Posted: 9/16/11 09:23 AM ET
They have descended on the Congress in recent days to persuade rank-and-file lawmakers to act as de facto lobbyists themselves, penetrating the committee and convincing their colleagues to protect the interests of special groups.
"It's a strategy of turning members (of Congress) into lobbyists," said Rich Gold, a partner at the Washington firm Holland & Knight.
As he spoke to Reuters, Gold was on his way to the Senate to meet with lawmakers and their staff on behalf of a client to discuss corporate tax reform, which will likely be part of the committee's deliberations.
"Having a lot of support from the rank and file members in Congress and having them talk to the super committee members is going to be critical," Gold said. "You are going to have to motivate groups of members to talk to the super committee members to get something in, to keep something out, or to prevent something from being cut."
The special bipartisan committee, made up of six Republican and six Democratic lawmakers, was formed as part of the deal to raise the U.S. debt limit and is meant to operate free from pressure from Congress and outsiders.
Full Story: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/16/super-committee-lobbyists_n_965839.html
