Commission Impossible

By Richard Hornik/Washington

In a town known for using political cliches to paper over critical issues, no phrase passes the lips of Washington politicians more easily than "bipartisan commission" -- except, of course, for that old standby, "blue-ribbon panel." Over the years these august bodies have contemplated practically every vexing issue, from Central America to Social Security. Although the commissions rarely solve the problem at hand, they invariably buy time for the responsible authorities to put off unpleasant decisions, sometimes ! indefinitely. The latest commission with a formidable mission came into being last week, when the National Economic Commission began its search for ways of reducing the federal budget deficit.

Authorization for the 14-member NEC, originally championed by New York Governor Mario Cuomo, was tacked to the mammoth budget bill passed by Congress in December. Six members were appointed by the Democratic congressional leaders, four by their Republican counterparts and two by President Reagan; two more will be appointed in November by the President-elect. The board was given a deadline of March 1, 1989, and $1 million to produce a politically acceptable fiscal blueprint for the next Administration and Congress.

The White House was decidedly cool to the idea of a special commission because its very existence implies the failure of Reaganomics. Said one former Administration official: "People at the White House were not happy about this at all. For a while they considered appointing a couple of economists from the Labor or Commerce Department to show their disdain." In the end, Reagan appointed two of his top former Cabinet Secretaries, Drew Lewis (Transportation) and Caspar Weinberger (Defense). Said New York Democratic Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, who sponsored the commission's founding legislation and is himself a member: "The President could have been grumpy about this and chose not to be."

Senate Minority Leader Robert Dole had the final say in choosing the remaining four Republicans on the commission: Pete Domenici, the ranking minority member of the Senate Budget Committee; Bill Frenzel, a member of the House Ways and Means Committee; Donald Rumsfeld, who served as Defense Secretary under President Gerald Ford; and Dean Kleckner, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation. The Democratic leaders of the House and Senate chose their own batch of household names: Chrysler Chairman Lee Iacocca; Investment Banker Felix Rohatyn; Lane Kirkland, president of the AFL- CIO; and Robert Strauss, former chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Congressional Democrats will be represented by Moynihan and House Budget Committee Chairman William H. Gray III.

If nothing else, the NEC's members carry enormous reputations into their deliberations. But some old Washington hands fear that those reputations -- and the immodesty that often comes with them -- may cause more problems than partisan differences may cause. "It will be difficult," admitted one Senate staffer, "to find a room big enough for all those egos." Lewis and Strauss, who were selected co-chairmen during the commission's initial meeting in Washington last week, will have the job of encouraging the group to work together.

Critics fear that the panel members may have a hidden agenda. Frets Daniel Mitchell, director of tax and budget policy for the conservative Citizens for a Sound Economy: "There are people out there who want this commission to recommend tax increases and provide political cover for them." Liberals fear that the presence of members with corporate ties will mean that any tax hikes will fall on individuals instead of on businesses. Agreement on spending cuts could be hard to reach, since several members have special interests. Weinberger, for example, may resist any attack on the defense budget, and Kleckner may want to protect farm subsidies.

Because of concern that its findings may be politicized if they are leaked before the November elections, the commission will proceed at a rather stately pace. A limited staff and the commission members' busy schedules will also slow progress. Cynics point out that the time frame for deliberations will excuse this Congress and President from making any difficult decisions in an election year.

But the commission members say they deserve a chance. Observes Frenzel: "With the inadequate deficit solutions of the past years, it seems that the National Economic Commission is the last line of defense. Perhaps it can achieve some kind of progress. Nothing else has worked."