Disagreement Stalls Deficit Commission

Republicans and Democrats remain divided over the issues of taxes and spending. And that’s making it difficult for President Barack Obama’s deficit commission to reach an agreement it can present to Congress, Politico reports.

Commission chairmen Alan Simpson, a former Republican senator, and Erskine Bowles [pictured], former chief of staff to President Bill Clinton, have put off a vote by the commission until Friday in hopes of negotiating an accord to slash $3.8 trillion from the budget deficit in coming years.

The committee has 18 members, including six sitting congressmen from each party. Agreement from 14 of the members will be necessary for Congress to vote on the commission’s proposal. Republicans adamantly oppose tax increases to trim the deficit or attack the shortfall in Social Security funding, while Democrats strongly oppose any cutbacks in Social Security or Medicare benefits.