Baucus, Camp to oppose deficit plan

[cal04]

http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/budget/131739-baucus-will-vote-against-deficit-panel-plan

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and incoming House Ways and Means Committee Chairman David Camp (R-Mich.) said Thursday they will vote against the president's deficit commission plan, a strong indication it won't get the 14 votes it needs to be officially adopted.

Reps. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) have said they will vote against the plan, and Reps. Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.) and Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) are likely to do the same. This would bring the number of "no" votes to six.

(snip)
Baucus in a statement blasted the plan for hurting rural Americans.

“The Deficit Commission recommendations would cut pensions for military members, lower Social Security payments, raise the retirement age and limit Medicare benefits. Cuts like that hit rural America the hardest because we proudly have more veterans and seniors than most other states," he said. He added that he opposed the commission's proposals to cut farm subsidies, as well.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

1. That's some good news, since he's the chair of that committee. Shocking that didn't go along. n/t

[laughingliberal]

2. I believe Schakowsky is on records as being way against it.

The commission is dead unless they can arm twist 2 opponents. Look for attempts at reviving their plans through legislation here on out, though.

[gratuitous]

3. Will it matter?

Because the way I see it, the Commission's final report was due yesterday, and right now, the Commission is dissolved. Whoever votes on Friday and whatever they vote on will have no standing as an action of the Commission. They've already blown their deadline.

That being said, I have little doubt that whatever happens on Friday will morph into the final report of the Commission in the public mind, strongly aided and abetted by the Commission chairmen and the Republican Echo Chamber. Anyone who insists on the procedural niceties will be dismissed as some irrelevant nit-picker, or a dirty fucking hippie who hates America.

Because the procedure will be in shambles, there will be no shortage of entrail-readers who will gut and stuff what will become known as the Commission's Final Report, and use it as a pretext to thump the tub for all kinds of punitive measures against the underclass in the name of deficit reduction. Two of these measures will be raising the retirement age and cutting social security benefits for future retirees. Granted, these have nothing to do with reducing the deficit; but they will go a long ways toward shredding the last vestiges of the New Deal, and return America to the glory days of the Great Depression, when the Giants of Capital ruled the earth and the peons knew their place in the soup line.

[Me.]

4. So Far It Seems They Have Only 9 yes Votes

They keep moving the goal posts saying a majority woild be good, but they need 14 for it to go to Congress and nu the way, 9 isn't a majority.

http://money.cnn.com/2010/12/02/news/economy/fiscal_commission_votes/