WASHINGTON, D.C. – A special budget panel lead by Washington Senator Patty Murray remains gridlocked as it nears its deadline next week. Some Northwest lawmakers are urging the so-called “super committee” to exceed its goal of cutting $1.2 trillion from the nation’s debt.
If the “supercommittee” fails to reach a bipartisan solution by next Wednesday, deep spending cuts are slated to fall on nearly all of the federal budget. That puts a lot of pressure on Murrray, a co-chair of the panel.
But she’s getting support from some Northwest Republicans who are going against their party’s anti-tax mantra. Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson says he can support increasing revenues if the panel can cut around $4 trillion from the nation’s debt over the next decade.
“This is not rocket science. They can do this,." Simpson says. "They can go big and they can help us solve this problem.”
Idaho Republican Senator Mike Crapo is also urging the panel to go for a larger deal. He says the bigger the proposal the easier it will be for both parties to accept cuts to items that have become sacred cows.
As the deadline nears a deal still seems far off.
On the Web:
Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction:
http://www.deficitreduction.gov/public/
Copyright 2011 Northwest News Network
Copyright 2011 Northwest News Network
