WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Budget Committee, praised the work of the ‘gang of six’ — Senators Mark Warner (D-Va.), Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) — after receiving a second briefing on the contents of its framework on Tuesday morning. He released the following statement:

“The framework presented by the ‘gang of six’ is our best hope for a responsible, truly bipartisan deal on deficit reduction. This package contains very difficult choices whose consequences I am carefully studying now, but I am hopeful that this framework will help the Senate take a strong step forward at this critical time.

“This framework was negotiated in good faith by the Democratic and Republican members of the ‘gang of six’ over the past six months and is the type of bipartisan solution I came to the Senate to support. It insists that both parties share in the sacrifice to achieve the savings we need to reduce our deficit and stabilize our debt. Economists and experts across the board agree that we ought to be pursuing a strategy that saves $4 trillion over 10 years, and that’s what this framework does. It also acknowledges the sober reality that we cannot achieve that level of savings through cuts alone and calls for revenue to play a meaningful role in the process. It protects services and benefits for America’s neediest, while also making tough reforms that will make America more competitive and help the private sector create jobs. Perhaps most importantly, it provides the certainty necessary to sustain the economic recovery. 

“We have to do this right and the work done by the ‘gang of six’ may be the best path forward to do that. This framework represents the most bipartisan approach to long-term deficit reduction since the report of the Bowles-Simpson Fiscal Commission, making it worthy of real consideration. Both parties are responsible for the situation we find ourselves in today and both parties must be responsible for charting a course out of it.

“It was encouraging to see so many of my Republican colleagues attend this morning’s briefing. This can be a game-changing opportunity for the Senate and for the nation, but only if both parties agree to share in the sacrifice. Supporting this framework requires significant concessions and genuine sacrifice from Democrats. Republicans must do the same.”

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