House Republicans Said to Insist on Conditions to End Shutdown

House Republicans offered a plan to raise the U.S. debt limit and end a partial government shutdown that would require the president to accept policy conditions attached to a spending measure, said two congressional aides.

Republicans sent a list of policy options to the White House, following a meeting yesterday, said the aides, who spoke on condition of anonymity. President Barack Obama has insisted that he wouldn’t accept any conditions for reopening the government, which has been partially shut for 11 days after Republicans sought changes to the 2010 health care law.

House Republicans also want Obama to agree to a framework for future negotiations on fiscal and health care policy. If that happens, the House could vote as soon as today on pushing the lapse of U.S. borrowing authority to Nov. 22 from Oct. 17, according to the aides, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private offer.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said today he is open to hearing Republican proposals, though he doesn’t like the idea of extending U.S. borrowing authority only to Nov. 22. Reid said he would continue advocating a delay of the next debt-limit fight into 2015.

“Using their theory, we would have another one of these periods of bedlam here in Washington right before the most important purchasing season anytime during the year,” Reid said, referring to the holiday shopping season, without saying he would stop a short-term extension.

Via: Newsmax

Continue Reading.....