House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said a Republican offer to temporarily raise the debt ceiling was a good faith effort to meet the president halfway. Bryan Lowry/Medill
WASHINGTON – House Republicans made an offer Thursday to raise the debt ceiling on a temporary basis and go to conference with the Senate on the 2014 budget in an effort to fully reopen the federal government.
Republican lawmakers met with President Barack Obama late Thursday to discuss a compromise end to the shutdown and avert default by raising the debt ceiling by Oct. 17. The Republican proposal would authorize enough additional borrowing to keep the government under the debt ceiling for another six weeks.
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said that both parties need to work toward a compromise. “I would hope that the president would look at this as a good faith effort on our part to move halfway – halfway to what he’s demanded.”
Boehner was joined by so many Republican congressmen when he made the initial announcement that there was not even enough room for all of them to fit in behind him. A line of lawmakers stretched down the crowded hallway at the Capitol.
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., stressed the urgency for negotiations. “We cannot waste any more time,” Cantor said.
Boehner would not comment on any specific demands or concessions his side would make during talks with the president. “I don’t want to put anything on the table. I don’t want to take anything off the table,” Boehner said.
A GOP aide said the specific terms of compromise legislation, as well as when it would be brought to the floor, would depend on Obama’s answers.
CNN asked Boehner if he would agree to reopen the government even if the president maintained his stance against changes to the Affordable Care Act, a Republican demand throughout the budget debate.
The speaker said, “If ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ were candy and nuts then every day would be Christmas” to the laughter of his Republican colleagues.
At the White House, Press Secretary Jay Carney said Obama looked forward to hearing the Republican proposal, but stood firm that the administration would not budge on the issue of the Affordable Care Act.
“The president has always said that he’s willing to talk about anything. What he will not do is pay a ransom,” Carney said.
Carney said default would be catastrophic. He said he hoped Thursday’s announcement by Republican leaders was a sign that they were beginning to “see the light.”
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., was also cautious about accepting the possible olive branch until more details were known, telling reporters, “Let’s just wait and see.”