Congress putting its faith in committee

Source: The Washington Post

After weeks, months, of bitter feuding, Congress has finally agreed on who cannot be trusted to solve the country’s complicated fiscal problems: The U.S. Congress. All 535 members. And Congress has a solution — a special committee.

Both Republicans and Democrats have proposed drumming up a committee of 12 legislators — handpicked by both parties — to deal with the most complicated issues involved in a likely debt-ceiling compromise. It will be up to this “super committee” to complete the epic task of cutting more than $1 trillion in spending from the federal budget.

According to the latest plans, committee members would only have a few months to complete the job, and when — if — they approve a final set of cuts, the rest of Congress would be given a simple choice: take them or leave them.

Sounds simple, right? But there is a problem with this idea: Similar super working-groups have been tried before — and they haven’t always delivered super results. In fact, one of the few things that will make the committee’s job easier is that a lot of the ground has already been covered.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/congress-putting-its-faith-in-committee/2011/07/31/gIQA91o7lI_singlePage.html

These idiots are all fucking crazy.

I actually think this might work. considering they only simple majority to pass any bill coming out of this committee.

Did I say what is going on now is not crazy? I don't think so.

thats my point.

This is not what our founding fathers would have wanted. This is just a prime example of concentrating power into the hands of few. From an outside perspective this may sound like a decent idea to stop inner party conflicts and extreme ideology members from ransoming the passage of a bill that has so called upper importance. But the problem is, this type of committee has ability to flip democracy like a wall switch. What about the other members not in this special committee? What do we really need them for if the important policies are left to only a handful? What if members of this special committee are blackmailed (London?) or forced by some means to pass items normally not passed? This is a recipe for utter disaster....

:eyes:

behind closed doors with this committee? Handing the responsibility of governing the country to a dozen people is democracy, as envisioned by the Constitution?

The final recommendations would be released and available to all. Why they make their decisions is really unimportant. It would be approved or rejected; I don't see why the reasons or process would make the consequences of implementing the final outcome any different.


Been there, done that. I've seen times when my influence would have just muddled things and was happy with being left out. Sometimes I have to admit I'm just not that important in the grand scheme of things, the other 299,999,999 Americans also have to be considered. Sometimes.

I don't expect to be terribly pleased with the final outcome, though.

who are lazy, incompetent, cowardly - Why are we paying these people to "pass the buck"?

For those not familiar with the story. A retiring college president was advising his
successor on what to do in a crisis. He advised him there were three letters in
his desk that would help him solve any crisis he might face. Upon the first unsolvable
matter the new president opened letter number one and the advice was to blame the
problem on his predecessor. This worked fine and upon facing the second crisis the
new president went to the desk and opened letter number two which advised him to form a committee
to resolve the issue. This he did and the problem seemed to dissolve. Immediately upon the
third unresolvable situation the new president went to the desk and sought the advise of
his predecessor and opened the third letter. Upon doing so he found the advise to be
"write three letters to your successor." We have unfortunately reached that situation
in Congress with the formation of this "super committee."

oops I mean negotiate with 12 than 500..:dem: