Reply #2: EVERYTHING is NOT on the table now [View All]

The GOOD things regarding tonight's deal

No default.

Up front cuts to the Defense Budget.

Did not touch Social Security. Medicare and Medicaid are still intact!

The Bush tax cuts are being left untouched, meaning they WILL expire December 31, 2012!

There is NO Balanced Budget Amendment stipulation in the new agreement.

Regarding the 'trigger':
IF the committee's recommendations are not acted upon, the trigger mechanism's mandatory spending cuts will be cuts will be split 50/50 between domestic and defense spending, and will kick in January 2013.
Social Security and Medicare beneficiaries and "low-income programs" would be exempted from those cuts.
Note: Since the GOP will not want to see defense cuts then they will make sure that there is no chance the trigger will go off!