Durbin to vote in favor of the U.S. deficit commission plan
December 2, 2010
Sen. Dick Durbin, the Senate's second-ranking Democrat and a close ally of President Obama, will vote Friday to support the final recommendations of the bipartisan deficit commission, arguing that the nation's growing debt requires lawmakers to make difficult choices.
"If we don't act now -- if we pass this issue on to another Congress, another generation -- the tough choices we face now only get tougher," he writes.
Illinois' senior senator acknowledges that many, particularly on the left, vehemently oppose many of the commission's recommendations. But he says both parties need to be candid about the precarious state of the nation's finances, and that when the hard choices are made, "I want progressive voices at the table."
The final vote of the full commission remains unclear. But four of the panel's 18 members have already come out publicly to say they would reject the proposals, including another Illinois Democrat, Rep. Jan Schakowsky. Under the executive order President Obama issued creating the panel in February, 14 votes are required for the recommendations to move to the Senate for consideration.
Durbin's vote is, however, the 10th public commitment in favor of it, ensuring a majority of members endorsed the plan. In the interview, Durbin said the work of the commission will remain front and center in the new Congress.
"There will be at least three Democrats and three Republican elected officials voting for it. That's a breakthrough. That's never happened before," he said.
That support could help Durbin lobby his colleagues to show the political courage that may be needed to enact the proposals. Fresh off a tumultuous campaign, lawmakers may not have the appetite to do so.
"I know that voting for this creates another opportunity for negative ads. But if you're going to turn tail, cut and run every time someone threatens a 30-second ad, you ought to get out of this business," he said. "You've got to stand up every once and while -- even if it's unpopular -- and do what you think is right. And that's what I'm doing."
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