Supercommittee Members Navigate Political Pressures

As the supercommittee approaches its November 23 deadline, by which time
it must approve a plan that cuts the deficit by $1.2 trillion to avoid
across-the-board cuts, The Hill notes the political pressures on the supercommittee’s 12 members.

“The
panel’s members are confronting risk on all sides. For Senate freshmen
like Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio), and ambitious House
Democrats like Chris Van Hollen (Md.) and Xavier Becerra (Calif.),
signing onto any agreement could alienate segments of their party’s base
and threaten their advancement in leadership… Some political analysts
note, however, that the members of the supercommittee are insulated by
their solid standing both within their party caucuses and in their home
districts and states, which may have contributed to their selection in
the first place.”