead many to conclude the "Biden Commission" talks face an uphill climb.

Originally proposed by President Obama as a 16-member commission led by Biden, six lawmakers have been appointed to work on a debt-reduction plan.

The contrast between the new commission, made up of three senators and three House members, and the existing Gang of Six senators, who have emphasized a need to embrace compromises on spending cuts, entitlement reforms and tax policy changes, is strong.


(snip)
Click each name to see where the lawmaker stands on debt and deficit issues:
Sens. Baucus | Inouye | Kyl
Reps. Cantor | Clyburn | Van Hollen

[AtomicKitten]

1. Dems: Baucus is a douche but Clyburn and Van Hollen are good reps.

Repubs: :thumbsdown:

[TheKentuckian]

5. Van Hollen is good in a vacuum but flexible in the pack and a pawn of leadership

This gang is like most, suspect at best.

[karynnj]

8. You would think that Kyl's "not a factual statement'' would have destroyed his credibility

Unfortunately, in finance committee hearings he is very strong. On anything, he is one of the strongest Republican debaters. although Kerry soundly rebutted every Republican on START, kyl was the only one willing to have a back and forth debate with Kerry on the Senate floor.

Like you, I am not a big fan of Baucus, but remember when they were trying to pass a bill with Congress setting up a committee to do what the President appointed Bowles/Simpson committee did, the idea was that there would be an up or down vote on the recommendation. Baucus sponsored an amendment that would have required 60 votes if it impacted anything in Social Security. All I know of Innoye is that he is Chair of Appropriations, from Hawaii and old. (Though it may mean nothing, he and Kerry were the Senators who were supposed to speak at the groundbreaking of the Ted Kennedy foundation, but couldn't because they were working with Obama on the deal to prevent the government shutting down. I assume Vicki and other Kennedy people made that choice.)

[tularetom]

2. Gang warfare on the hill!

I'm slightly more optimistic about this gang than the one Sen. Durbin is on.

But I can't really have high hopes for anything involving Cantor.

[northoftheborder]

3. NOT a balanced group. 4 conservatives, 2 liberal.

[polichick]

7. Yep - a stacked deck again, just what the powers that be intended.

[karynnj]

9. Only when seen from the far left

The right will see - 4 Democrats, 2 Republicans
At worst, it is 2 liberals, 2 Democratic centrists, and 2 conservatives. Meaning it is balanced, with Biden, a centrist Democrat leading it. (Remember though that, other than when credit cards and banking is concerned, Biden was more liberal and , as a person, he strongly identifies as a social justice Catholic - speaking of that more than any other Senator I can think of.

[Vincardog]

4. Unless they START by RAISING taxes and imposing TARIFFS I will not believe they have any interest

other than killing social programs to benefit the rank rich. The only cuts must start with cuts to Corporate welfare and military spending.

[AdHocSolver]

6. +1000. You are one of the few that understands what is needed to save the US economy.

An economy requires that money circulates within an economic area. Giving more money to the rich takes money out of circulation. Giving money to the rich is comparable to drawing blood from the U.S. economy using leeches.

Taking money from the middle class who would spend it (thereby putting the money that they receive back into circulation), the rich use the "extra" money that they get in tax breaks to play the stock market, or use it to build factories in China and India which are growing their middle classes who therefore have money to spend (called "demand" in economics parlance).

Importing most of the goods that we buy means that the money spent by Americans doesn't circulate within the U.S. economy providing income and jobs to other Americans, but rather "bleeds" out of the U.s. to low wage countries preventing domestic manufacturers from being able to compete with importers. Import quotas and import tariffs are the only way to solve this economic problem. The corporations have for years used quotas and tariffs to protect corporate profits. For example, the domestic sugar industry has prevented importing of sugar from Cuba to prevent price competition.