Leaders Join Deficit-reduction Talks, Aides Say
November 4, 2011
The super committee's talks are now primarily occurring at the leadership level, according to several committee aides, involving House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and their staffs.
The three congressional leaders are working with super committee members to hammer out a deal. The question now, according to staff, is whether they will get to $1.2 trillion -- going "big" and shooting for a $4 trillion plan is no longer in the cards. In fact, the group may have to settle on savings less than $1.2 trillion and let automatic spending cuts take care of the remaining balance.
But the group is hardly out of the woods - the committee is still at an impasse over tax revenues, though there is a sense talks are accelerating. The GOP members of the committee met with Boehner and McConnell on Thursday in McConnell's office to try to figure out the next step.