The first rule of the supercommittee: Its members don?t talk about the supercommittee.
The truth is that only a handful of people really know what?s going on, and most of them aren?t talking ? at least not on the record. But in interviews with some members of the supercommittee, their aides, their congressional colleagues and lobbyists ? almost all of whom spoke on condition of anonymity because of the supercommittee?s strict ethos of secrecy ? a rough sketch of the priorities of the individual members starts to emerge.
Continue ReadingSome members seem intent on guarding their turf, others want to be seen as real deal makers, while others feel the need to protect their party?s base priorities.
With a Friday deadline looming for regular committees to send their recommendations to the supercommittee, here?s POLITICO?s scorecard for each member:
Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.)
Camp?s close to House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), and he won?t move a muscle unless Boehner says ?flex.? He?s made it clear to his colleagues that he doesn?t want to strike a big tax-reform deal under the umbrella of the supercommittee. He?d rather preserve the power of the Ways and Means Committee, of which he is chairman, and the short time window allows him to make the argument that complicated tax reforms can?t be written and assessed overnight.
His priority: Kick the tax reform can down the road
Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.)
Van Hollen has as much invested in a possible deal as anyone. He was heavily involved in the development of the trigger that requires automatic cuts to defense and domestic programs if the group doesn?t reach its goal. And his district is full of federal workers who could lose their jobs through budget cuts. But his future leadership ambitions mean he can?t alienate his party?s base in the House. His participation in the Biden Group earlier this year earned him the trust of Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi ? one fellow House Democrat referred to his role on the supercommittee as ?Nancy?s boy.?
His priority: Protect the interests of federal workers, including himself
Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.)
Since his defeat in the 2004 presidential election, Kerry has turned his focus to building his reputation as a legislator. The supercommittee affords him the opportunity to help strike a big, bipartisan deficit-reduction deal or to be a champion for the left by blowing it up. What he?ll do remains to be seen. But Kerry, who heads the Foreign Relations Committee and is in line for the Finance gavel in the future, has been hands-on in the process.
His priority: His legacy
Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas)
The unfailingly polite Texan has developed a good rapport with fellow co-chairwoman Patty Murray. As a former chairman of the House Republican Study Committee, it?s hard to question his conservative credentials ? and many observers believe he would only support a deal if it was unanimous. But he?s also a prot?g? of former Sen. Phil Gramm, and his imprimatur would give cover to many House Republicans to support a deal. Hensarling?s the fourth-ranking Republican in the House, so he won?t cut a deal if it?s not blessed by leadership.
His priority: Fundamental budget reform
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