Lawmakers spent much of Monday reacting to reports that a congressional debt “super committee” tasked with identifying $1.2 trillion in spending cuts is likely to fail.
Massachusetts U.S. Senator John Kerry, a Democrat, said Monday that Republican lawmakers were to blame for the failure. The Massachusetts Democrat said a reluctance of Republicans to consider proposals tied to increases in revenue ultimately left Democrats with the committee with few options.
“Revenues are at a 60-year low. They’re at 14 or 15 percent of all of our GDP. Traditionally they’re at 18 percent, 19,” Mr. Kerry said. “Fair and balanced is not giving the wealthiest people in America tax cuts while you ask people on Medicare and Medicaid to pony up more. … The only thing blocking us is the insistence on the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy.”
Meanwhile Arizona U.S. Senator Jon Kyl said lawmakers remain involved in talks as a Monday deadline approaches.
“I wouldn’t be optimistic. I don’t want to create any false hope here,” Mr. Kyl, a member of the committee, said on Fox News. “My point is that we’re still talking. And I think that’s what people expect us to do, and we’ll do that until late this afternoon.”
Meanwhile, Senator Patty Murray, a Washington Democrat, visited the White House early Monday, telling reporters the committee was “still working” as she joined a bipartisan meeting of committee members in Mr. Kerry’s office Monday afternoon.
House Republicans directed criticism at President Obama, calling on the White House to increase its involvement in the negotiations.
“It’s truly unfortunate that the lawmakers on the Supercommittee, tasked with eliminating $1.2 trillion from the federal debt, have been unable to reach an agreement on how to achieve this necessary target thus far. As our debt surpassed $15 trillion last week, it is evident that tough—but critical—directives need to be established so that Washington finally exercises substantial fiscal restraint,” said Louisiana Republican Congressman Rodney Alexander.
Arizona U.S. Senator John McCain and South Carolina U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham say they are writing legislation to prevent what they say would be devastating cuts to the military. House Republicans are exploring a similar move. The White House said Monday that President Obama will veto any measure allowing for a rollback of automatic spending cuts slated to take effect in the event the super committee failed to reach an agreement.
In a press briefing Monday, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney deflected criticism of President Obama’s involvement with the process.
“We were all fall in contact with members of Congress through various liaisons here at the White House, contact with members of the committee,” Mr. Carney told reporters. “But let’s be clear about it: Congress assigned itself a job; assigned 12 of its own members a task — a task that wasn’t really that difficult to achieve if there was a willingness to compromise; if there was a willingness to take a balanced approach, an approach that is supported by a majority of the American people. Congress needs to meet its responsibilities.”
