The special congressional debt reduction super committee, which meets today for the first time, will also be discussing job growth instead of focusing solely on what they are charged with -- cutting the budget deficit.

Some Democrats are now saying they want the group to include job creation as part of its work.

They argue that economic growth will bring more money into Washington and that will help cut the deficit.

Republicans counter that the best way to help the economy is to cut Washington's spending.

The bipartisan, 12-member committee was formed to cut $1.5 trillion from the federal deficit over the next decade.

Democrats want a combination of spending cuts and tax increases. Republicans oppose new taxes, but some say they could go along with closing some tax loopholes.

"Failure is not an option," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said.

McConnell said congressional leaders have appointed serious lawmakers to the panel.

"We fully anticipate they will meet their goals. And we'll see whether they can even go beyond that," he said.

However, many political analysts doubt the committee can do anything to reduce the nation's enormous $14 trillion debt bill, especially with the 2012 elections on the horizon.