Senate Centrist Coalition

The bipartisan Senate Centrist Coalition in the U.S. Senate, a legislative service organization, was "created by Senators John Chafee (R-RI) and John Breaux (D-LA) in 1995 after the government shut down to bridge the partisan divide and foster common-sense, consensus-building solutions in the Senate." 

Mission
According to Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD), "The Centrist Coalition is a group of moderate Democrats and Republicans seeking common ground and compromise on issues. ... The Centrist Coalition helps to bridge the two parties ... It brings together progressive national policy initiatives while promoting growth for businesses and increasing personal responsibility for Americans. Most South Dakotans are not left or right-wingers, but instead are right down the middle -- they simply want their government to work well and efficiently. The Centrist Coalition is a good step toward bringing the parties together." December 7, 2000.

Influence
In a March 3, 2005, press release, Antonia Ferrier, Senator Snowe's press secretary said that "'The coalition was started after partisan conflicts between a Republican Congress and President Bill Clinton over balancing the federal budget briefly shut down the government in 1995. Since then, the group has generally met weekly to 'exchange ideas' and have 'open and frank conversations' in a civil manner about complicated issues ... The group does not have an official membership, but a core group of about 15 senators usually attends,... In past years, the coalition has come up with alternative budget programs,' Ferrier said.

"The group also exerted influence in helping to push for enactment of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform bill, said Sandy Maisel, director of the Goldfarb Center for Public Affairs and Civic Engagement at Colby College in Waterville, Maine.

"Maisel said the members who frequently attend the coalition's meetings 'have the potential to have a great deal of influence' in the current Senate which is closely divided with 55 Republicans, 44 Democrats and Jim Jeffords, a Vermont Independent who usually votes with the Democrats.

"'All they need is a swing group of about six or seven, and then they can be very influential,' he said." 

Leadership: 109th Congress
On November 12, 2004, Senator Joseph I. Lieberman (D-CT) and Senator Olympia J. Snowe (R-ME) "announced the formation of the Senate Centrist Coalition for the 109th Congress. Lieberman will be replacing Senator John Breaux (D-LA) as the Democratic co-chair with Snowe serving as the Republican co-chair." 


 * "Sen. Snowe became co-chair of the Senate Centrist Coalition after the death of Sen. John Chafee of Rhode Island in 1999."

Snowe and Lieberman also announced that the following week, they would "convene a meeting of the Coalition to discuss plans for the 109th Congress, and ways to advance legislation in the months ahead, and discuss the Coalition’s agenda and organization.

"'As we look toward the next Congress and the issues that will likely be on the Senate’s agenda, the importance of consensus-building has grown even greater. The serious foreign and domestic challenges our Nation faces demand that we transcend partisanship to find common ground and practical solutions that unite mainstream Republicans and Democrats alike. The Centrist Coalition provides a critical forum for members to meet and craft solutions that can garner broad-based support across the political aisle,' Snowe and Lieberman said in a joint letter to their colleagues." 

On November 16, 2004, Senators Lieberman and Snowe announced that Senators George V. Voinovich (R-OH) and Ben Nelson (D-NE) had "agreed to serve as Centrist Coalition Republican and Democratic Vice Chairs, respectively." 

According to Senator Voinovich upon his appointment, "We need to put aside the obstructionism that in the past has prevented the Senate from completing essential work. The highway bill, the energy bill and judicial nominations all fell victim to partisanship deadlock. It’s my hope that the 109th Congress will see a renewed commitment from senators on both sides of the aisle to working together to get the job done and the Centrist Coalition can play an important role by encouraging bipartisan dialogue. I’m honored to have been selected to serve as vice chairman and I look forward to contributing to fostering greater bipartisan cooperation in the next two years." 

Coalition Members (107th Congress)

 * Democrats
 * Max Baucus
 * Evan Bayh
 * John Breaux
 * Jean Carnahan
 * Tom Carper
 * Max Cleland
 * Kent Conrad
 * John Edwards
 * Dianne Feinstein
 * Bob Graham
 * Tim Johnson
 * Herb Kohl
 * Mary Landrieu
 * Joseph I. Lieberman
 * Blanche Lincoln
 * Barbara Mikulski
 * Zell Miller
 * Ben Nelson
 * Bill Nelson
 * Bob Torricelli
 * Debbie Stabenow
 * Ron Wyden


 * Republicans
 * George Allen
 * Bob Bennett
 * Kit Bond
 * John Chafee
 * Susan Collins
 * Mike DeWine
 * Pete Domenici
 * Peter Fitzgerald
 * Bill Frist
 * Judd Gregg
 * Chuck Hagel
 * Jim Jeffords
 * John McCain
 * Pat Roberts
 * Richard Shelby
 * Gordon Smith
 * Olympia J. Snowe
 * Arlen Specter
 * Fred Thompson
 * George V. Voinovich
 * John Warner


 * Source: Senator John Breaux's website.

Coalition Members (109th Congress)

 * Evan Bayh (D-IN)
 * Tom Carper (D-DE)
 * Lincoln Chafee (R-RI)
 * Susan Collins (R-ME)
 * Kent Conrad (D-ND)
 * Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
 * Judd Gregg (R-NH)
 * Jim Jeffords (I-VT)
 * Herb Kohl (D-WI)
 * Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
 * Joseph I. Lieberman (D-CT)
 * Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)
 * John McCain (R-AZ)
 * Ben Nelson (D-NE)
 * Bill Nelson (D-FL)
 * Mark Pryor (D-AR)
 * Ken Salazar (D-CO)
 * Olympia J. Snowe (R-ME)
 * John Sununu (R-NH)
 * George V. Voinovich (R-OH)

Third Way Senate Advisory Board Members who are also Senate Centrist Coalition Members
Source: Third Way website.
 * Evan Bayh, Senate chair
 * Tom Carper, Senate chair
 * Mary Landrieu, Senate vice-chair
 * Blanche Lincoln, Senate chair
 * Mark Pryor, Senate vice-chair
 * Ken Salazar, Senate vice-chair

Related SourceWatch Resources

 * Blue Dog Democrats
 * Bush regime
 * Democratic Leadership Council
 * House Centrist Coalition
 * nuclear option
 * Supreme Court
 * The Courts: Shifting the Judiciary to the Right ... for Big Business
 * Third way

Other "pedia" Info

 * "Senate Centrist Coalition" in the Wikipedia: "The name of the Senate Centrist Coalition is 'Third Way,' subtitled, "A Senate-Focused Progressive Advocacy Group." As of November 2004 it was chaired and co-chaired by Blanche Lambert Lincoln (D-AR), Evan Bayh (D-IN), Tom Carper (D-DE), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), and Mark Pryor (D-AR)."

Articles & Commentary

 * Mark Preston, "Moderates Aim for Revival Senate Centrist Coalition Trying to Honor Chafee," Roll Call, March 27, 2000 (HighBeam teaser; requires subscription).
 * Press Release: "Johnson Says Centrist Coalition Will Play Key Role in Next Congress. Bipartisanship in Congress Will Be Necessary to Approve Legislation," Senator Tim Johnson's website, December 7, 2000.
 * "Senate moderates seek stronger voice," AP, January 25, 2001: "About one-third of the Senate, which is evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats, showed up Wednesday for a brief organizational meeting of the Senate Centrist Coalition. Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., and Democratic leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota, acknowledging their potential influence, appeared before the group to give their blessing to the endeavor."
 * Anna Katarina Stechert, "Maine senators meet with Senate's centrist coalition," Washington Journalism Center, Boston University, Spring 2001.
 * "Centrist Stimulus Plan Gains Support," AP, November 20, 2001.
 * Press Release: "Senator Lieberman Joins Senator Snowe to Co-Chair Senate Centrist Coalition for the 109th Congress. Coalition to Meet Next Week to Discuss Plans for 109th Congress," Lieberman's Senate website, November 12, 2004.
 * Susan Milligan, "Moderate voices retain sway in bolstered GOP," Boston Globe, November 15, 2004.
 * Press Release: "Senators Snow and Lieberman Announce Senators Voinovich and Nelson as New Centrist Coaltion Vice Chairs," Snowe's Senate website, November 16, 2004.
 * "Nelson Joins Leadership of Centrist Coalition," Southwest Nebraska News, November 17, 2004.
 * Todd C. Morrison, "Centrists to till common ground," Bangor Daily News, November 18, 2004.
 * William F. Jasper, "Intelligence Reform Charade (Excerpt)," The New American, January 10, 2005.
 * Liz Goldberg, "Senators get educated on Social Security," Washington Journalism Center, Boston University, March 3, 2005: "Since the 109th Congress convened in January, the Senate Centrist Coalition, an informal group of center-leaning senators, has met three times to hear presentations from groups with differing views on Social Security."
 * David M. Walker, "Comptroller General's Remarks to the Senate Centrist Coalition, GAO, February 1, 2005.
 * Press Release: "Centrist Coalition Co-Chairs Press for Paygo Amendment; Snowe, Lieberman Urge Senate to Enforce Fiscal Discipline. Senators Feingold, Voinovich, Chafee Speak on PAYGO Amendment to Budget Resolution at Today’s Meeting," Snowe's Senate website, March 16, 2005.
 * Joel Havemann, "In Congress, Efforts to Structure Tight Budget Caught in Tug of War," Los Angeles Times, March 16, 2005: "'Paygo' provision is chief hurdle in Senate, while House plan is criticized for not cutting enough."