Local Rep. Becerra Named to 'Super Congress'

The Huffington Post is today reporting that House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has selected three representatives to serve on a deficit reducing "Super Congress," among them local Congressman Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.).

The committee was formed as a stipulation of a debt ceiling plan struck by congress last week, and will be charged with devising a 10-year plan to eliminate the nation's deficit by $1.5 trillion.

According to the HuffPost, the congress comprises six democrats and six republicans, chosen from both sides of the aisle.

    From the HuffPost:

"The committee will need only seven votes to pass its proposal. The rest of Congress will not have the power to amend their plan, obstruct it from coming to a vote, or even filibuster it in the Senate -- they will only be able to vote it up or down."

Becerra, whose district includes Highland Park, Mount Washington, Eagle Rock and Echo Park, was a vocal opponent of the debt-ceiling deal, saying "It does nothing about the main drivers of our deficits: the Bush tax cuts, and the unfunded wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. And it does nothing to fix the biggest deficit holding our economy back: the jobs deficit."

In a press-release announcing his selection to the "Super Congress," Becerra said the following:

“It is an honor and a great responsibility to be entrusted with this assignment by our Leader Nancy Pelosi.

We face a defining challenge for the future of our nation: Will America lead by putting its economy back on track and its people back to work? This select committee gives us a chance to prove that we can tackle our biggest deficit—the jobs deficit—at the same time that we restore fiscal responsibility in our budget.

I look forward to working with my 11 colleagues to present to the people of our country an American solution to this challenge. Working in a bipartisan fashion without damaging pre-conditions will guarantee the greatest chance of success. And I thank Leader Pelosi for once again making sure that the voices of all Americans are at the table."

A full list of the representatives named to the "Super Congress," as well as links to the biggest campaign contributors, can be found here.