"Super Congress" "Joint Committee" whatever you call it - who will be in it?

[JerseygirlCT]

That's the question I keep wondering about. Who comprises this group?

It could matter so much! Will we be stuck with the likes of Max Baucus on healthcare reform? Is there any chance of having some real progressives in there?

IOW, can we start the negotiations without giving it all away first?

[Brickbat]

1. And who decides?

[JerseygirlCT]

2. Right! What's the mechanism here?

So many questions!

[Kalidurga]

4. The only question should be

is this Constitutional. I don't know much about it but on the face of it, it looks like it is not.

[David Gill]

6. It is

What would be unconstitutional is if this committee bypassed the legislative process. It doesn't. It just makes recommendations which are then voted on by Congress.

[Bluenorthwest]

8. So you claim they could simply stop doning anything but vote

Give all the work to say, one person, offer that to vote without debate or amendment and that would be Constitutional? With built in triggers and deadlines for all? It does in fact bypass many vital aspects of the legislative process, which is more than just the vote, which is part of a larger process intentionally avoided by this action. This decision was made specifically to get around the legislative process, save for a hands tied, one off up or down vote. Such a vote is not the legislative process, not in definition, not in intent, and not in reality.

[jtown1123]

11. +1000

[David Gill]

18. Yes.

In fact, that exact scenario been happening more and more in recent decades. Congress finds itself not politically willing to do what needs to be done so they give responsibility to the President or to an executive agency (again, the president) to sort out the details. This is exactly what the Democrats did with the Wall Street Reform Act- they left a lot of the details on what to regulate and how to enforce regulations to various committees and agencies (the Consumer Protection Agency, the Financial Stability Oversight Council).

What Congress CANNOT do is say whatever this committee decides automatically becomes law. But so long as it's voted on by the House and Senate as proscribed by the Constitution it is legal.

[jtown1123]

10. No amendment and no filibuster? Is that constitutional? I'm not so sure...

[Recursion]

15. Yes. Absolutely. Furthermore, it happens all the time

I'm not sure why everybody's acting like this is something new.

[Imajika]

21. The House didn't allow amendments to todays vote either...

Happens all the time.

They pass a rule that says no amendments are allowed. Congress votes on the bill. Perfectly constitutional.

[Recursion]

14. Yes, completely. It happens in most budget negotiations (nt)

[NewJeffCT]

3. It will be Joe Lieberman, Max Baucus and Joe Manchin for the Democrats

Rand Paul, Michele Bachmann and Steve King for the Republics.

[JerseygirlCT]

20. You're giving me nightmares already, Jeff

And I'm not asleep yet.

[Dappleganger]

5. Who won't be in it are real liberals fighting for the American people.

[grahamhgreen]

7. There will not be ONE PERSON who will be dependent on Social Security for retirement, I know that.

Or Medicare.

[Bluenorthwest]

9. 12 Partisans, not patriots.

One dozen traitors to the public.

[spanone]

12. no progressives, but plenty of teabaggers

[jtown1123]

13. My guess is the fiscal commission/Gang of 6 people which will be disaster.

[texanwitch]

16. I can quess who will not be in it.

No room for real progressives.

[ThomWV]

17. Someone you did not vote for, and a whole bunch of people you would not vote for.

[Golden Raisin]

19. Exactly. And chosen by people

I would not vote for.

[gkhouston]

22. People who care about brinkmanship, not statesmanship.

I'm trying to remember the last time a "gang of" didn't do something I considered ethically if not legally criminal.