House Speaker John Boehner has appointed both Congressman Dave Camp of Midland and Fred Upton of St. Joseph to serve on the deficit supercommittee established by the debt-ceiling deal.
A total of 12 members from the House and Senate (6 from each party, 3 from each chamber) will be appointed by the caucus leaders. Both Senate leaders have already made their picks. Reports indicate that the six Republicans appointed to serve have already vowed not to raise taxes, making it unlikely they'll go beyond anything but looking at additional cuts.
In a statement, Congressman Upton noted that he was "humbled by the trust Speaker Boehner and our leadership team have placed in us", and that he stood ready to serve.
Local officials are urged to not only speak with their own congressional representatives during this August recess, but to also contact Congressmen Camp and Upton and let them know of the value of the investments that have been made with federal dollars. Let them know that we cannot simply cut our way to prosperity, we must also invest.
Arnold Weinfeld is Director of Strategic Initiatives and Federal Affairs for the Michigan Municipal League. He can be reached at 517-908-0304 or by e-mail
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