A Diverse Group of Senators at Center Stage in Economic Debate

A Diverse Group of Senators at Center Stage in Economic Debate

WASHINGTON — There’s a new gang in town. Its members — a bipartisan group of about 20 senators — spent Thursday shuttling in and out of a nondescript committee room in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, occasionally ordering staff members into the hallway to allow for more candid discussion on how to broker a political bailout of the economic recovery legislation.

The group included veteran senators like Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, a Republican who is up for re-election next year; Mark Udall of Colorado, a Democrat elected last year; George V. Voinovich, a Republican from the economically hard-hit state of Ohio; both the Democratic and Republican senators from Alaska; and Joseph I. Lieberman, the independent from Connecticut who backed John McCain for president. 

Their work was modeled on that of the so-called Gang of 14 that cut a deal on judges a few years ago and spared the Senate a showdown over filibusters. But notably absent from Thursday’s negotiations was Senator McCain, a linchpin of the deal on judges who has dug in against the stimulus package and on Thursday lost an effort to rewrite it on the floor.

Leafing through the legislation, members of the coalition, led by Senators Susan Collins, Republican of Maine, and Ben Nelson, Democrat of Nebraska, searched for ways to trim about $100 billion and make the bill more palatable to Republicans and Democrats who are eager to take some action but are uneasy about the package’s price tag of more than $900 billion.

The group was frustrating the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid of Nevada, who was trying to bring the debate over President Obama’s economic program and top legislative priority to a close.

“I have explained to people within that group, they cannot hold the president of the United States hostage,” said Mr. Reid, who added that he was willing to work with them if they intended to be constructive rather than obstructive.

Leaders of the changing cast of mainly centrist senators involved in the negotiations said their work could mean the difference between defeat of the economic plan, a narrow partisan victory, or success with a solid, bipartisan majority. “I would say to the majority leader that his success depends on the success of this group,” said Ms. Collins, who was elected to a third term last November in a tough environment for Republicans.

Ms. Collins and her allies won more time to close a deal as the Senate halted debate late Thursday and planned to resume work on Friday. 

“I think there is still hope of a compromise, and we are trying to work it out,” she said as she headed off the Senate floor to a late-night meeting. “I am perennially optimistic, and I do believe at this moment we are going to be able to achieve it.”

The senators involved had different motivations for participation. But in general, Republican moderates wanted to vote for a recovery measure but were nervous that they could face a backlash over spending. Democratic centrists wanted to back Mr. Obama on his first major initiative but think that a measure passed by the House is stuffed with excess spending that will do little to create jobs.

As they exited for breaks and encountered a crush of television cameras, the leaders acknowledged that they were finding it difficult to weigh the competing interests and ideas of the group. 

“This is a Herculean effort,” Mr. Nelson said. “Nobody said it would be easy, but it is very difficult to keep together and get agreement on things like this.”

Senator Mel Martinez of Florida, one of the more conservative Republicans taking part, became increasingly skeptical on Thursday that he could end up backing any compromise. “Sometimes things don’t come together,” Mr. Martinez said. 

The aim of the group was to pare the bill to about $800 billion, a figure that Ms. Collins said Mr. Obama told her in a private meeting on Wednesday was the minimum he thought necessary to restart the economy. 

Lawmakers were trying to jettison education, health and environmental programs they saw as producing few new jobs while perhaps adding spending in public works and other areas that were seen as job creators. They said they were trying to reach a critical mass that would swing wavering Republicans and nervous Democrats behind the bill.

“We are trying to hit the sweet spot,” Mr. Lieberman said.

Some Democrats argued that Republicans were championing provisions that added to the cost while complaining about the spending. 

“Every time we lop off a hundred billion or two hundred billion from the bill, we are lopping off jobs,” Senator Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, the No. 2 Democrat, said.

But Ms. Collins said Mr. Obama had offered encouragement. Senator Evan Bayh, Democrat of Indiana, said the work of the group could ultimately be a plus for the president by coming up with a package that cost less and led to more jobs. 

“We might be the president’s best allies, helping him achieve his objective but honoring the reform message he stands for,” Mr. Bayh said. 

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