Gang of Six

Gang of Six is the name given to either of two bipartisan groups of six Senators, with both groups consisting of three Democrats and three Republicans. One group, active in 2009, focused on health care reform in the United States during the 111th United States Congress. A different group, active in 2011, focused on following up upon the compromise over the United States public debt from the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform.

Senator Kent Conrad of North Dakota participated in both groups.

2009 on health care

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into America’s Healthy Future Act. (Discuss) Proposed since September 2009.

During 2009, the Gang of Six referred to six members of the Senate Finance Committee of the 111th United States Congress who attempted to negotiate a compromise in passing a health care reform bill. Among the bills under consideration at the time were United States National Health Care Act, America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009, Healthy Americans Act (Wyden-Bennett), and America’s Healthy Future Act (Baucus plan).

The six states the legislators represent - Iowa, Maine, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, and Wyoming - have a combined population of 8.4 million, about the same as New York City, or 2.74 percent of the United States as a whole.

Democrats

Max Baucus (Montana)

Jeff Bingaman (New Mexico)

Kent Conrad (North Dakota)

Republicans

Mike Enzi (Wyoming)

Chuck Grassley (Iowa)

Olympia Snowe (Maine)

2011 on national debt

During 2011, the Gang of Six is led by Democrat Mark Warner and Republican Saxby Chambliss and includes four members of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform.

Democrats

Mark Warner (Virginia)

Dick Durbin (Illinois)

Kent Conrad (North Dakota)

Republicans

Saxby Chambliss (Georgia)

Mike Crapo (Idaho)

Tom Coburn (Oklahoma) Left Gang of Six and later returned

In July 2011, the Gang of Six proposed a solution to the US debt ceiling crisis. The compromise would cut the deficit by USD $3.7 trillion over ten years and was praised by President Obama.

Gang of Six, plan hailed as debt-ceiling breakthrough

There might still be a chance to depolarize the political debate over the debt ceiling and deficit reduction.

That's thanks to the Lazarus-like resurgence of the Gang of Six, a bipartisan group of senators who have been working tirelessly to come up with a balanced plan to restore our nation to fiscal responsibility.

Washington's professional partisans and cynical scribes had written the Gang of Six's efforts off in recent weeks as well-intentioned but ineffectual, especially after Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Oklahoma, took a hiatus from their talks.

But Coburn was back on Tuesday at a presentation of their $3.7 trillion deficit reduction plan to 46 of their fellow senators. Even more impressive was the endorsement the outlines of their plans got from the president of the United States.

In an unexpected appearance at a White House press briefing, President Obama praised the Gang of Six plan as being "broadly consistent with the approach that I've urged: What it says is we've got to be serious about reducing discretionary spending, both in domestic spending and defense, we've got to be serious about tackling health care spending and entitlements in a serious way, and we've got to have some additional revenue.

The details of the proposal have yet to be released. But a five-page draft outlines a plan to cut deficits by $3.7 trillion over 10 years. Key elements include:

A new bill that cuts $500 billion in discretionary spending over 10 years, including defense spending.

An immediate freeze of congressional pay and the sale of unused federal property.

New discretionary spending caps through 2015.

A requirement that congressional committees report legislation within six months to find billions in savings in entitlement programs over 10 years.

Creation of a 67-vote threshold to make it more difficult for Congress to exceed its spending caps.

A longer-term overhaul of the tax code, eliminating many tax breaks and using the savings to reduce marginal income tax rates and pay down the deficit.

Elimination of the $1.7 trillion Alternative Minimum Tax and the $298 billion Sustainable Growth Rate formula for Medicare (known as the “doc fix”) – provisions aimed at reducing deficits that Congress has routinely bypassed.

An overhaul of Social Security, but direction of all savings to long-term solvency, not to paying down the debt.

“This is potentially the biggest game changer we’ve had since the debt ceiling discussions began,” says Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget in Washington.