Congressional Deficit Commission

Senators Judd Gregg (R-NH) and Kent Conrad (D-ND) are proposing that congress establish a commission to develop proposals for dealing with the budget deficit. The commission would consist of senators, representatives, administration representatives and an advisory group that would represent parties with a vested interest in the outcome. The commission would do a lot of public outreach. The commission will focus on two areas to reduce the deficit: entitlement, taxes.


If both houses of Congress and their many existing committees cannot solve our deficit problem with their current processes, then a special commission won’t solve it either.

No doubt the “advisory group” will consist of lobbyists too numerous to count.

I expect that the “public outreach” will consist of townhall meetings dominated by teabaggers and professional protesters.

I suspect that the proponents of such a commission (Republicans and conservative Democrats) want to move the discussion of the deficit issue into the public arena where they will use misinformation to gain public support for their agenda. I’m reminded of the health care reform townhall meetings.

Commission proposals can only be enacted by a super majority, giving the minority conservatives the power to block any legislation they disapprove of.

Our partisan Congress at work!

What do you think of the proposed commission?