Debt Talks: Obama to Reach Out Directly to Senate Leaders

Official White House Photo by Pete Souza(WASHINGTON) -- President Obama and Vice President Biden will meet separately with the Senate Majority and Minority Leaders on Monday to discuss the “status” of the deficit negotiations, which appeared to hit a bump in the road Thursday when Republicans stepped away from the negotiating table.

In the latest Republican salvo on the debt-limit showdown, Speaker of the House John Boehner outlined two immutable Republican facts on increasing the debt limit:  1)  No increase will pass the House if it includes tax increases and, 2) No increase will pass the House if it does not include spending cuts that exceed the corresponding debt limit increase.

"These are the realities of the situation. If the president and his allies want the debt limit increased, it is only going to happen via a measure that meets these tests,” Boehner said in a statement Friday.  “If the president puts forth such a proposal, he has my word that the House will act on it. But a measure that fails to meet these tests cannot pass the House.”

In advance of Monday’s meeting, McConnell outlined what Republicans want in the negotiations and called Democratic demands for more spending and tax hikes “mystifying.” McConnell said he hopes the president will take those demands off the table so that a “serious discussion” can be had. McConnell also said that he hopes President Obama will “finally explain what it is that he’s prepared to do.”

Here is the full statement from White House press secretary Jay Carney:

“On Monday, the President and Vice President will hold meetings at the White House with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to discuss the status of the negotiations to find common ground on a balanced approach to deficit reduction.  The meeting with the Majority Leader will take place in the morning and the meeting with the Minority Leader will take place in the early evening.”

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