New Hampshire lawmakers are trying to pressure the so-called “supercommittee” to exceed its goal of cutting $1.2 trillion from the debt, but the special panel remains grid locked as it nears its end date. If the supercommittee fails to reach a bipartisan solution by next Wednesday, deep spending cuts are supposed to fall on nearly the entire federal budget.
Some lawmakers want to scrap that agreement to protect the Pentagon’s budget and other favorite spending items.
U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., says Congress needs to step up and pass a broad deficit reducing package, not walk back the earlier bi-partisan agreement that included automatic cuts.
“I think that would be a very bad message to send to the markets. I think we need to point out to, not only the United States, but to the world that here in America we’re serious about dealing with this issue.”
New Hampshire’s two senators and Second District Republican Charlie Bass have signed letters urging the “supercommittee” to cut around $3 trillion or $4 trillion from the national debt, but as of now the panel can’t agree on how to cut even $1 trillion.
