The hottest ticket in Washington: A seat on the 'super committee'

WASHINGTON--It's the hottest new club in Washington, even if the name isn't very snazzy: the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction.

That's the 12-member congressional panel created under the debt ceiling agreement that just passed Congress, hours before a possible U.S. default. It's already been dubbed a "super committee," and it will wield enormous power.

Under the debt deal, that select committee will be tasked with coming up with $1.5 trillion in debt-reduction measures by Nov. 23. Along with spending cuts, the panel can consider tax increases and entitlement reforms--the two most politically-charged issues in the current debate over fiscal restraint. And Congress must hold an up-or-down vote on the committee's proposal, which would take only a simple majority to pass.

It's the "great hope" of the debt agreement, said Sen. Joseph Lieberman, a Connecticut independent.

For others, "great fear" might be a more apt description. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3rd District, said she's worried that committee will come up with a plan that will "put Medicare, Social Security, and Medicaid in jeopardy."

There's no question that the composition of the committee will be critical to its success--or its failure. And already, some lawmakers are vying for a seat on it.

"I'd love to be on it," said Rep. Jim Himes, D-4th District. "It's obviously going to be the nexus of some very challenging decisions... It's where the action is going to be in the coming months on fiscal issues."

The four leaders of the House and Senate will each get to appoint three members, so there will be six Democrats and six Republicans. Himes said he plans to express his interest in a slot to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi soon, although he said his chances of getting picked are probably slim. No one else in the Connecticut delegation appeared to be openly lobbying for the assignment, but most weren't ruling it out either.

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