Even before the panel is officially up and running, some interests are already preparing activities to protect their causes.

Politico: Super committeers: Progress Made
The super committee might not have a staff director, rules in place, or a room to meet in, but leaders of the powerful budget-slashing panel insisted Wednesday that progress is being made. Co-chairs Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) said in a joint-statement that they’re engaged in "serious discussions" on the details (Kim, 8/24).

The Hill: Bipartisan Children's Caucus Prepares For Super Committee
The bipartisan House Congressional Children's Caucus will kick off its activities for this session of Congress next month, days before the deficit super committee is due to start weighing deep cuts to the nation's health care programs. Advocates expect it to protect Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program, which could bear the brunt of the cuts proposed by the super committee created by legislation to increase the debt ceiling. If the super committee can't identify at least $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction before Thanksgiving, a trigger would automatically cut Medicare payments by 2 percent while leaving Medicaid unscathed (Pecquet, 8/24).