This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/13/us/politics/budget-and-debt-limit-debate.html

The article has changed 12 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 6 Version 7
Debt Talks in House Stall as Focus Turns to the Senate Debt Talks in House Stall as Focus Turns to the Senate
(35 minutes later)
WASHINGTON — Budget negotiations broke down on Saturday — just days before the nation reaches its borrowing limit — as angry Republicans said that President Obama had rejected their latest offer. WASHINGTON — Hope that a resolution to the 12-day-old government shutdown was near gave way to anger and frustration at the Capitol on Saturday as Speaker John A. Boehner told House Republicans that his efforts to strike a compromise with the White House had failed.
“It’s now up to the Senate Republicans to stand up,” said Representative Raúl R. Labrador of Idaho after House Republicans left a closed-door meeting in the Capitol. The breakdown of talks left little doubt that any deal to reopen the federal bureaucracy would have to come from the Senate, where Democratic and Republican leaders sat down face to face for the first time since the standoff began. The meeting — which both sides described as a constructive if highly preliminary step toward talks that would continue throughout the weekend — was an indication of just how urgent the situation has become.  
The message from Speaker John A. Boehner had been grim, Republicans said. Representative John Carter of Texas described Mr. Obama as “acting like a royal president.” The dead end with House Republicans comes just five days before the nation reaches its borrowing limit and faces the possibility of a crippling financial default. That has left Mr. Boehner with no easy options.
He can continue to push back against President Obama and hope for some give in the White House stance that it will not negotiate until the government is reopened and the debt ceiling is raised. Or Mr. Boehner can pursue a more accommodating strategy similar to his Republican colleagues’ approach in the Senate — but at the risk of angering the conservatives who dominate his conference.  
“Each hour that goes by, we’re closer to a calamity for our country,” the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, said Saturday.
Prospects for a potential deal over the weekend now rests with Mr. Reid and Senator Mitch McConnell, the minority leader, who continued to hold discussions on Saturday and indicated that they would continue to talk on Sunday.
The White House had no immediate response to the developments in the House. Mr. Obama held meetings with senior advisers on Saturday, including Jacob J. Lew, the treasury secretary. Mr. Lew was also attending the annual sessions of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank in Washington, where officials publicly expressed alarm that the United States might provoke a global debt crisis by the inaction in Congress.
The standoff in the House — which will not return until Monday, three days before the government runs out of money — left many Republicans angry and as they left the Capitol.
“It’s now up to the Senate Republicans to stand up,” Representative Raúl R. Labrador of Idaho said after House Republicans left a closed-door meeting in the Capitol.
The message from Mr. Boehner had been grim, Republicans said. Representative John Carter of Texas described Mr. Obama as “acting like a royal president.”
“He’s still ‘my way or the highway,’ ” Mr. Carter said.“He’s still ‘my way or the highway,’ ” Mr. Carter said.
With House Republicans insisting that they have all but run out of options, and the House not scheduled to meet again until Monday, attention turned to the Senate, where Republicans have spent the past several days trying to gin up Democratic support for a proposal they hope could reopen the government and extend the debt-ceiling through the end of January.With House Republicans insisting that they have all but run out of options, and the House not scheduled to meet again until Monday, attention turned to the Senate, where Republicans have spent the past several days trying to gin up Democratic support for a proposal they hope could reopen the government and extend the debt-ceiling through the end of January.
“The question is: What will Senate Republicans do, what will Senate Democrats do?” said Representative Adam Kinzinger, Republican of Illinois.“The question is: What will Senate Republicans do, what will Senate Democrats do?” said Representative Adam Kinzinger, Republican of Illinois.
With the House negotiations falling apart, hope for a potential deal rested with Senator Harry Reid, the majority leader, and his Republican counterpart, Mitch McConnell, who continued to hold discussions on Saturday and indicated that they would talk on Sunday. Many Republicans said that however frustrated they were that the White House would not negotiate with them, they were just as dismayed with their own colleagues who would not back down from their demand that any deal include provisions to chip away at the health care law.
The White House had no immediate response to the developments in the House. Mr. Obama held meetings Saturday with senior advisers, including Jacob J. Lew, the Treasury secretary. Mr. Lew was also attending the annual sessions of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in Washington, where officials publicly expressed alarm that the United States might provoke a global debt crisis by the inaction in Congress.
Many Republicans said that however frustrated they were that the White House would not negotiate with them, they were just as dismayed with their own colleagues who would not back down from their demand that any deal include provisions to chip away at the president’s health care law.
“The problem here is that we don’t have a functioning majority,” said Representative Devin Nunes, Republican of California. “After three weeks of this, they’re still not figuring it out. I don’t know what it takes.”“The problem here is that we don’t have a functioning majority,” said Representative Devin Nunes, Republican of California. “After three weeks of this, they’re still not figuring it out. I don’t know what it takes.”
Feelings ran so high on the House floor on Saturday morning that there was a brief altercation between Representative Joseph Crowley, a Democrat from New York City, and the floor director for Representative Eric Cantor of Virginia, the minority leader. There were conflicting reports about whether the conflict became physical — or was confined to words — and Mr. Crowley said the Cantor aide later apologized to him. Feelings ran so high on the House floor on Saturday morning that there was a brief altercation between Representative Joseph Crowley, a Democrat from New York City, and the floor director for Representative Eric Cantor of Virginia, the majority leader. There were conflicting reports about whether the conflict became physical — or was confined to words — and Mr. Crowley said that the Cantor aide later apologized to him.
Adding to the tensions, the radio and television personality Glenn Beck and Senator Mike Lee, Republican of Utah and a Tea Party star — were joined by conservative activists outside the Capitol to keep the focus on the government shutdown and to blame Mr. Obama for it. Adding to the tensions, the radio and television personality Glenn Beck and Senator Mike Lee, Republican of Utah — one of the Tea Party stars of the Senate — were joined by conservative activists outside the Capitol to keep the focus on the government shutdown and to blame Mr. Obama for it.
Though House Republicans — especially the more hard-line conservatives — remain reluctant to accept any proposal that comes out of the Democratic-controlled Senate, even if it has substantial Republican-backing, the question now facing Mr. Boehner is whether he will be forced to send any Senate offering to the House floor for a vote.Though House Republicans — especially the more hard-line conservatives — remain reluctant to accept any proposal that comes out of the Democratic-controlled Senate, even if it has substantial Republican-backing, the question now facing Mr. Boehner is whether he will be forced to send any Senate offering to the House floor for a vote.
With concern growing that global financial markets could be thrown into turmoil if Congress does not agree to raise the debt ceiling by Thursday, Republicans said they did not know whether Mr. Boehner would have enough support from his most conservative members to put a plan that passes the Senate up for a vote.With concern growing that global financial markets could be thrown into turmoil if Congress does not agree to raise the debt ceiling by Thursday, Republicans said they did not know whether Mr. Boehner would have enough support from his most conservative members to put a plan that passes the Senate up for a vote.
The proposal House Republican presented to the White House late last week called for increasing the Treasury Department’s authority to borrow money through Nov. 22, but only if Mr. Obama agreed to more expansive talks about overhauling the budget.The proposal House Republican presented to the White House late last week called for increasing the Treasury Department’s authority to borrow money through Nov. 22, but only if Mr. Obama agreed to more expansive talks about overhauling the budget.
The collapse of talks with the White House further soured an already tense relationship between House Republicans and the president. Representative Aaron Schock, Republican of Illinois, called the development “a total breakdown in trust.”The collapse of talks with the White House further soured an already tense relationship between House Republicans and the president. Representative Aaron Schock, Republican of Illinois, called the development “a total breakdown in trust.”
“You don’t tell the speaker, the majority leader, the majority whip, ‘We’re going to negotiate,’ then they come and tell our entire conference, ‘We’re going to negotiate,’ and then 24 hours later, you recant,” he said.“You don’t tell the speaker, the majority leader, the majority whip, ‘We’re going to negotiate,’ then they come and tell our entire conference, ‘We’re going to negotiate,’ and then 24 hours later, you recant,” he said.
The Senate was expected to open debate on Saturday on a Democratic proposal that would extend the debt ceiling through the end of 2014, with no strings attached. The plan appeared to lack enough Republican votes to pass, but was intended to pressure Republicans to take action to avert what could be a staggering fiscal crisis if the government defaults on its debts.The Senate was expected to open debate on Saturday on a Democratic proposal that would extend the debt ceiling through the end of 2014, with no strings attached. The plan appeared to lack enough Republican votes to pass, but was intended to pressure Republicans to take action to avert what could be a staggering fiscal crisis if the government defaults on its debts.
Senators Susan Collins, Republican of Maine, and Joe Manchin III, Democrat of West Virginia, were also working to nail down the details of their own plan, which would extend the debt ceiling through the end of January and include a stopgap spending measure to reopen the government and finance it through the end of March.Senators Susan Collins, Republican of Maine, and Joe Manchin III, Democrat of West Virginia, were also working to nail down the details of their own plan, which would extend the debt ceiling through the end of January and include a stopgap spending measure to reopen the government and finance it through the end of March.
“I hope that at least it will spark conversation and help bring an end to this impasse,” Ms. Collins said. “This is going to be a good deal for the country if we can get it done.”“I hope that at least it will spark conversation and help bring an end to this impasse,” Ms. Collins said. “This is going to be a good deal for the country if we can get it done.”
The 23-page plan would simultaneously call for an immediate bipartisan conference of members of the House and the Senate to address broader budget concerns. Republicans hoped the conference would consider some of the cuts to social programs — like means-testing for Medicare benefits — that Mr. Obama has suggested could be options.The 23-page plan would simultaneously call for an immediate bipartisan conference of members of the House and the Senate to address broader budget concerns. Republicans hoped the conference would consider some of the cuts to social programs — like means-testing for Medicare benefits — that Mr. Obama has suggested could be options.
The plan would also call for a delay, or at least an easing, of a tax on medical devices unpopular with some Democrats, and would give government agencies more flexibility on how to carry out the existing across-the-board spending cuts known as sequestration.The plan would also call for a delay, or at least an easing, of a tax on medical devices unpopular with some Democrats, and would give government agencies more flexibility on how to carry out the existing across-the-board spending cuts known as sequestration.
When Ms. Collins presented a similar proposal to the president during a meeting on Friday, Mr. Obama called it “constructive.”When Ms. Collins presented a similar proposal to the president during a meeting on Friday, Mr. Obama called it “constructive.”
But some House Republicans remained skeptical that any Senate plan could pass muster in the Republican-controlled House. Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky said that the Republican conference remained “very united” and that it was unlikely to cede any ground as long as Mr. Obama continued to treat the standoff as “still a game.”But some House Republicans remained skeptical that any Senate plan could pass muster in the Republican-controlled House. Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky said that the Republican conference remained “very united” and that it was unlikely to cede any ground as long as Mr. Obama continued to treat the standoff as “still a game.”
Mr. Reid warned that time was running out. “Each hour that goes by we’re closer to a calamity for our country,” he said.Mr. Reid warned that time was running out. “Each hour that goes by we’re closer to a calamity for our country,” he said.