Superbad

Guest post by UFCW Assistant Director of Communications, Politics and Advocacy, Tim Schlittner: 

“It will not be possible to make any bipartisan agreement available to the public before the committee’s deadline.”

That was the statement last night from the 12-member committee charged with crafting a plan to reduce our nation’s deficit. It’s the latest embarrassment for a Congress that has failed miserably to address the needs of working Americans.

Now automatic spending cuts of $1.2 trillion—many on the backs of ordinary families—are set to take place. These cuts, combined with the turmoil this latest failure is likely to cause in the markets, will make it even more difficult to usher in a true economic recovery.

Congressional Republicans deserve the lion’s share of blame for this outcome. They were unwilling to raise taxes on the wealthiest American’s a single nickel, asking instead for average Americans and seniors to pick up the tab for a mess they did not create. It is unlikely that any major legislative achievement can occur until Republicans show more loyalty to their constituents than Grover Norquist.

With the Supercommittee process coming to an end, it is time for Congress to focus on the jobs deficit, not just the fiscal deficit. It should pass the American Jobs Act which would put millions of people back to work rebuilding America. More jobs mean more taxpayers. More taxpayers mean a lower deficit. It’s pretty simple.

House Republicans should end their ideological war against the National Labor Relations Board, Planned Parenthood, the Environmental Protection Agency, and vegetables, and get to work creating jobs.

That’s what the American people want and deserve.