Unconstitutional?: "Super Congress" road may be a dead end

The Disturbing "Super Congress" that is being Created as Part of the Debt Negotiations

Global Research, July 25, 2011

Economic Policy Journal

There is some very alarming news coming out of the debt negotiations. Hidden in any deal may be the creation of a "Super Congress" that would result in more power being placed in the hands of the super-elitists and dilute the influence of the average congressman.

The left is most up in arms about this development, as it would likely mean that cuts to Medicare and Social Security would be easier to get through Congress, but it could also result in the elimination of tax credits for retirement savings plans and the elimination of the tax deduction for mortgage interest payments.

The "Super Congress" would place more power in the hands of Washington D.C. power players and limit the power of the average congressman.

Ryan Grimm explains how this "Super Congress" would work, a joint committee that both House Speaker Boehner and the President are in favor of (My emphasis):

Debt ceiling negotiators think they've hit on a solution to address the debt ceiling impasse and the public's unwillingness to let go of benefits such as Medicare and Social Security that have been earned over a lifetime of work: Create a new Congress.

 
This "Super Congress," composed of members of both chambers and both parties, isn't mentioned anywhere in the Constitution, but would be granted extraordinary new powers. Under a plan put forth by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and his counterpart Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), legislation to lift the debt ceiling would be accompanied by the creation of a 12-member panel made up of 12 lawmakers -- six from each chamber and six from each party.

 
Legislation approved by the Super Congress -- which some on Capitol Hill are calling the "super committee" -- would then be fast-tracked through both chambers, where it couldn't be amended by simple, regular lawmakers, who'd have the ability only to cast an up or down vote. With the weight of both leaderships behind it, a product originated by the Super Congress would have a strong chance of moving through the little Congress and quickly becoming law.

A Super Congress would be less accountable than the system that exists today, and would find it easier to strip the public of popular benefits. Negotiators are currently considering cutting the mortgage deduction and tax credits for retirement savings, for instance, extremely popular policies that would be difficult to slice up using the traditional legislative process.

House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has made a Super Congress a central part of his last-minute proposal, multiple news reports and people familiar with his plan say...Obama has shown himself to be a fan of the commission approach to cutting social programs and entitlements.

Got that? "Anti-tax" Boehner wants a Super Congress, which could eliminate popular tax credits and deductions. With "anti-tax" patriots like Boehner, who needs Democrats?

Bottom line: What the entire D.C. crowd is really looking for is a way to screw the elderly and also raise taxes, while not get caught doing it.