Biden: Deficit Talks Like Carpooling To Work, Sharing Gas Costs

WASHINGTON -- Vice President Joseph Biden said Thursday’s bipartisan deficit talks with lawmakers were the “most frank discussion we have had” but said there will be many more meetings before officials reach a deal on where to make cuts.

"Nothing is agreed to until everything is agreed to," Biden told reporters after the meeting. To illustrate his point, he compared the deficit talks to two people making a deal about driving to work together.

"It’s a little bit like saying, you know, look, I’ll agree to drive you to work every day on the condition that you pay for the gas," he said. "The first thing you’ve got to do is, you’ve got to decide, well, let’s talk about whether I can drive you. It’s ok, I’m able to drive you. The guy walks out and says you agreed to drive me, but you’ve not agreed to pay for the gas. There’s no deal. It’s the same process."

Biden said lawmakers and administration officials spent the two-hour meeting, the third one in a week hosted by the White House, combing through the massive national budget "one piece at a time." While it may take time before negotiators can agree on major cuts, he emphasized that participants don't play games in the meetings.

"It’s premature to be optimistic, but I am clearly not pessimistic," Biden said. "I genuinely believe we’re on the right track here and I think there’s a real shot on making significant progress."

Lawmakers exiting the meeting gave no details about the talks. Assistant House Democratic Leader James Clyburn (D-S.C.) shouted "two thumbs up" to reporters, while Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) said, "Another step forward." House Republican Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) ignored reporters' questions.

Other participants included House Budget ranking member Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Senate Appropriations Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, Office of Management and Budget Director Jacob Lew and National Economic Council Director Gene Sperling.

Biden said the group will meet again sometime after the House returns from its week-long recess, set to kick off Monday. Until then, he said, everyone's staff will have "a lot of work going on in between."

 

 

Comments

[damdelion12]

06:03 PM on 05/23/2011

Joe - Should we feed the squirrels or the chipmunks?

[dfranz]

02:47 PM on 05/13/2011

Joe Biden must have the best job in the US. No stress, lot's of lunches and his own jet.

[JTNealinDC]

02:41 PM on 05/13/2011

There is not really any debate - what's the difference between $3.5 and $3.6 trillion?

The government spends too much because that gives politicians more power. The factt that the tax too little is just a convenient way to make their take-over of the economy a little less painful today - but just wait until the bill comes due.

See elaboration @

http://wp.me/p1jTK0-74
and
http://wp.me/p1jTK0-68

[KCate]

01:07 PM on 05/13/2011

"Americans are more likely to oppose (47%) than favor (19%) raising the debt ceiling on the amount of money the U.S. government can borrow..." Gallup 5/13/11

[RandyK100]

11:17 AM on 05/13/2011

So these clowns are going on another 2-week recess. I'm sure they need the rest with all the things they accomplished. Maybe someone could tell me what that might be.

[scorpioman]

01:24 PM on 05/13/2011

they accomplished wasting our time and money

[HuffJo]

11:01 AM on 05/13/2011

Joe has a real flair for oversimplification. Oh, and a word of advice..you probably don't want Boehner to drive.

[SoCalGrandma]

10:43 AM on 05/13/2011

I often wonder if any of our elected officials have a staff member who reads the HP and reports back. There are many good comments, facts, and opinions on here from both right, left, and center; they could learn something if they are serious about learning what are our concerns.

[mjcc1987]

09:40 AM on 05/13/2011

I like Joe, but I hope he has the backbone to stand up for me and tens of millions of working Americans over Koch, Exxon, and Wal-Mart

[WWARD4911]

09:30 AM on 05/13/2011

"group will meet again sometime after the House returns from its two-week recess, set to kick off next week......." Did they not just come off a 3 week recess about 2 weeks ago? They got some 1st year Republicans and 1 or 2 Democrats getting essentially 5 weeks vacation that I am noticing and they have not even been working 6 months. They probably have had other recesses as well. In the real world it took me 5 years just to get 4 weeks Vacation time with a Fortune 500 company. There is the problem...... they need some of their vacation time taken away so they can work and get things fixed. They essentially recieve a salary of 174,000.00 a year..... in the real world Managers making less than 74,000.00 a year work about 80 hours a week, pay their own medical plus co-pays and deductibles, might get a day of comp time with a emergency, 5 weeks vacation time after 10 years.......
THEY NEED TO START WORKING IN THE REAL WORLD!!!!!!!

[wagthedog1001]

10:01 AM on 05/13/2011

These people have staffs that work all the time. They have full schedules. Some are corrupt, but most aren't. You really have no idea. Comparing what they are doing with blue or white collar jobs is a lot like comparing the Federal budget to your household budget. It seems like it should work, but it's a lot more complicated than you can imagine.

[GodGunsLiberty]

08:00 AM on 05/13/2011

hey joe, hows that unemployment prediction working out for u?

[Birdman372537]

08:53 AM on 05/13/2011

So far, he's been closer than anyone else.

[shryock]

07:34 AM on 05/13/2011

Biden said. "I genuinely believe we’re on the right track here and I think there’s a real shot on making significant progress."
biden is entirely too optimistic here.
the republicans do not intend to make progress. the only progress possible for them is to have their way, one hundred percent.
and even if the democrats give in on this point, the republicans will find a new point to obstruct.
their goal is to ruin the obama presidency and they do not care what it costs the country or its citizens. we need to get that through our heads. the republicans do not care what it costs us. they are determined to bring down obama, at any price. they will sacrifice you, me, granny, their own children, if that is what it takes.
the only way forward for this country is to unelect republicans at every possible chance.

[Spiffy1]

07:37 AM on 05/13/2011

Tell me about the compromise the Dems offered in 2007-2010. Remember the "we won" responses from Pelosi and Obama. remember BHO saying the repubs would have to "sit in the back?"

[Birdman372537]

08:57 AM on 05/13/2011

There's not going to be a compromise on the Ryan budget. Destroying Medicare so the wealthy and the corporate can have more tax breaks was the best thing the GOP ever proposed. They're out of the closet and will be marginalized by a large majority of Americans.

[nbradley07]

09:18 AM on 05/13/2011

Except none of that ever happened. The President and Speaker might have talked tough at first, but they gave up an awful lot without a fight shortly thereafter. On the other hand, Republicans have both talked tough AND backed it up with over-the-top obstructionist tactics. All that baloney about the Dems "cramming things down [our] throats" was manufactured nonesense that in no way reflected the reality of what actually occurred. The healthcare bill, for example, was debated for over a year and included hundreds, literally, HUNDREDS, of Republican-authored amendments. How can anyone other than a completely partisan hack call that "cramming it down our throats?"

But the Republican practice of histrionics goes on, and our political discourse erodes more and more every day.

[ChampLessFuzzy]

07:43 AM on 05/13/2011

Biden's the best in these types of negotiations. I trust his ability implicitly. The only problem will be Repub grandstanding and playing chicken with the American people in the middle. I would almost agree...get rid of Republicans starting with all associated with C-Street and The Family.

[essrog6x]

07:13 AM on 05/13/2011

Biden would much rather get on a train to go to work, find a quiet car and spread out with his paper and a good coffee. I completely understand that. He believes they are "on the right track" in these meetings. This dude loves the train.

[WWARD4911]

09:34 AM on 05/13/2011

Yes he takes public transit like the poor man and the rich man that refuses to be dependent on foreign oil

[Birdman372537]

07:08 AM on 05/13/2011

Here's a few things to talk about, Joe.

Tax capital gains as ordinary income
Tax yearly incomes over $250K progressively up to 90% over $5M;
Tax yearly church receipts in excess of $1M;
Eliminate the “carried interest compensation” tax code provision;
Increase Social Security benefits by 10%;
Lower the SS retirement age to 62;
Eliminate the ceiling on SS earnings;
Progressively eliminate SS benefits for those earning over $100K yearly in other income;
Tax stock transactions over $1M in yearly aggregate;
Increase the estate tax on estates valued over $1M;
Tax luxury purchases on homes over $5M, cars over $50K, boats over $100K;
Eliminate the mortgage tax deduction on home mortgage debt over $250K
Eliminate Corporate tax and offshoring job loopholes;
Bring back a windfall profits tax up to 90%;
Legalize and tax illegal drugs;
Increase Medicare/Medicaid fraud detection budgets five-fold;
End enforcement of victimless crimes;
Eliminate farm, ethanol and oil subsidies;
Publicly fund Congressional campaigns;
Limit individual and corporate campaign contributions to $100;
Limit all contributions to independent political advocacy groups to $100;
Tax income from lobbying by former Congressmen @ 90%;
Bring the Iraq, AfPak troops home;
Give university educations to all who want them;
Expand and use the Strategic Oil Reserve to counter speculation in petroleum markets;
Expand drug treatment availability to anyone who wants it;
Expand Medicare to all citizens;

Time to get America back on track.

[Spiffy1]

07:30 AM on 05/13/2011

Why not have the government tax at 100% and then give everybody an allowance?

[ChampLessFuzzy]

07:43 AM on 05/13/2011

Why?

[Birdman372537]

08:45 AM on 05/13/2011

Why be a Chicken Little?

[WWARD4911]

09:44 AM on 05/13/2011

decrease Medicare fees for those living on SS benefits up to 150% of the poverty level..... Bring back the Food commodities program from overseas giving those that need it 5 pounds of "AMERICAN" cheese, cans of pork or beef, rice, potatoes, and other things to help us eat instead of 16.00 dollars a month in food stamps which if buying "healthy fruits and foods might buy 3 days worth if lucky.....

[blackranger]

10:05 AM on 05/13/2011

Actually, in the farmer's markets programs. food stamp recipients get two dollars to spend if they use one dollar with food stamps. In our community that has meant a lot of food stamp recipients are buying at the farmers markets, healthy food at a good price. It takes educating food stamp users in a lot of cases. It is working well here, both for the farmer market sellers and the food stamp recipients.

[R U Mad]

06:44 AM on 05/13/2011

"Nothing is agreed to until everything is agreed to,"

It is apparent that this man thought pattern runs in circles, like that of a dog chasing his tail!

[PrincipiaChamp]

07:14 AM on 05/13/2011

Biden is sharp as they come. Don't fool yourself...oops, too late. LOL

[wagthedog1001]

09:48 AM on 05/13/2011

HA!

[Birdman372537]

08:50 AM on 05/13/2011

I understand what it means. I just hope everything they are agreeing to doesn't involve gutting Medicare and giving more tax breaks to the wealthy and the corporate.

[blackranger]

10:06 AM on 05/13/2011

We need to keep writing, phoning and emailing our representatives so the republicans are left with no support of voters for their draconian plans for gutting medicare and allowing the big boy tax breaks

[mikeisfine2]

06:10 AM on 05/13/2011

Maybe its curly biden and larry ried , I can imagine biden spinning around on the presidential seal going WHOB , WHOB , WHOOOOB ! and moe obama giving him a poke in the eyes .

[Birdman372537]

07:10 AM on 05/13/2011

Sounds like you have an extensive Three Stooges library. Is there anything else in it?

[PrincipiaChamp]

07:15 AM on 05/13/2011

Yup, I picture you in a three stooge world. How about you stay there and don't bother anyone?