Super Committee's Potential for Success in Question

Aug. 17, 2011— -- When the super committee on deficit reduction begins meeting early next month, the expectations for the bipartisan group of lawmakers to succeed will be immense as the country's stagnant economy limps through another partisan battle on Capitol Hill.

But for an ostensibly stubborn, divided Congress that has faced legislative gridlock most of the year, the trillion-dollar question is whether the bipartisan team will reach a consensus to reduce the deficit by $1.2 trillion before the Nov. 23 deadline, or will the committee work right up to the cut-off date only to produce another report that fails to address the country's most pressing challenges on spending.

Since House Speaker John Boehner seized the gavel Jan. 5, the president has signed just 29 acts of Congress into law -- including a host of non-landmark items like four temporary FAA reauthorizations, and a slew of administrative measures such as naming federal buildings and extending the term of the FBI director -- hardly legislative victories for the president to boast about on the campaign trail.

So far this year, political showdowns on the most significant measures the president has signed into law -- the FY2011 continuing resolution to fund the government and the Budget Control Act to raise the debt limit -- sucked up most of the political oxygen in Washington this year. The partisan fight nearly brought down the economy before the divided Congress finally buckled on a compromise and sent a deal to the president.

It's unclear how soon the latest deficit reduction committee could sit down to begin deliberations, but sources indicate the appointees likely will not become engaged in direct negotiations until after Labor Day when Congress returns to session from summer recess.

Earlier this month the president signed another short-term FAA extension, so Congress will also have to quickly return to that issue when both Houses return to session after Labor Day, as the extension runs out once again on Sept. 16.