In August, the White House and Capitol Hill leadership established a Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction to identify $1.2 trillion in cuts from the federal deficit over the coming decade. The committee, comprised of 12 members of Congress, has until November 23 to come up with the necessary cuts and revenue increases. Unfortunately, nothing in the law that created this special committee requires it to operate in an open and accountable manner.
The Open Society Foundations call on the co-chairs of the committee to establish a credible and transparent process when they hold their first meeting on September 8. Specifically, we urge the committee to broadcast its official meetings and to disclose the personal financial interests of committee members and staff, campaign contributions received by committee members, and participation in lobby meetings.