Moderate Dems Form Group To Cut Spending

WASHINGTON -- As tension builds over compromise between the GOP-led House and Democrat-led Senate, Democratic Sens. Tom Carper, Mark Udall and Kay Hagen announced Thursday they will lead a group called Moderate Dems this session to work toward deals with Republicans over budget cuts and other policies.

The 18-member committee will meet once a week before Democratic lunches to discuss strategies for moving various spending-cut bills through the Senate. Their main priorities will be paying down financial obligations, along with education and energy reform.

"My hope is that our group can help bridge the gap that divides us by finding common ground," Carper, the senior senator from Delaware, said in a statement. "Now, more than ever, the Senate needs to put partisan gridlock aside in order to find consensus on critical issues and to deliver real results for the American people."

The three senators who will lead the group are honorary co-chairs of moderate Democratic policy group Third Way, and have indicated support for bills that cut spending from current levels.

Udall (D-Colo.) is the sole Democratic co-sponsor of the Balanced Budget Amendment, which would prevent the government from spending more than it takes in (with built-in exceptions for war and items approved by two-thirds of both the House and Senate). He has said he will not vote to raise the debt ceiling unless the administration changes how it spends money.

In the wake of a Government Accountability Office report on overlapping federal programs, Udall announced this week he will introduce a bill to identify unnecessary and inefficient programs.

Moderate Dems will also push for education policy, likely following a set of guidelines laid out by some members earlier this week. Hagan (D-N.C.) worked with Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) to lead moderate Democrats in a wish list for the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, mostly following Obama administration requests, and Hagan plans to introduce a bill focusing on low-performing schools.

Hagan said in a statement the Moderate Dems will help the Senate avoid gridlock, which plagued the chamber for the past two years.

"I am proud to join with Senators Carper and Udall in convening a group of moderate Senators who meet regularly to discuss commonsense policy ideas," she said. "Our group will advance moderate ideas in Congress and put our imprint on legislation."

Comments

[DrMandible]

10:41 AM on 03/24/2011

Spending Cut #1: Reign in the Military Budget
Spending Cut #2: End Tax Cuts for the Rich

[Jazzycar]

10:19 PM on 03/20/2011

I would agree to spending cuts as soon as they drop the tax break for the rich. This has to be the election issue of 2012 -- GOP squeezes the middle class to feed the rich.

[zyxwvutsrqpo]

06:24 AM on 03/06/2011

...and still no mention of defense cuts.

[rshrink]

01:38 AM on 03/06/2011

Carter put solar panels on the White House. Reagan had them removed. They could be saving money.

[rshrink]

10:57 PM on 03/05/2011

There are a lot of ways to save money, using science and common sense, that would avoid the disastrous cutting of more cuts in services and education. Republican­s never consider science since they are anti-scien­ce until they need medical care. Republican­s also do not have any common sense and are so tied in to wealthy corporate special interests, that any cuts they suggest will only impact on those who are least able to cope with those cuts. We don't need politician­s who are mostly ignorant going to the table to discuss, because they lack knowledge and ideas.

[rshrink]

08:47 PM on 03/05/2011

Compromising with Republicans can now officially be called a losing cause for the American people. When one compromises with kkroooks, there cannot be any hope of anything good.

[rshrink]

07:49 PM on 03/05/2011

If we would fire all of the republican politicians and bureaucrats and bankers, that would save tons and tons of trillions of dollars right there. Get started on that right away.

[american-dolt]

01:56 PM on 03/04/2011

Ya? Slash those Bush Tax Cuts.

[jde]

09:19 AM on 03/04/2011

Slashing spending isn't moderate.

It's right wing extreme fundamentalism.

[guitarzen]

09:32 AM on 03/04/2011

The writing is on the wall. Even some Dems see that. I didn't think there were any smart Dims left.

[rshrink]

08:57 PM on 03/05/2011

Which is an indication of how brain washt U R.

[LucieLee]

08:22 AM on 03/04/2011

"Moderate?" What's that?? Why can't they just come clean and say they are Blue Dog Conservative Democrats?? They are really DINOs!! These are the folks that are the ones who are causing the gridlock, because they stand in the way of good legislation with their radical "holds" and threatening to filibuster their own Party!!

[guitarzen]

09:34 AM on 03/04/2011

When are you going to realize that Liberalism is and has failed? It's over. There is no more money for your big spending programs. You are going to have to give away your own money now if you want Liberal programs.

[BeckyJustice]

01:13 PM on 03/04/2011

Why is there no money for liberal programs though? Could it be because Corporations like Bank of America pay no taxes, or because Bush gave the top 2% a 35% tax cut, or because Bush lied us into two wars that are costing us $1,986,000,000 a year, not to mention the lives of thousands of troops and the wounding of hundreds of thousands more?

People starving, our infrastructure crumbling, clean water fast becoming a thing of the past, oil fast running out, with little or no emphasis on installing renewable energy that will never run out, education that is taking a fast track to mediocre, and on and on with programs that in the end benefited all, just so the rich can buy yet another mansion or yatch.

We have given away OUR money. to the likes of that same Bank of America. They not only pay no taxes, but we gave them a huge bailout. The American public have decided enough is enough. Their Greed has fed on us long enough. Now we have to take care of America before they make it into a wasteland.

[myrddin]

01:18 PM on 03/04/2011

There's no money because the Republicans have given massive amounts of money to the richest among us. The disparity in wealth is the greatest now since the Great Depression. They even gave away the Social Security Trust fund by running up huge debts with unpaid for tax cuts. Now they tell us they can't afford to pay the bills and that we have to work longer, contribute more or receive less. I say we take the money back from them. Liberalism works when you don't cut taxes on the rich including capital gains taxes for those making over a billion a year to 15%. People in this country need to wake up and see the heist that's taken place orchestrated by Reagan and George W.

[jerzygurl]

06:30 AM on 03/04/2011

Glad to see some Democrats have come to their senses.

[rshrink]

08:59 PM on 03/05/2011

When will you come to yours.

[G52]

06:24 AM on 03/04/2011

We had enough damage done by Carper and his blue dog phonies on the healthcare bill.

Why would we want their input on ANYTHING?

[guitarzen]

09:35 AM on 03/04/2011

What that is showing is you Libs are being passed on by. Liberalism is over.

[rshrink]

09:00 PM on 03/05/2011

If it is, then you are over as well.

[G52]

09:21 PM on 03/05/2011

They are on the decline since the last election..........

An indication that you have no clue.........

[Jim Milks]

06:21 AM on 03/04/2011

Nothing new here. A group of DINOs getting together to further the GOP agenda. The only reason they're still in the Democratic party is that they're not extreme right enough to win primaries as Republicans.

[jwoww]

09:58 AM on 03/04/2011

Progressives are the real Dinos not the blue dogs.

let the progressives start their own party and stop hiding under the democratic party name.