Debt supercommittee fails to agree on a plan

After months of negotiation, the bipartisan congressional panel announced on Nov. 21 that it had failed to agree on a debt-reduction plan.

5 Seconds

00:00

Sen. Patty Murray (Wash.), Democratic co-chairman of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, fends off reporters’ questions before a last-minute meeting with committee colleagues. “We remain hopeful that Congress can build on this committee’s work and can find a way to tackle this issue in a way that works for the American people and our economy,” Murray and Rep. Jeb Hensarling (Tex.), the panel’s GOP co-chairman, in a statement.

Melina Mara / The Washington Post

Fred Upton (R-Mich.), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and a member of the “supercommittee,” emerges from a last-minute session with supercommittee colleagues. “It’s sort of a last-ditch effort to try to see if we could find a way to solve America’s problem here,” Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) said of the meeting.

Melina Mara / The Washington Post

Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), co-chairman of the supercommittee, is followed by police and journalists as she scales a staircase.

Melina Mara / The Washington Post

Addressing reporters outside her office, Sen. Patty Murray said of deficit reduction goals, “I'll keep working every day until we get there."

Melina Mara / The Washington Post

Sen. John F. Kerry speaks to reporters as last-minute talks among supercommittee members and staffers proceed behind closed doors. “I’m deeply disappointed with this outcome. We all are. This was a historic moment to do something big, bold, and balanced that demanded shared sacrifice to put our country first,” Kerry said later in a written statement.

Melina Mara / The Washington Post

Senator John Kerry speaks to reporters on what, outside the Capitol, was a gray, gloomy day. “These issues aren’t going away; in fact they are becoming more urgent,” Kerry told reporters.

Melina Mara / The Washington Post

Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.), center, arrives for a closed-door meeting on Capitol Hill with other Republicans on the supercommittee.

J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press

Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona, the minority whip, heads to a closed-door meeting on Capitol Hill with other Republican members of the supercommittee. Kyl said Democrats turned down a final offer that included $250 billion in new revenue by eliminating some tax breaks even as it lowered income tax rates.

J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press

Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) are shown after a closed-door meeting of Republicans on Capitol Hill.

Alex Wong / Getty Images

House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) speaks after a closed-door meeting of Republicans on Capitol Hill. Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) had a meeting today to discuss the supercommittee.

Alex Wong / Getty Images

Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), center, laughs with Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), right, during a news conference on Capitol Hill calling for the supercommittee to include legislation to provide first responders and public safety officials with a better communications network.

Alex Wong / Getty Images

Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.), center, speaks as other congressional members listen during a news conference on Capitol Hill calling for the supercommittee to include legislation to provide first responders and public safety officials with a better communications network.

Alex Wong / Getty Images

Representatives for first responders listen to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) during a news conference on Capitol Hill calling for legislation to provide first responders and public safety officials with a better communications network.

Alex Wong / Getty Images

Witnesses, from left, Erskine Bowles, Alan Simpson, Alice Rivlin and Pete Domenici appear before the supercommittee. Bowles, a former White House chief of staff, warned committee members that they will "fail the country" if they do not break the impasse over taxes.

Melina Mara / The Washington Post

Erskine Bowles, Alan Simpson, Alice Rivlin and Pete Domenici answer questions on Capitol Hill from the supercommittee.

Melina Mara / The Washington Post

Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Tex.), supercommittee co-chairman, speaks to staff during the hearing on Capitol Hill.

Melina Mara / The Washington Post

Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.), Alan Simpson, Erskine Bowles and Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Tex.) talk before the hearing.

Melina Mara / The Washington Post

Committee co-chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.) chats with Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson prior to the hearing.

Melina Mara / The Washington Post

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) cautions the deficit reduction supercommittee about not using retirement benefits to fix the nation's debt problems during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington.

J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press

The supercommittee hears testimony from Congressional Budget Office Director Doug Elmendorf.

Bill O'Leary / The Washington Post

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), right, greets Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) as the supercommittee gathers to hear testimony from Congressional Budget Office Director Doug Elmendorf.

Bill O'Leary / The Washington Post

Congressional Budget Office Director Doug Elmendorf arrives to give testimony before the supercommittee.

Bill O'Leary / The Washington Post

A protester is removed from the well as the supercommittee hears testimony from Congressional Budget Office Director Doug Elmendorf.

Bill O'Leary / The Washington Post

Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Tex.), supercommittee co-chairman, hears testimony from Congressional Budget Office Director Doug Elmendorf.

Bill O'Leary / The Washington Post

Congressional Budget Office Director Doug Elmendorf holds up a chart during testimony before the supercommittee.

Bill O'Leary / The Washington Post

Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), right, is greeted by Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) as the supercommittee gathers to hear testimony from Congressional Budget Office Director Doug Elmendorf.

Bill O'Leary / The Washington Post

A protester holds up a sign and shouts before being told to take his seat as the supercommittee hears testimony.

Bill O'Leary / The Washington Post

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), right, listens to testimony from Congressional Budget Office Director Doug Elmendorf.

Bill O'Leary / The Washington Post

Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Tex.), supercommittee co-chairs, greet each other before the panel hears testimony.

Bill O'Leary / The Washington Post

Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), right, greets Congressional Budget Office Director Doug Elmendorf after the supercommittee hears his testimony.

Bill O'Leary / The Washington Post

Sept. 8, 2011

The 12-member Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction conducts an organizational meeting on Capitol Hill. The panel has until Thanksgiving to come up with $1.5 trillion in deficit savings over the next decade or else trigger $1.2 trillion in across-the-board spending cuts.

Melina Mara / The Washington Post

Sept. 8, 2011

“This committee has the opportunity to show the American people we can still come together, put politics aside and solve a problem plaguing our country,” said Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the panel’s co-chair.

Melina Mara / The Washington Post

Sept. 8, 2011

The panel held its first public session, an organizational and introductory gathering, on the same day that President Obama presented his jobs creation proposal to Congress and the nation. “I hope it would be obvious to all that deficit reduction and a path to fiscal stability are themselves a jobs program,” said Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Tex), left, the panel’s other co-chair.

Melina Mara / The Washington Post

Sept. 8, 2011

In a series of optimistic opening statements in which committee members promised to work in a bipartisan spirit, they also worked to tie their efforts to Congress’s broader work on job creation.

Melina Mara / The Washington Post

Sept. 8, 2011

Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.), left, and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.). “We can’t fix jobs without fixing our budget, and we can’t fix our budget without fixing jobs,” Kerry said.

Melina Mara / The Washington Post

Sept. 8, 2011

Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash) with Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.). Speaking later in the day at a conference, Kyl said he would quit the supercommittee if the group moves to cut more deeply into defense spending, according to several reports.

Melina Mara / The Washington Post

Sept. 8, 2011

Sens. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), left, Patrick Toomey (R-Pa), center, and Jon Kyl (R-Ariz) at the conclusion of the panel’s meeting.

Melina Mara / The Washington Post

Sept. 8, 2011

Beyond the pledges of cooperation, members’ opening statements contained some hints of the disagreements that have separated the parties on deficit reduction.Several Democrats said the group must find a “balanced” approach to the task, suggesting that the group must raise revenue through taxes as they cut spending. Republicans endorsed addressing the tax code as part of the committee’s work but promised to do so in a way to promote growth, which could mean cutting taxes.

Melina Mara / The Washington Post

Sept. 8, 2011

Protesters briefly disrupt the committee’s meeting. Protesters in the hallway outside the Rayburn committee meeting loudly chanted: “What do we want? Jobs! When do we want them? Now!”

Melina Mara / The Washington Post

Sept. 8, 2011

A protester sits in the audience at the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction organizational meeting.

Melina Mara / The Washington Post

Sept. 7, 2011

After weekly Senate policy luncheons, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill about the supercommittee’s responsibilities,.

Melina Mara / The Washington Post

Sept. 7, 2011

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) speaks to reporters about the upcoming meeting of the 12-member deficit-reduction panel.

Melina Mara / The Washington Post

Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.)

Baucus serves as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. Baucus has played a key role in negotiating other contentious legislation, most notably the health-care overhaul bill that passed in 2010. He also led the Democratic opposition to the GOP's plans in 2005 to reform Social Security.

Joshua Roberts / Bloomberg

Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.)

Becerra is a member on the House Ways and Means Committee. He worked closely on budget issues previously when he was part of President Obama's bipartisan fiscal commission. However, he ultimately did not support the panel's final report, saying in a statement he believed it "fell short" in a few areas, including defense spending, tax reform and job creation.

Harry Hamburg / AP

Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.)

Camp also served on the Simpson-Bowles commission. Like Becerra, he did not vote in favor of its final proposal. He said in a statement that it didn’t go far enough to reduce health-care spending and that he objected to its provisions for tax increases. He is a passionate advocate of tax reform.

Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP

Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.)

In July, as tensions were running high in the debt-ceiling negotiations and it was unclear whether lawmakers would be able to reach a deal, Clyburn urged President Obama to raise the debt ceiling by executive order so as to avoid default. The House Assistant Democratic Leader is one of only two minority members of the supercommittee. The group's lack of diversity has drawn criticism from some analysts and even other lawmakers.

Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Tex.)

Hensarling is one of the supercommittee’s co-chairmen, along with Sen. Patty Murray. During Congress's August recess, he and Murray released a statement saying they were "engaging in serious discussions to determine what set of rules will govern the committee's operation, examining a schedule of potential meetings and exploring how to build a committee staff that will help us achieve success."

Carolyn Kaster / AP

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.)

This former presidential candidate is a member of the Senate Finance Committee. During the fierce debate over the debt ceiling in July, Kerry memorably told Senate colleagues that the Chinese were "laughing all the way to the bank" over the prospect that the U.S.'s credit would be downgraded.

Musadeq Sadeq / AP

Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.)

Kyl, a staunch conservative, serves on the Senate Finance Committee. He was part of the Biden-led deficit talks but ultimately followed his Republican colleague Eric Cantor in pulling out of the negotiations.

Alex Brandon / AP

Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.)

Patty Murray will act as co-chairwoman of the super committee. Some Republicans were critical of Murray's appointment because she is already chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. They worried that the need to reach a bipartisan agreement with her GOP colleagues might conflict with the strongly partisan nature of her responsibilities at the DSCC.

Elaine Thompson / AP

Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio)

Portman is widely regarded as an expert on budget issues. Before coming to the senate, he worked in two Republican White Houses, including as director of the Office of Management and Budget under President George W. Bush.

NIcholas Kamm / AFP/Getty Images

Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.)

Toomey, a former businessman, is the one panel member to oppose the recent debt compromise.

Alex Brandon / AP

Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.)

Liberal environmental groups slammed Upton’s appointment to the group. They expressed disapproval over his close ties to the oil industry, whose tax breaks are being reconsidered.

Charles Dharapak / AP

Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.)

Van Hollen is the ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee. He was a participant in the debt-ceiling talks lead by Vice President Biden that ultimately did not produce a formal proposal.

J. Scott Applewhite / AP

Featured Photo Galleries

Novelist Toni Morrison laughs with U.S. President Barack Obama before being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, May 29, 2012. The Medal of Freedom is the nation's highest civilian honor. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg *** Local Caption *** Toni Morrison; Barack Obama

Obama Honors Medal of Freedom Recipients

President Barack honored a diverse group of political and cultural icons.

PARIS, FRANCE - MAY 29: Serena Williams of USA stretches to plays a forehand in her women's singles first round match between Serena Williams of USA and Virginie Razzano of France during day three of the French Open at Roland Garros on May 29, 2012 in Paris, France. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

French Open results: Serena Williams loses, Maria Sharapova cruises

The American tennis star lost in the first round of a Grand Slam event.

Winnie Pajcic, 9, holds on to a railing as she leans back in the wind during a visit to Stockton Park in Ortega, Fla., in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Beryl on Monday May 28, 2012. Beryl came ashore early Monday near Jacksonville Beach with near-hurricane-strength winds of 70 mph. (AP Photo/The Florida Times-Union, Kelly Jordan)

Tropical storm Beryl, Flugtag, Rolling Thunder, Memorial Day and more in the day in photos

Tropical storm Beryl, Flugtag, Rolling Thunder, Memorial Day and more.

Camels rest at a watering hole outside the town of Aleg May 25, 2012. REUTERS/Joe Penney (MAURITANIA - Tags: ANIMALS SOCIETY)

Camels, tigers, turtles, a giant stag beetle and more in animal views

Camels, tigers, turtles, a giant stag beetle and more.

ANNAPOLIS, MD- MAY 29: Graduates cheer as the Blue Angels fly over during the 100th anniversary of the United States Naval Academy Graduation and Commissioning Ceremonies in Annapolis, Maryland, on Tuesday, May 29, 2012. U.S Sec. of Defense Leon Edward Panetta gave the graduation address. (Photo by Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post)

U.S. Naval Academy graduation

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta gave the commencement address at the ceremony.

LAS VEGAS, NV - MAY 26: Singer/actress Jennifer Lopez (C) performs with dancers during the Q'Viva! The Chosen Live show at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on May 26, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Eye on entertainment

Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, Lil Jon, Eddie Van Halen, Mariah Carey and other celebrities.

Doc Watson, bluegrass and folk legend, dies at 89

The blind singer and guitarist was a Grammy winner, known for his flat-picking style of guitar playing.

Henry, a calf, sustained a head wound and required stitches after being slashed over the weekend.

Farm animals attacked in Fairfax

A calf, two goats and a chicken were slashed over the weekend at Frying Pan Farm Park in Herndon.

Back to Previous Gallery

Discussion Policy | FAQ | About Discussions

Comments

Add your comment

Read what others are saying About Badges

SuperFan Badge

SuperFan badge holders consistently post smart, timely comments about Washington area sports and teams.

More about badges | Request a badge

Culture Connoisseur Badge

Culture Connoisseurs consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on the arts, lifestyle and entertainment.

More about badges | Request a badge

Fact Checker Badge

Fact Checkers contribute questions, information and facts to The Fact Checker.

More about badges | Request a badge

Washingtologist Badge

Washingtologists consistently post thought-provoking, timely comments on events, communities, and trends in the Washington area.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Writer Badge

This commenter is a Washington Post editor, reporter or producer.

Post Forum Badge

Post Forum members consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on politics, national and international affairs.

More about badges | Request a badge

Weather Watcher Badge

Weather Watchers consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on climates and forecasts.

More about badges | Request a badge

World Watcher Badge

World Watchers consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on international affairs.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Contributor Badge

This commenter is a Washington Post contributor. Post contributors aren’t staff, but may write articles or columns. In some cases, contributors are sources or experts quoted in a story.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Recommended

Washington Post reporters or editors recommend this comment or reader post.

You must be logged in to report a comment.

Comments our editors find particularly useful or relevant are displayed in Top Comments, as are comments by users with these badges: . Replies to those posts appear here, as well as posts by staff writers.

All comments are posted in the All Comments tab.

More about badges

Get a badge

To pause and restart automatic updates, click "Live" or "Paused". If paused, you'll be notified of the number of additional comments that have come in.