Gang of Six
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In the politics of the United States, the Gang of Six refers to one of three bipartisan groups of six Senators 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, followed up the compromise on the United States public debt from the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform. A third group, active in 2018, was focused on the Senate immigration debate.
Health care, 2009
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During 2009, the Gang of Six consisted of six members of the Senate Finance Committee of the 111th United States Congress who attempted to negotiate a compromise to pass a health care reform bill.[https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112222617 What The 'Gang Of Six' Wants From Health Care Bill], NPR, September 9, 2009 Among the bills under consideration at the time were
the United States National Health Care Act,
the America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009,
the Healthy Americans Act (Wyden–Bennett), and
the America's Healthy Future Act (Baucus plan).
The six states the legislators represented – Iowa, Maine, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, and Wyoming – had 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.{{cite web |url= http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2009/07/more_on_max_baucuss_gang_of_si.html|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120905141900/http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2009/07/more_on_max_baucuss_gang_of_si.html|url-status= dead|archive-date= September 5, 2012|title= More on Max Baucus's Gang of Six
|access-date=September 26, 2009 |date= July 28, 2009|publisher= Washington Post.com}}{{cite web |url= https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/50464-dems-sore-after-being-kept-out-of-the-room/|title= Dems sore after being kept out of the room |access-date=September 26, 2009 |date= September 16, 2009|work= The Hill}}
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National debt, 2011
{{As of|2011|alt=As of 2011}}, the Gang of Six was led by Democrat Mark Warner and Republican Saxby Chambliss and included four members of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform.{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/03/10/avlon.bipartisan.progress/ |title='Gang of Six' may solve U.S. debt mess |publisher=CNN |date=March 10, 2011 |access-date=July 19, 2011}}
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- Saxby Chambliss (Georgia)
- Mike Crapo (Idaho)
- Tom Coburn (Oklahoma), left the Gang of Six{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2011-05-17-gang-of-six_n.htm |title=Coburn leaves 'Gang of Six' |publisher=Usatoday.Com |date=May 17, 2011 |access-date=July 19, 2011}} and later returned{{cite web|url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0711/59345.html |title=Gang of Six back from the brink – Manu Raju |publisher=Politico.Com |date= July 19, 2011|access-date=July 19, 2011}}
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In July 2011, the Gang of Six proposed a solution to the US debt ceiling crisis. The compromise would reduce future increases in the deficit by USD $3.7 trillion over ten years and was praised by President Barack Obama.{{cite news|last=Taylor|first=Andrew|title=Gang of 6 deficit effort gains momentum|url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iObZN21n4atqn4aNhdma23iobEhQ?docId=d119d16801d04696a2b6db99776349f4|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722120812/http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iObZN21n4atqn4aNhdma23iobEhQ?docId=d119d16801d04696a2b6db99776349f4|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 22, 2011|newspaper=Associated Press|date=July 19, 2011}}{{cite news|last=Epstein|first=Jennifer|title=Obama praises 'Gang of Six' plan|url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0711/59377.html|newspaper=Politico|date=July 19, 2011}} The deficit figure quoted represents an estimated reduction in the continued growth of the debt. It also has been met with criticism from congressional Republicans{{cite news |title=Debt ceiling debate causes freshmen to play activist role |author=Marin Cogan |url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0711/59419.html |work=Politico |date=July 20, 2011 }}{{cite news |title=Among House Republican freshmen, debt-ceiling uncertainty reigns |author=Felicia Sonmez |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/2chambers/post/among-house-republican-freshmen-debt-ceiling-uncertainty-reigns/2011/07/25/gIQAFJ03YI_blog.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=July 25, 2011 }} and conservative groups for being, according to The Heritage Foundation, "heavy on tax hikes and promises of spending cuts, but devoid of details on how to make the sweeping transformative changes needed to solve our debt and spending crises."{{cite news|last=Acosta Fraser|first=Alison|title=What's Wrong with the Gang of Six Plan?|url=http://blog.heritage.org/2011/07/21/whats-wrong-with-the-gang-of-six-plan/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724153021/http://blog.heritage.org/2011/07/21/whats-wrong-with-the-gang-of-six-plan/|url-status=unfit|archive-date=July 24, 2011|periodical=The Foundry|date=July 21, 2011}}
Immigration debate, 2018
A bipartisan group of six senators proposed changes to border security and immigration laws.{{cite news |title=Dreamers′ Fate Is Now Tied to Border Wall and Other G.O.P. Immigration Demands |author=Alicia Parlapiano |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/02/15/us/politics/immigration-issues-congress-daca.html |newspaper=New York Times |date=February 15, 2018 }}{{cite news |title=Graham, Durbin introduce bipartisan immigration bill despite setbacks |author=Tal Kopan and Daniella Diaz |url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/17/politics/dreamers-bill-immigration-graham-durbin-congress/index.html |work=CNN |date=January 17, 2018 }}{{cite news |title=Trump rebuffs Dreamers deal reached by senators |author=Seung Min Kim |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/01/11/dreamers-deal-reached-but-trump-has-yet-to-sign-off-336501 |work=Politico |date=January 11, 2018 }} This group comprised a rump of the similarly named Gang of Eight. Chuck Schumer (New York) became the Senate Minority Leader in January 2017 (later becoming the Senate Majority Leader in January 2021 after Democrats took the Senate majority) and John McCain (Arizona) was sidelined due to health issues that had been impacting him since July 2017 before eventually passing away from those health issues in August 2018.
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See also
References
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External links
[https://web.archive.org/web/20141010213500/http://thehill.com/images/stories/gangofsix_plan.pdf A BIPARTISAN PLAN TO REDUCE OUR NATION’S DEFICITS] – 2011 proposal
Category:Political terminology of the United States
Category:History of the United States Congress
Category:111th United States Congress
Category:Healthcare reform in the United States
Category:112th United States Congress
Category:Government finances in the United States
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