the amount of entitlement savings that was proposed by democrats on the super committee, senate democrats, exceeded the amount of savings proposed by simpson-bowles and everyone said that s a very, very serious measure. yes, there were some democrats who didn t like it. but, we knew we had to do that, and we did. and just one other point, everyone in the room agrees that democrats put entitlements on the table. rob portman, one of the republican super-negotiators, said when asked did democrats put entitlements on the table, he said, yes, i give them credit for that. that s his words, not mine. senator, let me ask you about simpson/bowles. this, of course, was the panel that was convened, it was set up by praums, alan simpson, former senator of wyoming republican, erskine bowles, a democrat. it did call for tax increases. it did call for cutting benefits to social security and medicare. it did call for sweeping tax reform. there a prospect of some revival of simpson/bowles now? yes.
said that was too high, our people lowered the amount. but, second, we were willing to put significant entitlement savings reform on the table. the amount of entitlement savings that was proposed by democrats on the super committee, senate democrats, exceeded the amount of savings proposed by simpson/bowles, and everyone said that s a very, very serious measure. yes, there were some democrats who didn t like it. but, we knew we had to do that, and we did. and just one other point, everyone in the room agrees that democrats put entitlements on the table. rob portman, one of the republican super-negotiators, said when asked did democrats put entitlements on the table, he said, yes, i give them credit for that. that s his words, not mine. senator, let me ask you about simpson/bowles. this, of course, was the panel that was convened, it was set up by president obama, alan simpson, former senator of
very serious measure. yes, there were some democrats who didn t like it. but, we knew we had to do that, and we did. and just one other point, everyone in the room agrees that democrats put entitlements on the table. rob portman, one of the republican super-negotiators, said when asked did democrats put entitlements on the table, he said, yes, i give them credit for that. that s his words, not mine. senator, let me ask you about simpson/bowles. this, of course, was the panel that was convened, it was set up by president obama, alan simpson, former senator of wyoming, republican, erskine bowles, a democrat. it did call for tax increases. it did call for cutting benefits to social security and medicare. it did call for sweeping tax reform. is there a prospect of some revival of simpson/bowles now? yes. i believe this is a contrarian