Super Committee failure is business as usual

President Obama pledged on Monday that he would veto any efforts by lawmakers to repeal the automatic spending cuts triggered after the failure of the Super Committee to work out a deal to save $1.2 trillion over the next 10 years.

WASHINGTON DC (Catholic Online) - Obama told reporters, "there will be no easy off ramps on this one." Obama placed the blame for the Super Committee failure squarely in the laps of the Republicans. He defended his veto threat as a means of maintaining pressure on legislators to reach a compromise.

"We need to keep up the pressure to compromise, not turn off the pressure," Obama said at an afternoon press conference.

"The only way these spending cuts will not take place is if Congress gets back to work to reduce the deficit by at least $1.2 trillion. They've still got a year to figure it out." Obama reassured reporters that the deficit would be reduced by at least $2.2 trillion over the next decade "one way or another."

Because of the Super Committee's failure, the clock is now ticking towards 2013. At that time, automatic spending cuts will fall evenly on both military and domestic programs. 

The cuts are designed to draconian, and are intended to force legislators to compromise by threatening programs that are dear to them and their ideological bases.

The threats to defense spending have drawn exceptional commentary from Republicans who say that the $600 billion in mandatory cuts are a threat to national security. Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham issued a statement saying the defense spending cuts, "cannot be allowed to occur."

Democrats are blaming the Republicans' staunch position on increased taxes. Republicans have repeatedly  refused to accept any plan which increases taxes saying that such plans will kill jobs. Democrats are claiming that enhanced tax revenues are necessary to close the gap.

For some, the failure of the Super Committee isn't a disaster, it is a blessing in disguise. Several conservatives argue that the spending cuts offered by Democrats were not authentic, and that simply raising taxes on "job creators" would actually harm the economy.

Not all hope is lost, Congress still has until 2013 to work out a compromise solution before the automatic spending cuts take effect.

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