A recent letter to the editor criticized Congressman Chuck Edwards of not supporting the needs and values of his constituents, mentioning culture war issues of immigration and abortion [“Rep. Edwards Fails to Represent Us,” Jan. 31, Xpress].
But largely out of view of corporate and social media, he voted to advance HR 5779 out of the House Budget Committee. If the Fiscal Commission Act of 2023 makes it into law, it creates a way to cut the federal budget, including Medicare and Social Security, largely behind closed doors and without allowing Congress to modify the text of any bill advanced by only seven voting members of the commission.
The devil is in the details, but some highlights are:
• The committee’s bills are made public 24 hours after being issued.
• The House and Senate then have two-11 days (it’s complicated) to vote on the bills, without amendment, not allowing points of order or procedural issues to be raised.
• Two hours (you read that right) of debate are allowed in the Senate and House.
• If the president vetoes it, then 10 hours of debate are allowed during an override attempt.
Follow this closely and ask Rep. Edwards what spending will be targeted by this commission.
— David Dixon
Asheville
