By Jack Moore
Federal News Radio

Speculation about the Congressional super committee — tasked with finding as much as $1.5 trillion in deficit cuts by the end of November — has swirled ever since the panel was set up in the wake of the debt ceiling deal.

What will the committee cut? When will they get to work? Will they even be able to strike a deal? And what will such a deal look like for federal employees?

Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), who sits on the committee, told Federal News Radio the answers to most of these questions are still up in the air. But even so, he said, he remains “cautiously optimistic.”

The members of the committee have not formally met — Congress is still in its summer recess — but Van Hollen said there have been conversations among the members about the “nuts and bolts,” of the committee’s work, including staffing.

Beyond that, he said his first hope is that “the members of the committee and Congress, in general, got the message that the American public want us to work together.”

As a Washington, D.C.-area lawmaker, Van Hollen represents many government employees, many of whom have said they fear their pay and benefits being laid on the debt committee’s chopping block.

Van Hollen said there has been a “whole lot of misinformation” on federal employee compensation going back even before the debt ceiling deal. “Federal employees have demonstrated that they are willing to be a part of the solution, but don’t make them the scapegoats,” he added.

The 12 members from the Senate and House appointed to the panel must work through what Van Hollen called the “Gordian knot” of balancing spending and entitlement cuts as well as tax increases to develop the package before a Nov. 23 deadline. The full Congress will then have a month to accept or reject the committee’s recommendations. If not, then a trigger of automatic, across-the-board and steep budget cuts will be enacted.

The congressman called the trigger a “Sword of Damocles,” hanging over the committee members’ heads.”That would really be bad news for the American people,” he said of the automatic cuts.

On the specifics, however, Van Hollen remained cautious, which he acknowledged.

“I think it’s important that we not over-promise,” he said, adding that he thinks the committee can exceed expectations.

“I believe if we come together in the right spirit,” and build upon the bipartisan work of previous deficit commissions as a framework, “then I think we have reason for some optimism.”

The full Congress returns after Labor Day. Van Hollen said the committee has not yet settled on an official start date.

Federal News Radio web editor Vyomika Jairam contributed to this report.

RELATED STORIES:

Analysis: No ‘firebrands’ on super committee

What’s the super committee’s first order of business?

For super committee, is compromise possible?

Copyright © 2024 Federal News Network. All rights reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.