So far Democrats and Republicans on the Super Committee have acted as voting blocs. And smart money is on the idea that any plan that can pass the committee will get substantial buy-in from both parties.
But for progressive groups there’s a Doomsday Scenario where one deal-hungry Democrat defies his colleagues and votes with the entire GOP to pass a plan. The AFL-CIO is petitioning Dems to prevent that from happening.
“If even a single Super Committee Democrat goes along with the Republican plan to cut Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security benefits while cutting tax rates for the richest Americans, it will pass,” AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka tells supporters. “[S]ince it looks like every single Republican on the Super Committee is ready to sell out working families, we need every single Super Committee Democrat to stand strong and protect Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. That’s why it’s urgent that you sign our petition–we need a unanimous working families vote from all six Super Committee Democrats.”
Privately, progressive advocacy groups have grumbled about Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), who has cut deals with Republicans in the past — including Medicare Part D and the Bush tax cuts — in defiance of Democratic leadership. Through this process, though, Baucus has publicly held the party line and insisted that new revenues match entitlement cuts evenly.
Read the whole petition below.
It looks like every single Republican on the Super Committee is ready to sell out working families.
If even a single Super Committee Democrat goes along with the Republican plan to cut Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security benefits while cutting tax rates for the richest Americans, it will pass.
Sign our petition urging all six Super Committee Democrats to stand together and protect the future of working people in America–the 99%.
Dear Friend,
Republicans on the so-called Super Committee have proposed cutting hundreds of billions of dollars in Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid benefits that America’s working families depend on–while keeping Bush’s tax rates for the richest Americans, including the top 1%. This is Robin Hood in reverse–class warfare against working America on behalf of the top 1%.
And it’s deficit hypocrisy, too. You can’t use budget deficits as an excuse to cut middle-class benefits one minute and the next minute propose making the deficit worse by lowering tax rates for rich people. After all, the Bush tax cuts are the No. 1 reason projected deficits are so high over the next 10 years.
If we want to bring down the federal deficit, we have to start by letting the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy expire on schedule. Haven’t Republicans noticed that Americans are fed up with politicians who constantly cater to the demands of the 1%? This is the same kind of tone-deaf overreaching that voters in Ohio overwhelmingly rejected last week.
Sign our petition: Urge Democrats on the Super Committee to reject the proposal to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid for the 99% and make the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy permanent.
The debt reduction Super Committee that’s considering these cuts is no ordinary congressional committee. It is empowered by law to propose legislation that cannot be amended and can be rammed through Congress quickly, with minimal debate.
And since it looks like every single Republican on the Super Committee is ready to sell out working families, we need every single Super Committee Democrat to stand strong and protect Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.
That’s why it’s urgent that you sign our petition–we need a unanimous working families vote from all six Super Committee Democrats. Add your name now.
Working families are counting on all six Democrats–Sens. Patty Murray, John Kerry and Max Baucus, and Reps. Chris Van Hollen, James Clyburn and Xavier Becerra–to stand with the 99% of Americans who are demanding change. It’s shameful that Republicans on this committee are united in representing America’s wealthiest 1% instead of their constituents. Let’s hope these six Democrats stand together and prove that Congress is capable of standing up for the rest of us.
In Solidarity,
Richard Trumka
President, AFL-CIO
