Why doing nothing yields $7.1 trillion in deficit cuts

From E.J. Dionne:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/post/why-doing-nothing-yields-71-trillion-in-deficit-cuts/2011/11/16/gIQAsOdwRN_blog.html?wpisrc=nl_wonk

In my column today, I note that because certain things will happen automatically if Congress does nothing, inaction would lead to $7.1 trillion in deficit reduction over the next decade. For that reason, I argue, failure by the supercommittee to reach a deal would not necessarily be a bad thing for those who want a balanced approach to deficit reduction.