The Atlanta Journal and The Atlanta Constitution

Moderate senators taking on stalled budget as bipartisan force

Centrist Coalition plans alternative to Clinton proposal.

Author: Ken Foskett WASHINGTON BUREAU

Washington - The stalemate between the White House and Congress over a balanced budget deal has prompted some moderate Republicans and Democrats in the Senate to begin crafting a bipartisan budget plan.

The group of senators, known as the Centrist Coalition, is headed by Sens. John Chafee (R-R.I) and John Breaux (D-La.). Sen. Max Cleland (D- Ga.), replacing former Sen. Sam Nunn, is the newest Democratic member of the 22-member group, evenly split between Republicans and Democrats.

The group met behind closed doors Thursday for their second meeting of the 105th Congress to begin discussing alternatives to President Clinton's five-year proposal to balance the budget.

Clinton is proposing $100 billion in spending reductions in Medicare - $20 billion less than Republicans want - and $98 billion worth of tax cuts, at least $40 billion less than what Republicans want.

"It's going to be difficult to get a budget agreement that all Republicans can support and all Democrats can support. I think that's not possible," Breaux said. "Therefore, it's essential that you have a group of moderates in the middle trying to come up with something.

"I would like to think that there is a need for a centrist approach to the budget and that our group can provide that leadership,'' he said.

The group's goals will be to produce a balanced budget that stays in balance beyond 2002, lowers entitlement spending and reduces the index used to provide cost of living adjustments to Social Security and pensions, Chafee said.

The group will be cool to tax cuts, he said, noting, "There are precious few tax cuts that don't make our budget deficit solution more difficult."

Cleland, who campaigned on a pledge to be the "sensible center" in the Senate, said the group's moderate approach appealed to him.

"This is kind of like a third force here," Cleland said. "There are no heroes, no finger pointing, just focusing on getting the job done and getting the best budget that's reasonable."

Chafee and Breaux originally got together in 1993 to fashion a bipartisan alternative to Clinton's health care initiative.

During the 104th Congress, the group became more organized and proposed a bipartisan budget agreement that would split the difference between Democratic and Republican proposals, offering fewer tax cuts than Republican leaders wanted and more entitlement spending cuts than Democratic leaders wanted.

The plan attracted 46 votes, short of the majority needed, but more than twice the number the group could safely count on with its 22 members.

The coalition lost several Republican members due to retirement last year, including Sens. William Cohen, Nancy Kassebaum and Hank Brown.

Freshman Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.) and Sen. Connie Mack (R-Fla.) attended the coalition's first meeting and are considering joining, Chafee said.

Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), another freshman, also plans to join, Breaux said.

"It's really a wonderful group," Chafee said. "And I think everyone who was a part of it thought it was one of the high points of their service here."