government
Obama, Republicans name debt commission members
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted March 29, 2010
President Obama has appointed the last four of his six members to the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform. Obama created the commission under a Feb. 18 executive order and charged it with crafting proposals to control federal deficits and the national debt, including by reducing health spending growth. Congress is not required to act on the panel's recommendations, which are due by Dec. 1.
Obama already had appointed the panel's co-chairs: former White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles and former Sen. Alan Simpson (R, Wyo.). On Feb. 26, Obama added Dave Cote, chair and CEO of Honeywell; Ann Fudge, former chair and CEO of advertising firm Young & Rubicam Brands; Alice Rivlin, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and the first director of the Congressional Budget Office; and Andy Stern, president of the Service Employees International Union, which represents 2.2 million workers, including many in the health care industry.
Republicans named their six appointees on March 12. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R, Ky.) appointed Sens. Judd Gregg (R, N.H.), Mike Crapo (R, Idaho) and Tom Coburn, MD (R, Okla.). House Minority Leader John Boehner (R, Ohio) named Reps. Paul Ryan (R, Wis.), Dave Camp (R, Mich.) and Jeb Hensarling (R, Texas).
At this article's deadline, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D, Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D, Nev.) had not named their six commission appointees.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2010/03/29/gvbf0329.htm.
