Bi-partisan debt commission proposed

WASHINGTON, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- An increasing number of U.S. legislators support creating a commission that could force a vote on budget cuts and tax hikes, a budget watchdog group said.

The Washington Post reported Thursday that 35 senators of both parties are ready to support a bipartisan commission, a proposal that also has initial support from the White House.

"I think there's more interest in the proposal not only in Congress but at the White House because there's a growing realization the deficit and the debt are reaching such levels they can't be ignored any longer," said Robert Bixby, executive director of the Concord Coalition, budget watchdog group.

"No one party can or will do this on its own," said Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., chairman of the Senate Budget Committee and a leading advocate of forming a commission.

Similar commissions, however, have a mixed history. Many were deadlocked by party differences. However, a commission that designated which of the older military bases should close, begun in 1988, was able to remove some tough choices from open debate.

Tough choices now surround the federal debt. Lawmakers this week allowed the Treasury to issue $290 billion in new bonds, raising the potential public debt to $12.4 trillion.