Senator Kyl is the No. 2 Senate Republican. Though he will retire at the end of his term next year, he is still the indispensable GOP senator in any bipartisan negotiation. Elected unanimously to be Republican whip, Kyl is respected for his grasp of detail, ability to persuade, and – by Senate standards – relatively self-effacing ways. He serves on the Senate Finance Committee and has worked with Democrats on tax and trade issues, notably to curb the estate tax.
In June, he walked out of debt talks with Vice President Joe Biden in a dispute over tax hikes, which GOP leaders say are “job killing” and off the table. He is unlikely to budge off that no-net-tax-hike position when serving on the new debt super panel.
