This week, the Senate Leadership has announced their appointments to the “Super Committee” created by the debt deal, which will be tasked with finding $1.5 trillion in savings by the end of the year. Senate Democrats have not passed a budget in over two years and failed to propose a real plan in the debt ceiling negotiations. Senator Reid’s appointments infer he is willing to defer duty for the country’s fiscal mess even longer; by naming DSCC Chairwoman Patty Murray and Senators John Kerry and Max Baucus, Reid has made clear that Senate Dems are prepared to continue to avoid responsibility for governing.

Senator Murray, as the head of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairwoman is clearly meant to mimic the Reid agenda and block any significant spending reform. Picking a big spender and the chief campaign fundraiser for Democrats in the Senate, Leader Reid seems intent to make a mockery of a serious effort to restore federal spending restraint.

Unless Congress, specifically big spenders like Reid and Murray, are willing to come to terms with their addiction to overspending, there is no hope for restoring economic prosperity.

In contrast, Republicans have stepped up to the plate once again to show they are ready to lead. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell appointed the next highest ranked Republican in the Senate, John Kyl, former OMB Budget Director, Ohio Senator Rob Portman, and Tea Party favorite Pennsylvania Senator Pat Toomey. It is clear by this selection that Senate Republicans are serious about the necessary reform needed in the coming months. Senator Kyl was an inimitable force against tax hikes in the debt limit negotiations, and the other two senators have proven their fiscal credo time and again by waging the battle against big government. House Republican leaders, appointing Ways and Means Chairman David Camp, Energy and Commerce Chairman Fred Upton and House Conference Chairman Jeb Hensarling, have shown they are ready to get down to business.

By taking tax hikes off the table and focusing on Washington’s true problem: overspending, only then will Congress demonstrate that it is serious about the reform needed to get our fiscal house in order. Democrats apparently want to campaign on spending reform. Republicans want to enact it.

Posted by Paul Blair on Wednesday, August 10, 2011 5:13 PM EDT

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