Today, the President’s National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform canceled its last public hearing scheduled before the release of its budget recommendations, due out December 1. Failing to offer the political cover it was intended to provide for the midterm elections, the cancelation confirms that the Commission was a blatant ploy to excuse leadership of its total abdication of budgeting responsibilities this Congress.
After seven months of meetings, the Commission has yet to put forth any sound suggestions for fiscal reform, instead choosing to vacillate on tax increases to fund continued government profligacy. The cancelation of the last public hearing highlights the majority’s allergy for leadership. Hiding behind closed doors will allow members to continue to pretend they are crafting a budget plan, but will not disguise the remarkable refusal by this Congress to actually govern.
“It is hardly surprising that the Commission, which is stacked in favor of tax hikes, has refused to make its final budget negotiations public,” said President of Americans for Tax Reform Grover Norquist. “The Commission was proposed to give Democrats political cover for the midterm elections, excusing their refusal to pass a budget or stop the deluge of government spending. The outright rejection by taxpayers of the majority’s big government, big spending plans has shown the President’s hand: the Commission’s fiscal façade didn’t fool anyone.”