Who Are The Members of the Super Committee

The super Congress, officially titled "The Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction," consists of 12 lawmakers - six from each party and each chamber - who have been given nearly unprecedented power to cut projected deficits by $1.5 trillion over 10 years. The committee will need only seven votes to pass its proposal. The rest of Congress will not have the power to amend their plan, obstruct it from coming to a vote, or even filibuster it in the Senate - they will only be able to vote it up or down.

Democrats - Left to Right:

Co-Chair Sen. Patty Murray, Washington:

Murray is not just a senator. She also chairs the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, and it is her job to recruit candidates who can beat her Republican colleagues. Her appointment has already drawn criticism from the Republican National Committee, which views her as an overly political figure. She is a member of the Budget and Appropriations committees.

---

448 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2621
Web Form: murray.senate.gov/email/index.cfm

Sen. Max Baucus, Montana:

chairman of the Senate Finance Committee -- served on Obama's debt commission. Baucus voted against the final Simpson-Bowles recommendations because he said they cut too deeply into farm subsidies and would have changed Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security in away he found unacceptable.

---

511 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2651
Web Form: baucus.senate.gov/contact/emailForm.cfm?subj=issue

Sen. John Kerry, Massacusetts:

A former presidential candidate, Kerry is best known on Capitol Hill for his foreign policy experience. He will lend his expertise on national security matters to the debate over cuts to military funding. He is a member of the Finance Committee and has spent 27 years in the Senate so has participated in his share of closed-door negotiations.

---

218 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2742
Web Form: kerry.senate.gov/contact/

Rep. James Clyburn, South Carolina:

The third-ranking Democrat in the House and veteran of the Appropriations Committee, Clyburn maintains close ties to Pelosi. He also participated in the Biden debt reduction talks.

---

2135 Rayburn House Office Building 202-225-3315
http://clyburn.house.gov/

Rep. Xavier Becerra, California:

A senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee, Becerra served on the Bowles-Simpson debt commission. But he voted against the plan because he said it cut too deeply into discretionary spending and did not raise revenues to a high enough level.
Member Liberal Progressive Caucus

---

1226 Longworth House Office Building 202-225-6235
http://forms.house.gov/becerra/webforms/issue_subscribe.html

Rep. Chris Van Hollen, Maryland:

Van Hollen played a key role in the debt talks led by Vice President Joe Biden earlier this year, and is the ranking Democrat on the Budget Committee. A Pelosi acolyte, Van Hollen frequently appears on television to represent House Democrats on policy issues.

---

1707 Longworth House Office Building 202-225-5341
http://vanhollen.house.gov/Contact/

Republicans - Left to Right:

Co-Chair Rep. Jeb Hensarling of Texas:

Hensarling -- chairman of the House Republican Conference -- served on President Obama's debt commission but voted against it. What did he object to exactly? Tax increases. The debate over taxes is expected to be fierce. If his past positions are any clue, Hensarling is likely to be vocally opposed to any new revenues.

---

129 Cannon House Office Building 202-225-3484
http://hensarling.house.gov/contact/email-me.shtml

Rep. Dave Camp, Michigan:

The House Ways and Means Committee chairman - served on President Obama's debt commission, but voted against it. He objected to the plan's tax hikes and said it failed to address rising health care costs. An expert on taxes - he will bolster GOP credentials on any tax reform that might be discussed.

---

341 Cannon House Office Building 202-225-3561
http://camp.house.gov/Contact/

Rep. Fred Upton, Michigan :

Upton chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee. He has taken some moderate positions in the past, including attempts to decrease tax cuts in the George W. Bush administration that remain contentious today.

---

2183 Rayburn House Office Building 202-225-3761
http://upton.house.gov/

Sen. Jon Kyl, Arizona:

The No. 2 Republican in the Senate behind Mitch McConnell and a staunch advocate for the military, Kyl is a member of the Finance Committee. Kyl is a reliable conservative vote and is opposed to tax increases. He has said he will not run for re-election and walked out of debt negotiations with Biden earlier this year after an impasse over increasing revenue.

---

730 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4521
Web Form: kyl.senate.gov/contact.cfm

Sen. Pat Toomey, Pennsylvania :

Elected to the Senate last year, Toomey was a prominent voice in the debate over raising the debt ceiling, arguing that the United States could prioritize its payments in the event of a debt ceiling breach to avoid a true default. In the end, Toomey voted against the debt ceiling bill that created the super committee. He sits on the Senate Budget and Banking committees, and is the former president of the staunchly anti-tax Club for Growth.

---

502 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4254
Web Form: toomey.senate.gov/?p=contact

Sen. Rob Portman, Ohio:

A former White House budget director in the Bush administration, Portman is a Senate novice and a member of the Budget Committee. More moderate that some of his colleagues, Portman could be a key player in a compromise.

---

338 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-3353
Web Form: portman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact?p=contact-form

---

NOTE: To share or email this 'Specific' article, you must click on the Title of the article.

---