Savings Panel Pitches Ideas To Super Committee

By Lisa Kellman

A bipartisan panel of experts met Tuesday to do the job the congressional committee on deficit reduction can’t seem to manage.

The panel proposed its own spending cuts and revenue generators that they believe would be the most effective way to reduce the nation’s deficit, and the most likely to pass in Congress by Thanksgiving.

The panel suggested cutting federal healthcare programs, wasteful subsidiesand defense.

The Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction — also known as the super committee — has until November 23 to send Congress a plan to slash the deficit by $1.2 trillion over ten years or an automatic sequestration will trigger, resulting in across the board spending cuts to domestic and defense budgets.

According to David Kendall from Third Way, a centrist think tank, sequestration would result in 12,000 criminals not going to jail, 50,000 new cases of food poisoning, 225,000 pounds of unscreened luggage and half as accurate weather reports because America won’t be able to afford new satellites.

Phil Kerpen from Americans for Prosperity, a conservative nonprofit that has been advocating against tax increases, called for repealing President Obama’s healthcare law, block-granting all federal entitlements and cutting federal agriculture subsidies, which he said would save taxpayers $1.651 trillion.

Gary Kalman from the Public Interest Research Group agreed that industries should have their subsidies cut.

“Some of the dairy management funding…pays pizza chains to market extra cheesy pizza,” Kalman said, citing the wasteful ways in which profitable industries spend taxpayer money.

Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah.) joined the panel midway and pushed for revenue neutral tax reform, while Michael Linden from the left-leaning Center for American Progress argued that Americans pay a low tax rate as is and the budget issue could be solved by raising tax rates.

The panel was clearly divided, but they called on members of the super committee to consider their recommendations by visiting EndingSpending.com.

Rockefeller Introduces Public Option Amendment To Finance Committee Bill

Travis Martinez, University of New Mexico /Talk Radio News Service

The biggest debate on the fifth day of markup of the America’s Healthy future Act focused heavily on the “public option.” Liberal Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WVa.) introduced his amendment to Senate Finance Comittee Chairman Max Baucus' (D-Mont.) mark providing for a “public option,” or what he calls the “Consumer Choice Health Plan.”

The debate began with Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) criticizing Rockefeller's amendment, calling it a “Trojan horse for a single payer program [that] would lead to Washington controlling health care and monitoring prices."

Rockefeller kept a stern attitude on his amendment stating that, “It would not be a government takeover." However, the West Virginia Democrat refused to answer questions put to him by Hatch.

Heavy debate ensued on non-profit insurance programs from Senator Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) and how well they have worked in his state, and how poorly the US as a whole compares to other nations. Conrad made a compelling argument for the “Mutual” based system with non-profit companies that would attempt to provide for universal healthcare coverage.

Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) further argued that Medicare rates would be fixed during the first two years under Rockefeller's amendment - Rockefeller proudly held up two fingers. After the two years though, explained Bingaman, rates would be further negotiated, which would essentially adjust prices to fit in line with private companies.

Senator Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) compared the health care plan to universities, saying that "There’s both a private university and public university...there should be a choice."

Democrats agreed that Rockefeller’s amendment would build competition within the open market, while Republicans contended that it will bring price adjustments along with a government-run, single payer takeover of the entire healthcare system.

“This is a slippery slope to go down… it will lead to a government-run single payer option,” said Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.).

Markup is scheduled to continue late Tuesday night and will reconvene Wednesday morning.

Baucus Accuses Kyl Of Stalling Markup Of Health Care Reform Bill

Travis Martinez, University of New Mexico - Talk Radio News Service

While the third day of the Senate Finance Committee's markup of the "America's Healthy Future Act" opened Thursday with an exchange of bipartisan jokes, it quickly turned serious as Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) painted Senator Orrin Hatch (D-Utah) and other members of the conservative caucus as defenders of the status quo. Baucus also accused Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) for stalling the markup process.

Senator Chuck Grassley (R- Iowa) strongly criticized Medicare drug benefits and doughnut-hole dual eligible Americans, saying that the Baucus bill, “would undermine the [Medicare] part D program. Added Grassley, "The [Congressional Budget Office] is like God around here,” a reference to CBO estimates that the nation would face increased deficits if the bill is passed.

Democratic committee members on Thursday said they would focus on gaining the backing of the centrists in their own party, particularly Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.). In addition, Democrats were expected to attempt to win over the support of Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), a moderate Republican who is viewed as a potential swing vote.

With 564 amendments, the markup of the America's Healthy Future Act 2009 is expected to continue into next week.