The departure of a member of the "Gang of Six" initially seems like it would be a major setback to the process of reaching an agreement between the two parties on reducing the long-term national budget deficit.
But the prospect of a deal remains as likely as it did before Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) decided to leave the talks: President Obama and either House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) or Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) probably will need to hash out and sign off on any agreement for it to be accepted by members of both parties in Congress. |