Earlier this month, Republican and Democratic deficit hawks in the Senate, led by Kent Conrad issued a veiled threat to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi: let us set up an entitlement-reform commission to address budget deficits, or we'll kill annual legislation raising the country's debt ceiling.

That may sound like a bunch of jargon, but loosely translated it means they want to get their hands on Social Security and they're willing to let America default on its debt, potentially unleashing economic catastrophe, if they don't get their way.

That has touched off a game of chicken as Congress counts down to the new year. Though she's somewhat handcuffed by Blue Dogs, who could join Republicans in forcing legislation calling for such a commission through the House, Pelosi is adamantly opposed to the idea. One side or the other will have to budge. For her part, Pelosi will have progressive organizations on her side.

The group Campaign for America's Future is gathering like-minded institutions to pressure Democratic leaders, including Harry Reid and President Obama to abandon the idea altogether.

"We write to alert you about the effort by Senators Conrad, Gregg and others to create an extraordinary Budget Commission, which would force Senators and Members of Congress to abdicate their budget responsibilities, replacing judgment with an automatic and undemocratic process," reads a letter from CAF's directors to other liberal groups. "This Commission would pose a serious threat to the future of Social Security and Medicare - and would undermine health reform and the fragile economic recovery."

Eleven Democratic Senators have announced their plan to force the Congressional leadership to create an undemocratic and dangerous Budget Commission -- by attaching it to the upcoming bill to raise the debt limit or some other crucial legislation. Indeed, we have just learned that the Blue Dog Coalition in the House has endorsed this effort to avoid political accountability. The proposed commission would come up with a budget reduction plan - which could include dramatic cuts to Social Security, Medicare and productive investments - and then override the normal legislative process to rush it through the Congress with expedited procedures and a single up or down vote on the entire package with no opportunity to amend and only very limited debate.

The allied groups include some of the heaviest hitters in Democratic politics, such as AFL-CIO and SEIU. They will issue a statement to Democratic leaders urging them to keep any attempts at entitlement reform in the regular legislative process, where it would be attended to by accountable elected officials.

You can read both the letter, the statement, and the list of current signatories below.

Dear XXXXXX:

We write to alert you about the effort by Senators Conrad, Gregg and others to create an extraordinary Budget Commission, which would force Senators and Members of Congress to abdicate their budget responsibilities, replacing judgment with an automatic and undemocratic process. This Commission would pose a serious threat to the future of Social Security and Medicare - and would undermine health reform and the fragile economic recovery.

Please look at the Statement below and click here if your organization can sign on.

Eleven Democratic Senators have announced their plan to force the Congressional leadership to create an undemocratic and dangerous Budget Commission -- by attaching it to the upcoming bill to raise the debt limit or some other crucial legislation. Indeed, we have just learned that the Blue Dog Coalition in the House has endorsed this effort to avoid political accountability.

The proposed commission would come up with a budget reduction plan - which could include dramatic cuts to Social Security, Medicare and productive investments - and then override the normal legislative process to rush it through the Congress with expedited procedures and a single up or down vote on the entire package with no opportunity to amend and only very limited debate.

We need to sound the alarm about the potential damage this commission could cause. And that's why we ask you to look at the statement we plan to send to Congressional leaders and to the White House, hopefully with your organization endorsing it.

Please read the statement, and then click at the link to go to a secure form to let us know that your organization can join these groups and sign the statement.

If you agree that the Conrad-Gregg budget commission is a big problem -- we hope you will:

1) let us know if your organization can SIGN THE STATEMENT, to be sent to the Congress and White House, click here.

2) tell us who on your staff we should be our contact person on this, and

3) start having your own conversations with Senate and House leaders -- and with key White House staff.

Note: We have tried to keep this statement simple enough so that lots of groups could sign it, emphasizing the threat to SS and Medicare, but also warning of the danger of economic austerity when we should be creating more jobs + the danger of undermining health reform (and the Medicare reforms contained in the health bills.)

Please click here to let us know by Monday, November 30, 2009, that your organization will sign the statement.

Best regards,

Roger Hickey
Co-Director
Campaign for America's Future

Nancy Altman
Co-Director
Project to Defend and Improve Social Security

Eric Kingson
Co-Director
Project to Defend and Improve Social Security

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid,
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi,
all members of the Senate and House,
and President Barack Obama (and key Administration officials)

We write in strong opposition to proposals to create an entitlements or deficit-reduction commission that would override the normal legislative process and replace it with expedited procedures prohibiting amendments and limiting debate.

Those supporting this circumvention of the normal process have stated openly the desire to avoid political accountability. Americans -- seniors, women, working families, people with disabilities, young adults, children, people of color, veterans, communities of faith and others -- expect their elected representatives to be responsible and accountable for shaping such significant, far-reaching legislation.

Any deficit reduction measures should be carried out in a responsible manner, providing a fairer tax system and strengthening -- rather than slashing -- Social Security, Medicare and other programs that are vital to the middle class." And as unemployment continues to grow, we need a real debate about how to balance the need for economic recovery and productive public investment with the goal of long-term budget responsibility. The American people are likely to view any kind of expedited procedure, where most members are sidelined to a single take-it-or-leave-it vote, as a hidden process aimed at eviscerating vital programs and productive investment.

As you know, the current effort to reform the health care sector seeks to achieve reductions in Medicare spending - without cutting benefits. But the proposed budget commission - which will be viewed as a way to actually cut Medicare benefits, while insulating lawmakers from political fallout - could confuse people and undermine the reform effort. And an American public that only recently rejected privatization of Social Security will undoubtedly be suspicious of a process that shuts them out of all decisions regarding the future of a retirement system that's served them well in the current financial crisis.

We urge you to act decisively to prevent the creation of such an extraordinary and undemocratic budget commission.

Sincerely,

AFL-CIO - American Federation of Labor - Congress of Industrial Organizations

AFSCME - American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees

Alliance for Retired Americans

American Association of University Women

Campaign for America's Future

Demos

Mothers Initiative

National Association of Mother Centers

National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare

National Council of Women's Organizations

National Organization for Women

National Senior Citizens Law Center

National Women's Law Center

OWL - The Voice of Midlife and Older Women

Pension Rights Center

SEIU - Service Employees International Union

Wider Opportunity for Women

Women's Institute for a Secure Retirement

The Women's Research and Education Institute