The first deadline of the Congressional “Super Committee” is now fast approaching.
The bipartisan Super Committee is charged with developing a plan to reduce the national deficit by $1.2 trillion over the next ten years – and getting the rest of Congress to agree. The twelve-member committee is the byproduct of the agreement between President Obama and Congressional Republicans that ended the “debt ceiling” standoff of summer 2011. The Super Committee must create recommendations by Thanksgiving and have them voted on by Christmas. If they fail to do so, major across the board spending cuts will be triggered in military spending and most domestic programs starting in January 2013. A few select programs (including Social Security and Medicaid) would be protected against the “across the board” cuts, but many critical social programs would face brutal cuts, including public health, education, and the environment, and financial assistance available to families under the Affordable Care Act.
TakeAction Minnesota is fighting to get increased revenues – rather than deep spending cuts – into the Super Committee’s recommendations. Two hundred members of TakeAction Minnesota joined others in a march to Wells Fargo in mid-October, urging the bank to join us in support of revenue increases from the Super Committee. TakeAction staff and leaders have met with DC staff of some members of Minnesota’s congressional delegation to urge them to reject major cuts to social programs. Our Halloween “Corporate House of Horrors” YouTube video has captured the attention of over 1,000 people across the country, generating emails and calls our members of Congress. None of Minnesota’s Congressional delegation sit on the Super Committee – but all of them can play a role in encouraging their Super Committee colleagues to push for revenue increases as part of a “deficit reduction” package.
As the Thanksgiving deadline approaches, attention on the Super Committee has intensified. Committee Democrats have floated a proposal to make cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid “in exchange” for tax increases. Republicans have put forward deep cuts in Social Security and Medicare, and so far have refused to consider increasing taxes on the wealthiest Americans. Seniors in particular have much to lose under all these proposals – in addition to depending on Social Security and Medicare, 41% of Medicaid spending in Minnesota supports long-term care for our seniors. Last week, over 100 House members – including 40 Republicans – released a letter urging the Super Committee to “go big” (reach beyond the $1.2 trillion figure in deficit reduction) and to keep “all options” on the table (including revenue increases). But whether a “bigger” proposal – or any proposal at all – emerges from the Super Comittee remains to be seen.
If you haven’t called your representatives in Congress, there’s still time and your voice matters. Please call 1-855-508-6471 and let your congressperson know you want them to talk to members of the Super Committee and tell them raise revenue to protect and expand Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.
Liz Doyle
Liz Doyle is TakeAction Minnesota’s Associate Director.
