Super Committee

Lost And Found: Papers Detailing Items On GOP Super Committee Wishlist

Susan Crabtree | September 23, 2011, 12:43PM

Image From Danny E Hooks / Shutterstock

In these times of secretive deficit super committee meetings, back-room pressuring on particular proposals and endless speculation on what the panel will wind up doing, it might be a good idea not to leave internal working deficit-reduction documents lying around the Capitol.

TPM got a hold of what appears to be an internal GOP Super Committee wish list -- a chart of working proposals for finding hundreds of billions of dollars in cost savings. A source recently forwarded the documents after finding them lying on a table outside the Speaker's lobby at the end of August, just when members selected to serve on the joint-deficit panel were being announced.

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Medicare

Top Dems Reject Coburn, Lieberman Plan To Raise Medicare Retirement Age

Brian Beutler | June 28, 2011, 5:35PM

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK)

Republicans may be suffering politically for voting to phase out Medicare. But they moved the needle on the policy debate way to the right, and, as such, cutting Medicare now is basically a fait accompli.

The latest plan comes from Sens. Tom Coburn (R-OK) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT). This is an interesting political coalition for a few reasons. Recall that Coburn left the Gang-of-Six Senate debt talks for proposing dramatic cuts to Medicare, and has now found comfort in the arms of liberals' darkest bete noire.

What they propose doesn't seek to replace Medicare with a private insurance scheme as does the GOP budget. Nonetheless it has already been rejected by the top Democrats on Capitol Hill -- House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV).

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Budget

On Budget Day, A Self-Parody Storm Strikes Washington

Brian Beutler | February 14, 2011, 12:08PM

Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL)

It's not budget season in Washington if Republicans and Democrats aren't upping the ante on imperious bromides about the deficit, and reporters aren't nudging those politicians toward the only acceptable solution to those budgetary woes: destroying entitlements.

Here's a fun exchange on CNN this morning that neatly encapsulates that culture. It starts with Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) -- the top Republican on the Senate Budget Committee -- attacking President Obama's budget proposal for not reducing the deficit by more than $1 trillion over 10 years. From there, Sessions dodges the expected questions about why his party doesn't take the first swing of the ax at Social Security. And after clumsily passing the buck back to Obama, Sessions admits that $1 trillion is a pretty good start ... when Republicans propose it!

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Social Security

Boehner Backs Off On Call To Raise Social Security Retirement Age To 70 (VIDEO)

Brian Beutler | January 27, 2011, 9:39AM

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH)

House Speaker John Boehner's (R-OH) penchant for playing golf is well known, and now, it seems, so is his tendency to pull a mulligan once in a while.

In an interview with CNN's Kathleen Parker on Wednesday evening, Boehner admitted he erred when he suggested to a Pennsylvania newspaper in June 2010 that the retirement age for Social Security should be raised to 70.

"I made a mistake when I did that because I think having the conversation about how big the problem is is the first step," Boehner said. "And once the American people understand how big the problem is, then you can begin to outline an array of possible solutions."

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David Obey

Rep. David Obey Announces Retirement

Jillian Rayfield | May 5, 2010, 1:46PM

Rep. David Obey (D-WI) announced his retirement today, telling reporters "there is a time to stay, and a time to go, and this is my time to go."

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2010 elections

Reports: Dave Obey To Retire

Christina Bellantoni | May 5, 2010, 11:51AM

Rep. David Obey (D-WI)

Rep. Dave Obey, the powerful chairman of the Appropriations Committee, will be announcing his retirement, multiple news outlets are reporting. Obey (D-WI), has served in the U.S. House since 1969 and he is a close ally of Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Politico is reporting that Obey will announce his decision today. His office announced a 1 p.m. press conference for a "major announcement."

The retirement comes as Democrats are facing a potentially bruising fall midterm election cycle where they could lose 20 or more seats, and as Republicans say they believe they have a fighting chance to recapture the House. Obey's district went for Barack Obama in 2008 by 14 points, but was much closer in 2004 and 2000. John Kerry and Al Gore each won it by one point in those years.

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NY-29

Massa To Resign Monday

Rachel Slajda | March 5, 2010, 3:31PM

Rep. Eric Massa (D-NY)

Rep. Eric Massa (D-NY) announced today that he will resign, effective Monday at 5 p.m.

Massa, a freshman legislator, announced this week that he would not seek re-election, due to a cancer recurrence scare. The House ethics panel is also investigating Massa, reportedly for allegations of sexual harassment.

In a statement, Massa acknowledged the allegations for the first time.

"After I decided not to run again I was told, for the first time, that a member of my staff believed I had made statements that made him feel 'uncomfortable,'" he said.

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ND-SEN

Dorgan Says He Would Have Won Reelection (VIDEO)

Christina Bellantoni | January 6, 2010, 6:13PM

Sen. Byron Dorgan told MSNBC's Ed Schultz tonight his surprise retirement decision was "no reflection" on the Democratic party and insisted he would have won reelection if he'd decided to stay.

Dorgan (D-ND) said he has served 40 years and now wants to do "some other things in life." He said he would prefer people ask, "Why did he leave so soon, rather than why did he stay so long."

"This gives me the opportunity to do that," he said.

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Retirement

Report: Sens. Johnson, Cantwell To Take Over Dodd And Dorgan Chairmanships

Rachel Slajda | January 6, 2010, 1:03PM

Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-CT) and Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND).

Sources tell The Hill that Democrats have chosen Sens. Tim Johnson (SD) and Maria Cantwell (WA) to take over the committee chairmanships that retiring Sens. Chris Dodd and Byron Dorgan will leave at the end of the year.

Johnson will take over Dodd's post on the Banking Committee. Senate leaders said in September that Johnson would succeed Dodd if Dodd chose to take over Sen. Ted Kennedy's seat on the HELP Committee. (Harkin took that chair instead.)

Cantwell will become chair of the Indian Affairs Committee. Although she is not the next ranking member, the four senators ahead of her already have chairmanships.

2010 elections

Mass Retirements? Not So Fast, Dems Say

Christina Bellantoni | January 6, 2010, 11:05AM

DNC Chair Tim Kaine

Democrats are grumbling over headlines portraying their party as "dropping like flies" given the flood of recent retirements and say the press is ignoring there actually are more Republicans opting against reelection.

It's especially prominent in the House, where campaign types correctly say their retirements are fewer than Republicans. And they still are far fewer than the scenario in 1994, when massive retirements helped the GOP win back the House.

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