- 11/11/10 03:54 PM ET
The draft report released by the co-chairmen of President Obama's fiscal commission is a "starting point" for an "important discussion," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Thursday.
Reid said that even though he does not agree with every recommendation made by former Clinton Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles and former Sen. Alan Simpson (R-Wyo.), the report could spur debate on the nation's debt and deficit.
"While I don't agree with every one of their recommendations, what they have provided is a starting point for this important discussion," he said in a statement. "I look forward to the full commission's recommendations and to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to address this important issue."As Reid's statement shows, he has the difficult task of balancing the liberal and centrist elements of the Senate Democratic caucus, which have split over the fiscal commission report and the looming debate over the expiring Bush tax cuts that are expected to dominate next week's lame-duck session.
Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), a key centrist, championed the report Thursday, but liberal Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) condemned it Wednesday, saying it proposes draconian cuts to Social Security and could hurt the middle class.
Reid's counterpart in the House, outgoing Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Wednesday labeled the report "simply unacceptable."
Republican leaders have also taken heat from their base over the report's proposed tax hikes, and GOP lawmakers have generally been tight-lipped on its contents.
Reid said that even though he does not agree with every recommendation made by former Clinton Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles and former Sen. Alan Simpson (R-Wyo.), the report could spur debate on the nation's debt and deficit.
Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), a key centrist, championed the report Thursday, but liberal Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) condemned it Wednesday, saying it proposes draconian cuts to Social Security and could hurt the middle class.
Reid's counterpart in the House, outgoing Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Wednesday labeled the report "simply unacceptable."
Republican leaders have also taken heat from their base over the report's proposed tax hikes, and GOP lawmakers have generally been tight-lipped on its contents.
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