In a National Journal/United Technologies live policy briefing on Tuesday morning, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., said that Republican members of the super committee refused every step of the way to meet Democrats halfway on a deficit-reduction deal.
Kerry said that Democrats unanimously pushed for a near-$4 trillion deal at the expense of many "sacred cows" of Democratic entitlement policies, but Republicans would not compromise.
On the last day, Kerry said, super committee Democrats were willing to accept a proposal put forward by Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., for just $350 billion in revenue, coupled with an additional $1.2 trillion in entitlement cuts -- provided that Republicans stop insisting on the continuation of the Bush tax cuts.
The super committee failed, Kerry said, because even with just hours to go until the deadline, the GOP would not budge on the extension of these cuts for the wealthy. "We never had a serious discussion," Kerry said. "Republicans believe in the end that they will win the presidency and the Senate [in 2012]. They put American second and the politics first."
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