An American challenge: Can ‘Super Congress’ bring results?

Pardon our skepticism, but the popular moniker attached to the U.S. Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction strikes us as at best wildly overstated and at worst completely unbelievable.

The “Super Committee”— or worse yet “Super Congress” — has been charged with the herculean task of crafting a plan to reduce the federal government’s $15 trillion deficit by $1.2 trillion over the next 10 years.

Let’s hope this super committee’s work does not degenerate into a super failure. At this point, however, expectations cannot be riding sky high.

With two months gone since the bipartisan joint House and Senate committee’s formation and with only six weeks remaining before its Nov. 23 deadline to propose a coherent legislative plan to slash the deficit, the super committee has little to show in the way of movement and compromise toward a realistic plan both political parties will embrace.

SAME OLD INTRANSIGENCE

It has not helped matters any that leaders of both political parties essentially have tried to stifle the free-flow of ideas. In recent days, Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner told the 12 members of the deficit-reduction committee that his party flat-out would not accept any plan that includes any tax increases.

Likewise, in the Democratic corner of the tussle, President Barack Obama has asserted his party would not accept any plan that does not include tax increases for the rich.

Sound familiar? It is the same internecine interparty squabbling that have created the intransigence and inaction that have defined the first year of this 112th Congress of the United States and has prompted many to give it the not-so-super label of “the do-nothing Congress.”

All the same, six weeks can be light years on congressional timepieces. Sufficient time remains to tone down the rhetoric, stop the threats and give the super committeemen and its lone committeewoman, co-chairman U.S. Sen. Patty Murphy, a chance to produce at least some tangible results, be they super or not.

Toward avoiding deadlock and failure, the deficit-reduction brain trust must also live up to its pledge to keep all proceedings and discussions open and transparent to the American people. To its credit, the panel has created an easily accessible website that is designed to chronicle its work. Its address is http://deficitreduction.senate.gov/public/.

Unfortunately, that website’s content as of Friday contains documents and videos on only three meetings since its inception – an organizational meeting and two background hearings. If the website is a barometer of the committee’s attitude toward its mission, its work over the past two months does not inspire any strong degree of urgency toward progress.

The super committee’s next important deadline is next Friday, when all congressional committees must have presented their reports and recommendations to the panel. Those received thus far show a pattern of sensationalism and fear. The House Armed Services Committee’s report, for example, warns that automatic cuts to take place without congressional action would “jeopardize our ability to defend America against a nuclear attack.”

STEER CLEAR OF ETHICAL LAPSES

As the committee enters its home stretch, it must continue to proceed with maximum transparency. That includes disavowing campaign contributions that could give the appearance of favoritism to groups that could be hurt or helped by its decisions. It should, however, pay heed to the ideas of Americans, who conveniently can express their input to the committee via a message service on the committee website.

One thing is certain if inaction becomes the legacy of this super committee. Without deficit-reduction legislation in place by Nov. 23 and without full congressional approval by Dec. 23, the trigger will be pulled for devastating cuts to the U.S. military and many government programs many Americans have come to rely on. The U.S. can ill afford such inferior results from its so-called “Super Congress.”