From the Associated Press, about intra-Democratic disagreement over spending: "There's a growing consensus among Senate Democrats and the White
House that Social Security pension benefits should be exempt from any
deficit-reduction package. But some centrist Democrats in the Senate
argue that fellow Democrats must be willing to consider cuts to Medicare
and Medicaid — the government programs providing health care coverage
to the elderly and poor — in order to get concessions from Republicans
on taxes. 'It has to be both — a significant revenue increase as well as
spending cuts,' said Democratic Sen. Max Baucus, chairman of the Senate
Finance Committee."
More: "Democratic Sen. Kent Conrad, who is retiring as chairman of the
Senate Budget Committee, said rising health care costs in Medicare and
Medicaid are helping to drive future spending, making them an essential
part of a long-term deficit-reduction package. 'I've been part of every bipartisan group here. We've always put
everything on the table,' Conrad said. 'If you're going to solve this
problem, you're going to have to deal with where the spending is and the
revenue can be raised."
Senate Democrats Divided Over Benefit Cuts
