Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., declared this morning that appointees to the deficit reduction committee should not have a “preconceived idea” about the process, a principle that conflicts with the pledge from Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., not to appoint anyone to the committee who would support cutting entitlement benefits.
Kerry directed his appeal to his Republican colleagues in the House and Senate, Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., during an interview on Morning Joe:
If Kerry’s rejection of a “preconceived idea” were accepted as a bipartisan principle, Minority Leader Pelosi might have to withdraw her promise not to appoint any Democratic representatives who support entitlement cuts.
Pelosi’s pledge is precisely the kind of litmus test that Kerry criticized. After abjuring Republican congressional members with strong preconceptions, Kerry argued for staffing the deficit reduction committee with members of Congress who could help deal with “our long-term structural problem.” Earlier in the interview, he described that “structural problem” as “the structural deficit on Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.
Neither Kerry’s office nor Pelosi’s office responded immediately to Washington Examiner queries. We’ll let you know what we hear back.
