It was Harry Reid who Proposed the Committee of Twelve

New Zeal

From Michael Zak at Grand Old Partisan:

Just over two months from now, six Senators and six Representatives — evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats — are to recommend a $1.5 trillion deficit reduction package that Congress will have to vote on without amendments.

I had trouble believing that a Republican would have come up with the idea of concentrating such vast legislative powers in the hands of just twelve people. Who, precisely which Member of Congress, first proposed this Committee of Twelve? A top Hill staffer just answered that question for me.

It was Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) who first proposed setting up the Committee of Twelve.

The Democrats have thought several steps ahead of the Republicans with their Committee of Twelve. hey’ll use this Super Committee to create a huge crisis — for President Obama to resolve. They hope to blame the GOP for an impasse of their own making.

Republicans may assume that the role of the Joint Committee will be limited and subordinate to Congress as a whole, but Democrats are planning otherwise. In her press conference yesterday, Nancy Pelosi gave a glimpse of the horrors to come:

“[President Obama’s $447 billion job] bill is paid for. How it will ultimately be paid for will be up to the Table of 12.” That’s right, the Democrat leadership says that this decision will be up to just twelve people. not the entire Congress. Democrats intend to use the Committee to bypass Congress, just as Obama has said many times that he would like to do.

The Democrats play hardball, all the time.