Ohio's Rob Portman on Debt Reduction Super Committee

One of Twelve Selected

‘Super Committee’ Named, Skepticism Abounds

Party leadership in both chambers named members to the Special Joint Deficit Reduction Committee this week, well in advance of the August 16 deadline, and while the committee kicked into gear, skepticism abounds over the panel’s chances of coming up with a bill that slashes $1.2-1.5 trillion from federal spending over the next decade.

 Key deadlines including the following:  The panel will accept until October 14 recommendations from the various House and Senate committees of jurisdiction on where and how deep cuts should fall, but are not bound by these recommendations. The super committee has until November 23 to finalize a draft bill by a simple majority vote of the members.  By December 2, if the super committee approves its bill, a report and recommended legislative language is presented to the President, Vice President and House and Senate leadership, with the bill formally introduced in both chambers the next legislative day. The bill is referred to committees of jurisdiction by December 9, and committees which formally report the bill out must do so without amendment, but many are expected to send recommendations that include specific legislative language to implement the recommendations. If committees fail to formally report a bill, it is automatically discharged.  Congress has until December 23 to vote up or down on the fate of the bill – no amendments or procedural blocks are allowed.  If Congress fails to approve whatever the committee comes up with, a minimum of $1.2 trillion in across-the-board cuts in federal spending kick in.  The committee is dissolved on January 31, 2012. 

 Most skepticism on the panel as too partisan, particularly the choices made by Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D, CA), House minority leader, who said the panel “must achieve a ‘grand bargain’ that reduces the deficit by addressing our entire budget, while strengthening Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.”

 The panel has deep experience in the budget/spending battles – four members were also members of the White House Deficit Commission and several sit on fiscal committees – and most are considered adept at working in a bipartisan fashion.  The make-up signals heavy action on the federal tax code, both closing loopholes and perhaps tinkering with rates and Sen.  Max Baucus (D, MT) and Rep. Dave Camp (R, MI), the tax writing panel chairs, have a long history of bipartisan action.  However, none of the Gang of Six Senators – the bipartisan group seeking a compromise budget deal – made the cut, and several of the members voted against the White House Deficit Commission report and three of the super committee members voted against the new budget law that created the panel.   

 The following are the members of the new super committee and how ag falls within their priorities:

 Senate Democrats:    

 Sen. Patty Murray (WA) – Co-chair; a member of the Budget and Appropriations Committees, and part of Senate leadership, Murray is the health care/entitlement member; never an ag voice, she’s a middle of the road pick, and she has the fiscal credentials. She also heads the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), the political machine dedicated to reelection Democrat Senators, so her political will be suspect. 

 Sen. Max Baucus (MT) – Baucus is chair of the tax-writing Finance Committee, and a member of the Agriculture Committee; he’s a former member of the White House Deficit Commission.  He’s a good choice for agriculture, generally a moderate on tax policy, a deal-maker, but can be an ideologue.

 Sen. John Kerry (MA) – A member of the Finance and Small Biz Committees, this is the member leaving most scratching their heads; weakest member of the panel overall, known to play to the media and shift position.

 GOP:              

Sen. John Kyl (AZ) – Kyl is retiring in 2012, and is a Finance and Judiciary Committee member; well respected by both sides of the aisle, he’s a deal maker, but can be partisan; ag is not threatened by this choice.

 Sen. Pat Toomey (PA) – A freshman who comes out of a long career in the House, Toomey is a member of the Banking and Budget Committees; from a strong ag state, he’s seen as the Tea Party player on the Senate side, and carries a 97% rating from the American Conservative Union.

Sen. Rob Portman (OH) – Portman could be the go-to guy on the panel when it comes to how the federal government actually operates. A friend of ag from his days in the House, Portman is a freshman member of the Budget Committee; he served as Special Trade Representative (STR) and director of the Office of Management & Budget (OMB) under President Bush. He has serious fiscal experience; one of the strongest members of the panel but known to be hard-headed. 

House GOP:  

Rep. Jeb Hensarling (TX) – Co-chair; Hensarling sits as vice chair of the Financial Services Committee; former member of the Deficit Commission and a rising GOP star, he’s liked by the Tea Partiers, but he’s got good fiscal credentials, and comes from a major ag state.

 Rep. Fred Upton (MI) – Upton is chair of the House Energy & Commerce Committee, and like the Kerry selection, is considered an odd choice.  He’ll be key when it comes to food safety and FDA funding/spending decisions.

Rep. Dave Camp (MI) – The chair of the powerful Ways & Means Committee and a former member of the Deficit Commission, Camp was a member of the House ag committee and prior to that was a staffer for an ag panel member. Thoughtful, strong friend of agriculture.

Democrats:

 Rep. Chris Van Hollen (MD) – Van Hollen is ranking member on the Budget Committee and is a strong Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D, CA) loyalist, acting as her mouthpiece on dissenting House Democrat positions. No friend of ag.

Rep. Xavier Becerra (CA) – Becerra is an active Ways & Means Committee member, and a former member of the Deficit Commission; he represents the most serious choice from Pelosi.  As a Californian, he’ll pay attention to ag issues, but won’t necessarily fight for them.

Rep. Jim Clyburn (SC) – Clyburn is assistant minority leader, holding no committee positions; he’s known as a political bomb thrower and is on the panel to protect social welfare programs. He’s no friend of ag.