A leading reform proposal is Cooper’s own entitlement reform commission bill, on which he has worked for years alongside Republican Rep. Frank Wolf (Va.). House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) has backed that plan, while Pelosi has not embraced it.
Last month, Cooper and New Democratic Coalition Co-Chairman Rep. Ron Kind (D-Wis.) said they would push to have the entitlement reform commission proposal included in the stimulus bill — and strongly hinted that their votes might depend on its inclusion.
Last week a number of additional Blue Dogs and New Democrats began talking about possibly making a stand against the stimulus bill if long-term fiscal reform language was not included in the massive expenditure, according to aides.
On Wednesday, though, all hope for having a major entitlement or spending reform plan enacted through the stimulus essentially vanished.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Obama said, “We expect that discussion around entitlements will be a part, a central part” of efforts to reform federal spending. Obama said that by the time he submits his budget proposal in February, “we will have more to say about how we’re going to approach entitlement spending.”
Hoyer, the Blue Dogs’ strongest ally at the leadership table, said it was “doubtful that we will get into the debate about that in the stimulus package.”
But instead of viewing recent developments as a setback, many Blue Dogs were elated.
“The mere fact that Obama even said the ‘E’ word” — meaning entitlements — was a “huge” victory, according to one Blue Dog aide.
“I was encouraged that he’s recognizing that we’ve got a major problem and a major obligation to face with long-term solvency issues,” Kind said.
Kind was not as quick to offer Obama and congressional Democrats a free pass on when such reforms will be offered through legislation.
“My only concern with him proposing it in his budget is that there’s nothing binding,” Kind said. “I thought the stimulus would be timely and appropriate.”
Wolf took to the House floor on multiple occasions Wednesday to make that same point, although much more forcefully.
“I think it’s a mistake,” Wolf said after one impassioned speech calling for the Cooper-Wolf bill to be included in the stimulus package.
In speaking about the likelihood of having to consider Draconian cuts in Medicare and Medicaid and possibility Social Security benefits, Wolf said, “Congress will not have the courage, foresight or ability to vote on these issues.”
For Blue Dogs, Obama brings the hope that Congress will have that courage, either on its own or through a bipartisan or quasi-congressional commission.
“Obviously, we’d rather have it in the [stimulus] package,” said Rep. Allen Boyd (Fla.), who is a Cooper-Wolf co-sponsor and one of only a handful of Democrats to vote against the last two economic stimulus bills. “But we do have a new administration coming in that has talked a great deal about this. Barack Obama clearly understands what a fiscal mess we’ve been left with.”
Boyd said he understands the “opportunity is now,” but was eager to defer to Obama’s verbal commitment to address the issue in detail through his budget proposal.
“There’s a lot of must-pass stuff that comes through here,” he said. “This is not the last train leaving the station.”
“It’s only fair that we give the president-elect time to get seated in his chair before we ask him to save the world,” said Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D-Calif.).
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