Shutdown Day 10: Obama, GOP To Meet Amid Signs Of Possible Thaw
It's Day 10 of the partial federal government shutdown, and the big news is a meeting between President Obama and a select group of House Republicans.
The president will host the meeting, to include 18 key Republicans, which is aimed at finding a way around the partisan differences. The White House and Democrats want a "clean" continuing resolution to restore funding to government operations, but a substantial bloc of conservative Republicans in the House insist that such a temporary spending measure be tied to defunding and/or delaying the Affordable Care Act.
But the fight over the continuing resolution has morphed into a high stakes debate over raising the debt ceiling, which has to happen in the next week to forestall a likely U.S. default.
Thursday's noon meeting at the White House and signs of a possible compromise from Republicans, has some pundits talking of a "thaw" that could produce a deal. In an opinion piece published Wednesday in The Wall Street Journal, House Budget Committee Chairman Rep. Paul Ryan, outlined a plan to extend the nation's borrowing limit for four to six weeks on condition that both sides sit down to deficit-reduction talks.
USA Today writes:
"Republicans have moved on from their original demand and are instead seeking an avenue for budget talks that could result in long-term agreements to raise the debt ceiling and reduce the deficit. Democrats say they are open to such talks, but only after the shutdown ends and the default threat is off the table."